Weapon handling
One-handed weapons leave your left hand free for a shield or a torch: a shield in the left hand blocks instead of the weapon: late shields block far more, while early ones (wood, bronze buckler) can be weaker than a good weapon. Two-handed weapons take both hands: they hit harder or wider, but you have to block with the weapon itself.
One-handed: Clubs, Swords, Spears, Knives, Training weapons
Two-handed: Battleaxes, Sledgehammers, Greatswords, Atgeirs, Fist weapons, Bows, Crossbows, Elemental magic, Blood magic
Damage types
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Blunt — against skeletons, blobs and Bonemass; weak against trolls and wraiths. Clubs, Sledgehammers, Fist weapons - Slash — the most universal: most enemies do not resist it; poor against blobs, wraiths and golems. Battleaxes, Swords, Greatswords, Knives, Fist weapons, Training weapons
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Pierce — best against trolls; poor against skeletons, blobs and Abominations. Spears, Atgeirs, Knives, Bows, Crossbows, Arrows & bolts -
Elements — added in the best variants of a weapon; spirit damage only works on the undead. -
Chop and pickaxe — utility types: they fell trees and mine ore.
Resistances and multipliers
Every creature reacts differently to each damage type. Damage is multiplied by the damage multiplier for that type:
×2 very weak ×1.5 weak ×1.25 slightly weak ×1 normal ×0.75 slightly resistant ×0.5 resistant ×0.25 very resistant ×0 immune
So a club with a smaller number often kills a skeleton faster than a sword.
Backstab and stagger
A hit on an enemy that has not noticed you is multiplied: ×3 for most weapons, ×6 for knives. Stagger builds with every hit; when the bar fills, the enemy becomes staggered and takes double damage.
The primary attack is the left mouse button (LMB), the secondary attack is the middle mouse button (MMB). Each class has its own secondary attack: a stronger blow, a throw, an area strike or a spin.
Block and parry
Block power is how much damage a shield or weapon absorbs. If you raise the block at the last moment before a hit, it is a parry: block power is multiplied by the parry bonus, and the attacker is briefly exposed. Bucklers parry best, tower shields hold a direct hit best.
Skills and levels
Each class uses its own skill, and some classes share one (greatswords use Swords, sledgehammers use Clubs, battleaxes use Axes): the higher it is, the more damage and the less stamina each attack consumes. Each quality level raises a weapon’s durability and, for most weapons, its damage (a shield’s block power and durability; staffs and a few tools gain durability only) and needs its crafting station upgraded one level higher. Past the maximum, a weapon can be raised further with a combat idol at the Forge of Potential.
