Mortal Shell II rewards players who understand its systems early. This guide collects the advice that Kotaku, GamingBolt, Game8 and a GAMES.GG beginner guide agree on, and flags where they differ. The game launched in August 2026, so balance may shift with patches. Buying questions are on the FAQ page, and the Shells themselves are on the Shells guide.
1 Settings to change first
2 Combat without stamina
Because dodging and sprinting cost nothing, GamingBolt advises staying on the offensive within attack range and learning enemy patterns rather than backing off. Three resources shape every fight.
| System | How it works |
|---|---|
| Resolve | Built by attacking and parrying. Spent on Shell abilities, sidearms and some Tarstones. Golden tendrils in the world refill it before big fights |
| Enemy posture | A yellow meter under enemy health fills from attacks, parries and break damage. When full, the enemy staggers and can be riposted |
| Parry | Steam Deck HQ found the window a little more generous than in many similar games; Fextralife notes chained parries set up the biggest ripostes |
3 Get your first Shells early
Without a Shell you fight as a fragile base form. Kotaku calls it the Harbinger and recommends finding Tiel and Proxima right after reaching the Marrow Keep, since both give a large boost to attack and defense. If you are knocked out of a Shell in combat, Steam Deck HQ explains that you break free and get a chance to reclaim it, which works like a second life.
GamingBolt suggests settling on one favorite Shell at first and deepening your bond with it, instead of spreading resources thin. The Shells guide compares all eight.
4 Four currencies, four jobs
| Currency | Use and advice |
|---|---|
| Gloom | Experience for leveling. Dropped where you die; spend it before risky fights |
| Coin | Shops and weapon upgrades. Drops often, but Kotaku warns it gets scarce late |
| Glimpses | Deepen Shell bonds. Rare; guides estimate enough to max two or three Shells |
| Ova | Recovered from cleansed beacons; tied to progression and endgame content |
5 Cleanse beacons early
Beacons are checkpoints and fast travel points. Many hold a mini dungeon to cleanse, with tough fights and rewards that Kotaku lists as weapons, Tarstones and Ova. GamingBolt recommends cleansing them as soon as you find them so you have a safe place to spend Gloom. The So Fresh, So Clean achievement asks you to cleanse all of them, and GamingBolt also suggests marking finished dungeons on your map by hand.
6 The Tarforge and your weapons
The Tarforge at the Marrow Keep is run by Franz. It starts limited; Game8 and GamingBolt both say you unlock its functions by bringing him three items.
Unlocks weapon upgrades (spelled Muradean in some guides).
Unlocks sidearm upgrades.
Unlocks Tarstone upgrades.
Game8 lists the upgrade materials in tiers as Ventrium, Laterite, Dorsalite, Thoracium and Ossinite, each paired with Coin. Its weapon list is The Iconoclast, Axe and Dagger, Great Martyr's Blade, Veteran's Battle Axe, Obsidian Hammer, Clockwork Scythe, Axatana and Black Needle. Its sidearm list is Naylshotte, Forgotten Crossbow, Troubadour's Lute, Caged Hystrix, Triarch Repeater, Salvaged Trebuchaxe, Ballistazooka and Cursed Child. Fextralife counted six sidearms in its review, so counts vary by how sources classify them. Merrick sells cheap maps that show where weapons, sidearms and Shells are, which GamingBolt considers well worth buying.
7 Tarstones and Seals
Tarstones are equippable stones that grant abilities, weapon infusions and passive bonuses. The GAMES.GG guide sorts them into four types: Support, Combat, Infusion and Ability. Steam Deck HQ says up to ten can be equipped at once, and Kotaku counts more than seventy in the game.
8 Small things that save hours
| Tip | Why |
|---|---|
| Hit walls with a glyph | Kotaku: they are false walls hiding areas |
| Collect Sheephead Totems | Kotaku: the passive lowers enemy health and grows with more sheep found |
| Follow raven icons | They lead to map fragments that clear the fog; Sat Nav wants them all |
| Leave the main path | GamingBolt: Fallgrim has strong gear away from the objective |
| Shoot your lost Gloom | If it lands somewhere unreachable, a sidearm shot can recover it |
Switch the camera to Action and turn on auto pick up gold. Stay aggressive: Resolve comes from attacking and parrying, and a full posture meter opens ripostes. Grab Tiel and Proxima early, and treat Glimpses as the scarcest resource. Cleanse beacons as you find them, bring Franz the Muredean Actuator, Obsidian Lathe and Etching Needles to unlock upgrades, and build Tarstones around your Shell and weapon.
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