Retail, Ironman & Nomad – Tibia

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Overview & Purpose

There are three common ways to play: Retail, Ironman, and Nomad. Here’s a quick explanation of each and practical guidelines to play Ironman/Nomad “for real”.

[Table] Quick Comparison
Feature Retail Ironman Nomad
BlessingsYesNoNo
Reward ShrineYesNoNo
Offline trainingYesNoNo
Tibia Coin StoreYesNoNo
MarketYesNoNo
Trading outside rulesetYesNo (non-Ironmen)No (non-Nomads)
Picking up itemsFreeOnly own loot + world spawnsOnly own loot + world spawns
Depot / BankYesYesNo (AoL in depot OK)
NPC trading (goods)YesYesNo
NPC servicesYesYesYes (boat, promotion, coin exchange)

Note: Each playgroup has its own specific rules for Ironman and Nomad. Use this table as a baseline and follow your group’s house rules.

Retail

What is Retail?

You play with everything the game offers: blessings, reward shrine, offline training, market, NPC trading, depot/bank, Tibia Coin Store, etc. Free trading and interaction with everyone.

When is it for you?

When you want faster progression, social trading, and full QoL. No self-imposed restrictions beyond the game’s rules.

Ironman

Core Principles

  • Off-limits: blessings, reward shrine, offline training, Tibia Coin Store, market, help/trading with non-Ironmen.
  • Loot & pickup: only own loot + world spawns.
  • NPC trading: allowed (unless your house rules forbid it).

Gray areas & recommendations

  • “Own loot”: only take loot where your Ironman party did the majority of the damage.
  • Party play: keep groups pure (don’t mix with Retail when progression/loot matters).
  • Death penalty: agree on Softcore (continue) or Hardcore (retire/delete) beforehand.

Start ~1–20

  • Prioritize defensive gear from loot (shield/armor/legs/helm).
  • Safe mobs: rotworms, wolves/bears, minotaurs, dwarves, crocs.
  • Short, safe runs. Upgrade when TTK clearly improves.

Mid ~20–80

  • Economy via own loot → exchange coins (NPC OK).
  • Routes: amazons, cultists, deeper dwarves, pirates, orcs/raids.
  • Training without offline: spar on low-risk mobs, shield/def focus.

High 80+

  • Specialize in places that drop unique upgrades you can use.
  • Ironman-only group; clear loot rules (need before greed/round-robin).
  • Bosses/events only if the path there follows the ruleset.

Checklist — “Ironman Ready”

  • House rules set (NPC buys y/n, death penalty, loot definition).
  • Start zone + 3 safe routes selected.
  • Loot/death log template prepared.
  • Personal goals (e.g., “full loot set for slot X before lvl 30”).
Nomad

Core principles (strict)

  • Off-limits: everything under Ironman plus no NPC trading (goods), no depot/bank/safe storage. AoL may stay in depot (from main character).
  • Exceptions: NPC services (boat, promotion, coin exchange) and quest-required items that can’t be obtained otherwise.
  • Loot & pickup: only own loot + world spawns. No help/trading with non-Nomads.

Early ~1–20

  • Prioritize mobs that drop food + base gear.
  • Plan travel via services; no purchasing of goods.
  • Play conservatively — without blessings, mistakes are costly.

Storage without depot

  • Stash: use unprotected zones temporarily; note coordinates.
  • Exchange coins (gold→platinum→crystal) to reduce weight.
  • Carry fewer but better items (shield > niche weapon).

Economy & progression

  • Budget for services (boat/promo/exchange).
  • Quest exceptions: log exactly what/why/cost.
  • Build “loot → upgrade → new zone” loops.

Checklist — “Nomad Ready”

  • Rules understood (no NPC trading; no storage; service/quest exceptions).
  • Pre-defined stash spots (unprotected zones).
  • Service budget set (travel/promotion/exchange).
  • 3–5 self-sustaining routes (food + gear + coins).
  • Log for exceptions and stash coordinates.
FAQ

Frequently Asked

  • Did I get looting rights due to external help? Recommended: don’t take the loot — keep the ruleset clean.
  • Events? Fine as long as everything is reached/cleared within the ruleset (no market/external boost).
  • Disconnect death? Follow your chosen penalty; log the incident.
  • Trading within the ruleset? Only within the same ruleset and per your house rules; log the trade.
Tip: Set up a Discord channel for Ironman/Nomad logs where you post screenshots of drops, death logs, and milestones. Transparency = more fun long-term.
Nomads Stories

Read our stories — Nomad & Ironman

Real tales from players who choose the self-sufficient path. Routes, close calls, and the lessons that kept us alive without blessings or the market.

[ ▶ ] Open Nomads Stories Nomad or Ironman — your path, your rules.