Setup through settlement
Tears of Metal First Run Route
Hero, battalion, battlefield, boss, and settlement checklist
Tears of Metal First Run Route
Choose one hero job, assign soldiers to a visible lane, use item tags that reinforce that job, shorten the route after a failed fight, and spend settlement resources only after the combat loop repeats in the current Early Access build.
Hero and battalion
Prove the job before spend
Run Checklist
First-run hero and battalion checklist
Choose one hero job, assign soldiers to a visible lane, use item tags that reinforce that job, shorten the route after a failed fight, and spend settlement resources only after the combat loop repeats in the current Early Access build.
9 matches First-run hero and battalion checklist
Run checkpoint · Setup
Player report Name one hero job
Frontline, crowd break, control, or ranged pressure gives the run a testable purpose.
- Run phase
- Setup
- Combat layer
- Hero
- Failure protected
- Lost lane
Player job
Protect the hero layer against lost lane.
Use now
Choose one job before evaluating item rarity or damage spectacle.
Safe next action
Mark the checkpoint complete only when the hero and soldiers can repeat the same job.
Risk
A hero with no named job can chase every threat and own no lane.
Run checkpoint · Setup
Player report Assign the soldiers a visible lane
The battalion needs a space or target to support instead of following every hero movement.
- Run phase
- Setup
- Combat layer
- Soldiers
- Failure protected
- Soldier collapse
Player job
Protect the soldiers layer against soldier collapse.
Use now
Choose the lane, formation purpose, or pressure point the soldiers must preserve.
Safe next action
Mark the checkpoint complete only when the hero and soldiers can repeat the same job.
Risk
Unassigned soldiers become background damage that disappears unnoticed.
Run checkpoint · Setup
Player report Choose one item tag
Survival, stagger, area, tempo, range, or soldier support makes the first item decision comparable.
- Run phase
- Setup
- Combat layer
- Items
- Failure protected
- Bad spend
Player job
Protect the items layer against bad spend.
Use now
Take the item that strengthens the named hero or battalion job.
Safe next action
Mark the checkpoint complete only when the hero and soldiers can repeat the same job.
Risk
Rarity alone can move the build away from its repeatable purpose.
Run checkpoint · Battlefield
Player report Read the first wave
The opening wave shows whether the hero can perform the chosen job without abandoning the battalion.
- Run phase
- Battlefield
- Combat layer
- Hero
- Failure protected
- Hero death
Player job
Protect the hero layer against hero death.
Use now
Use the shortest version of the build loop and keep an exit.
Safe next action
Mark the checkpoint complete only when the hero and soldiers can repeat the same job.
Risk
Committing every cooldown to the opener leaves no recovery answer.
Run checkpoint · Battlefield
Player report Check the battalion after pressure
The hero can look successful while the soldiers lose the battlefield behind them.
- Run phase
- Battlefield
- Combat layer
- Soldiers
- Failure protected
- Soldier collapse
Player job
Protect the soldiers layer against soldier collapse.
Use now
Pause after the wave and identify whether formation, support, or target ownership failed.
Safe next action
Mark the checkpoint complete only when the hero and soldiers can repeat the same job.
Risk
Judging only hero damage hides the second combat layer.
Run checkpoint · Battlefield
Player report Identify the unstable item dependency
A lucky artifact can carry one fight without producing a reliable route.
- Run phase
- Battlefield
- Combat layer
- Items
- Failure protected
- Bad spend
Player job
Protect the items layer against bad spend.
Use now
Name the one item effect the current loop cannot function without.
Safe next action
Mark the checkpoint complete only when the hero and soldiers can repeat the same job.
Risk
Building settlement investment around a single drop raises patch and luck risk.
Run checkpoint · Boss
Player report Protect the job during the boss
The boss phase tests whether the build still has defense, soldier ownership, and a repeatable damage window.
- Run phase
- Boss
- Combat layer
- Hero
- Failure protected
- Lost lane
Player job
Protect the hero layer against lost lane.
Use now
Keep the named role and shorten the punish when the next defense is uncertain.
Safe next action
Mark the checkpoint complete only when the hero and soldiers can repeat the same job.
Risk
Boss pressure can turn a controlled role into damage greed.
Run checkpoint · Settlement
Player report Save one failure note
The settlement decision should answer the repeated run failure rather than reward the newest item.
- Run phase
- Settlement
- Combat layer
- Account
- Failure protected
- Bad spend
Player job
Protect the account layer against bad spend.
Use now
Choose hero death, soldier collapse, lost lane, or item dependency as the next investment target.
Safe next action
Mark the checkpoint complete only when the hero and soldiers can repeat the same job.
Risk
Spending immediately after a dramatic run can reinforce the wrong lesson.
Run checkpoint · Settlement
Player report Repeat before settlement investment
A build deserves long-term resources only after the hero and soldiers repeat the same job.
- Run phase
- Settlement
- Combat layer
- Account
- Failure protected
- Bad spend
Player job
Protect the account layer against bad spend.
Use now
Run the route again with the same core role before spending deeply.
Safe next action
Mark the checkpoint complete only when the hero and soldiers can repeat the same job.
Risk
Early Access balance and random items make one-run conclusions fragile.
No matching run checkpoint
Try setup, battlefield, boss, settlement, hero, soldiers, or items.
Failure recovery
Recover a run when the build identity disappears
Keep one hero job, restore the soldier lane, and remove the most unstable item dependency.
- 1Name the first failure
Hero death, soldier collapse, lost lane, or item dependency require different repairs.
- 2Restore soldier ownership
Give the battalion one visible job before changing the damage route.
- 3Keep one core tag
Retain the item tag that still performs the chosen role.
- 4Delay settlement spend
Retest the shorter loop before making the account pay for it.
Decision table
Fix the layer that failed first
Use the action column as the next test, not as a claim about hidden game values.
| Situation | Action | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The hero dies while soldiers survive | Add survival or shorten commitment | The hero layer is ending the run. |
| Soldiers disappear every wave | Add formation or soldier support | Hero damage is not preserving the battlefield. |
| The build needs one lucky item | Add a second supporting tag | The route needs a fallback dependency. |
| The run succeeds once | Repeat before settlement spend | One result is not yet an account plan. |
Player questions
First Run Route FAQ
Use the current game panel before spending rare resources on a value that can change.
What should I decide before the first run?
Name the hero job and the soldier lane so item choices have a clear purpose.
How should soldiers support the hero?
Assign them to a visible pressure, protection, or cleanup lane instead of letting the whole battalion drift with the hero.
When should I spend settlement resources?
Spend after the hero and soldier loop performs the named job in more than one short run.
Why avoid exact item rankings?
The game is in Early Access, so item values and balance can move; role tags remain safer until the live build is confirmed.