True to Form

True to Form
Win a mission wielding only your warden’s starting spell.

Rule: only the starting spell may be carried at the win. Ranks of it and passives are allowed, but the game does not let you avoid new spells for long: the first level-up offers a rank of the starter, while the second and third offer only new spells, and a draft cannot be skipped. Leaving experience on the ground is the reliable route. The achievement is checked when you win.

Winning route

1. Start a new expedition and march on its first node (80 seconds) — the only mission that starts with no extra spells carried over. In the war-march panel set the stage to Stage 1 / 12; the picker opens on the stage you last started, and later stages are harder on every node. Any Warden works, since only that Warden's own starting spell counts; this run used the Warden-Soldier and its Warding Cleave. The expedition draws its grounds at random; the map names each node’s ground and length before you march. This run drew Kresh Shallows.
2. Move in wide arcs so enemies trail behind you. Let Cleave hit as they close; turn away from charges and marked ground instead of stopping to trade hits.
3. Leave the experience gems on the ground. This run still picked up enough for one level-up and took the Warding Cleave rank on that first card; after that, stop collecting — the next two drafts offer only new spells. Stay alive until the timer runs out.
4. Easiest route: the zero-experience run in Nothing to Learn earns this achievement too.

Full run

One continuous screen recording from the main menu through the mission and the win screen to the earned achievement in the game ledger. Original game music and effects, recorded live; no commentary. The run was played by a scripted test player using only the game's normal controls at a person's pace, not by a person; failed attempts were discarded.

▶ Play full run