Conan Exiles Walkthrough — Start to Endgame

Conan Exiles is an open-world survival game set in Robert E. Howard's Hyborian Age where you're an exile condemned to die in a harsh wasteland. The thrall system — capturing NPCs, breaking them on the Wheel of Pain, and deploying them as fighters, crafters, or dancers — is the defining mechanic. Named thralls with unique stats become powerful companions that rival player characters in combat strength. The Age of Sorcery update added a full magic system with corrupted attributes, summoning, and teleportation. Building ranges from sandstone shacks to massive T3 fortress compounds that must withstand Purge attacks.

This walkthrough takes you from your first session to endgame content. Each phase has specific goals, priorities, and milestones. Follow this path to avoid common traps that stall most players.

Quick Progression Summary

Phase 1: Getting Started — Desert

The starting zone with sandstone resources, basic enemies (Imps, Exiles), and the Sinkhole dungeon. Temperature management is important — heat exhaustion requires water and shade. The Desert teaches survival basics with forgiving enemy difficulty.

Level/Difficulty: Level 1-20 Key Rewards: Basic resources, Sinkhole dungeon, iron in cliff faces, T1 thralls

What to Do in Desert

1. Learn thrall system. Knock out NPCs with a Truncheon, drag them to a Wheel of Pain, and break their will with food over time. Spend your first session getting comfortable with this.
2. Pick Agility Fighter as your starting build. It's the most forgiving option.
3. Dalinsia Snowhunter (Named Fighter from Mounds of the Dead) is widely considered the best combat thrall. She has the highest HP and damage of any follower. Farm her spawn location repeatedly.
4. Acquire your first equipment upgrade — Predatory Blade or whatever's available.
5. Clear all main content before moving on.

Phase 1 Checklist

• Understand thrall system fundamentals
• Agility Fighter selected and functional
• Desert main content cleared
• Ready for Highlands

Phase 2: Early Game — Highlands

A temperate zone with wolves, bears, and human settlements. Contains New Asagarth (best Named thrall farming location) and access to the Unnamed City. The Highlands have balanced resources and moderate difficulty.

Level/Difficulty: Level 20-40 Key Rewards: Named thralls (New Asagarth), Brimstone, Unnamed City access

What to Do in Highlands

1. Work on building tiers. Three building material tiers: T1 Sandstone (cheapest, weakest), T2 Stonebrick/Insulated Wood (moderate), T3 Reinforced Stone/Black Ice (strongest). This system becomes critical from here on.
2. Farm for Predatory Blade if you haven't already. It's the key upgrade for this phase.
3. Build a Wheel of Pain near enemy camps for efficient thrall conversion. Greater Wheel of Pain converts thralls faster and holds more simultaneously.
4. Complete all objectives before pushing to Jungle.
5. Consider whether Strength Melee might suit your playstyle better than Agility Fighter.

Phase 2 Checklist

• building tiers integrated into gameplay
• Predatory Blade acquired
• Highlands fully cleared
• Ready for Jungle

Phase 3: Mid Game — Jungle

A dense tropical zone with gorillas, jaguars, and the Lemurian civilization ruins. Contains Jhebbal Sag religion teacher. The Jungle provides unique resources (Exotic Flesh, Feral Flesh) and the Midnight Grove dungeon.

Level/Difficulty: Level 25-45 Key Rewards: Midnight Grove dungeon, Jhebbal Sag religion, exotic resources

What to Do in Jungle

1. Master religion system. Choose from seven religions (Yog, Set, Mitra, Ymir, Derketo, Jhebbal Sag, Zath), each providing unique craftable items. This unlocks a new layer of gameplay.
2. Start working toward Blade of the Adventurer. It's the best equipment and becomes accessible around now.
3. Journey Steps (the quest log) provide significant XP and guide natural progression. Follow them for efficient leveling rather than grinding enemies.
4. This area is the main skill check. If you can clear it, you're ready for late game.
5. Start investing in purge defense for the tactical depth you'll need going forward.

Phase 3 Checklist

• religion system mastered
• Blade of the Adventurer acquired or in progress
• Jungle fully cleared
• Ready for Frozen North

Phase 4: Late Game — Frozen North

An arctic zone requiring cold-weather gear. Contains Star Metal meteorites, Black Ice building materials, and the Frost Temple dungeon. Ymir religion teacher is here. The hardest overworld zone with mammoths and frost giants.

Level/Difficulty: Level 40-60 Key Rewards: Star Metal, Black Ice, Frost Temple, Named thralls (Cimmerian settlements)

What to Do in Frozen North

1. Finalize your build. You should be running Strength Melee or Agility Fighter with optimized gear.
2. Blade of the Adventurer should be your primary. If you don't have it yet, prioritize getting it.
3. Alchemical Base (crafted at the Firebowl Cauldron from gold, silver, and ichor) is the most important crafting ingredient for endgame gear. Stockpile it early.
4. attribute respec optimization starts here. Small improvements compound into massive advantages.
5. Farm this area for the resources needed to push into Volcano.

Phase 4 Checklist

• Build fully optimized
• Blade of the Adventurer upgraded to max
• Frozen North fully cleared
• Ready for Volcano

Phase 5: Endgame — Volcano

The endgame zone with extreme heat requiring heat-resist armor. Contains Obsidian and Dragonpowder resources. The Well of Skelos dungeon is here. The volcano interior has the highest-level enemies and the rarest crafting materials.

Level/Difficulty: Level 50-60 Key Rewards: Obsidian, Dragonpowder, Well of Skelos, endgame crafting materials

What to Do in Volcano

1. Volcano tests everything. Come prepared with your best build and gear.
2. Named crafters placed at workstations reduce material costs by up to 50%. A Named Blacksmith at the Improved Armorer's Bench halves all armor crafting costs.
3. The endgame loop: run Volcano, optimize gear, push harder content.
4. Experiment with Sorcery Build for a fresh take once you've mastered the standard builds.
5. This is where attribute respec mastery separates good players from great ones.

Phase 5 Checklist

• Endgame content on farm
• Best-in-slot gear acquired
• Volcano fully cleared
• Ready for challenge content

Common Progression Mistakes

• Building a large base in T1/T2 materials on PvP servers — raiders destroy sandstone and stonebrick easily. Save your building effort for T3.
• Ignoring the thrall system — a well-equipped Named thrall is more powerful than most player builds and makes all PvE content significantly easier.
• Not scouting purge vulnerability — if your base has an exposed wall or undefended section, purge NPCs will path directly to it. Walk around your base and fix gaps.
• Spreading attribute points too thin — focus on one primary combat stat (Strength or Agility) to 20 for the capstone perk before diversifying.
• Building in the desert permanently — the starting zone has the worst resources and weakest thrall spawns. Relocate to Highlands or Frozen North as soon as your level allows.

Key Tips for Smooth Progression

1. Dalinsia Snowhunter (Named Fighter from Mounds of the Dead) is widely considered the best combat thrall. She has the highest HP and damage of any follower. Farm her spawn location repeatedly.
2. Build a Wheel of Pain near enemy camps for efficient thrall conversion. Greater Wheel of Pain converts thralls faster and holds more simultaneously.
3. Journey Steps (the quest log) provide significant XP and guide natural progression. Follow them for efficient leveling rather than grinding enemies.
4. Alchemical Base (crafted at the Firebowl Cauldron from gold, silver, and ichor) is the most important crafting ingredient for endgame gear. Stockpile it early.
5. Named crafters placed at workstations reduce material costs by up to 50%. A Named Blacksmith at the Improved Armorer's Bench halves all armor crafting costs.

For detailed build optimization, see Conan Exiles builds. For quick wins, check tips & tricks.