Preamble
Start off by naming your guild and creating your party (registering guild members). If this is your first time playing any Etrian Odyssey, it's recommended to take 1 Hoplite, 1 Monk, 1 Zodiac, and 2 more of what you want (Gladiators provide good melee dps, Prince[ss] is good for support, Farmers are good for exploring but not fighting, Arbalist/Buccanneers are good for ranged physical dps); play around with different classes as its free to recruit more members and get a feel for ones that compliment your play style. Make sure to go into the main menu and select "Custom," from there, select Limit and pick 1 skill per person(s) (Damage dealing limits are dependant on STR or INT so pick 2 good physical DPS for Cross Slash, Indomitable is good for either the Hoplite or the Monk). Also, be sure to set up your skill points (I'd recommend spending 1 point in TP Up for the Monk and Zodiac). A note for first timers, Most damage skills have a prerequisite for their respective skills (i.e Sword skills require Sword Mastery) so for Zodiacs, spend 1 point in an elemental master and its respective star. Also, its recommended to try out different combinations in anticipation of selecting subclasses with the best synergy. After visiting the Via Sensus and accepting your first mission, "Prelude to the Forest," feel free to head to Napier's Firm and upgrade some of your equipment (for those who are patient, you can recruit new guild members, take and sell their gear then dismiss them from your guild). After preparing, head to the Labyrinth through the Forest Entrance.
B1F ~ A Glorious Journey's Start
Available Missions: Prelude to the Forest
Available Quests: Butterfly Bistro's new menu; The fisherman's rest
New Items: Kopis, Tetsukiyari, Makiri, Intellect Book, Scale Jerkin, Hairband, Strap Shoes, Life Belt, Tent, Ariadne Thread
Your first mission is pretty straightfoward, just head in and listen to the guard to discover you need to map out the first floor. As the game says, making a good map is essential in this series and as such, getting acquainted with its features is always the first mission. While you're exploring, make sure to check the walls for secret paths or events, distribute points as you level, and keep an eye on your HP/TP; if it takes half your TP to get where you are now, it'll probably take half to walk back out. You'll probably figure out that some events you may encounter are dependant on stats, these usually are based on the character with the highest stat or the one chosen (such as with Luck and freeing the caught animal); others depend on the time of the day (i.e. Night time). Once you're done making your map of the area you can explore, return to the guard and present your map, then, return to the Via Senatus. After reporting, head to the Butterfly Bistro and grab your first two quests (you might be able to report "Butterfly Bistro's new menu" immediately provided you've gathered the necessary materials), sell and stock up at Napier's (grab an Ariadne Thread or two), rest and save at Amon's and head back into the Labyrinth. Alternatively, you can explore the Sea to earn more money before venturing back into the Labyrinth. If you choose to set sail, you can find a separate walkthrough and some maps under the "Sea" part of the walkthrough.
Note: Tents are fairly useful throughout the Labyrinth (with the removal of geomagnetic poles) and can be enhanced with a Farmer's "Camp Mastery" skill. Note: It's recommended that your level is at least 3x (roughly) the floor to not struggle as much (i.e. 3 x B20F = Lv. 60)
After returning to the Labyrinth, you're first objective should be to head toward A-2 during the day time in order to complete "The fisherman's rest". When you continue past where you were originally barred from exploring by the guard, he will give you a few hammers to forge with at Napier's. Hammers are useful items that are unlimited in use, but will cost you a small fee in addition to the materials required to "unlock" the weapon for sale in the first place, as such, you will need to obtain more materials should you add too many augmentations. Core stat boosts (i.e. STR or LUC) will remain as a constant effect when you are equipped with the item; generally speaking, status ailment enchants or secondary stat boosts (i.e. Seals or ATK) will only apply to regular attacks made with the weapon. You may have already noticed, but there are some rooms and treasures that are locked and are marked with a symbol (the moon symbol on a door). These objects can be opened later on in the game, so be sure to note them well in order to return to them later. After reporting your quests and getting a good feel for the Labyrinth, level up to around 6 and descend the stairs to the next floor.
Note: Don't be afraid to swap out characters or even create a secondary gathering/exploring party, it sometimes helps to have access to different skills in the Labyrinth. Also, be sure to make good use of Farmers and the gathering points (Harvestry, Double Crop, and even Keen Nose help make the gathering process much faster).
B2F ~ Marshlands of Misfortune
B3F ~ The Surging River Shores
B4F ~ Bladed Ordeal in the Muck
