Omeda Studios rebuilt Epic's cancelled Paragon into this free to play third person MOBA, leaving Early Access on 30 November 2022 and hitting 1.0 on 20 August 2024. Over 45 heroes fill five roles across three lanes and a jungle, and every ability is aimed over the shoulder rather than clicked, so terrain and vaulting actually change fights. Matches revolve around two timed objectives, Fangtooth at five minutes and Orb Prime later.
This walkthrough takes you from your first session to endgame content. Each phase has specific goals, priorities, and milestones. New to the game? Start with our beginner's guide first.
Quick Progression Summary
| Phase | Area | Focus | Build | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Start | Offlane | Crest starter items and upgrades basics | Midlane | 1-2 hours |
| 2. Early | Midlane | Fangtooth and Orb Prime timers mastery | Midlane | 3-5 hours |
| 3. Mid | Duo Lane | Jungle buff camps + gear | Offlane or Midlane | 5-10 hours |
| 4. Late | Fangtooth Pit | Build optimization | Offlane | 5-10 hours |
| 5. Endgame | Orb Prime Pit | Min-max | Offlane or Support | Ongoing |
See our maps guide for detailed area breakdowns.
Phase 1: Getting Started (Offlane)
The solo lane, usually held by a tank or bruiser who expects to be outnumbered. Farming safely under tower here is worth more than winning the lane, because a dead Offlaner hands the enemy jungler free access to the river.
Level/Difficulty: Levels 1 to 6, solo Key Rewards: Solo experience, map pressure, and the frontline your team needs at Fangtooth
What to Do in Offlane
- Learn Crest starter items and upgrades. You pick one of eight crests at the start of a match and complete a small quest, usually killing minions and damaging enemies, to advance it through three tiers. Spend your first session getting comfortable with this.
- Pick Midlane as your starting build. See our builds guide for why.
- Pick the crest that matches your role before the match starts. Taking a Marksman Crest on a mage gives you attack speed you will never use and locks you out of the Epoch path that build actually needs.
- Acquire your first equipment upgrade: Magician Crest or whatever's available.
- Clear all main content before moving on.
Phase 1 Checklist
- Understand Crest starter items and upgrades fundamentals
- Midlane selected and functional
- Offlane main content cleared
- Ready for Midlane
Phase 2: Early Game (Midlane)
The shortest lane and the fastest route to both jungles, which makes it the natural rotation point. A midlaner who shoves the wave and moves is worth more than one who out farms their opponent and never leaves.
Level/Difficulty: Levels 1 to 6, solo Key Rewards: Fast levels, river vision control, and gank pressure on both side lanes
What to Do in Midlane
- Work on Fangtooth and Orb Prime timers. Fangtooth first spawns at the five minute mark and grants permanent team wide buffs that stack: the first kill extends buff durations by 50 percent, the second gives 8 percent out of combat movement speed, the third gives 8 percent power and armour. This system becomes critical from here on.
- Farm for Magician Crest if you haven't already. It's the key upgrade for this phase.
- Fangtooth spawns at five minutes, so vision around the pit needs to be placed by roughly 4:30. Contesting an objective you cannot see is how a duo lane loses two players and the buff in the same fight.
- Complete all objectives before pushing to Duo Lane.
- Consider whether Offlane might suit your playstyle better than Midlane.
Phase 2 Checklist
- Fangtooth and Orb Prime timers integrated into gameplay
- Magician Crest acquired
- Midlane fully cleared
- Ready for Duo Lane
Phase 3: Mid Game (Duo Lane)
Carry and Support share this lane, and the whole early game is about keeping the Carry alive and farming. The lane sits closest to one of the objective pits, so its outcome usually decides who takes the first Fangtooth.
Level/Difficulty: Levels 1 to 6, two players Key Rewards: Carry farm, early objective control, and Support roaming windows
What to Do in Duo Lane
- Master Jungle buff camps. Black, Gray, White and Brown camps pay gold and experience on a two minute respawn, while Red, Blue, Cyan, Gold and river camps grant timed buffs. This unlocks a new layer of gameplay.
- Start working toward Warrior Crest. It's the best equipment and becomes accessible around now.
- Buffs last 45 seconds in a standard Sanctuary match and only 25 seconds in Brawl. Take Red or Blue immediately before a rotation rather than at the start of a farming route, or most of the timer burns on empty camps.
- This area is the main skill check. If you can clear it, you're ready for late game.
- Start investing in Third person aimed abilities for the tactical depth you'll need going forward.
Phase 3 Checklist
- Jungle buff camps mastered
- Warrior Crest acquired or in progress
- Duo Lane fully cleared
- Ready for Fangtooth Pit
Phase 4: Late Game (Fangtooth Pit)
Fangtooth first spawns at five minutes and its buffs are permanent for the rest of the match. The first kill extends the duration of Red, Blue and river buffs by 50 percent, the second adds 8 percent out of combat movement speed, and the third adds 8 percent power and armour before it becomes Primal Fangtooth.
Level/Difficulty: From 5 minutes onward Key Rewards: Stacking permanent team buffs and control of the early river
What to Do in Fangtooth Pit
- Finalize your build. You should be running Offlane or Midlane with optimized gear.
- Warrior Crest should be your primary. If you don't have it yet, prioritize getting it.
- Camps level up every two minutes to a cap of level 15, so an early clear on a camp you cannot handle gives away first blood to the jungle rather than to a player. Follow a route that matches your hero's clear speed.
- Five roles across three lanes optimization starts here. Small improvements compound into massive advantages.
- Farm this area for the resources needed to push into Orb Prime Pit.
Phase 4 Checklist
- Build fully optimized
- Warrior Crest upgraded to max
- Fangtooth Pit fully cleared
- Ready for Orb Prime Pit
Phase 5: Endgame (Orb Prime Pit)
Mini Prime spawns at seven minutes, granting 15 to 35 physical power, 20 to 60 magical power and 10 percent bonus armour. At 20 minutes Orb Prime replaces it with far more health and damage, and its buff is what actually breaks inhibitors and the Core.
Level/Difficulty: From 7 minutes, Orb Prime at 20 minutes Key Rewards: Minion buffs, out of combat regeneration, and the siege power to end the game
What to Do in Orb Prime Pit
- Orb Prime Pit tests everything. Come prepared with your best build and gear.
- Abilities are aimed, not clicked, so terrain blocks them. Standing behind a wall or a raised platform makes half of most mage kits useless, which is a defensive tool as much as a positioning problem.
- The endgame loop: run Orb Prime Pit, optimize gear, push harder content.
- Experiment with Support for a fresh take once you've mastered the standard builds.
- This is where Five roles across three lanes mastery separates good players from great ones. See our tips guide for advanced strategies.
Phase 5 Checklist
- Endgame content on farm
- Best-in-slot gear acquired
- Orb Prime Pit fully cleared
- Ready for challenge content
Common Progression Mistakes
- Choosing a crest by the stats it shows rather than by the role you queued for, and reaching 20 minutes with the wrong tier 3 item.
- Contesting the five minute Fangtooth with no vision on the pit and losing two players before the fight starts.
- Taking Red or Blue buff at the start of a long farming route so most of the 45 second timer expires on empty camps.
- Treating abilities like targeted clicks and firing skill shots into terrain that blocks them.
- Taking Orb Prime at 20 minutes and then recalling to base instead of immediately pushing an inhibitor with it.
Key Tips for Smooth Progression
- Pick the crest that matches your role before the match starts. Taking a Marksman Crest on a mage gives you attack speed you will never use and locks you out of the Epoch path that build actually needs.
- Fangtooth spawns at five minutes, so vision around the pit needs to be placed by roughly 4:30. Contesting an objective you cannot see is how a duo lane loses two players and the buff in the same fight.
- Buffs last 45 seconds in a standard Sanctuary match and only 25 seconds in Brawl. Take Red or Blue immediately before a rotation rather than at the start of a farming route, or most of the timer burns on empty camps.
- Camps level up every two minutes to a cap of level 15, so an early clear on a camp you cannot handle gives away first blood to the jungle rather than to a player. Follow a route that matches your hero's clear speed.
- Abilities are aimed, not clicked, so terrain blocks them. Standing behind a wall or a raised platform makes half of most mage kits useless, which is a defensive tool as much as a positioning problem.
For more advanced strategies, see our tips & tricks guide.
More Predecessor Guides
- Predecessor Predecessor Overview
- Predecessor Best Builds
- Predecessor Tier List
- Predecessor Beginner's Guide
- Predecessor Tips & Tricks
- Predecessor Weapons Guide
- Predecessor Combat Guide
- Predecessor Boss Guide
- Predecessor Maps & Locations
- Predecessor Crafting Guide
- Predecessor Classes & Characters
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