In Warborne: Above Ashes, a sci-fi, post-apocalyptic MMO developed by Pumpkin Studio, crafting the perfect loadout is the key to dominating faction wars, surviving PvE challenges, and thriving in the open-world chaos of Sec Astracinder, Sec Sunder, and Sec Darktide. With WAA Solarbite, the premium in-game currency, players can accelerate their progression by unlocking powerful gear, mods, and Drifter upgrades, ensuring their loadouts are optimized for victory. This article explores the best loadout strategies for PvP and PvE, focusing on the Drifter system, gear selection, skill synergies, and tactical approaches to excel in Warborne: Above Ashes' month-long faction wars and beyond.

Understanding the Drifter System

The Drifter system is central to Warborne: Above Ashes' customization, allowing players to equip up to three Drifters-essentially loadouts with unique gear, stats, and abilities. Each Drifter aligns with one of three archetypes: Strength (tanky, melee-focused), Agility (fast, DPS-oriented), or Intelligence (ranged, support, or AoE-focused). When a player dies, they can respawn as a different Drifter, enabling dynamic role-switching mid-battle without a full reset. This system encourages players to prepare multiple loadouts tailored to specific scenarios, such as frontline tanking, ranged sniping, or support healing. Optimizing your Drifters requires careful allocation of stat points, gear mods, and skills, often enhanced by investing WAA Solarbite in the Research Center for better upgrades.

Best PvP Loadout Strategies

PvP in Warborne: Above Ashes revolves around faction warfare, where six factions battle for control of the Citadel in month-long campaigns. Here are three optimized PvP loadouts, one for each archetype, based on community-tested strategies and gameplay mechanics.

Strength: Varnax AoE Bruiser

Role: Frontline tank, crowd control, objective holder

Gear: Titanforge Plate (high armor, +health), Pyroblaster Mace (AoE physical damage), Ironclad Boots (+crowd control resistance)

Skills: Seismic Slam (AoE stun), Bulwark Shield (damage absorption), Rallying Cry (team damage buff)

Mods: Reinforced Plating (+durability), Solar-Infused Core (+10% ability damage)

Strategy: This loadout excels at holding key objectives in Citadel clashes. Use Seismic Slam to disrupt enemy formations, activate Bulwark Shield to absorb incoming damage, and trigger Rallying Cry to boost your squad's output. Position near capture points to control space, and swap to an Agility Drifter if you need to retreat. Prioritize upgrades in the Research Center's red tree for health and crowd control abilities. This build's survivability makes it ideal for beginners.

Solarbite Investment: Spend Solarbite on crafting Titanforge Plate and unlocking the Solar-Infused Core mod for enhanced damage output.

Agility: Shadowstrike Assassin

Role: High-burst DPS, flanking, single-target elimination

Gear: Nightshade Cloak (+stealth duration), Dual Voidblades (+critical strike chance), Blinkstep Boots (+movement speed)

Skills: Phantom Strike (high-damage single-target), Cloaked Ambush (stealth entry), Evasive Dash (mobility)

Mods: Precision Targeting (+critical damage), Lightweight Frame (+speed)

Strategy: Focus on eliminating high-value targets like enemy healers or Intelligence Drifters. Use Cloaked Ambush to infiltrate enemy lines, land Phantom Strike for burst damage, and escape with Evasive Dash. This loadout thrives in small-scale skirmishes or flanking during 100v100 battles. Upgrade the Research Center's green tree for critical strike and mobility bonuses. Swap to a Strength Drifter if caught in prolonged fights.

Solarbite Investment: Use Solarbite to acquire Blinkstep Boots from faction vendors or the Auction House for superior mobility.

Intelligence: Frostweaver Mage

Role: AoE control, support, zone denial

Gear: Cryomancer's Robe (+ability power), Starcaller Staff (+AoE range), Arcane Diadem (+cooldown reduction)

Skills: Frozen Maelstrom (AoE slow), Shattered Ice (AoE burst, reduces resistances), Frost Nova (crowd control)

Mods: Overcharged Core (+ability duration), Mana Conduit (+resource regeneration)

Strategy: Control the battlefield by locking down zones with Frozen Maelstrom and using Shattered Ice to weaken clumped enemies. Save Frost Nova for critical moments, like defending a resource point. This build shines in large-scale PvP, supporting allies with crowd control and AoE damage. Invest in the Research Center's blue tree for ability power and cooldown reduction. Switch to an Agility Drifter for quick repositioning if targeted.

Solarbite Investment: Purchase Mana Conduit mods to sustain long fights, available from Elder Yshra in Sunhold.

Best PvE Loadout Strategies

PvE content in Warborne: Above Ashes includes solo dungeons, group raids, and world bosses in zones like Sec Darktide. These loadouts prioritize survivability and sustained damage.

Strength: Ironclad Defender

Role: Tank, boss survival, resource farming

Gear: Bastion Armor (+health regeneration), Graviton Hammer (+stagger chance), Sentinel Greaves (+damage reduction)

Skills: Fortified Stance (damage mitigation), Earthshatter (AoE stagger), Vital Surge (self-heal)

Mods: Regenerative Core (+healing efficiency), Solar-Infused Plating (+10% loot drop chance)

Strategy: This loadout is designed for tanking world bosses and surviving solo dungeons like Murkfall. Use Fortified Stance to mitigate boss damage, Earthshatter to stagger adds, and Vital Surge for sustain. The Solar-Infused Plating mod boosts loot drops, ideal for farming Solarbite and materials. Upgrade the Research Center for health regeneration and loot bonuses.

Solarbite Investment: Craft Graviton Hammer with Solarbite to maximize stagger for safer boss fights.

Agility: Riftstalker Scavenger

Role: High mobility, solo content, resource gathering

Gear: Scavenger's Vest (+loot find), Twin Daggers (+attack speed), Nomad's Boots (+sprint speed)

Skills: Rapid Slash (high DPS), Shadowstep (teleport), Scavenger's Luck (+resource drops)

Mods: Lightweight Frame (+mobility), Treasure Seeker (+rare loot chance)

Strategy: Perfect for solo players farming Solarite veins or clearing small dungeons. Use Rapid Slash for quick enemy clears, Shadowstep for repositioning, and Scavenger's Luck to boost Solarbite drops. Focus Research Center upgrades on green tree mobility and loot find. Swap to a Strength Drifter for tougher enemies.

Solarbite Investment: Acquire Treasure Seeker mods from the Auction House to enhance farming efficiency.

Tactical Tips for Loadout Success

Leverage the Quick Swap Mechanic: Use the Drifter system's ability to switch loadouts upon death to adapt to changing battle conditions. For example, start as a Strength tank, then swap to an Agility DPS for a finishing blow.

Optimize Research Center Upgrades: Prioritize Research Center upgrades that match your primary Drifter's stat (red for Strength, green for Agility, blue for Intelligence) to enhance loadout performance.

Use Rejuvenix Flasks in PvP: Regular healing is disabled in PvP, so craft Rejuvenix Flasks from animal resources for burst healing.

Participate in Faction Wars: Capture resource points during Citadel clashes for Solarbite tokens, which can fund gear upgrades.

Manage Inventory Risks: In the partial loot system, swap rare loot to an unequipped Drifter to protect it from dropping upon death.

Economic and Resource Considerations

Solarbite is critical for crafting, upgrading, and trading high-tier gear. Farm it through daily/weekly missions, faction wars, or Murkfall dungeon runs (40–60% Solarbite drop chance). For faster progression, the Auction House allows trading with Solarbite or Eclipsium, though transaction fees apply. Competitive players can buy Warborne Above Ashes Solarbite from trusted platforms like MMOexp which offer secure transactions and fast delivery to enhance your loadouts without grinding.