Dune: Awakening Beginner's Guide | Gameplay Tips & Tricks

This guide is designed to walk you through every stage of your journey on the unforgiving sands of Arrakis. This resource distills critical tactics for hydration, shelter construction, combat readiness, and resource management into clear, actionable advice. 

Each section addresses a specific aspect of gameplay, enabling you to quickly locate and apply the strategies that keep you alive and thriving amid sandstorms, hostile factions, and the ever-present threat of Sandworms.

Character Creation

When crafting your persona in Dune: Awakening, appearances remain purely cosmetic. Choose facial hair, hairstyles, and body types that reflect your desired aesthetic—none confer gameplay benefits. Next, select a background trait that unlocks additional dialogue options with certain NPCs. 

For example, the Chusuk background grants an exclusive emote for roleplay interactions. Heritage choices—Merchant, Nobility, or Peasant—further customize dialogue paths without affecting combat or crafting abilities.

Classes determine your starting skills. While every class can eventually access the Trooper skill tree via the Trooper trainer's quest, beginning with inherently potent abilities accelerates early progression. The Swordmaster class offers Knee Charge, a high-damage closing move ideal for quick skirmishes. 

Choosing Mentat grants Sentinel a defensive buff that reduces incoming damage. Alternatively, the Bene Gesserit class wields Voice, a crowd-control ability that manipulates enemy movement. Employ these advantages before branching into Trooper techniques.

Early Base Building

Your initial base settlement in Hagga Basin South should focus on core infrastructure: one generator, a handful of fabricators, and storage for vital resources. Anticipate relocation to Eastern Vermillius Gap once the main storyline advances. 

To streamline the move, research and craft the Solido Replicator. Aim the replicator at existing structures to create portable blueprints, then rebuild in the new region without forfeiting hard-earned progress.

Power management is crucial. Each generator displays its circuit capacity (e.g., 75 Power). Monitor your machinery's total draw by accessing the generator interface—exceeding capacity leads to intermittent shutdowns despite ample fuel. 

Mitigate power overloads by installing additional generators or deactivating nonessential equipment. Regular fuel replenishment prevents structural decay and deters opportunistic raids.

Vehicle Management

The sandbike serves as your primary transportation but remains vulnerable. Store it under a sheltered canopy or within an enclosed bay using the Vehicle Backup Tool. 

If caught in a Sandstorm while exposed, the bike endures accelerated wear and may become irreparable. Whenever arrival at a destination coincides with inclement weather on the horizon, immediately secure the sandbike to safeguard mobility for future expeditions.

Resource Scouting

Before committing to a permanent base, reconnoiter local resource deposits. Look for granite outcrops that double as natural shields against roaming Sandworms. Identify clusters of fiber plants, copper veins, and iron nodes within a short ride to minimize downtime between gathering runs. 

If PvP engagement suits your playstyle, consider proximity to contested crash sites where other players' skirmishes leave behind salvageable loot.

Setting Your Respawn

Interact with a Sub-Fief console to designate its location as your respawn point. Failure to perform this step forces resurrection at distant beacons or the last visited trading post, resulting in time-consuming treks across hazardous terrain to reclaim equipment.

Trading Post Strategies

Upon arrival at Griffin's Trade Outpost, prioritize Gavori's quest to unlock the Trooper skill tree and acquire the Shigawire Claw ability. 

Later, Myr Charki—the wandering tradesman—offers the coveted Hajra Literjon schematic for the Literjon, a one-liter water container crucial for extended forays. 

Purchase all available schematics, research them immediately, and fabricate multiple Literjon to bolster your water reserves in hostile environments.

Efficient Hydration

Craft the Dew Reaper early in the game to harvest moisture from select desert flora at dawn and dusk. Attach a fully charged power pack, approach a dew-laden plant, and hold the interact button to channel water directly into your Literjon. 

Back at the base, funnel-filled bottles into water storage units for streamlined refills before heading out. This nocturnal harvesting method bypasses the need for lengthy travel to traditional water sources.

Salvaging Wrecks

Downed ships pepper the Eastern and Western Vermillius Gap skies. Maintain vigilance for Sandworms before descending. Use the Cutter Array to scan wreckage—detect the cutter icon to pinpoint access panels. 

Slice open the hull, loot schematics and rare materials, then depart without delay. Extended looting increases exposure to environmental hazards and competing players.

Buried Loot Excavation

Hidden caches lie beneath shifting sands. Equip a Handheld Resource Scanner or mount the Sandbag Scanner M2 on your sandbike. 

Traverse open dunes in search of scanner signals; when the buried cache icon appears, deploy a Static Compactor to unearth the package. 

Secure randomized rewards ranging from advanced schematics to experimental weapon components. Always carry at least one Static Compactor during deep desert treks.

Sandworm Evasion Techniques

When pursued by a Sandworm, lead the creature away from your sandbike until it is at a safe distance. Abandon the vehicle by jumping off—vibrational targeting draws the worm to the bike instead. Immediately seek rocky terrain for cover, then sprint to the nearest outcrop. 

This maneuver sacrifices transport to save your life, so weigh the cost of repairs against the risk of remaining mounted.

Mid and Late Game Progression

As your settlement evolves, incorporate advanced manufacturing lines powered by high-tier generators and battery banks. Layout optimization reduces resource congestion: designate zones for crafting, storage, and defensive turrets. 

Do missions for your group to gain a reputation, which will let you unlock special weapons, cosmetics, and elite skills. Repeated events give passive benefits; take part often to stay ahead of the competition.

Form alliances or join guilds for coordinated PvP raids and resource runs. Shared infrastructure expedites large-scale builds, while allied patrols deter rival incursions. 

Experiment with hybrid skill builds across all four classes—Swordmaster, Mentat, Bene Gesserit, and Trooper—to discover synergistic combinations that complement solo play or group strategies.

Embrace these guidelines to establish a fortified presence on Arrakis, master hydration logistics, and outmaneuver both environmental threats and human adversaries. May your efforts yield dominance over the desert's perils.