Beyond All Reason New Player Guide: What to Focus on First
Just downloaded BAR and feeling overwhelmed by the depth. Here is a clear path from zero to your first competent game.
Tags: BAR new player guide, beyond all reason beginner, BAR getting started, BAR tutorials, BAR first match, beyond all reason how to start, BAR early game guide, BAR base building
Start with the in-game scenarios
The first three tutorial scenarios teach the absolute basics: selecting units, building constructors, and issuing commands. Do not skip them. Many players rush into PvP without ever touching these, then get confused by basic APM expectations.
Play through the scenarios once, then read the beginner guides on the BAR website. Revisit the guides after a few real games. The second pass makes more sense because you now know what the terms mean from actual play.
Focus on the first four minutes
The single most important skill in BAR is the early game economy. The first two to four minutes determine whether you can field a real army or spend the match defending with scraps. Priority order: metal extractors, solar or wind generators, constructors, then your first factory.
Watch beginner economy content. Visual guides showing build orders are far more useful than written theory when you are still learning the interface.
Avoid heavy maps as a beginner
PVP lobbies on maps like Isthmus or Glitters are fast and punishing. Experienced players dominate these maps with sharp opening builds. New players get crushed before they can learn. Look instead for slower-paced maps with room to recover from early mistakes.
Bot matches are the safest training ground. They do not count toward your chevron rating, so there is zero pressure. Build awkward first bases, make mistakes, learn what works.
Base building: spread out your key structures
A compact base looks tidy and falls apart from a single explosion. Spread windmills and metal extractors around your constructors so that a missile or bombing run cannot wipe your entire economy in one hit.
One mistake beginners make is clustering energy generators. If a converter blows up surrounded by eight windmills, the explosion chain takes everything with it. Distance between structures is cheap insurance.
Tower placement matters too. Position laser turrets covering approaches to your metal spots and energy generators, not just your commander. A base that cannot defend its income is a base that falls to harassment.
Learning more
The BAR community produces regular video content covering strategy and mechanics. Watching high-level players explains concepts that written guides struggle to convey. Check out gameplay analysis on the community YouTube channel for structured content.
Creed of Champions
BAR players take their game seriously, and that intensity can feel intimidating if you just installed the client. Creed of Champions runs games specifically for newer players. Nobody gets mad at a beginner for being a beginner. The competitive lobbies labeled for rookies have a responsibility to welcome new players. Anyone who is hostile over that is the problem, not you.
"Before discovering Creed, I was thinking the only thing that separates BAR from the perfect RTS is a friendly and safe social environment for new players to learn and feel included." [Crd]