Summary
- The First Berserker: Khazan offers unique combat with random loot and 3 weapon categories.
- Players need to strategically invest in skills like Mortal Blow and Avenger for effective combat.
- Advanced skills like Limit Break and Phantom: Night's Veil enhance charged attacks for Greatsword users.
The First Berserker: Khazan hasn't been out for long, but it's already gaining a reputation as a Soulslike with a unique style and deep, challenging combat. The anime art-style and random loot system puts the game in a class of its own, with elements of Souls, Nioh, and other action RPGs blending together to give the game its own identity.
There is a ton of random loot in the game, but there are only three weapon categories: Greatswords, Dual Blades, and Spears. Each type of weapon has its own in-depth move set and skill trees, so combat and potential play styles don't feel too limited. With so many skills available for each weapon type, players will need to make some hard choices about how they want to spend their skill points.
8 Beginner Tips & Tricks For The First Berserker: Khazan
The hardcore action game The First Berserker: Khazan can be daunting for newcomers, but these tips should help them get started on the right foot.
Respeccing is possible in The First Berserker: Khazan, but it's quite limited until the endgame and new game plus. That means it's a good idea to know what skills are going to help with getting through the game's campaign. With that in mind, these are some of the best skills to invest in for Greatswords.
9 Savage Momentum
Charged Attacks
- Effect: Charge swift attacks for an AoE sweep
- Requirements: N/A
- Skill Tree: Greatsword > Swift Attack
One of the Greatsword's biggest strengths is the ability to charge attacks for extra damage and AoE effects. Players need to invest in the right skills to enable these attacks though, and the first one the player can access is Savage Momentum. This lets players charge their light attacks for some extra power and a small AoE cleave effect. It's better when paired with other, later skills, but a valuable early investment for Greatsword players.
8 Mortal Blow
Charged Heavy Combos
- Effect: Enables potent blow after swift attacks
- Requirements: Mastery Level 4
- Skill Tree: Common > Swift Attack
Mortal Blow is a skill in the Common skill tree that enables potent blows (heavy attacks) after swift attack combos. The Greatsword tree has a couple of additional skills, like Mortal Blow: Bloodshed, that further augment this ability and allow for charged versions of this powerful blow with added AoE effects. That means it's worth investing in this skill first, as the later charged heavy attacks can be one of the best damage sources for the Greatsword.
7 Avenger
Brink Guard Damage
- Effect: Damages enemies on successful brink guard
- Requirements: N/A
- Skill Tree: Greatsword > Guard
Brink guarding is The First Berserker: Khazan's version of a perfect guard, a timed guard that damages enemy stamina and allows players to counterattack. With the Greatsword skill Avenger, enemies will also take damage to their health when players successfully brink guard, turning a defensive move into an offensive one. Players are less mobile when using the Greatsword than the other weapon types, so getting used to brink guarding and augmenting its effects can be a useful strategy.
Best Early Weapons In The First Berserker: Khazan, Ranked
Early on in the game, these are the best weapons to use in The First Berserker: Khazan.
6 Armor Breaker
Brink Guard Riposte
- Effect: Enables swift attack follow up after a guard or brink guard
- Requirements: Mastery level 2
- Skill Tree: Greatsword > Guard
Armor Breaker is another guard skill for the Greatsword that pairs well with Avenger. This skill lets players perform a swift double-slash follow-up after a guard or brink guard. That means that with both skills, Greatsword players can output a lot of damage just by successfully defending and responding with a swift attack. It requires getting used to attack timings for different enemies, but successfully executing this play style makes one-on-one fights very safe for Greatsword users.
5 Indomitable
Revenge Damage
- Effect: Players gain damage and spirit if attacked while charging
- Requirements: Mastery level 2
- Skill Tree: Greatsword > Unbreakable
Indomitable has a lot of synergy for other Greatsword attacks. It's a passive skill that means players deal increased damage if they are attacked while attacking, as well as gaining spirit based on the health lost. With charged attacks, that means any attack that hits the player while they're charging will add to the damage of the charged attack when it's unleashed. Skills like Mortal Blow: Bloodshed can get a big attack boost on top of their already significant damage output, as can Savage Momentum and any other longer animation attacks.
4 Ghost Arm Block
Guard While Charging
- Effect: Enables guarding and brink guarding while charging potent blows
- Requirements: Mastery level 2
- Skill Tree: Greatsword > Potent Blow
Ghost Arm Block is another Greatsword skill that helps with defense while charging the weapon's slower, heavier attacks. With this skill, players can guard and brink guard while charging potent blows. The skill also speeds up the charge time of attacks when executed successfully, and there are further augmentation skills like Ghost Arm Block: Overpower that let it auto-charge attacks when brink guarding.
The First Berserker: Khazan - Best Bosses, Ranked
The First Berserker: Khazan features a ton of boss enemies, with these being the most fun and interesting of them all.
3 Limit Break
More Charge Levels
- Effect: Enables additional levels of charge for potent blows
- Requirements: Mastery level 18
- Skill Tree: Greatsword > Potent Blow
For players who want to lean into charged attacks with the Greatsword, Limit Break is an essential skill. This enables additional levels of charge for the sword's potent blows, meaning players can charge for longer to gain more damage and a larger AoE. Limit Beak also causes the potent blow to consume a fury charge when attacking. This skill doesn't unlock until mastery level 18, so it's not an early skill, but it's very powerful when players also have skills that help with defense and offense while charging attacks.
2 Giant Hunt
Single Target Damage
- Effect: Leaping attack, deals more damage to larger enemies
- Requirements: Mastery Level 2
- Skill Tree: Greatsword > Potent Blow
Giant Hunt is an early skill in the Potent Blow tree for the Greatsword that is great for single target damage, especially when dealing with larger enemies. The attack makes the player leap into the air and thrust the sword downward into the enemy. It can be used to target weak points on larger enemies for increased damage, which can be further improved with additional levels in the skill. At Mastery level 34, players can also enable follow-up attacks with Giant Hunt: Leap.
1 Phantom: Night's Veil
Phantom Power
- Effect: Enables an explosive attack with the blade phantom, buffs charged attacks
- Requirements: Mastery level 10
- Skill Tree: Greatsword > Potent Blow
Phantom: Night's Veil is one of the most potent spirit-based skills that Greatswords users can obtain in The First Berkserker: Khazan. The attack itself is powerful, delivering an explosive blow with the power of the blade phantom and following up if successfully charged. The buff effect it enables afterward is arguably the more powerful part of the skill, though, as this makes the player's charged attacks radiate an aura that knocks back and damages enemies while charging. With the amount of charged attacks in the Greatsword skill tree, this move offers a lot of synergy with the charged attack play style for the Greatsword, as well as being a powerful special attack.
The First Berserker: Khazan
- Released
- March 27, 2025
