*Note: All controls are default, and can be changed in the Settings screen\n\nAeternum is often a dangerous place. Mastering combat is important to your survival. Territorial beasts, corrupted settlers, other players, and even the world itself will try to bring about your early demise. You'd best be prepared.\n\nMany different weapons and techniques are available to use, but all require an understanding of the ebbs and flows of a fight. You'll need to switch between <a action="GoToPage" data="Combat_Attacking">attacking</a> and <a action="GoToPage" data="Combat_Defending">defending</a> in order to manage your <a action="GoToPage" data="Mechanics_Vitals">Stamina</a>. Remember that running out of Stamina leaves you vulnerable, unable to dodge, block, or attack effectively.\n\nWhen entering a fight, prepare by drawing your weapon. This can be done by either pressing the number that corresponds to the Quickslot you've placed the weapon in ([1], [2], or [3]), or by pressing [X] to draw the last weapon you used. While your weapon is drawn, you move slower and sprinting costs Stamina. Only draw your weapon when you're ready to fight, and sheathe it by pressing the same button again when the fight is over.

Fighting Your Enemies

Combat Introduction

*Note: All controls are default, and can be changed in the Settings screen\n\nSimply wielding a weapon won't dissuade many of your enemies. You'll have to use it. There are a variety of weapons to choose from, each with its own nuances, but they fall into two broad categories: melee and ranged.\n\nMelee weapons are used up close. These are things like swords, spears, clubs, and battleaxes. Each melee weapon has 3 attacks:\n • Standard Attack ([LMB]): the base attack for the weapon, and the one you'll likely use most often\n • Heavy Attack ([F]): a slow, high damage attack that makes use of <a action="GoToPage" data="Combat_Grit">GRIT</a> and can break through blocks\n • Special Attack ([Q]): this varies by weapon, and costs Mana instead of Stamina to use. For example, using this with a sword does a quick slash and stab combo, but using this with a spear switches to a throwing mode allowing you to use the spear as a ranged weapon\n • Sprinting Attack ([SHIFT] + [LMB]): lunges forward during the attack and deals good damage, but can cost a lot of Stamina\n\nYou can also equip a shield with any one-handed melee weapon. Shields offer much better <a action="GoToPage" data="Combat_Defending">Blocking Absorption</a> than a weapon alone, but also replace the Special Attack with a quick but low damage shield bash.\n\nThe damage you do with a melee weapon scales with different <a action="GoToPage" data="Progression_Attributes">Attributes</a> depending on the weapon. Most commonly this is Strength.\n\nRanged weapons are the opposite of melee weapons. They are best used at a distance, and don't offer different attacks. While wielding a ranged weapons, aim it by holding [RMB] and then fire by clicking [LMB]. Clicking [LMB] without aiming will swing the weapon, hopefully clearing you enough space to fire again or retreat.\n\nFirearms like muskets fire their round very quickly, so you don't have to judge travel time to the target. However, they take time to reload.\n\nBows suffer from the arrow traveling more slowly, and it will drop as gravity affects it. They can fire more quickly than firearms, though.\n\nThe damage you deal with ranged weapons scales with your <a action="GoToPage" data="Progression_Attributes">Dexterity Attribute</a>.

Dealing Damage

Attacking in Combat

*Note: All controls are default, and can be changed in the Settings screen\n\nWhile you can't win a fight without damaging your enemy, it is often defense that determines the victor. Avoiding or limiting damage can give you the advantage you need to swing a close fight in your favor. There are two main ways to defend: dodging and blocking.\n\nDodging can cost a lot of <a action="GoToPage" data="Mechanics_Vitals">Stamina</a>, but if done well it prevents all damage simply because you aren't hit. You can dodge at any time by pressing [SPACE] to roll. Holding a direction ([W], [A], [S], or [D]) when you press [SPACE] will cause you to roll in that direction, allowing you to not only avoid the attack but end your dodge in an advantageous position.\n\nDodging is not without risk, though. If you fail in your timing or direction, you will be hit just as hard as if you'd done nothing, and you will still have spent the Stamina. Masterful dodging can win a fight, but poor dodging can lose one.\n\nBlocking is much easier, but doesn't prevent all damage. With a melee weapon equipped, you can hold [RMB] to block attacks from in front of you. While blocking, you decrease the damage the attack does by a large percentage, which depends on the weapon or shield you're using. You also spend some Stamina. However, the risk is much lower than dodging, and you hold your ground. Be careful to avoid heavy attacks, though, as these may break through your block and deal full damage.\n\nEquipping a shield gives you the best possible blocking <a action="GoToPage" data="Combat_DefenseAbsorption">absorption</a>. However, they tend to be heavy and affect your <a action="GoToPage" data="Combat_EquipLoad">Equip Load</a>.

Avoiding Damage

Defending in Combat

javelindata_loreitems:lore_body_combat_healing

Mitigating Damage Taken

Healing

Even the most nimble combatant will eventually be hit. When that happens, your Defense and Absorption stats determine how much of the attack's damage affects you. Defense and Absorption are mostly determined by the armor you are wearing, although some other factors like your <a action="GoToPage" data="Progression_Attributes">Attributes</a> and various <a action="GoToPage" data="Combat_StatusEffects">Status Effects</a> can affect them. You can see your current Defense and Absorption stats on the <a action="GoToPage" data="Mechanics_Inventory">Equipment</a> screen.\n\nDefense is a flat number for each <a action="GoToPage" data="Combat_AttackTypes">Attack Type</a>, and is mostly based on how much of your character is covered by armor of any sort. Cloth gloves provide the same amount of defense as gloves made of steel. Wearing a strong chestpiece but no hat will provide less defense than wearing leather chest and headwear. Defenses are also increased by certain Attributes, like Physique improving your defense to <a action="GoToPage" data="Combat_AttackTypes">Physical Attacks</a>. Additionally, equipping up to a <a action="GoToPage" data="Combat_EquipLoad">Heavy Equip Load</a> will grant a bonus to your Physical Defenses.\n\nAbsorption is a percentage for each <a action="GoToPage" data="Combat_AttackTypes">Attack Type</a>, and is derived from the specific pieces of armor you've equipped. Unlike Defense, a heavy chestpiece will have higher Absorption ratings than a light chestpiece of the same Tier. Absorptions are a key differentiator among equipment, and are shown within the items' tooltips.\n\nWhen you take damage, your Defense and Absorption to the attack's type are used to decrease the amount of damage you take. First, your Defense value is subtracted from the damage. Then, that new value is decreased by your Absorption percentage.\n\nBlocking improves your Absorption to all damage types for the attack you blocked.

Using Armor

Defense and Absorption

Some attacks or environments can cause harm in ways other than direct damage. These other forms of damage are called Afflictions.\n\nCharacters have a Resistance score for each possible Affliction. These Resistances are determined mostly by your equipment, although several <a action="GoToPage" data="Progression_Attributes">Attributes</a> affect them as well. You can see your current Resistance scores on the <a action="GoToPage" data="Mechanics_Inventory">Equipment</a> screen.\n\nWhen you take Affliction damage, your Resistance is depleted by that amount. If you run out of Resistance, you become Afflicted. This has different effects for each type of Affliction:\n • Poison: deals moderate damage over a long time, and will likely kill you if you do not rest at your <a action="GoToPage" data="Mechanics_Camping">Camp</a>.\n • Corruption: deals massive damage over a short time, and will likely kill you before you can address it. Avoid this at all costs.\n • Wound: greatly diminishes the rate that you regenerate <a action="GoToPage" data="Mechanics_Vitals">Stamina</a>.\n • Frostbite: prevents you from running or dodging.\n • Disease: quickly depletes your <a action="GoToPage" data="Mechanics_FoodDrink">Food and Drink</a> meters.\n\nThere is one more Affliction that behaves slightly differently, and that's Drowning. If your head is underwater for too long, you die. Your Resistance to Drowning can't be improved, and no attack can cause it.

Extra Effects of Damage

Afflictions

Normally when a character is hit, they suffer a short stagger during which they cannot act. This stagger also interrupts most actions, including attacks. GRIT allows an attacker to overcome this limitation for a short time.\n\nCertain actions activate GRIT for a character. This can be identified by their body being wreathed in gold. While GRIT is active, the character will continue their action even if they are hit. <a action="GoToPage" data="Combat_Attacking">Heavy Attacks</a> with melee weapons usually activate GRIT, allowing the attacker to perform their slow and powerful attack even if a faster attack hits them in the meantime.\n\nGRIT has limits, and can be broken through if enough damage has been dealt recently. Having a <a action="GoToPage" data="Combat_EquipLoad">Heavy Equip Load</a> increases the amount of damage you need to take before your GRIT is broken. \n\nMost of the time, when you see a character glow in gold it's best to avoid whatever is coming rather than attempt to interrupt it.

Overwhelming Assault

GRIT

Different attacks may deal different types of damage. Ultimately, these all deal damage to a character's <a action="GoToPage" data="Mechanics_Vitals">Health</a>. What's important about Attack Types is that they determine which <a action="GoToPage" data="Combat_DefenseAbsorption">Defense and Absorption</a> stats are used to reduce the damage the attack does.\n\nThere are 9 Attack Types divided into 2 categories.\n\nPhysical Attacks\n • Standard: a catch-all category that many beasts and monsters deal\n • Slash: damage caused by chopping, dealt by things like sword or axe swings\n • Thrust: damage caused by impaling, dealt by things like sword thrusts or arrows\n • Strike: damage caused by blunt impact, dealt by things like clubs\n • Siege: damage designed to damage structures, and uses your Standard Defense and Absorption\n\nElemental Attacks\n • Magic: damage caused by supernatural effects other than Corruption\n • Lightning: damage caused by electricity\n • Fire: damage caused by flame and extreme heat\n • Void: unnatural damage effective against uncorrupted targets

Different Forms of Damage

Attack Types

The weight of all the items you have equipped, including in your Quickslots, impacts your Equip Load. You can check your current Equip Load in the top left of the <a action="GoToPage" data="Mechanics_Inventory">Equipment</a> screen. The maximum is determined by your <a action="GoToPage" data="Progression_Attributes">Physique Attribute</a>.\n\nBased on the weight of your equipment, your Equip Load may fall into 1 of 4 categories:\n\n • Light: you'll move a little faster, regenerate <a action="GoToPage" data="Mechanics_Vitals">Stamina</a> more quickly, and dodge further. You probably won't have very high Absorption stats if you manage to stay in this category, though.\n • Normal: this is the baseline and does not modify your stats. This usually means you are wearing medium armor, or light armor with a lot of Quickslots filled.\n • Heavy: you move a bit slower, can't roll very far, and regenerate <a action="GoToPage" data="Mechanics_Vitals">Stamina</a> slower. However, you also gain improved <a action="GoToPage" data="Combat_DefenseAbsorption">Defenses</a> to <a action="GoToPage" data="Combat_AttackTypes">Physical Attacks</a> and your <a action="GoToPage" data="Combat_Grit">GRIT</a> is tougher to break.\n • Over-Equipped: you have too much weight equipped, and suffer a number of negative effects. You cannot dodge or sprint, and your <a action="GoToPage" data="Mechanics_Vitals">Stamina</a> regenerates even slower than Heavy. If you reach this point, unequip some items.\n\nYou can hover your mouse over the Equip Load bar on the Equipment screen to see the effects at any time.

Quickness vs. Toughness

Equip Load

Consumable items often grant Status Effects. These are small, impermanent buffs to some aspect of your character.\n\nStatus Effects come from Tinctures made at <a action="GoToPage" data="Crafting_Stations">Arcane Repositories</a> or from high quality Meals and Drinks from <a action="GoToPage" data="Crafting_Stations">Kitchens</a>.\n\nStatus Effects cover a wide variety of effects, including things like increased Resistance to certain <a action="GoToPage" data="Combat_Afflictions">Afflictions</a>, improved regeneration of <a action="GoToPage" data="Mechanics_Vitals">Health, Stamina, or Mana</a>, or high amounts of <a action="GoToPage" data="Combat_DefenseAbsorption">Absorption</a> against a specific <a action="GoToPage" data="Combat_AttackTypes">Attack Types</a>.\n\nYou can see any active Status Effects above your Health, Stamina, and Mana bars. With the menu or Inventory screens open, you can hover your mouse over any Status Effect's icon for more details on what it does.

Combat Chapter - NWGuide Database of Lore

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