Combat System

Understanding Combat Fundamentals

Combat in Of Ash and Steel is methodical, punishing, and deeply rewarding for players who invest time in mastering its mechanics. Unlike action games where you can brute-force encounters through aggressive button-mashing, this game demands strategic thinking, precise timing, and careful resource management. Every fight is potentially lethal, making combat knowledge essential for survival.

The Stamina System

Stamina is the foundation of combat in Of Ash and Steel. Your Stamina attribute (one of the five core character attributes) determines your maximum stamina pool. Understanding and managing stamina effectively is the single most important combat skill to develop. See the Character Creation Guide for details on the Stamina attribute.

Stamina Consumption

Every combat action consumes stamina. Different actions have different stamina costs:

• Light Attacks: Low stamina cost, fast execution, useful for quick damage and maintaining pressure.
• Heavy Attacks: High stamina cost, slow execution, deals significant damage and can break enemy guards.
• Blocking: Drains stamina while active, more stamina lost when absorbing hits. Heavier attacks drain more stamina when blocked.
• Dodging/Rolling: Moderate stamina cost, provides invincibility frames during the roll animation.
• Sprinting: Continuous stamina drain, essential for closing distance or retreating from danger.
• Jumping: Small stamina cost, useful for avoiding ground-based attacks or navigating terrain during combat.

Stamina Regeneration

Stamina regenerates automatically when you're not performing stamina-draining actions. However, regeneration rate is affected by multiple factors:

• Hunger and thirst levels—low survival stats dramatically slow regeneration
• Armor weight—heavier armor reduces regeneration speed
• Injuries and status effects—wounds, poison, and disease impair stamina recovery
• Combat stance—being in active combat slightly reduces passive regeneration
• Temperature extremes—being too hot or cold reduces stamina efficiency

Weapon Types and Categories

One-Handed Weapons

One-handed weapons offer versatility and the ability to equip a shield or off-hand weapon. They balance speed, damage, and stamina efficiency.

• Swords: Excellent all-around weapons with balanced speed and damage. Good against most enemy types. Slashing attacks are effective against unarmored foes, thrust attacks can pierce light armor.
• Axes: Higher damage than swords but slower swing speed. Exceptional against heavily armored opponents due to armor-crushing properties. Effective for breaking enemy guards.
• Maces: Blunt damage ignores most armor, making maces ideal against heavily armored enemies. Slower than swords but devastating against the right targets.
• Daggers: Fastest attack speed, lowest stamina cost, but reduced reach and damage. Excellent for quick hit-and-run tactics and critical strikes from stealth or when enemies are staggered.

Two-Handed Weapons

Two-handed weapons sacrifice defensive options for increased reach and damage output. They require more stamina but deliver devastating attacks.

• Greatswords: Massive sweeping attacks that can hit multiple enemies. Excellent crowd control and high damage, but leaves you vulnerable during long attack animations.
• Battle Axes: Extreme damage and armor penetration. Slower than greatswords but capable of felling even the toughest enemies with well-placed strikes.
• Spears: Longest reach in the game, allowing you to maintain safe distance from enemies. Can attack from behind shields or defensive positions. Lower damage but exceptional safety.
• Mauls/Warhammers: Pure blunt damage destroys armor and can stagger even large enemies. Extremely slow but capable of one-shotting weaker foes.

Ranged Weapons

Ranged combat offers safety at the cost of ammunition scarcity and skill requirements.

• Bows: Standard ranged weapon requiring arrows. Effective against distant targets and enemies weak to piercing damage. Requires drawing, which consumes stamina and time.
• Crossbows: Higher damage than bows, can be pre-loaded for instant shots, but much slower reload time. Excellent for ambushes and first strikes.
• Throwing Weapons: Knives, axes, and javelins can be thrown for quick ranged damage. Limited ammunition but no reload time. Can be retrieved after combat.

Combat Techniques and Mechanics

Attack Types

Most weapons support multiple attack types, each with distinct properties:

• Light Attack Chains: Rapid succession of quick strikes. Builds momentum and pressure but vulnerable to parries and counterattacks if predictable.
• Heavy Attacks: Charged powerful strikes that deal massive damage and can break enemy blocks. Can be feinted to bait defensive reactions.
• Thrust/Stab Attacks: Piercing attacks that ignore some armor and have good reach. Useful against armored opponents and for attacking past shields.
• Overhead Attacks: Vertical strikes that can bypass low blocks and deal extra damage to head and shoulders. Slower but difficult to defend against.

Defensive Options

Survival depends on mastering defensive techniques:

• Blocking: Reduces or negates incoming damage at the cost of stamina. Blocking heavy attacks drains significant stamina. If your stamina depletes while blocking, your guard breaks, leaving you stunned.
• Parrying: Advanced technique where you time your block just as an attack lands. Successful parries negate damage, cost minimal stamina, and stagger the attacker, opening them for counterattacks.
• Dodging: Side-steps that provide brief invincibility and repositioning. Directional dodges move you laterally, back dodges create distance, forward dodges close gaps.
• Rolling: Longer dodge with more invincibility frames but higher stamina cost and longer recovery. Best for avoiding large area attacks or retreating from danger.

Advanced Combat Techniques

• Feinting: Start a heavy attack then cancel into a light attack or dodge. Baits enemy defensive responses, creating openings for real attacks.
• Critical Strikes: Attacking staggered enemies or landing hits on vulnerable areas (head, back) deals bonus damage. Learn enemy stagger thresholds and exploit them.
• Guard Breaking: Heavy attacks and shield bash abilities can break enemy guards, stunning them briefly. Essential against defensive enemies.
• Backstabbing: Attacking enemies from behind while they're unaware or engaged with allies deals massive critical damage. Stealth builds excel at this.
• Environmental Kills: Kicking enemies off cliffs, into traps, or into environmental hazards conserves resources and eliminates threats efficiently.

Enemy Types and Strategies

Humanoid Enemies

Bandits, soldiers, and other human opponents use tactics similar to the player. They block, dodge, flank, and call for help. Counter them by:

• Using terrain to limit their numbers advantage
• Baiting attacks then punishing recovery windows
• Targeting unarmored areas or using armor-appropriate weapons
• Eliminating ranged enemies first to reduce pressure

Beast Enemies

Wolves, bears, and other wildlife are fast and aggressive but predictable. They typically attack in patterns and can be dodged consistently once learned. Effective strategies include:

• Maintaining distance with spears or ranged weapons
• Dodging attacks then countering during recovery
• Using fire to frighten and damage beasts
• Creating chokepoints to limit their mobility advantage

Undead and Supernatural Enemies

Undead enemies are often resistant to certain damage types but vulnerable to others. Holy damage, fire, and blunt weapons are typically effective. They may have unique vulnerabilities like headshots instantly killing them.

Armored Opponents

Heavily armored enemies require specific approaches:

• Use blunt weapons (maces, hammers) to bypass armor
• Target unarmored joints and gaps with precise thrusts
• Use heavy attacks to break their poise and create openings
• Consider alternative tactics like environmental hazards or backstabs

Group Combat Tactics

Fighting multiple enemies is exponentially more dangerous than one-on-one duels. Survival requires controlling the battlefield:

• Positioning: Keep enemies on one side of you. Circle around groups to prevent being surrounded. Use obstacles to funnel enemies into manageable numbers.
• Target Priority: Eliminate ranged enemies first, then dangerous melee threats, finally weak stragglers. Never leave archers free to shoot while you melee.
• Crowd Control: Use wide-sweeping weapons, area-effect attacks, or environmental traps to damage or control multiple enemies simultaneously.
• Divide and Conquer: Lure enemies away from groups with ranged attacks or noise. Fight smaller groups separately rather than the entire pack.
• Create Separation: Kill or disable one enemy quickly, then retreat and reset the fight with fewer opponents. Attrition warfare favors the patient player.

Combat Preparation

Successful combat begins before the fight starts:

• Always carry backup weapons in case your primary breaks
• Stock healing items and know which situations warrant their use
• Maintain armor durability—damaged armor provides reduced protection
• Consume stamina-boosting food before difficult fights
• Scout enemy positions and numbers before engaging
• Prepare environmental advantages like explosive barrels or traps
• Ensure your survival stats are maintained—fighting hungry or injured is suicide