Some exact item names, drop locations, and balance values are not published in the official store description. Where the available references do not verify a detail, this guide labels it as uncertain rather than presenting it as a guaranteed drop or rule.
Fast answer
The answer before the background
Treat equipment as long-term character progression and treat skills and runes as the build you assemble inside a run. Fill all six gear slots, then choose pieces whose main stats and set effects support the character’s damage type or survivability. Upgrade promising pieces for stronger flat stats, but do not assume a higher level fixes poor secondary or elemental bonuses. In each run, prioritize skills that fit your attack range and movement options, then add runes that reinforce the damage type or status effects you can reliably trigger.
Permanent progression
What counts as equipment
The permanent gear system is the part of your loadout that stays available between runs. The reference database lists six equipment categories: headgear, necklace, cloak, scarf, ring, and gloves. You can equip one item of each type on a character, and the same gear can be equipped by different characters at the same time. That makes a strong general-purpose piece worth keeping even when you change characters.
Gear has five listed rarities: Common, Rare, Epic, Legendary, and Mythic. Rare or better pieces provide a set effect, so rarity is not only a larger number. It can also change how the item contributes to a complete setup. The official store page confirms that the game includes character upgrades and equipment-focused progression, while the community database supplies the more detailed slot rules.
- Headgear and cloaks provide flat health as their listed main stat.
- Necklaces and rings provide flat elemental damage.
- Scarves and gloves provide flat physical damage.
- Secondary and tertiary bonuses are separate from the flat main stat and do not scale in the same way as upgrades.
| Slot group | Primary purpose | Useful when |
|---|---|---|
| Headgear or cloak | Flat health | You are dying before your damage setup can function. |
| Necklace or ring | Flat elemental damage | Your run relies on elemental skills, runes, or convergence effects. |
| Scarf or gloves | Flat physical damage | Your character mainly uses weapon attacks and physical skills. |
The six-slot structure, rarity names, broad stat assignments, and upgrade behavior are documented by the community reference. Exact set bonuses, item pools, and acquisition rates are not treated as universal here because the available official material does not publish a complete catalogue.
Inside a run
Weapons, skills, and runes
The game’s official description presents combat around weapon abilities and magical runes rather than a traditional inventory of interchangeable weapon models. In practice, your character supplies a basic combat identity and skill pool, while a run lets you select attacks that alter range, area coverage, movement, crowd control, or damage type.
Runes are elemental powers attached to physical skills and attacks. The reference material describes each rune as having an elemental type that influences its attack pattern, power, and associated effects. Do not select them only for their headline damage. A rune that applies a status effect, creates space, or improves a reliable combo can be more useful than a larger number that your character rarely triggers.
Use this sequence when building a run: choose one dependable attack for ordinary enemies, add a heavy or control option for dangerous targets, then take a movement or defensive option if the character does not already have one. After that, choose runes that repeat the same plan. A close-range character generally benefits from area coverage and safe repositioning; a ranged character can often spend more choices on sustained damage and projectile control.
The available references do not verify a separate card collection or card-upgrade system. If a future patch adds cards, check the in-game description before assuming they use the same rules as runes.
- Physical damage bonuses suit physical skills and weapon-focused characters.
- Elemental bonuses are most valuable when your selected runes or other abilities repeatedly deal that element.
- Heavy skills can be valuable for stun, interruption, or delaying an enemy attack, not just for damage.
- A runic hammer is documented as a utility item for swapping the position of skills or elemental runes.
| Build question | Best first check | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| What kills you? | Add health, defense, movement, or control | Survival keeps your damage rotation active. |
| What damage do you already deal? | Match gear and rune elements to it | A matching bonus is easier to use consistently. |
| Are attacks missing? | Prefer wider area, piercing, or tracking options | Reliable hits usually outperform theoretical damage. |
| Do bosses punish contact? | Keep a dash, block, stun, or invulnerability tool | One emergency option can prevent a failed run. |
Build around consistency first. A smaller number of attacks that cover different situations is safer than filling every choice with similar damage skills.
Acquisition and maintenance
How to obtain and improve items
The official listing confirms long-term progression, character upgrades, repeatable exploration, and newer systems such as pets and elemental convergences. The community reference lists enemies as dropping items including common gear and Wanderer’s Scrolls, but it does not provide a complete, authoritative drop-rate table. Therefore, use normal exploration and enemy rewards as confirmed broad routes, but do not plan around an unverified percentage or a guaranteed boss drop.
Gear can be upgraded with shards and gear templates. The documented effect is an increase to the flat main stat; secondary and tertiary effects are not improved by the upgrade. The same reference says you can refund the materials spent on a gear upgrade for free, resetting that item to level zero. This makes testing safer than permanently committing resources, although you should still avoid spending heavily on a piece you expect to replace soon.
A practical progression loop is to keep one usable item for every slot, replace Common pieces when a Rare or better item has a useful effect, and reserve expensive upgrades for items whose rarity, set effect, and stat direction all fit your intended character. Because the source material does not establish every shop, event, or mode reward, check the reward panel in the current game rather than assuming that an old guide’s route still exists.
- Keep useful pieces until you understand their set effect and stat combination.
- Upgrade a promising item when its main stat directly supports your current character.
- Use the refund option when testing a different character or damage type, if the current interface still offers it.
- Do not treat a high rarity alone as proof that an item is best for every build.
- Record the source and date of unusual rewards because event and mode rewards can change.
| Goal | Recommended action | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Early progression | Use functional gear and modest upgrades | Chasing perfect secondary stats immediately |
| Boss attempts | Favor survivability plus reliable damage | Stacking only one damage stat |
| Element-focused run | Pair elemental main stats or bonuses with matching runes | Mixing several elements without a trigger plan |
| Testing a new setup | Use the documented upgrade refund where available | Assuming upgrades improve every bonus on the item |
No verified source used here gives complete shop inventories, item-by-item locations, or fixed drop rates. Those details should be confirmed in the live game or a dated patch note before being presented as guaranteed.
Quick decisions
Recommended loadout checks
Before entering a difficult area, inspect the character’s damage identity, then compare the six gear slots against the run you actually intend to play. If most attacks are physical, physical-damage slots are the simplest baseline. If the run is built around a repeated element, elemental slots and matching tertiary bonuses become more attractive. Health and defense are not wasted stats when they let you stay close enough to land attacks or survive a boss pattern.
After two or three rooms, ask whether the problem is damage, coverage, or safety. Damage problems call for a matching rune or stronger attack. Coverage problems call for area, piercing, or multi-target skills. Safety problems call for movement, stun, blocking, invulnerability, or defensive gear. This check prevents you from upgrading an item to solve the wrong problem.
For a new player, a balanced setup is usually easier to evaluate than a specialized one: one main damage direction, one emergency movement tool, one answer for groups, and one answer for a dangerous elite or boss. Once that works, specialize the gear set and rune choices around a favorite character.
- Use health or defense when failed runs end before your rotation starts.
- Use attack speed or critical chance only when the character’s skills benefit from frequent hits.
- Use movement speed when positioning and dodging are the main source of lost health.
- Use elemental bonuses after confirming that the run produces that element consistently.
FAQ
Common questions
How many equipment slots can one character use?
The documented gear system has six slots: headgear, necklace, cloak, scarf, ring, and gloves. One item of each type can be equipped at once.
Do gear upgrades improve secondary and elemental bonuses?
The community reference says upgrades increase the flat main stat, while secondary and tertiary stats are not affected. Treat that as the current documented rule, but verify the item screen after a major patch.
Are runes permanent equipment?
No. Runes are part of the combat build assembled for a run. Permanent gear remains part of character progression, while runes modify attacks and elemental behavior during play.
What are the best runes?
There is no universal best choice. Pick runes that match the character’s range, damage type, and reliable triggers. A control or movement rune can be better than raw damage when a boss punishes close contact.
Does Endless Wander have collectible cards?
The sources checked for this guide verify gear, skills, runes, infusions, convergences, pets, and character upgrades, but not a separate card collection. Do not rely on card lists unless the current game client or an official update confirms that system.
Sources
What we checked
Official listings establish current availability and product facts. Community pages are used for mechanics and build history, then labeled separately.