Guide content updated Nov 12, 2026 · Game version: Launch (Nov 10, 2026)

Warhammer Survivors Beginner Guide

25 minutes is the standard stage length in Warhammer Survivors. Your character attacks on their own, and your job is to move, stay alive and choose upgrades while the horde grows. This guide covers what you need to know for your first runs, from what a run lasts to what to spend your coins on between runs.

How a run works

• You only move. Weapons fire automatically. Positioning and dodging are the skills that matter.
• Kill enemies, collect experience, level up. Each level offers a choice: a new weapon, an upgrade for one you have, or a passive item.
• A normal stage lasts 25 minutes.
• At 25 minutes, the Extremis Boss arrives. Each enemy faction has its own. Most of them can only be hurt properly by specific evolved weapons, so a big pile of upgrades is not enough on its own.

That last point is why evolutions are the heart of the game. Read the how to evolve guide to learn the rules, then use the evolution finder to check the recipe for any weapon you pick up.

Pick a universe first

The game is split into two universes: Warhammer 40,000 (the 41st Millennium) and Age of Sigmar (the Mortal Realms). They work almost like two separate campaigns:

• Each universe has its own characters, weapons, enemies, stages and upgrade tree.
• Characters never cross over. A Space Marine cannot be played in Age of Sigmar.
• Only a couple of weapons work in both universes: Nuln Oil and the D6 Dice.
• You start with Malum Caedo on Imperial Bastion in 40K, and Neave Blacktalon on The Great Parch in Age of Sigmar.

Evolution recipes are tied to the universe too, and most passive items evolve a different weapon on each side. The 40K vs Age of Sigmar comparison shows every difference.

Weapons, passives and evolutions

There are 38 evolution recipes on this site. Every one follows the same rule: get the base weapon to max level (level 8 for most weapons), carry the matching passive item, then open a chest dropped by a boss or elite enemy.

• If nothing is ready to evolve, the chest gives you a normal weapon upgrade instead.
• The passive item is not used up. It stays and keeps working after the evolution.
• You can evolve several weapons in one run, so plan two or three recipes around your starting weapon.

Followers and keywords

Every character and weapon has keywords. If you pick up a weapon your character cannot use, an ally who can use it joins your squad and fights with it. Followers do not take damage and do not pick anything up. Some characters build around this: the Black Templars Castellan, for example, hits harder the more followers are with him, and upgrading Trooper Kozlowski's Lasgun brings in more Cadian soldiers.

Rescue characters on stages

Some characters are trapped on stages. Fight off the enemies that appear around them and they join you for the rest of the run, and stay unlocked afterwards. This is how most of the roster is unlocked, so explore each stage instead of circling the spawn point. See all characters and how to unlock them.

Pick-ups on the map

Stages have pick-up items, usually near light sources themed on the local faction. Most pick-ups only appear in one universe. In 40K you can find things like Frag Grenades, Melta-bombs, Hellfire Ammo and the Blast Template, which clears the screen (though some enemies are immune to instant kills). Age of Sigmar has its own set, including the Purple Sun of Shyish, which can hurt you as well, so watch where you use it.

Status effects

Weapons and enemies apply status effects, and some of them work on you too:

• Burning: damage over time, but burning enemies move faster.
• Poisoned: damage over time and slower movement.
• Oiled: applied by Nuln Oil; oiled enemies take more fire damage, so it pairs well with Burning.
• Stunned: the target stops moving but can still attack.

Between runs: Enhancements and unlocks

Every run earns coins (the Steam page calls them gold). Spend them on permanent upgrades called Enhancements, which make every later run stronger. Each one has several levels:

• Upgrades are mostly per universe. What you buy in 40K helps 40K runs. Fully upgrading one universe gives a small bonus to the other.
• Redeployment gives revives. Each level is one extra life, and you come back with half your Wounds.
• Reroll, Skip and Banish are bought here too. They let you change the choices you get when you level up.

Other things to collect between and during runs:

• Paint pots: 12 hidden Citadel paint pots, which unlock characters and secrets.
• Relics: found during runs; some characters need them to unlock.
• Merchants: traders you meet on stages; a few characters are bought from them.
• Secrets: a menu where you can enter codes for hidden unlocks.

Stages and modes

Each universe has its own set of stages that you unlock as you progress. 40K starts on Imperial Bastion and goes on to places like Gallowdark, Ork Stronghold and Imperial Shipyard. Age of Sigmar starts on The Great Parch and includes Skrappa Spill, Bloodwind Spoil and Gnarlwood. Most stages focus on one enemy faction; the Hobby Table stages mix several.

• 'Eavy Metal: a harder version of a stage.
• Limitless: unlocked after you beat an Extremis Boss.

Tips for your first runs

1. Learn your starting weapon's evolution. Malum Caedo's Chainsword needs the Tape Measure; Neave's Tempest Axes need the Sabaton. Take that passive whenever it is offered.
2. Plan for the Extremis Boss. Have at least one evolution done before 25 minutes.
3. Kill Synapse creatures first when fighting Tyranids. Taking one down briefly stuns the smaller bugs around it.
4. Watch for red markings on the ground. Charging enemies like the Bloodcrusher telegraph their charge.
5. Combine Burning with Oiled for extra fire damage.
6. Explore. Rescues, paint pots and merchants are all off the beaten path.
7. Focus one universe at first. Upgrades are mostly per universe, so splitting coins slows both sides down.

Facts on this page come from the developer's official announcements and patch notes, the Steam page and several launch-week guides, cross-checked on November 12, 2026. Numbers that only one source gives, such as upgrade prices or exact slot limits, are left out until they can be confirmed.