Beginner campaign guide
A spoiler-light first-campaign plan for Tears of Metal, separating confirmed run systems from permanent soldier and settlement progression.
Last verified against official sources:
This page covers confirmed systems and preparation only. It will not publish names, values, or outcomes that have not been reproduced in the release build.
The short version
Tears of Metal is built around repeated campaigns to reclaim an island. Official material confirms that each campaign can produce powerful upgrades and Emblem synergies, while soldiers gain permanent skills and the settlement opens long-term upgrades between campaigns. That creates two jobs for a new player: learn what changes inside a campaign, then identify what survives into the next one.
This guide is intentionally a preparation plan rather than a route. Paper Cult has not publicly documented exact stage order, objective rules, upgrade pools, or campaign length on the captured Steam listing. Those details will be added only after the release build is tested.
Know the three campaign layers
| Layer | Confirmed information | First-session question |
|---|---|---|
| Battlefield attempt | Heroes can combine upgrades, Emblem synergies, and artifacts while fighting across handcrafted environments. | Which choices reset when a campaign ends? |
| Scottish battalion | Soldiers acquire experience and permanent skills; they can be recruited and upgraded. | When is soldier experience awarded and where is it spent? |
| Settlement | Expansion provides access to shops, permanent upgrades, and harder challenges with greater rewards. | Which buildings or shops appear first? |
Why this split mattersOfficial copy clearly describes permanent soldier and settlement progress, but it does not state that every artifact, Emblem, or battlefield upgrade persists. Treat persistence as unverified until the launch build shows it.
First campaign checklist
- Read the objective before choosing upgrades. The official description promises varied scenarios and objectives across more than 45 handcrafted environments. Record what the current objective actually asks you to protect, reach, or defeat before assuming damage is the only priority.
- Note the starting hero kit. Multiple playable heroes are confirmed, but their exact launch abilities and unlock conditions are not yet documented by the official listing.
- Record the first Emblem and artifact choices. Capture names and wording exactly as displayed. Do not rely on pre-release lists that cannot be reproduced.
- Watch the battalion, not only the hero. Soldiers are designed to fight alongside you and become stronger permanently. Note when experience appears and which interface explains it.
- Inspect the settlement after the run. Look for newly available shops, upgrades, challenges, and special-objective rewards before starting another campaign.
- Change one variable at a time. On the next attempt, keep enough of the previous setup to tell whether a new upgrade, artifact, or Emblem changed the result.
A launch-day field log
Use a small log instead of trying to remember every screen. The fields below are neutral: they help compare runs without assuming which option is strongest.
| Record | What to capture | Why it is useful |
|---|---|---|
| Hero | Name, starting actions, visible starting modifiers | Separates hero traits from later build choices |
| Campaign | Environment, objective wording, difficulty or challenge label | Prevents comparing unlike scenarios |
| Build | Emblems, upgrades, artifacts, and their exact text | Creates evidence for future synergy guides |
| Battalion | Soldiers present, experience shown, permanent skill changes | Tracks persistent growth |
| Settlement | New shop, upgrade, challenge, or unlock | Maps the between-campaign loop |
What is confirmed and what is still open
Confirmed
- Solo play and online co-op for up to four players.
- Multiple playable heroes.
- Powerful upgrades, Emblem synergies, and more than 100 artifacts.
- Permanent soldier skills and settlement upgrades.
- More than 45 handcrafted environments.
Verify after release
- Campaign length and exact stage order.
- Difficulty settings, modifiers, and reward scaling.
- What persists after victory, defeat, or leaving a session.
- Hero, artifact, and Emblem unlock requirements.
- Objective types and any branching campaign routes.
Beginner questions
Can I play the campaign solo?
Yes. Paper Cult describes the game as playable alone or in online co-op with up to four players.
How many environments are there?
The official Steam description states that campaigns run through more than 45 handcrafted environments. It does not yet publish a complete environment list.
Does a failed campaign still make the battalion stronger?
The official listing confirms permanent soldier skills between campaigns, but it does not explain the exact reward conditions for a failed attempt. That outcome is on the launch verification list.
On July 22, this page will prioritize the first campaign flow, persistence rules, and settlement return screen. Exact routes will remain unpublished until reproduced.