Minecraft Dungeons Beginner Guide: What to Do First
This is a starting guide to Minecraft Dungeons for players who have just picked it up: what to do first, and which habits will slow you down later.
Unlike the main Minecraft game, there is no crafting here. It is an action RPG where you run missions and collect gear. Several things work differently from what Minecraft teaches you, and those are the parts this guide focuses on.
▼ Minecraft Dungeons guides on this site
✅ Beginner Guide: What to Do First
✅ How to Level Gear Without Grinding
✅ How to Pick Weapons, Armor and Artifacts
✅ How Enchantments Work and Where to Spend
✅ Farming Emeralds and Using the Merchants
✅ Difficulty Levels and When to Move Up
✅ Multiplayer and Why There Is No Matchmaking
✅ All 6 DLC Packs and What to Buy First
▼ Minecraft Dungeons II articles
- What should you do first in Minecraft Dungeons?
- Why should you swap gear by the numbers instead of by feel?
- Does levelling up raise your power level?
- Should you save enchantment points for better gear?
- Can you replay missions you have already cleared?
- What should you be aiming for in the early game?
- What can you safely skip early on?
- Summary
What should you do first in Minecraft Dungeons?
The answer: prioritise the mission marked with the captured merchant icon.
A merchant is held somewhere inside that dungeon. Freeing them unlocks shops at your camp, including the Blacksmith and the Wandering Trader, and from that point on you can buy gear with emeralds. Without it, drops are your only source of equipment, and the early game gets much harder than it needs to be.
▼ What to know about unlocking the merchants
▶ Clearing the mission Pumpkin Pastures unlocks a merchant
▶ Any difficulty counts, so lower it if the mission is giving you trouble
▶ Once unlocked, the shops stay in your camp permanently
Why should you swap gear by the numbers instead of by feel?
The answer: stop protecting the weapon you are used to, and swap mechanically to whatever has the higher power number.
Your power level is the average of the six items you have equipped. And the power of the gear that drops is scaled to your power level at the moment you enter a mission.
So if you keep using weak gear, the gear that drops stays weak. Getting this wrong early is the usual reason people stall out later.
▼ The six slots that count toward power level
① Melee weapon ② Ranged weapon ③ Armor
④⑤⑥ Artifacts × 3
An empty slot drags the average down. Even if you never activate an artifact, it pays to keep all three slots filled.
Does levelling up raise your power level?
The answer: no. Player level has no effect on power level at all.
Killing enemies earns experience and raises your level, but the only thing that grows is your enchantment point pool. If you grind experience the way you would in a typical RPG, your power will not move by a single point.
Understanding early that gear is the only path to getting stronger will save you a lot of wasted time.
Should you save enchantment points for better gear?
The answer: no. Salvaging an enchanted item refunds every point you spent on it.
Many players hold their points back, waiting for something better to drop. There is no reason to. Spend them on whatever you are using now, and salvage when you move on.
One caveat: salvaging destroys the item itself. The points come back, the gear does not, so make sure you are ready to let it go before you confirm.
Can you replay missions you have already cleared?
The answer: yes. Every mission can be re-run as many times as you like, and it drops loot every time.
This is not a game you push through in one straight line. If your gear feels thin, go back to an earlier mission and run it again. You also choose the difficulty each time you launch, so you can dial it to whatever you can actually beat.
What should you be aiming for in the early game?
The answer: the final story mission, Obsidian Pinnacle.
That is where you fight the last boss. Clearing it unlocks the higher Adventure difficulty, which is where stronger gear starts appearing. From the early game through the mid game, everything you do is really preparation for that fight.
What can you safely skip early on?
▶ Grinding experience — it does not raise power. Collect gear instead
▶ Hoarding gear — salvage it for emeralds and points rather than stockpiling it
▶ Researching “best in slot” weapons — they will not drop yet. Run with what you have
Summary
▶ Free the captured merchant first to unlock the camp shops
▶ Swap gear by the power number, not by attachment
▶ Power level is the average of six slots. Never leave one empty
▶ Levelling up only grants enchantment points
▶ Enchantments are fully refunded on salvage, so do not hoard points
▶ Your near-term goal is clearing Obsidian Pinnacle
