Dune: Awakening's unforgiving sands can wipe out hours of progress if you're not careful. From sandworms devouring your loot to running out of water, simple mistakes can send you back to square one. This guide highlights five critical mistakes to avoid and offers practical tips to help you thrive in Haga Basin and beyond. For more survival strategies, consider bookmarking MMOJUGG to master Arrakis.
Mistake 1: Getting Eaten by a Sandworm
The Problem: Crossing open sand in Dune: Awakening risks attracting the Shai-Hulud, a massive sandworm that can swallow you whole. Unlike normal deaths, which leave you with key items, a sandworm death wipes out your entire inventory - every tool, material and weapon. Early in the game, rebuilding from this loss can take hours, especially for advanced gear in later areas.
How to Avoid It:
Watch the Indicator: An on-screen prompt will warn you if your movement attracts a sandworm. When it turns red, sprint to solid ground (rocks or cliffs) to escape.
Use Bindu Sprint: If you're a Bene Gesserit, the Bindu Sprint ability allows you to quickly dash across the sand, minimising the risk of worms.
Unlock the Still Tent: After completing the seventh trial, you can create a Still Tent to protect yourself from the heat and mild sandstorms. It provides water and a safe place to wait out danger. Pair it with a Vehicle Backup Tool to store your vehicle safely.
Plan Routes: Stick to rocky trails or use a sand bike (once unlocked) to cross sand faster and reduce exposure.
Pro Tip: Sandstorms also wipe your inventory if they kill you. Use the Still Tent or find cover to avoid losing everything.
Mistake 2: Ignoring Water Retention
The Problem: Water is life in Dune: Awakening, required for survival, crafting (e.g., steel, aluminum), and progression. Running out leaves you stranded, unable to act. Many players neglect water early on, wasting time grinding for it later.
How to Avoid It:
Craft a Still Suit: Early in Haga Basin, use the Fabricator to create a Still Suit with trap pockets. It recycles sweat into drinkable water (press F to drink), costing minimal resources like micro sandwich fabrics (found in caves or stashes).
Build Blood Purifiers: Craft two blood purifiers for your base to convert enemy blood into water. Use a Blood Extractor (level 1 or MK2) and small/medium Blood Sacks to collect blood from defeated enemies. Place blood in Purifiers to fill portable water containers or a water tank for storage.
Drink from Plants: In Haga Basin, drink directly from plants for free water. In later areas (e.g. Vermilius Gap), craft a Dew Reaper (available from outposts) to extract water from plants into portable containers.
Carry Portable Containers: Unlock the Water Container schematic (via outposts or research) to carry water on your travels. Fill it from purifiers or plants to stay hydrated far from base.
Pro Tip: Stockpile water early, as crafting iron ingots (25 milliliters) and steel ingots (50 milliliters) requires significant amounts, especially for vehicles like ornithopters.
Mistake 3: Mismanaging Material Collection
The Problem: Dune: Awakening's crafting system can confuse new players, leading to wasted time searching for the wrong materials. Each type of item requires specific resources, and not knowing where to find them can slow down your progress.
How to Avoid It:
Color-Coded Crafting:
White Items (e.g., basic tools): Require salvaged metal or plant fibre, found on the ground or via cut array tools.
Blue Items (e.g., vehicles, advanced tools): Require particle capacitors or advanced servos, found at Imperial Test Stations (marked with blue icons on the map, such as Station #13 or #197).
Orange Items (e.g., Blood Extractor MK2): Requires EMF Generators or Micro-Sandwich Cloths, found in orange caves.
Purple Items (e.g., unique blueprints): Requires spice-laced copper dust obtained from quests, story missions or rare locations.
Use the map: Zoom in to find specific resources such as iron ore, salvaged metal, granite rocks or water fuel cells. Blue, orange and purple icons will guide you to specialised materials.
Survey Probes: Craft a Survey Probe Launcher and probes. Climb to a high point (check the altitude meter), launch a probe and reveal all the important POIs and resources in your area. This counteracts map-wiping sandstorms and keeps resources visible.
Handheld Resource Scanner: Use this tool to locate nearby materials, streamlining gathering.
Pro Tip: Check the cave or hideout tooltips on the map to confirm materials (such as micro-sandwich cloth) before travelling.
Mistake 4: Poor Skill Setup
The Problem: Early skill choices can make or break your survivability. Focusing on the wrong skills will leave you vulnerable to enemies, run out of stamina, or environmental hazards, slowing your progress.
How to Avoid It:
Prioritize Two Primary Abilities: In the beginning, you can only use two active abilities, so choose strong ones and complement them with passives for survivability. Feel free to use respecs as needed.
Class-Specific Tips:
Swordmaster: Use Knee Charge to stun melee opponents and neutralise their threat. Spec on blade damage, melee blade abilities, stamina passives, and heal kit recovery for climbing and combat stamina.
Mentat: Use the guardian turret to auto-kill enemies and the poison capsule for area damage. Passives increase survivability.
Planettologist: Boost resource gathering with Extra Mining Yield, Deep Analysis and Extra Dew Gathering (more water). Mountaineer reduces climbing stamina and Mechanic reduces vehicle repair costs.
Trooper: Spec into ranged damage, Anti-Gravity Field or Gravity Field to slow down enemies. Shigawire Claw increases mobility for quick movement or escape.
Bene Gesserit: Bindu Sprint speeds up movement and dodges sandworms. Compel draws enemies to you, while Trauma Recovery (health regeneration) and Sun Tolerance (less heatstroke) improve survival.
Focus on Passives: Early passives like stamina boosts, sun tolerance, or health regen make surviving Arrakis easier, especially with limited water and frequent combat.
Pro Tip: Experiment with skills as respect is free. Tailor your build to your playstyle (melee, ranged, or resource-focused) but prioritize survivability early.
Mistake 5: Rushing Without Research
The Problem: Skipping out on gathering information in Haga Basin leaves you unprepared for later areas such as Vermilius Gap. Without enough research points, you can't unlock critical schematics (e.g., garment fabricator, weapons fabricator, penta shield), making survival and crafting harder.
How to Avoid It:
Clear Outposts and Contracts: Each outpost, enemy camp or contract in Haga Basin is worth 5-10 intel points. Clear each one you find to stockpile intel for research.
Explore Thoroughly: Visit ruins, caves and POIs (revealed by survey probes) for intel caches. Completing story quests and trials will also increase your intel.
Research Key Items: Prioritise schematics such as the Clothing Fabricator (for armour), Weapons Fabricator (for weapons) and utilities such as the Blood Purifier or Dew Reaper. These help with progression and resource gathering.
Save Solari: Use in-game currency (Solari) at outpost vendors (e.g., Anvil or Griffin's Reach) to buy tools like the Dew Reaper, Blood Sacks, or Sandbike Treads. This saves time when you are short of materials. Keep Solari in your base to avoid losing it to sandworms or sandstorms.
Pro Tip: Don't carry all your Solari with you - losing 30,000 to a sandworm is a gut punch. Spend it early on tools to increase efficiency, such as a Dew Reaper for water or a Handheld Resource Scanner for materials.
FAQs About Avoiding Mistakes in Dune Awakening
How do I avoid sandworm deaths?
Watch the on-screen indicator, sprint to solid ground when it turns red, and use Bindu Sprint or a Sandbike to cross the sand quickly. Make a Still Tent after the seventh attempt for safety.
What's the best way to manage water early?
Craft a Still Suit for free water, use two Blood Purifiers to convert enemy blood, and drink from plants. In later areas, buy a Dew Reaper to extract plant water into portable containers.
How do I know which materials to gather?
Match the crafting colours to the map icons: white (salvaged metal), blue (particle capacitors, Imperial testing stations), orange (EMF generators, caves), purple (spiced copper dust, quests).
Which skills are best for beginners?
Pick two strong abilities (e.g. Knee Charge for Swordmaster, Bindu Sprint for Bene Gesserit) and passives such as stamina, sun tolerance or health regeneration for survivability.
Why is intel so important?
Intel unlocks schematics for armour, weapons and utilities. Clear outposts, contracts and POIs in Haga Basin to gather enough before moving on to harder areas.
Thanks for Reading
Avoiding these five pitfalls will save you hours and keep your loot safe in Dune: Awakening. Stay hydrated, outrun sandworms, and research wisely to conquer Arrakis without the struggle. Stay tuned to MMOJUGG for more tips on how to rule the sands!