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Complete Beginner's Guide to Underrail

By ClearSkyEternal

What This Guide Offers

A complete roadmap for beating Underrail on your first playthrough, even if you've never played a hardcore CRPG before. Written specifically for players who find Underrail overwhelming or have quit at the infamous Depot A difficulty spike.

What's Inside

Two proven starter builds with exact stats and skill priorities - just follow the numbers
Quick Start Summary - if you're impatient, read just this one page
Depot A survival strategy - how to beat the part where 50% of players quit
Complete progression path from level 1 to endgame
Essential items, feats, and tactics for each stage of the game
Troubleshooting section for when you're stuck

Key Features

✅ No spoilers - learn mechanics without ruining the story
✅ Honest about difficulty - tells you exactly when things get hard
✅ Visual aids - tables, build cards, and flowcharts for quick reference
✅ Faction & economy guides - avoid game-ruining mistakes
✅ Written for beginners - assumes zero knowledge of the game

Who Should Read This

Perfect if you:
- Keep dying and don't know why
- Feel overwhelmed by character creation
- Want to avoid restarting multiple times
- Need structure in this open-ended game

Skip if you:
- Already beat the game
- Enjoy figuring everything out yourself
- Want min-maxed optimization guides

Award

Created by

ClearSkyEternal
Offline

Category: Walkthroughs

Languages: English

Posted

Updated

22 Sep @ 12:08pm

27 Sep @ 12:05pm

279	Unique Visitors
16	Current Favorites

Guide Index

Overview

Quick Start Summary

Introduction

Part 1: Character Creation - The Most Important Part

Part 2: Core Gameplay Tips

Part 3: Early Game Walkthrough

Part 4: Character Development

Part 5: Mid to Late Game Tips

Part 6: Common Mistakes to Avoid

Part 7: Quick Combat Tactics

Part 8: Essential Hotkeys

Part 9: Build-Agnostic Tips

Part 10: Mental Approach

Part 11: Troubleshooting Common Problems

Conclusion

Disclaimer

Comments

Quick Start Summary

If you only read one section, read this:

Character Creation: Pick Assault Rifle build (STR 5, DEX 7, AGI 6, CON 7, PER 8, WIL 3, INT 6)
Skills: Max your main weapon skill every level + crafting skills
Difficulty: Play on Normal/Easy with Oddity XP system
Save Often: Manual save before every fight
Use Consumables: Grenades, drugs, and traps are meant to be used
Depot A Warning: Level 7+ required, this is where most players quit
Crafting is Mandatory: Not optional like other RPGs
Expect to Die: Learning through failure is part of the experience

Introduction

Underrail is a challenging old-school isometric RPG set in a post-apocalyptic underground world. This guide will help you understand the game's complex mechanics and successfully complete your first playthrough.

Key Terms for New Players

AP (Action Points): Points used for all actions in combat (moving, attacking, using items)
MP (Movement Points): Points used specifically for movement
DT (Damage Threshold): Armor stat that reduces incoming damage by a flat amount
DR (Damage Resistance): Armor stat that reduces damage by a percentage
Psi: Psychic powers/magic system
Oddity: Special items that give XP when found (if using Oddity system)
Hypo: Health hypodermic (healing item)
SGS: South Gate Station (your starting home base)
DC/Deep Caverns: Final area of the game

Before You Start: Difficulty Settings

Recommended for First-Time Players

Difficulty: Normal or Easy
XP System Choice:
- Classic XP: Easier to understand (kill enemies = get XP), faster leveling, more forgiving for new players
- Oddity XP: Developer-intended experience, rewards exploration over combat, prevents overleveling, many veterans prefer this
- Recommendation: Try Oddity first as it's the unique Underrail experience, but switch to Classic if you find yourself underleveled
Enable Hints: YES

Don't feel bad about playing on Easy - Underrail is notoriously difficult, and you can always replay on higher difficulties once you understand the mechanics.

Expected Level Progression:
- Classic XP: Level 12+ by Depot A completion
- Oddity XP: Level 8-9 by Depot A completion

Part 1: Character Creation - The Most Important Part

Understanding SPECIAL Attributes

Your base stats determine everything about your character. You cannot change these after character creation!

Strength (STR)

Affects: Melee damage, carry capacity, heavy weapon requirements
Recommended: 3-5 for non-melee builds, 8-10 for melee builds

Dexterity (DEX)

Affects: Initiative, dodge, evasion, stealth, lockpicking, pickpocketing
Recommended: 6+ for most builds (initiative is crucial)

Agility (AGI)

Affects: Movement points, dodge, evasion
Recommended: 6+ for mobile builds, can dump to 3 for heavy armor builds

Constitution (CON)

Affects: Health points, fortitude saves
Recommended: 5-7 for most builds (never go below 5)

Perception (PER)

Affects: Gun accuracy, detection, critical chance
Recommended: 10+ for gun builds, 3-5 for melee

Will (WIL)

Affects: Psi points, psi skill effectiveness
Recommended: 10+ for psi builds, 3 for non-psi

Intelligence (INT)

Affects: Skill points per level, crafting
Recommended: 6-7 for most builds (more skill points = more flexibility)

Recommended Starter Builds

BUILD QUICK REFERENCE CARDS

Build 1: Simple Assault Rifle Soldier (Easiest for Beginners)

┌─────────────────────────────────────┐ │ ASSAULT RIFLE SOLDIER │ ├─────────────────────────────────────┤ │ Stats at Creation (19 pts used): │ │ STR: 5 (+2) DEX: 6 (+3) │ │ AGI: 3 (+0) CON: 7 (+4) │ │ PER: 10 (+7) WIL: 3 (+0) │ │ INT: 6 (+3) │ ├─────────────────────────────────────┤ │ Level Up: All points into PER │ │ (Goal: 16 PER by endgame) │ ├─────────────────────────────────────┤ │ Starting Skills (120 pts): │ │ • Guns: 15 │ │ • Throwing: 15 │ │ • Mechanics: 15 │ │ • Electronics: 15 │ │ • Chemistry: 15 │ │ • Biology: 15 │ │ • Dodge: 15 │ │ • Mercantile: 15 │ ├─────────────────────────────────────┤ │ Essential Feats: │ │ • Level 1: Aimed Shot │ │ • Level 2: Nimble │ │ • Level 4: Opportunist │ │ • Level 6: Commando │ │ • Level 8: Concentrated Fire │ │ • Level 10: Full-Auto │ └─────────────────────────────────────┘

Why This Works: Assault rifles are versatile, ammo is plentiful, and you can engage at safe distances. Crafting lets you make better gear than you can buy.

Build 2: Stealthy Crossbow Assassin (More Complex but Powerful)

┌─────────────────────────────────────┐ │ STEALTHY CROSSBOW ASSASSIN │ ├─────────────────────────────────────┤ │ Stats at Creation (19 pts used): │ │ STR: 5 (+2) DEX: 7 (+4) │ │ AGI: 6 (+3) CON: 5 (+2) │ │ PER: 10 (+7) WIL: 3 (+0) │ │ INT: 4 (+1) │ ├─────────────────────────────────────┤ │ Level Up: Alternate PER and DEX │ │ (Goal: 16 PER, 10 DEX) │ ├─────────────────────────────────────┤ │ Starting Skills (120 pts): │ │ • Crossbows: 15 │ │ • Stealth: 15 │ │ • Mechanics: 15 │ │ • Electronics: 15 │ │ • Chemistry: 15 │ │ • Biology: 15 │ │ • Lockpicking: 15 │ │ • Traps: 15 │ ├─────────────────────────────────────┤ │ Essential Feats: │ │ • Level 1: Aimed Shot │ │ • Level 2: Nimble │ │ • Level 4: Interloper │ │ • Level 6: Marksman │ │ • Level 8: Ambush │ │ • Level 10: Deadly Snares │ └─────────────────────────────────────┘

Why This Works: Stealth + crossbows lets you control fights. Special bolts provide utility. High perception helps detect secrets.

Part 2: Core Gameplay Tips

Combat Fundamentals

Action Points and Movement

Every action costs AP (shooting, moving, using items)
Position is everything - use corners and doorways
Always keep AP for defensive abilities or to retreat

Initiative is King

Going first often determines who wins
High DEX + Initiative-boosting feats = almost always go first
Trigger Happy feat provides significant initiative boost
Use flashbangs to reset turn order if you're losing

Crowd Control Wins Fights

Flashbangs (blind enemies)
Stun grenades (skip enemy turns)
Bear traps (root enemies in place)
Caltrops (slow movement)
Always carry these items!

Exploration and Questing

Save Management

Manual save before every fight
Keep multiple save files
Quick save is not enough - use hard saves

Resource Management

Money is tight early game
Don't buy weapons/armor - craft them
Sell everything you don't need
Food and medical supplies are priority purchases

Hidden Areas

Perception reveals secret passages
Always explore fully - oddities and loot are often hidden
Some areas require specific skills to access

Part 3: Early Game Walkthrough

PROGRESSION FLOWCHART

SGS (Tutorial) [Lvl 1-5] v Junkyard [Lvl 6-8] v DEPOT A [Lvl 7-12] ← MAJOR DIFFICULTY SPIKE v Core City [Lvl 10-15] v [CHOICE POINT] |-> Expedition DLC [Lvl 15-20] -> Continue Main Quest v Foundry/Rail Crossing [Lvl 12-18] v Institute of Tchort [Lvl 18-25] v Deep Caverns [Lvl 20-25+] ← POINT OF NO RETURN

SGS (Starting Area)

Complete all tutorial quests
Talk to everyone and exhaust dialogue
Loot every container (no stealing penalty in your room)
Buy lockpicks and health hypos from merchants

Your First Real Missions

Outposts Mission

Clear systematically, room by room
Use doorways as chokepoints
Grenades are your friend
Save before each encounter

CRITICAL WARNING: DEPOT A - THE MAKE-OR-BREAK MOMENT

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ THIS IS WHERE 50% OF PLAYERS QUIT - DON'T BE ONE OF THEM ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Critical Warning:

Many players quit here - don't give up! If you can beat Depot A, you can beat the game

Required Level:
Oddity XP: Level 7-9
Classic XP: Level 10-12

Essential Preparations:
Craft acid-resistant armor (Mutant Dog Leather or Siphoner Leather)
Stock 15+ health hypos
Bring 10+ grenades (flashbangs, frags, EMPs)
Have combat drugs ready (Adrenaline, Morphine)

Survival Tips:
Use ventilation shafts to bypass enemies
Stealth trivializes many encounters
Don't be ashamed to lower difficulty temporarily

If struggling severely: Your build may need a restart - this is NORMAL for first-timers

GMS Compound

Lots of robots - EMP grenades help
Hack turrets if you have hacking
Alternatively, sneak past enemies
Don't miss the valuable loot in storage areas

Cave Missions

Bring antidotes for cave hoppers
Light source is mandatory (flares or night vision)
Psi beetles require different tactics - spread out

Junkyard (First Major Hub)

Expected level: 6-8 depending on XP system
Don't antagonize the Black Eels initially
Depot A Quest: This is your first major challenge - prepare thoroughly!
Craft or find acid-resistant gear
Stock up on health hypos, grenades, and combat drugs
Level 7+ strongly recommended
Explore carefully - many hostile areas
Consider joining SGS or Eels for faction benefits

Part 4: Character Development

Skill Point Distribution

Focus on 1-2 combat skills maximum
Crafting skills pay off long-term
Social skills (Persuasion, Intimidation) open quest options
Hacking/Lockpicking give access to loot and shortcuts

IMPORTANT SKILL THRESHOLDS

Skill

Early Game (1-10)

Mid Game (10-20)

Late Game (20-30)

Notes

Lockpicking

30-50

75-100

130+

100 opens most doors

Hacking

30-50

75-100

130+

100 for most terminals

Persuasion

40+

70+

100+

Major quest options at 70+

Intimidation

40+

70+

100+

Alternative to Persuasion

Mercantile

30+

60+

100+

Better prices, special items

Stealth

50+

100+

150+

100+ for reliable sneaking

Traps

30+

60+

90+

Detection more important than setting

Rule of Thumb: Aim for 100 effective skill (base + bonuses) in your important non-combat skills by level 15

Crafting Essentials

Priority Crafts:

Better armor (metal/leather depending on build)
Weapon upgrades (scopes, silencers, etc.)
Grenades and special ammo
Medical supplies (super health hypos)
Food (for healing between fights)

Finding Components:

Disassemble items you don't need
Buy from specialized merchants
Some components only found in specific areas

Feat Selection Philosophy

Offensive feats early (more damage = faster kills)
Defensive feats mid-game (when enemies get tougher)
Utility feats when you have spare points
Read feat requirements carefully - plan ahead

Part 5: Mid to Late Game Tips

Faction Choices

Free Drones vs. Protectorate affects entire game
Can remain neutral but miss some content
Each has unique merchants and quests
Choose based on your build needs

FACTION COMPARISON

Aspect

Free Drones

Protectorate

Neutral

Ideology

Freedom fighters

Military order

Independent

Best For

Stealth/Tech builds

Combat builds

Flexible

Unique Items

Specialized gear

Heavy weapons/armor

Limited

Quest Style

Sabotage/Infiltration

Direct assault

Varies

Merchants

Black market goods

Military equipment

Basic only

Difficulty

Moderate

Easier combat

Harder (less support)

FACTION POINTS OF NO RETURN

Rail Crossing: Siding with Protectorate locks out Free Drones
Core City: Major faction war - choose carefully
Foundry: Your choices here affect faction standing
Cannot change faction after committing to major quests

Expedition DLC

When to start: Level 15-20 (Normal), 18-22 (Hard), 20-25 (Dominating)
MUST DO BEFORE DEEP CAVERNS - Once in Deep Caverns, you're locked in
Bring extensive supplies - it's a long journey
Different environment requires adapted tactics
Amazing loot but very challenging
Completing it at level 25+ will make it too easy

Deep Caverns (Endgame)

POINT OF NO RETURN - you cannot leave until you defeat the final boss
Enter at level 20+ minimum (25 recommended)
Stock up on EVERYTHING - this is a long, difficult section
Multiple paths through
Expect tough fights and puzzles
Faceless faction relationship matters here
After completion, you can continue playing (talk to Tanner in SGS to actually end the game)

Part 6: Common Mistakes to Avoid

Spreading skills too thin - Specialize!
Ignoring crafting - It's essential, not optional
Not using consumables - They're meant to be used
Fighting everything - Sometimes stealth/dialogue is better
Neglecting initiative - Speed kills
Poor stat distribution - Can't be fixed later
Not exploring thoroughly - Miss crucial items/XP
Selling unique items - Some are needed for quests
Ignoring merchants - Check their stock regularly
Not reading tooltips - The game explains a lot

Part 7: Quick Combat Tactics

Against Different Enemy Types

Enemy Type

Priority Targets

Best Tools

Key Strategy

Humans/Bandits

Snipers Psi users Melee

Flashbangs, Smoke grenades

Use cover, blind groups

Animals/Mutants

Alpha/Leader Pack

Caltrops, Bear traps

Control movement, kite

Robots

Turrets Industrial bots

EMP grenades, Energy weapons

Disable, then destroy

Psi Users

Always first priority

Morphine, Stun grenades

Close distance, interrupt

Bugs/Crawlers

Groups Individuals

AoE attacks, Fire

Area denial with fire

Defensive Priorities

Always keep 25% AP for emergency movement
Corners are your best friend - Break line of sight
Doorways = Killzones - Force enemies through choke points
Status > Damage - Stunned enemies can't hurt you
Shields regenerate - Hide to let them recharge

Part 8: Essential Hotkeys

Tab - Highlight all items
Z - Toggle combat mode
A - Toggle aimed shot mode
Shift+Click - Queue movement
Space - End turn
F5/F9 - Quick save/load

Part 9: Build-Agnostic Tips

Always Carry

Item

Quantity

Priority

Why

Health Hypos

15-20

Critical

Main healing source

Bandages

5-10

High

Stops bleeding

Antidotes

3-5

High

Poison is deadly

Morphine

2-3

Medium

Psi defense

Adrenaline

3-5

High

Extra AP for emergencies

Flashbangs

Critical

Best crowd control

Frag Grenades

High

AoE damage

EMP Grenades

Situational

For robots

Caltrops

1 stack

Medium

Slow melee enemies

Bear Traps

2-3

Medium

Root enemies

Flares/NV Goggles

Always

Critical

See in dark areas

Lockpicks

10+

High

Don't miss loot

Repair Kits

2-3

Low

Fix equipment

Weight Management Tip: Store excess items in barrels at SGS or other safe zones

Money-Making

Craft and sell mk III grenades
Sell excess ammo types you don't use
Complete all available quests
Invest in Mercantile skill for better prices

ECONOMY GUIDE

What to Buy vs. Craft:

Buy

Craft

Never Buy

Basic components

Weapons

High-tier weapons

Blueprints

Armor

Armor (always craft)

Health hypos (early)

Grenades

Crafted consumables

Lockpicks

Special ammo

Regular ammo (find it)

Electronic parts

Upgrades/mods

Food (craft/find)

Money-Making Strategies:

Early Game (Levels 1-8)
Loot everything, sell to appropriate merchants
Complete all SGS quests (~500 charons)
Sell excess ammo and weapons
Pick up and sell all leather/cloth

Mid Game (Levels 8-15)
Craft Mk III grenades (huge profit margins)
Complete faction quests (1000+ charons each)
Raid abandoned areas for components
Invest points in Mercantile for 20-30% better prices

Late Game (Levels 15+)
Sell crafted high-quality items
Complete Expedition content (valuable loot)
Farm respawning areas for materials
Trade with specialized merchants

Vendor Tips:

Vendors refresh inventory every 90 minutes of real time
Different merchants pay better for different items:
Weapons Arms dealers
Armor/Clothing Tailors
Meds/Chemicals Doctors
Electronics Tech merchants
Always repair items before selling (increases value)

Quality of Life

Increase game speed in options
Use the oddity log to track XP items
Screenshot important information
Keep notes on merchant locations

Part 10: Mental Approach

Understanding Oddity XP (If You Choose It)

Oddities are special items that give XP when found
Each type can only give XP a limited number of times
Found through exploration, specific enemies, and hidden areas
Encourages thorough exploration over grinding
You'll level slower but more consistently
Check your Oddity log (O key) to track your collection

Patience is Key

This isn't a power fantasy game
You will die - it's part of learning
Each death teaches you something
Save scumming is acceptable while learning

Experimentation

Try different approaches to problems
Multiple solutions exist for most quests
Don't be afraid to restart with new build
The game rewards creative thinking

Part 11: Troubleshooting Common Problems

Problem

Solution

Prevention

Can't beat Depot A

Lower difficulty temporarily, use more grenades/traps

Level to 7+ first, craft acid armor

Out of money

Craft and sell grenades, loot everything

Invest in Mercantile early

Build feels weak

Check if skills are focused, use consumables

Follow build guide strictly

Can't find quest objective

Check journal, explore all areas

Read dialogue carefully

Inventory always full

Get pack rathound leather, increase STR

Only carry essentials

Keep missing attacks

Increase weapon skill, use aimed shot

Max primary weapon skill

Taking too much damage

Craft better armor, use shields

Match armor to enemy type

Can't open locks/hack

Come back later with higher skills

Plan skill investments

Quick Fixes

Respec not possible - Must restart character
Missed unique item - Some are missable, continue without
Faction locked out - Load earlier save or accept consequences
Underleveled - Explore more areas, find oddities/fight enemies
Overencumbered often - Increase STR or use pack mule tactics

Conclusion

Underrail is challenging but incredibly rewarding. Your first playthrough will be rough, but each attempt teaches you more about the game's systems. Don't be discouraged by difficulty - even veterans die regularly.

Remember: There's no shame in consulting wikis or asking for help. The Underrail community is helpful and the official forums are full of build advice and strategies.

Most importantly, embrace the challenge. The satisfaction of finally beating that impossible fight or solving that complex quest is what makes Underrail special.

Good luck in the tunnels, and remember - Save Often!

Additional Resources

Essential Links

Underrail Wiki[stygiansoftware.com] - Comprehensive information
Official Forums[stygiansoftware.com] - Build advice and strategies
r/underrail - Active community for questions
Build Calculator[underrail.info] - Plan your character