Hi, Here is a guide for the handsomes who want to run Fresh File. It may be incomplete, so don't hesitate to ask me or others any question.

Good luck, have fun !

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RMT7r5frNhCfrZHJq7d3t3WhiigzUBrRFH7-sd5UEDc/

If you are reading this, you are probably interested about speedrunning Dead Cells. You are making the good choice ! Dead Cells is easy to run and no two runs are alike, especially in Fresh File (the best category). However, keep in mind that times are quite RNG dependant, especially if you want to compete for world record. You can get very good times quite easily still. This is a guide for new runners who want to run the Fresh File category on the current version of the game. It will not explain all the hints and tricks for it staying digestible, but I will link the relevant ressources when needed.

Important note : the current fastest version of this run requires a Hand of the King skip which has been patched on 1.7.2. So if you want to be competitive/run any update sub-category, you may want to downpatch your game to 1.7.1. More informations on Fresh File Hand of the King skip.

As a relevant prerequisite, you should check how to setup your Livesplit timer in the FAQ. You also have to disable cutscenes and lore rooms in the main menu options > gameplay tab of the game.

Which stat should I use ?

TL;DR: Brutality if you are not afraid of dying (and are able hitless Concierge with melee weapons). Survival otherwise (but means more resets).

Brutality : strong, consistent but skill-based 6 weapons on 9 available on a fresh file scale with Brutality, and among the 3 left, 2 are useless. Brutality offers the top tier items pool, but means you have to fight bosses with melee, which may be difficult at the beginning especially as we want to flawless Concierge.

Survival : RNG-heavy but very safe option 2 weapons on 9 scales with survival, in particular the multiple-nocks bow. Coupled with wolf traps, it allows you to flawless Concierge quite easily so you can get the hitless legendary for the rest of the run. The HP boost helps a lot to survive. The survival scaling for wolf traps is anecdotic but still. However, it means you have only one choice of weapons in the timed doors, which makes this strategy quite a reset hell.

Tactics : why ? 5 weapons on 9 scales with tactics, but among them 2 are useless. Tactics lacks almost all top tier weapons, has less HP, the tactics scaling for traps is anecdotic. I may be proven wrong in the future but I do not recommend.

In this guide, I am going to assume you run brutality, but most of the advices will also works with another stat.

Commandments

You need a lot of damage

You literally start with a rusty sword that hardly tickles bosses which sucks, especially on a speedrun. Your main concern during a run is to get good gear to beat bosses as fast as possible :

• Always take the scrolls of your main color The damage you get from them totally worth potential detours.

• Take timed doors The weapons inside them are +quality instead of … none quality, which is twice better.

• Know the fresh file tier list like the back of your hand Take the items from up to down, then from left to right. Some precisions :

  • If you do not have a wolf trap, the orange items are probably better than nutcracker. But you might get a wolf trap later…
  • The tier list is relevant if all weapons are of the same quality. +quality weapons are usually better than 0 quality weapons, no matter its ranking in the tier list ! Same reasoning with legendary weapons.
  • After a certain point of progressing, not getting wolf trap and/or sinew slicer will probably mean resetting your run.

• Do not underestimate the minor forge After stilt village, you unlock the minor forge. You should, by order of priority : If you have sinew slicer : If you have wolf trap, reroll it to get +60% on bleeding targets Reroll your main weapon to get +60% on bleeding targets Otherwise, upgrade your weapon to ++ quality/try to get x2 damage on your wolf trap Use your common sense to get/keep good affixes (+50% damage at full HP, +20% on crits, +100% on poisoned targets if you have a poison source etc…) In particular, if you have a legendary sinew slicer, try to get bleeding causes poisoning (higher chances of getting it because more affixes)

• If you are good enough, take cursed chests One extra scroll, and a potential good ++ quality item that scales with your main stat.

• Legendary weapons are run changers and may grant you an easy personal best So go for hitless Concierge and check altars (you can open your map to see which weapon it is, to avoid losing time for getting an useless shield). If an enemy has a star upon it, it means it might hold one. According to 1.1 patch notes, you should get one in “most of your runs”.

Know the routing hints We have several hints which allows us to hardly know where is the exit in Prisoner Quarters, Ramparts, Clock Tower and Castle. Even if RNG is still involved, knowing them save several minutes.

Typical run

You can watch this run as a reference.

Prisoner quarters

Take the two scrolls, talk to the shopkeeper until he gives you the vorpan, find the exit and leave. Enter into the time door, take the 20 cells, your weapon and the assault shield blueprint. Go to the collector, unlock your health flask. Go to Guillian, choose YOLO as mutation and leave.

Promenade of the Condemned

Go to the right until the elite fight. Kill the elite, loot the rune, go to the exit asap and leave. Enter into the time door, take the 20 cells, take your weapon. Go to the collector and unlock assault shield. Go to Guillian, take Instinct of the Master of Arms and leave. If you are on 1.7.1, take Dead Inside instead.

Ramparts

Kill the elite and make sure to NOT pick up the rune. Run until you hit the hint, and then go down and leave. Go to Guillian, take Combo or Vengeance and leave. If you are on 1.7.1, take Combo.

Black Bridge

Killing the Concierge flawless is quite important (but failing is not run killer) Try to get him stuck on your wolf traps. Stay behind him while hitting. Hit him with the assault shield at the right moment to prevent him doing his red aura. Slash, slash, roll and kill him. Loot the cells and leave. Enter into the time door, take 20 cells, take your weapon/amulet. Enter the hitless door, take 20 cells, take the legendary and leave.

Stilt Village

Grab the keys and leave. Nothing really special here, EXCEPT if you have an extra jump amulet then you can attempt the door skip. Minor forge appears in collector room. Reroll your weapons and leave.

Clock Tower

Use the hints to navigate into, grab the key and the cells if you find them and leave. Unlock the second health potion if you need to.

Clock Room

Hopefully, you have wolf traps. :) Try to get her into, stay behind her so she will sometimes run into them when she teleports. Slash, slash, parry her shurikens, kill her and leave.

If you are on 1.7.1, take the Lightspeed blueprint and unlock it at collector if you have enough cells.

Castle

Use the hints to navigate into. Kill two elites, grab two keys, and leave. If you are on 1.7.1, unlock your Lightspeed if you did not have done it before.

Throne room

Here it is, the last fellow. I suggest you this guide if you are not familiar with his attacks. Extra speed strats :

• When he summons elite vagues, do not kill normal mobs, they will die by fall damage or under HotK weight. Push the elite on the platform with your assault shield to kill it by fall damage. If you time well your push, it will also kill the elite on the ground.
• Reflect his bombs with an assault boost. Much easier than avoiding them. Kill HotK. Pick up the symmetrical lance, break the King shield and kill him. Watch the cutscene, enter into the fountain in homunculus form. Profits !

If you are on 1.7.1, instead, skip the boss with an hyperspeed.

Conclusion and improvements

You have finished your first run ? Congrats ! It is the beginning of a long story. Your goal now is to get familiar to the general layouts of game levels to move faster in them, and it will come little by little. You may also check the speedrun tech playlist to improve your movements ! In particular, assault boost is crucial and dive roll and ledge cancels are pretty important.

Good luck have fun !