How to Expand Your Relic in The Relic: First Guardian

The Relic: First Guardian does things a little differently than other Soulslikes. There’s not a traditional level-up system, instead the game favours players increasing in strength and ability via exploration. As you explore the world of Arsilthus, you’ll encounter many different bosses, and be tasked with defeating them if you have any hope of getting stronger. They provide a number of different challenges, but ultimately, they all end up rewarding you in the same way – relics, weapons or armor.

Now, getting some snazzy new armor or weapons is good and fun, and regularly brings you a unique set of stats with both benefits and drawbacks. Some will increase health whilst also decreasing stamina with a specific move, or make you better with magic etc. Relics work in much the same way, and each of the many (there’s around seventy unique Relics) you’ll find will buff you in a variety of useful ways. Equipping a combination of these will allow you to power up in multiple ways, ensuring every player has the opportunity to have a build that resonates with how they want to play. However, The Relic: First Guardian doesn’t do a great job of explaining exactly how to expand your relic and how to level up by it, so that’s where we come in.

In a smaller fashion, you can improve yourself by buying and equipping a variety of skills. Each of the game’s five weapon types has its own skill tree, as mentioned here, that you can use to power up your player by upgrading your health, stamina, or individual skill moves that’ll soon have you hacking and slashing your way through everyone.

How to Level Up in The Relic: First Guardian

As mentioned, you’ll ‘level up’ in The Relic: First Guardian by finding and equipping unique Relics, with each player inevitably focusing on different buffs and builds. Early game, you’ll feel underpowered and weak, but within a few hours and some bosses beaten, you’ll have amassed a few Relics and be ready to ‘level up’… except, if you weren’t paying attention, and didn’t explore very well, you’ll be unable to use them properly. Thankfully, we’re here to help.

The item you’re most likely missing is a Relic Awakening Shard, which you’ll find in a variety of places. From beating bosses, to chests, to altars you can easily walk by. These shards are rare, and there’s only a limited amount of them in the world, so if you miss them or don’t use them, you’ll be handicapping yourself – something all too easy to do.

When you do find a Relic Awakening Shard (there’s one in one of the first villages in the open world, after beating Branko), you’ll want to find Elisa in one of the many camps on your travels. Talk to her, select ‘Activate Relic’, and use the shard. This opens up the Relic screen, and as you unlock more, you’ll have more slots available for you to put those Relics in. They can be swapped in and out at a moment’s notice, meaning you’ll be able to change your approach to different bosses on the fly, but there are some notable, all-fitting Relics you’ll want to keep an eye out for:

• Robust Vitality – Increases your health by 80HP for every level, and one of the first ones you’ll find.
• Fountain of Life – Gradually restores HP over a matter of time.
• Endless Hunger – Restores HP based on damage dealt by your attacks.
• Bleeding Wound – Adds bleeding damage when an attack hits.

They’re arguably four of the best Relics you can get early game, but again, there’s over 70 on offer, and everyone can have a different build and approach to The Relic: First Guardian.

As mentioned above, you can also upgrade these Relics, and that happens in one of two ways. You can either directly upgrade them via Elisa, and talk to her at a camp. This will cost you a combination of two resources which you’ll find in your travels, similarly to how you upgrade your weapon. As you level up, they will become ‘more expensive’ as the two items required will become rarer, only appear at certain locations or end game.

The second way you can upgrade these Relics is via the weapon skills screen. Buying certain skills will also have the added bonus of directly upgraded certain Relics. For example, I used a Sword and Shield throughout my playthrough, and one of the two skill trees had a focus on health, and upgrading the Robust Vitality Relic. This works alongside any upgrades you’ve bought as above, meaning if you use both methods well, it’s easy to become overpowered.

If you’re struggling to find these Shards, go to the two locations shown below, and grab them now.

For your next read, check out our review of The Relic: First Guardian, or the tips and tricks you’ll need to make your time easier.

Luke Addison

Luke Addison is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Thumb Wars. Having previously been a part of multiple outlets over the years, including building an entire gaming team from nothing to something, he thought it best to forge his own path and answer only to himself. As likely to be found playing the latest game as he is in the kitchen relaxing (by cooking), he always brings the same bold and brash attitude to everything he does, with a heavy leaning on sarcasm and dry wit!