The first 30 minutes of Steel Fighters in the right order: free robot, 12 codes, one complete six-part build, then arena floors until your first real wall.
Steel Fighters Beginner Guide: Your First 30 Minutes
Most new Steel Fighters accounts waste their first hour the same way: they pull parts from the lever, spread them across three different robots, and end up with three weak fighters instead of one good one. The fix is order, not effort. Claim the free robot, redeem the free codes, build one complete six-part robot, and only then start climbing.
This guide is the 30-minute version of that order. It assumes a fresh account, no Robux, and no friends online.
The First 30 Minutes at a Glance
| Time | Action | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 0–3 min | Finish the tutorial | The code machine and lever stay locked until you do |
| 3–8 min | Like, favorite, join the group | Three free rewards, including a robot and parts |
| 8–12 min | Redeem all 12 codes | A free robot (AT0M3) and permanent buffs |
| 12–22 min | Build one complete robot | Six matching parts = +10% to every stat |
| 22–28 min | Push arena floors | First Cash and Scrap income at full multipliers |
| 28–30 min | Decide what to keep | Bank duplicates for fusion instead of selling |
The First 30 Minutes, Step by Step
Minute 0–3: finish the tutorial before anything else
The tutorial is short, and skipping it is the single most common reason people think the codes are broken. The blue code machine in the Junkyard does not accept input until the tutorial flag is set, and the lever does not give you a real pull either.
Walk the tutorial through to the point where you spawn into the Junkyard with the lever visible. Then look for two machines at the edge of the central area: Events and, beside it, the blue Codes machine.
Minute 3–8: claim the free rewards first
Before spending a single scrap, take the four rewards that cost nothing. They are listed in the game's own description, which makes them the most reliable freebies in Steel Fighters:
- Like the game — a free robot.
- Join the WeShowProjects group (group ID 755369845) — a free robot.
- Favorite the game — free robot parts.
- Redeem
AT0M3— the Atom robot plus one Golden Dice.
That is potentially three robots and a pile of parts before you have pulled the lever once. New players routinely miss all of it because the rewards are announced on the game page rather than in a tutorial popup.
Minute 8–12: redeem the codes in this order
All 12 codes were still active on October 25, 2026. Redeem AT0M3 and THANKYOU first for the robot and consumables, then the currency codes, and save the timed Luck and Damage boosts until you are actually pulling parts or pushing floors.
The two permanent codes — ULTRASECRETC3DE (+10% Cash) and S3CRETC0DE (+10% Arena Damage) — can be redeemed at any point and never lose value. Full reward table and troubleshooting: Steel Fighters codes.
One caution: the Cash and Scrap codes pay a fixed amount, so redeem them once your first Cash title is equipped if you can wait ten minutes. Multipliers are worth more on a bigger payout.
Minute 12–22: build one complete robot
This is the part that decides whether your first hour feels fast or slow. A robot has six part slots, and parts can be mixed freely across robots — but if all six parts come from the same robot, the build earns the Perfect trait: +10% to every stat.
That bonus is worth more than a single higher-tier part in a mismatched set, and it applies retroactively to robots you already built. So the goal for your first session is not "the best parts", it is six parts from one robot.
How to get there:
- Check what the free robots and the favorite reward already gave you. You may be two or three parts in.
- Pull the lever with whatever Luck you have active. The lever is the main part source, and Luck is the only documented modifier on what it rolls.
- In the lever's Early parts setting, choose the tier you can actually complete rather than the highest tier available. Update 1 added this setting specifically so players could target a set.
- Stop pulling when one robot hits six slots. Switch to filling the next set only after the first is complete.
Do not fuse anything yet. Fusion exists (there is a title for doing it 30 times), but its costs and outputs are undocumented, and burning your only copy of a part to learn that lesson is expensive.
Minute 22–28: push arena floors
With one complete robot, go to the arena and climb. Floors are endless, each one pays Cash and Scrap, and the rewards scale with depth — Update 1 made the Arena Cash cap rise with floor count and rise faster past floor 300.
Two things to do while climbing:
- Join or start a team. Team play gives +50% Cash, which is the largest free multiplier in the game and the one beginners ignore most.
- Watch for the first wall. Your wall is the floor where a run takes noticeably longer than the previous one. That is the signal to go back to the Junkyard and farm scrap, not to keep retrying.
Floor 100 is the first milestone worth aiming at: it unlocks the Tower Climber title (+14% Cash). Floors 200 and 300 unlock Arena Legend (+27% Cash) and Star Voyager (+32% Cash), but those are weeks away, not minutes.
Minute 28–30: decide what to keep
Before you log off, sort your parts into three piles:
- Equipped — the six parts on your main robot. Never sell these.
- Set pieces — parts from robots you are close to completing. Keep them even if they are low tier.
- Duplicates — spare copies. These are fusion fodder and Black Hole material later.
Selling duplicates for a small amount of scrap is the classic beginner mistake. Scrap comes back quickly from the Junkyard; a specific part might not.
Five Mistakes That Cost New Players a Day
- Spreading parts across robots. Three incomplete robots lose to one complete one, every time.
- Redeeming timed boosts while not farming. A 30-minute Luck boost spent in menus is gone.
- Ignoring the team bonus. +50% Cash is bigger than most titles.
- Fusing before you understand it. No reliable source documents fusion costs or outputs yet.
- Pushing floors past the wall instead of farming. Scrap from the Junkyard is what breaks the wall; retries are not.
What to Do After the First 30 Minutes
Your next three goals, in order: finish the tier you are closest to in the Index for its permanent completion reward, reach floor 100 for Tower Climber, and start banking junk deliveries toward Scrapper (100) and Junk Tycoon (1,000) for Scrap buffs. The titles page has the full requirement table, and the cash and scrap guide explains which farm to run at each stage.
FAQ
What should I do first in Steel Fighters? Finish the tutorial, then claim the like, favorite and group rewards plus the AT0M3 code. That gives you robots and parts before your first lever pull.
How many parts does a robot need? Six. All six from the same robot triggers the Perfect trait and a +10% bonus to every stat.
Should I spend Robux on day one? No. The free route — codes, group rewards, favorite parts, team bonus — covers the first several hours. Buy a pass only once you know which loop you actually enjoy.
How long until I reach floor 100? Depends on your pulls and whether you run with a team. The blocker is rarely the arena itself; it is having enough Scrap to complete a second set of parts.
Related Guides
- Codes — all 12, with rewards and fixes.
- Parts and fusion — the six-part rule and the Index.
- Floors and bosses — what changes after floor 100.