If you’ve just launched Empulse for the first time, there’s a good chance the game throws a lot at you all at once. Between grappling across maps, piloting giant mechs, choosing loadouts, and figuring out what every paint bomb does, the learning curve can feel steeper than it first appears.
The good news is that Empulse is actually pretty straightforward once you understand how its systems connect together. After spending some time with the game, you’ll realize that movement is just as important as aiming, mechs can completely change the flow of a match, and smart perk choices often matter more than raw gun skill.
This guide walks through everything you need to know before jumping into your first matches, from menu options and weapons to advanced movement tricks that can give you an edge over other players.
Empulse Beginner Guide – Menus, Loadouts, Mechs
When you enter the game, you’ll see your Lancer and Mech displayed in the main menu. From here, you’ll have access to two primary playlists.
Practice Range
The Practice Range is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a stress-free environment where you can test weapons, practice grappling, experiment with paint bombs, and learn mech controls without worrying about enemy players.
If you’re completely new, spending even ten minutes here can save you hours of frustration later.
Empulse Demo Playlist
This is the main multiplayer experience and contains several different game modes.
Team Deathmatch (TDM)
The simplest mode in Empulse.
Your goal is to eliminate enemy players and mechs while helping your team reach the score limit before the opposing side.
If you’re learning weapons or movement mechanics, TDM is often the easiest place to start.
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Think of this mode as a futuristic sports match.
Teams fight over a ball that must be delivered to the enemy base. You can either throw the ball into the objective or physically carry it all the way in for additional points.
Expect plenty of close-range fights around the objective.
Intel
Intel revolves around possession time.
Instead of delivering a ball, your team must hold it for a total of 30 seconds to score. Once the score is awarded, the objective resets and the battle starts again.
Protecting teammates becomes extremely important in this mode.
Control
Control is a best-of-five attack-and-defend game mode.
Teams can win rounds by:
- Capturing both objective points
- Eliminating the enemy team’s 35 available lives
Because every life matters, reckless plays are punished much harder here than in TDM.
Capture the Mech
This mode works similarly to traditional Capture the Flag modes found in other shooters.
The difference is exactly what the name suggests: you’re fighting over mechs rather than flags.
Proper teamwork and mech control become the deciding factors in most matches.
Complete Loadout System Explained
Every player can customize their combat style through weapons, attachments, paint bombs, and perks.
A standard loadout consists of:
- One primary weapon
- Hammer secondary weapon
- Two attachments
- One paint bomb
- Three perk slots
Let’s break down each category.
All Primary Weapons in Empulse
Opus
The Opus functions as a heavy pistol.
It hits harder than most sidearms and rewards accurate players who can consistently land shots.
Resonance
A reliable carbine that offers a solid balance between damage, range, and handling.
Great for beginners who want a weapon that performs well in most situations.
Percussion
An explosive-focused SMG.
Ideal for aggressive players who enjoy rushing objectives and creating chaos in close-quarter engagements.
Modulator
A fast-firing assault rifle.
Its high rate of fire makes it forgiving for newer players while still remaining effective at medium range.
Compressor
A heavier assault rifle that sacrifices speed for stronger damage output.
Players with good recoil control will get the most value from it.
Triad
A burst-fire rifle.
Landing full bursts consistently can melt opponents surprisingly fast.
Volta
One of the more unique weapons in the game.
The Volta features homing capabilities, making it easier to pressure mobile targets that are constantly grappling around the map.
Oscillator
The game’s light machine gun.
Strong sustained fire and large magazines make it excellent for area control and suppressing enemy movement.
Echo
Empulse’s shotgun option.
Devastating at close range but requires positioning and movement awareness to reach effective distances.
Coda
A traditional SMG focused on mobility and close-range aggression.
Perfect for players who prefer fast-paced gameplay.
Attachments
Attachments vary slightly between weapons, but most players will encounter several common options.
Grip
Improves weapon handling and helps maintain accuracy.
Extended Magazine
Provides additional ammunition before reloading becomes necessary.
Laser Sight
Improves close-range effectiveness and helps with aggressive engagements.
Barrel Extension
Improves effectiveness at longer ranges.
Quick Draw
Allows faster weapon readiness during combat situations.
Reinforced Rounds
Enhances weapon performance through stronger ammunition characteristics.
Tiger
A specialized attachment that offers unique weapon benefits depending on the gun being used.
Delayed Health Regeneration
Improves survivability by modifying how health regeneration behaves after taking damage.
Paint Bombs
Paint bombs are one of Empulse’s most unique mechanics. Many new players underestimate them at first, but they can completely change fights when used correctly.
Heal Paint Bomb (Green)
Creates a healing area that regenerates health.
This is incredibly useful during objective fights where multiple teammates can benefit from the effect.
Jump Paint Bomb (Blue)
Provides a powerful jump boost.
Creative players can combine this with wall bounces and grapples to reach locations that enemies won’t expect.
Explosive Paint Bomb (Red)
One of the most dangerous paint bombs in the game.
It creates an initial explosion followed by an even larger secondary detonation.
Many players survive the first blast only to get caught by the second.
Speed Paint Bomb (Orange)
Provides an immediate movement boost.
Whether you’re running on the ground or moving along walls, the speed increase can help secure kills or escape danger.
Sticky Paint Bomb (Yellow)
Reduces mobility by slowing movement and limiting jump potential.
If you’re trapped inside one, grappling away is usually your best option.
Paint Bomb Effect Duration
A useful mechanic many players miss.
Even after leaving a paint puddle, the effect remains active as long as the colored border is still visible around your screen.
Learning this timing can help you maximize every paint bomb.
Best Perks and Slot
Perks are divided into three separate categories.
Slot One Perks
These primarily affect your Lancer’s core abilities.
Available options include:
- Kill Runner
- Quick Hands
- Grapple Charged Reload
- Grapple Charger
- Extended Grapple
- Martial Elite
Players who rely heavily on movement often gravitate toward Grapple Charger or Extended Grapple.
Slot Two Perks
These focus on utility and combat enhancements.
Options include:
- Flutter
- Flow Stater
- Glutton
- Paint Upgrade
- Kill Refresh
- Mech Slayer
Mech Slayer is particularly valuable if you regularly find yourself fighting enemy mechs.
Slot Three Perks
These perks exclusively improve mech performance.
Available choices include:
- Mech Jumper
- Mech Healer
- Mech Gunner
- Mech Tanker
- Mech Sprinter
- Mech Launcher
Choosing the right one depends entirely on your preferred mech playstyle.
Lancer Styles and Cosmetics
Empulse currently features several Lancer styles:
- Troy
- Kiria
- Darian
- Jade
Both Troy and Jade also have alternate variants available.
For customization enthusiasts, the game includes:
- Weapon skins
- Emotes
- Sprays
These don’t affect gameplay but offer plenty of ways to personalize your appearance.
Progression System and Gigs
Empulse uses a Reputation (Rep) leveling system.
Every time you level up your Rep rank, you’ll unlock rewards and progression bonuses.
The game also features Gigs, which function as contracts or challenges.
Currently, daily gigs are available and provide additional objectives to complete while playing.
How Mechs Work
Mechs are one of the most important systems in Empulse and understanding them quickly gives you a major advantage.
Mech Health and Shields
Every mech has:
- A shield bar
- A health bar
A single hammer strike completely removes a mech’s shield.
Once the shield is gone, it takes roughly seven additional hammer hits to destroy the mech without perks influencing the outcome.
Entering a Mech
You can enter a mech in two ways:
- Hold the interaction prompt
- Grapple directly into it for faster entry
The grapple method is often safer during combat.
Mech Weapons and Abilities
Once inside a mech, you’ll gain access to:
- Machine Gun
- Protective Barrier
- Rockets
- Melee Attack
One particularly useful feature is that your barrier can remain active while reloading the machine gun.
Smart mech pilots use this constantly to reduce downtime.
Advanced Mech Movement
New players often assume mechs are slow.
They aren’t.
Charge Jump
Mechs can perform chargeable jumps that become deadly offensive tools.
Landing directly on enemies can instantly eliminate them.
Ground Dash
Provides quick horizontal movement across terrain.
Air Dash
Allows repositioning while airborne.
Jump-Dash Chaining
One of the strongest movement techniques available.
By combining jumps and dashes together, experienced mech pilots can cover huge distances surprisingly fast.
Aim for the Pilot Hatch
If you’re attacking enemy mechs, focus on the pilot hatch whenever possible.
This is considered the mech’s critical weak point and can significantly increase your effectiveness.
Grappling Hook Guide
The grappling system is arguably the heart of Empulse’s movement.
Mastering it will improve every aspect of your gameplay.
Grapple Melee Combo
If you grapple directly to an enemy and successfully reach them, you’ll receive a guaranteed one-hit melee attack.
Fast players can even chain these eliminations together against multiple targets.
Grapple Charges
Players start with two grapple charges.
Certain perks can increase this to three.
Grapple Resource Management
Charges are not simply used all at once.
The amount consumed depends on distance.
- Short grapples use less energy
- Long grapples consume more energy
This means efficient movement can keep you mobile much longer.
Grapple Range Indicator
Watch the sides of your crosshair.
Indicators illuminate whenever a target is within grapple range.
Many beginners overlook this visual cue despite how useful it is.
Thruster Boost
While grappling, pressing jump activates a thruster boost.
This gives additional height and allows for more creative movement routes.
Cancelling Grapples
You can cancel a grapple by:
- Pressing the grapple button again
- Pressing crouch
Learning when to cancel helps maintain momentum and avoid dangerous situations.
What Happens When You Respawn?
If you die with zero grapple charges remaining, you’ll respawn with your full default amount restored.
So don’t be afraid to spend your resources aggressively when necessary.