No Rest for the Wicked: Best stats to level up first

Jessica Filby
No Rest for the Wicked Stats

Stats play a huge role in your No Rest for the Wicked character, so you’ll need to use them wisely. Here are the ones you need to level up in order to survive.

No Rest for the Wicked features challenging battles throughout, and you need to be at your best if you intend to conquer the beasts and baddies you’ll meet. While that can be done with excellent weapons and gear, a lot of your power will rely on your character’s stats. You will need an excellent marriage of both in order to take on the ARPG’s biggest challenges.

To maximize your power, it’s vital to know what you should level up first and what each stat actually grants your character. Here’s everything you need to know.

How do stats work in No Rest for the Wicked?

Interestingly, No Rest for the Wicked’s stats are a little more unique than the likes of Baldur’s Gate 3 or other stat-heavy games.

So, to help you out, here’s a brief description of all the stats in No Rest for the Wicked:

StatWhat it does
HealthWill keep you alive and increase your maximum hit points
StaminaUsed for attacking, dodging, and blocking and almost all combat senarios
StrengthWill increase your damage when using a Strength-based weapon
DexterityIncreases your damage when wielding a Dexterity-based weapon
IntelligenceWill increase your damage when using a Intelligence-based weapon
FaithAdds damage to your Faith-based weapons
FocusGrants you more Rune attacks if your weapon has one. Each point contributes to more focus bars
Equip LoadIncreases your carry weight before becoming encumbered. Every point adds 10 to your carry weight

Best stats to level up first in No Rest for the Wicked

No Rest for the Wicked stats
The stats begin at 10, but you can increase them to gain more power.

Naturally, the best stats will depend on the build and design you want to use, but there are a few you have to focus on initially. Health and Stamina should be your first choice as they’re the most used stats in No Rest for the Wicked. After all, Health keeps you alive and Stamina allows you to attack, block, and dodge.

After you’ve invested a few points into Health and Stamina, you’ll want to put a few points into Focus, to allow for your Rune attacks to wipe out an enemy.

The order of priority we recommend is:

1. Health

Health is the most important stat in No Rest for the Wicked. It controls your maximum health and will be the primary reason you stay alive during what can be pretty tough combat. It’s especially vital while you master the dodging and parry mechanics.

On top of this, at the beginning of the game, you’ll be unlikely to find a weapon you truly want to invest in, making the likes of Dexterity, Intelligence, and more feel rather redundant.

2. Stamina

In a similar way to Health, you’ll be using Stamina much more than most other stats at the beginning of the game. Stamina essentially grants you attacks, and lets you dodge, roll, and almost everything else in a battle, making it just as important as Health.

However, it’s not quite as important as Health since you can adjust your fighting style to account for a lower Stamina, while you can’t take more hits without higher Health.

3. Focus

No Rest for the Wicked runes
Runes add great power to your attacks if you invest in them.

If you manage to land yourself a weapon with Rune powers, then Focus should be the next thing you look to upgrade. It’ll give you more power, force some deadly hits onto the enemy, and increase your power as a whole.

With the added Health for survivability, Stamina for protection, and Focus for damage, you’ll be creating a perfectly balanced character for the beginning of the game.

4. Equip Load

As the first part of No Rest for the Wicked develops, you’ll likely be picking up a variety of resources, from food to weapons to geat and everything in between. As such, it’s always useful to increase your Equip Loat to stop your character from getting encumbered.

While it’s not as important as some of the other stats, it’s always one to keep in mind, especially if you’re a bit of a collector in games like these.

4. Your primary weapon stat

Your primary weapon stat includes Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, and Faith and should be one of the last elements you look to increase at the start of your game. They’ll essentially grant you more damage to your attacks.

Ultimately, it won’t be until later on in No Rest for the Wicked that you even find a weapon you’ll fall in love with. As such, it’s likely your weapon’s primary stat will change regularly, meaning if you invest heavily in one, you could have wasted all those points in a useless stat.

Naturally, the stat priority for No Rest For the Wicked depends on you and your playstyle, but this is a surefire way to increase your survivability and allow for more experimental weapons.

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About The Author

Based in Cumbria, England, Jessica is a Senior Games Writer who joined Dexerto after stints at Game Rant and The Gamer. You can find her covering everything from Minecraft, CoD, Disney Dreamlight Valley, Pokemon Go and more. You can contact Jessica at jessica.filby@dexerto.com