- Arkheron how to play: teams of three loot, build, and battle inside a mysterious Tower.
- Map knowledge first: ping stars, shrines, and quests to direct your team without voice chat.
- Gear fast: quests, treasure runes, and challenges get you gold and purple chests early.
- Eternal sets: 2 pieces unlock a set bonus, 4 pieces let you transform into the Eternal.
- Train offline: test every Eternal in the training room before diving into PvP.
Getting Started: The Basics of How to Play Arkheron
Arkheron is a fast-paced, punishing PvP action game from Bonfire Studios where teams of three fight to ascend a mysterious Tower. Items are the heroes here: every piece of gear is imbued with abilities, so you build your playstyle on the fly while competing against dozens of other players. There is little downtime to learn mid-match, so preparation matters.
Video Highlights:
- Map knowledge and ping-based communication are the top beginner skills
- Star locations hold gold and purple chests with Eternal relic gear
- Green shrine icons are shops for gear, consumables, and teammate revives
- Three reliable gearing routes: quests, treasure runes, and challenges
- Training room lets you preview every Eternal's full gear set
| Map Icon | Meaning | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Star | High-value location, gold and purple chests | Top |
| Green shrine | Shop: gear, consumables, revives | High |
| Exclamation mark | Quest tree, guaranteed good chests | High |
| Treasure rune | Key to a room of 5-6 premium chests | Situational |
| Challenge marker | 3v3 arena fight for loot | Risky |
Open the map, hold Tab on keyboard, and middle-click to ping locations. You can even ping before the match starts to agree on a first quest or loot route with teammates who don't use voice chat.
How to Gear Up Fast
Arkheron runs snowball quickly. A team with two or three good pieces that wins a fight takes all the loser's loot, so early gear advantage compounds fast. Focus on the three gearing routes below and always keep a few consumables in reserve.
Quests (Safest)
- Exclamation mark on map
- Three challenging mobs
- Beatable with one green item each
- Drops always gold and purple chests
- Works best with ranged attacks
Treasure Runes
- Random key drop from monsters
- Once found, the key is yours alone
- Run straight to the treasure room
- Contains 5-6 premium chests
Challenges (Risky)
- Team-vs-team 3v3 arena
- Winner takes gear and spawned chests
- Can eliminate a rival squad early
- Not recommended for brand-new players
| Route | Reliability | Risk | Loot Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quests | Very reliable | Low | Gold and purple |
| Treasure runes | Random drop | Low | Multiple gold chests |
| Challenges | Targeted | High | Full enemy team loot |
If you run into a geared team while you are still in green gear, you will have a bad time. Prioritize a quest immediately after landing to secure your first real upgrade.
Eternals and Set Bonuses Explained
Eternals are the legendary figures whose gear defines your build. Visit the training room first: all Eternals line the walls with their gear pieces displayed underneath. Try each one, read what every item does, and shortlist two or three that match your style.
Visit the Training Room
Load in solo or with friends and read every Eternal's gear descriptions along the walls.
Pick Your Playstyle
Prefer support? Hollow offers heals, pets, roots, and walls. Prefer melee? Arrenia brings an ice crown shield, slowing aura, mace, and sword.
Collect Set Pieces In-Match
2 pieces grant a set bonus; 4 pieces let you transform into the Eternal with one extra ability.
Upgrade and Share
Only one copy of each piece exists per run. If a teammate picks up your duplicate, your version upgrades automatically with reduced cooldowns. Ping pieces you don't want for them.
| Eternal | Playstyle | Signature Gear |
|---|---|---|
| Hollow | Support, ranged | Healing pets, root, wall |
| Arrenia | Melee, tanky | Ice crown shield, slow aura, mace |
| Subo | Skirmisher | Wolf-summoning necklace and crown, sprint |
| Grimald | Area control | Electric sentry box that pings enemies |
Press F1 on keyboard mid-match to quickly review what your equipped gear, upgrades, and set bonuses do.
Crowns and amulets are the worst pickups for uninformed players because their effects are not obvious in combat. Ten minutes in the training room prevents wasted runs.
Beginner Match Strategy
Your first few matches should follow a repeatable script: land, ping, quest, gear, then fight. Avoid early challenges until you understand your Eternal, and use shrines to fill missing set pieces or buy consumables.
Before the match starts, ping a quest or high-value star location on the over-map. Dropping with a plan beats dropping into a random corridor of green chests every time.
First Match Goals:
- Ping a landing target before the match starts
- Complete one quest for gold and purple chests
- Collect two pieces of your chosen Eternal set
- Buy consumables and revive teammates at a shrine
- Press F1 to review your set bonus mid-match
Shards drop from PvE monsters and chests. Spend them at green shrines to complete sets, upgrade Eternal duplicates, buy consumables, or revive fallen teammates for a couple hundred shards.
FAQ
Q: How do you play Arkheron as a brand-new player?
Land with a plan: ping a quest on the map, complete it for guaranteed gold and purple chests, collect two pieces of one Eternal's set for the bonus, and only then look for PvP fights.
Q: What do stars on the Arkheron map mean?
Stars mark high-value locations. They contain golden and purple chests with a high chance of Eternal relic gear, far better than the standard green chests found in random corridors.
Q: How many set pieces do I need to transform?
Two pieces grant a set bonus, and four pieces let you transform into the Eternal, unlocking one extra ability. Upgrading a piece by finding a duplicate further reduces cooldowns and boosts stats.
Q: Should new players use challenges?
Not at first. Challenges put your team into a 3v3 arena against another squad. The reward is large, but if you are still in green gear, quests and treasure runes are much safer routes to gear.
Arkheron is currently in its Crossplay Beta period, with the game available in limited free-to-play windows ahead of full release. Check the official site for beta signups, patch notes, and news.