Dune: Awakening — Progression Route

Your starting School (Bene Gesserit, Trooper, Swordmaster, Mentat) is not a permanent lock — you learn the others later and build hybrids. Trooper is the strongest general-purpose starter; Planetologist is learned later, never chosen at creation.

• Create your character
• Choose your starting School
• Complete the opening and reach Hagga Basin
• Begin the A New Beginning Journey and learn heat and hydration

Water comes from blood: extract it from enemies, purify it, drink. Learn the sandworm vibration warning and travel rock-to-rock rather than sitting on open sand.

• Craft the Blood Extractor and Blood Sacks and produce drinking water
• Build a Blood Purifier and carry backup water
• Work toward Stillsuit technology
• Craft your first proper weapons and tools

Base taxes have been removed — no Solari upkeep — but power is still required. Unlock the Base Reconstruction Tool and keep a backup; Base Recycling recovers 100% of a backed-up base's materials, so relocating later is cheap.

• Place a Sub-Fief Console and claim territory
• Build an enclosed shelter with power generation
• Build storage and organise your materials
• Build a Fabricator
• Build an Ore Refinery (and a Chemical Refinery when available)

The Sandbike is one of the most important early milestones — stop walking. Research is spent with Intel; prioritise harvesting tools, processing and transport before cosmetics.

• Progress Copper research
• Research and assemble the Sandbike
• Add survey equipment (Survey Probe Launcher) and a better Cutteray and Power Pack

The seven Trials plus The Footsteps of the Fremen contribute to better Stillsuits, Thumper and Stilltent technology and later research prerequisites.

• Complete Trials of Aql 1 through 7 and the associated Fremen story
• Unlock the Fremen survival gear the Journey gates

Vermillius Gap leaves the starter economy behind. If your first base now feels poorly located, back it up, recycle it and re-establish somewhere central.

• Explore Vermillius Gap and complete its Journey objectives
• Move up to Iron and Steel production
• Upgrade your weapons, armor, Power Pack, Cutteray and Stillsuit

The Buggy is your first serious harvesting/cargo platform. Keep both vehicles — the Sandbike is for fast solo travel, the Buggy for mining and hauling.

• Unlock Steel technology
• Research and assemble the Buggy
• Fit Storage, Cutteray and Booster modules

Meet the representatives at Anvil Tradepost and pick Atreides or Harkonnen.

• Choose Atreides or Harkonnen at Anvil Tradepost
• Complete introductory faction Contracts
• Reach Faction Rank 5

Build around three layers: one strong mobility option, a main damage choice (melee/ranged/hybrid) and utility. Planetologist is especially valuable for progression-focused players.

• Track down trainers and unlock abilities from the other Schools
• Unlock Planetologist
• Establish your primary build

The Scout Ornithopter at the Aluminum tier is one of the biggest power spikes in the game — it unlocks efficient access to the Rift, Shield Wall, Sheol, Arrakeen, trainers and Deep Desert access.

• Unlock Aluminum technology
• Research and assemble the Scout Ornithopter
• Fit Storage, Thruster and a Scan Module

• Learn spice-field and spice-blow mechanics and worm avoidance while harvesting
• Build a Spice Refinery and refine Spice Melange
• Establish a Spice reserve for later crafting and Specializations

Sheol is a radiation region and a key late resource zone (Jasmium → Duraluminum). The Assault Ornithopter begins at the Duraluminum tier — keep the Scout too, they serve different roles.

• Obtain radiation protection and reach Sheol safely
• Farm Jasmium and produce Duraluminum
• Upgrade tools, weapons, armor and vehicle modules
• Research and build the Assault Ornithopter

• Unlock Plastanium research and produce Plastanium
• Unlock advanced fabricators and refineries
• Upgrade weapons, armor, Stillsuit and every vehicle to Tier 6

The Sandcrawler is the core large-scale spice harvester; the Carrier Ornithopter (Plastanium tier) hauls it and heavy cargo.

• Research and build the Sandcrawler Mk6 (Vacuum + Centrifuge)
• Research and build the Carrier Ornithopter
• Practise Sandcrawler pickup and deployment

The Deep Desert is the multiplayer endgame resource zone. Official worlds split into PvE (safe, full progression) and PvP (2.5x mining/spice yield). PvP is not required for endgame — choose by how you want to play.

• Choose a PvE or PvP Deep Desert world
• Explore the Shield Wall and locate Testing Stations, wrecks and spice fields
• Collect Intel and learn safe extraction routes
• Farm high-tier resources and Plastanium materials

The weekly Coriolis storm reshapes much of the Deep Desert and destroys vulnerable construction there. This is the one-time lesson; the recurring version is tracked on the Weekly checklist.

• Extract everything valuable before a Coriolis reset
• Re-scout the new terrain after the reset
• Rebuild your farming routes

• Reach Faction Rank 5
• Complete The Art of Making Friends
• Open the Landsraad board and complete your first Landsraad Mission

After Rank 5, Landsraad is the primary faction-advancement system. Mnemonic-enhanced Missions give 75 Faction Standing each — up to 375 a day from five charges.

• Push Faction ranks 6–19 through Landsraad Missions
• Complete the faction climax mission for Rank 20
• Begin developing the five Specializations — Crafting, Gathering, Exploration, Combat, Sabotage

Chapter 3's repeatable, scalable boss dungeons — plus the Wind Pass and the Old Quarry (Dr. Jalanta) from Update 1.4 — drop Unique Tier 6 gear and Augmentation schematics. Different stations offer different rewards; don't just run the nearest.

• Discover and clear the Chapter 3 Testing Stations
• Complete The Wind Pass and its Landsraad Missions
• Complete The Old Quarry (Dr. Jalanta)
• Push higher difficulties for Unique gear and Augmentation schematics

Dune does not require combat to be your only endgame — Gathering, Crafting, Exploration and Combat-farmer paths are all viable. The repeatable weekly endgame below is where progression stops being linear.

• Obtain your preferred Unique Tier 6 weapons and armor
• Progress Crafting Specialization and build an Augmentation Station
• Craft and install Augments on your long-term gear
• Settle into the repeatable weekly endgame (Landsraad + Deep Desert + Coriolis + Specializations + Augmentation farming)