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7 tips to get the most out of Anthem's campaign
Having trouble with Anthem’s campaign? Here are 7 things you should know about before starting.
If you're just getting into Anthem, you may be tempted to rush through it all as quickly as possible to reach the endgame, but if you do that you'll miss out on some great story beats and optional content. Or maybe you're struggling, in which case we can help you out.
Take your time, and consult our useful guide to making the most of Anthem's campaign.
1. Dress for success
Anthem's first few missions are a rough tutorial to using a Javelin, and you'll be forced into a battered old Ranger. After this however you'll be offered the choice of your first personalised Javelin. We'd recommend going for Ranger or Storm first, as the former has a great set of all-round skills and stats, while the latter is an incredibly destructive glass cannon even early on.
The push to Pilot Level 8 to unlock your second choice isn't that much of a grind, but the next 8 levels, to reach 16 and your third Javelin, take much longer. We would suggest selecting a second suit to really compliment your first. If you pick a Ranger at the start, try the ninja-like Interceptor for a very different playstyle. Conversely, if you begin with Storm, try out the Colossus at Level 8 to see what real survivability feels like.
The citizens of Tarsis have a lot to say
© BioWare
2. Stay a while and listen
To begin with, Fort Tarsis can seem like a big place full of random characters and lore entries, and not much else. But if you take the time to dig deeper, you'll enrich your Campaign experience exponentially. While Anthem eschews BioWare's usually storytelling style to present third person cutscenes and mid-mission exposition, Fort Tarsis is where you'll find the old BioWare magic if you take the time to look for it.
From an old woman who thinks your character is her long-lost son or daughter, to a pair of down on their luck merchants who need some convincing to work together, or the jobsworth custodian who wants to tax people for walking around, there's colour and variety all over Fort Tarsis. The Campaign is about story, so don't ignore the wealth of it hidden around the Hub.
3. Challenge yourself
Anthem is not an easy game. In fact, even on Normal the first Stronghold will tax you if you attempt it too early. However, the best way to maximise your chance at game-changing loot is to play on Hard mode as soon as you feel comfortable. Enemies will take longer to defeat, sure, but you'll see higher tiers of loot begin to drop that little bit quicker.
Once you're around Pilot Level 10–15, blue coloured Rare gear will begin to drop, and once you're past 20, you'll start to see purple Epic loot. For most players, this will be the sweet spot when it's time to switch to Hard mode for everything but Strongholds. You'll be awarded rarer loot per mission, and the higher the rarity, the more buffs you'll receive.
Learn to loot and level efficiently
© BioWare
4. Full medal jacket
In Anthem, you're not awarded XP per kill, or for exploration. Instead, you'll receive a lump sum of XP for completing a mission, which will be supplemented by earning Medals. Each Medal rewards between 50 and 100 XP, and they're stacked up during the post-mission screen.
You receive Medals for doing most things, including scoring specific kills and harvesting materials. Melee Kills grant a huge bonus, as do Multikills. Gear kills (using either of your equipped abilities) are separate to weapon kills, while downing Elites and Legendaries, or reviving fallen allies, also grant their own bonuses. The best way to level fast during the Campaign is to mix it up on the battlefield, and nail as many Medals per mission as possible.
5. Contract killer
Whilst technically side-missions, the Agent Contracts that pop up during the Campaign feed directly into the story of the Monitor and the Cenotaph, and some even integrate completely with the plot during the late game.
Not only are they a great source of story and lore, they're also a good way to boost XP, gear, and Faction Loyalty. That last one is super important, because it determines when you unlock higher tier crafting blueprints and a number of cosmetic rewards.
Get a head start on Anthem's longest mission
© BioWare
6. Find the Legion
At around eight hours, you'll likely unlock the story mission Challenges of the Legionnaires, which asks you to unlock the Tombs of four legendary generals. It's by far the biggest grind in Anthem's story.
The idea here is to complete as many Contracts as you have active, and indulge in some Freeplay. You'll be tasked with mostly straightforward objectives, such as scoring 50 melee kills and completing five World Events in Freeplay, but a couple of the tasks take a little longer.
The first asks you to open 15 Treasure Chests, which you can find by either flying around Bastion in Freeplay or – and this is easier – completing the aforementioned World Events. Not only do you need to complete five anyway, but you'll knock a lot of other tasks off the list while you're at it.
Secondly, you'll need to score three multikills. Now, this sounds easy, but nowhere does it explain what constitutes a multikill. Essentially when you kill an enemy, a hidden 10-second timer will begin to tick away. You have to kill seven more enemies during that window to achieve a multikill. Perhaps the easiest Javelin for the job is Storm, whose area-of-effect attacks are hugely destructive, but any Javelin can achieve it. Find yourself a cluster of enemies (a Skorpion nest is best), and go nuts.
7. Dawn patrol
Towards the end of the story, you'll be tasked with constructing the Shield of Dawn, a device that will allow Javelins to withstand the destructive force of the Heart of Rage. You'll need to complete either of two different Contracts, and then collect enough materials, including rare Corium, to build it. The missions in question are Emerald Abyss for Princess Dax, and Triple Threat for Matti, Erryl, and Sumner.
If you take the time to follow, and complete, both quest lines (and you really should anyway, as both subplots are worth your time) it will cost you fewer materials, though, and therefore less effort to craft the Shield and finish the story. Once you're done, you're free to head off towards the final few missions in the battle with the Monitor.
