Combat

Blows, combos and heavy strikes; the guard, the parry and the riposte; the dodge and the counter; reading a foe's tell; archery as real ballistics; damage types, weaknesses and weapon arts.

Weapons and their movesets

Every family of weapon fights its own way. Each has a chain of light blows, a heavy blow charged by holding the strike, a running blow, a blow from the air, a counter after a perfect dodge, and a riposte on a foe reeling from your parry.

Family	Light chain	Heavy blow	Character
Sword	three cuts	a big overhead cut	balanced; a slightly longer parry window
Axe	two heavy chops	a wide, hard chop	slower, heavier, breaks poise
Mace and hammer	three crushing blows	a ground-pounding slam that staggers	the most stagger of any family
Spear	three long thrusts	a lunging thrust	the longest reach, narrow arcs
Dagger	four quick cuts	a sharp thrust	fast and cheap; 2.5 times damage from behind; the longest parry window
Bare hands	jab, cross, hook, knee	an uppercut that throws a foe up	the running blow is a kick that knocks back
Shield	blocks and bashes		turns more of a blow and costs less stamina to hold

Tools fight too, poorly: an axe or pickaxe swings for a little more than bare hands. Staves and wands are spell foci (see Magic).

What a blow does

A blow’s damage starts from the weapon’s own, then:

+3% for every level past the first.
+10% for each grade of quality the weapon was made at.
Your melee damage (or ranged damage) and that family’s own damage stat from the wheel.
Critical hits: a 5% base chance plus critical chance, for 1.5 times damage plus critical damage.
The move itself: a riposte hits about two and a half times as hard as a light blow, a heavy blow nearly twice.
The foe’s armour, resistances and family weakness (below).

Each blow also deals poise damage. A creature reels when its poise breaks, open to a riposte. Heavy blows, maces and the Warden’s stagger power break poise fastest.

Weapons and tools wear with use and break at nothing. Finer work lasts longer (a quarter longer for each grade of quality), and the Artisan’s tool and weapon durability helps more.

Heavy blows

Tap the strike for a light blow. Hold it longer than about a fifth of a second and it becomes a heavy blow, charging fully in under a second. Heavy blows land with hit-stop and a camera kick.

The guard and the parry

Hold aim (right button) with a fighting hand to raise your guard.

The parry. For the first instant after the guard comes up (0.2 seconds, a little longer with a sword or dagger, a little longer again with a shield, and longer with the Warden’s parry window) a blow aimed at you is parried: a clang, a slowed moment, the attacker reels, and a riposte opens.
Raised too soon again (within about half a second of the last), the window is halved. A guard flailed up and down does not parry everything.
Blocking. Held past the parry window, the guard blocks: most of the blow is turned, and the rest costs stamina. A shield turns far more of it and costs about two thirds the stamina. Run out of stamina and your guard breaks.
Turning arrows: with the Warden’s ability, a shield raised in time turns arrows and bolts.

The dodge and the counter

Press Tab to dodge in the direction you hold, or backstep with none. A dodge spends stamina (less with the Ranger’s dodge stamina cost) and gives a moment of invulnerability. Dodge in the instant a blow would have landed (a 0.2 second window, longer with perfect dodge window) for a perfect dodge: the blow slips past, and a counter opens. With the Ranger’s slowed dodge ability, a perfect dodge slows the world about you.

Reading the tell

Every creature gathers itself before it strikes, and the gathering is the tell you read:

A rim of light swells around its body: gold for a blow that can be parried or blocked, red for a blow that must be got out of the way of.
A glint flashes the instant before the blow lands.
A sound marks its start: a voice, steel drawn back, a deep note for the perilous ones.

Red blows are the perilous ones: a troll’s ground-shaking slam, a dragon’s tail sweep, a bear’s maul, a wolf’s lunge, a bog body’s grasp. They cannot be parried unless you have the parrying the perilous ability, so dodge them.

Locking on

Press R (on a pad, tap the right stick) to turn the camera and body to the foe nearest your look and keep them there, in both turn and tilt, whether they are above you on a bank or below you in a ditch. Press again for the next nearest; with no other, the lock lets go. On a pad, flick the right stick to switch to the foe on that side.

Archery

Bows are real ballistics. Hold the strike to draw, release to loose.

The draw. Each bow has its own draw time and arrow speed: a short bow draws in half a second and throws a slow arrow that drops soon; a war bow or a hawthorn greatbow takes well over a second and throws an arrow far and flat.
The flight. Arrows drop under gravity and are slowed by the air. Heavier, slimmer heads (bodkins, elfshot) fly flatter than broad ones.
The aim. The HUD shows where the arrow drawn as it is would land and how far, with marks at round distances for reading the drop. With the arrow’s arc the whole flight is drawn; with wind-reading the estimate allows for the wind.
Breath and sight. With the Ranger’s abilities you can sight down the arrow at full draw (V), hold your breath to slow the world, and bring the distance close with far sight.
Arrows. The first arrow on the belt is loosed, else the finest in the pack. Heads add to the shot: copper, bronze, iron and bodkin hit progressively harder, broadheads leave bleeding, and pitch arrows set fire. Some arrows can be recovered (arrows recovered).

Bow	Damage	Draw	Arrow speed
Short Bow	9	0.5 s	40 m/s
Hunting Bow	14	0.65 s	47 m/s
Elm Flatbow	18	0.75 s	51 m/s
Longbow	21	1.0 s	57 m/s
Horn Bow	27	0.6 s	55 m/s
War Bow	33	1.25 s	64 m/s
Elfshot Bow	36	0.55 s	70 m/s
Hawthorn Greatbow	46	1.35 s	72 m/s
Dragonbone Recurve	60	0.75 s	76 m/s
Bow of Lugh	82	0.6 s	88 m/s

Damage types, resistances and weaknesses

Harm comes in kinds: physical, iron, fire, frost, lightning, poison, curse and fae. Your resistances (from the wheel and gear) cut each kind. Creature families take some kinds harder or softer than others:

Family	Takes more from	Takes less from
The dead	fire (×1.4), fae (×1.3)	frost (×0.6); poison and curses do nothing
The Sidhe	cold iron (×1.4)	fae (×0.4), curses (×0.3)
Giants and trolls	fire (×1.25)	frost (×0.8)
Water horrors	lightning (×1.5)	fire (×0.6)
Beasts	fire (×1.15)
Dragons	the opposite of their breath: fire for frost dragons, frost for fire dragons	their own breath (×0.2 to ×0.3)

On top of that the wheel teaches banes: more damage to beasts, the dead, giants or the Sidhe.

Weapon arts

Weapon arts are special moves learned on the skill wheel’s Warrior, Warden and Ranger arms, each for one family of weapon. There are 96 of them, from strikes, leaps and spins to cries, flurries, throws, imbued arrows and rains of arrows. Each costs stamina and has its own cooldown.

Tap Q to step through the arts you have taken for the weapon in hand (and the shield on your arm); hold it to open their wheel.
Press X (or the back mouse button; on a pad, aim and the right bumper) to loose the art at hand.
A bow’s imbue art readies the next arrow rather than going off at once.

The tables below list every art by family, read from the game’s own content.

Every weapon art

Sword

Art	Level	Kind	Stamina	Cooldown	What it does
Rising Cut	3	Strike	16	4 s	An upward cut that throws a foe off its feet.
Salmon Leap	8	Leap, wind	26	9 s	Cu Chulainn's leap: up and over, coming down blade first on all below.
Whirlwind	14	Spin, wind	28	8 s	The blade carried round and round, cutting all about.
Lunge of the Fianna	20	Lunge	22	7 s	A dash and a thrust through everything in the way.
Blade Flurry	27	Flurry	30	9 s	Four cuts faster than the eye.
Riposte Stance	34	Counter	14	10 s	The blade held ready: the next blow that comes is turned and answered threefold.
Sky-Splitter	42	Slam, storm	34	14 s	A cut brought down so hard the storm answers it.
Rush of the Fianna	50	Flurry	38	12 s	Four great strokes, each a step deeper into the foe.
Flame of Nuada	60	Buff, fire	20	40 s	The blade takes fire: for a while every cut burns.
Claiomh Solais	72	Wave, light	36	12 s	The Sword of Light: a crescent of white fire thrown from the edge.
Riastrad	85	Cry, blood	30	60 s	The warp-spasm: the body twists with battle-fury; for a while every blow is the hero's.
Judgement of Fragarach	95	Strike, fae	45	45 s	The Answerer: a single blow no armour turns, that none stand after.

Axe

Art	Level	Kind	Stamina	Cooldown	What it does
Cleave	2	Strike	16	4 s	A wide stroke that bites into every foe before you.
Hamstring	7	Strike	14	6 s	A low chop at the legs: it limps after.
Sunder	13	Strike	20	8 s	The bit drives through armour and leaves the foe laid open.
Wheel of Axes	19	Spin, wind	32	10 s	Round and round, the axe a wheel of iron.
Throwing Axe	26	Throw	14	5 s	A hatchet sent end over end.
Bloodletter	33	Strike, blood	18	7 s	A cut that will not close.
Berserker's Howl	41	Cry, blood	20	30 s	A howl that drives the weak to flight and the fighter to fury.
Skull Splitter	49	Leap	30	11 s	Up, and down with the whole weight behind the bit.
Reaver's Fury	58	Flurry	40	13 s	Four blows with all the reaver's fury in them.
Rime-Bitten Axe	69	Slam, frost	32	14 s	The axe driven into the ground, and the ground freezes outward.
Headsman's Blow	80	Strike	40	20 s	The executioner's stroke: twice as deadly to the failing.
Wrath of the Morrigan	93	Spin, spirit	50	30 s	The battle-crow's own fury: ravens and iron all about.

Mace

Art	Level	Kind	Stamina	Cooldown	What it does
Skull Crack	2	Strike	15	5 s	A blow to the head that leaves a foe reeling.
Ground Slam	8	Slam, earth	20	7 s	The head brought down on the earth: all about are thrown back.
Armour Breaker	15	Strike	18	8 s	Plate dented, mail burst: the foe is laid open.
Hammer of Goibniu	22	Strike	24	9 s	The smith-god's own stroke, falling like the hammer on the anvil.
Concussion	30	Strike	22	12 s	Struck senseless: it can do nothing for a while.
Earthshaker	38	Leap, earth	34	14 s	Up and down: the earth heaves and splits about you.
Thunder Maul	46	Slam, storm	32	14 s	Each blow a clap of thunder.
Iron Tempest	55	Spin, wind	34	11 s	The mace swung round in a storm of iron.
Club of the Dagda	65	Strike	38	18 s	One end kills, the other heals: this is the killing end.
Shatter	78	Slam, frost	36	16 s	A blow that bursts the frost and what it holds.
The Mountain's Fall	90	Leap, earth	50	35 s	The mountain comes down on them.

Spear

Art	Level	Kind	Stamina	Cooldown	What it does
Lunge	2	Lunge	15	5 s	A long step and a thrust through all before you.
Sweep	7	Spin	16	6 s	The shaft swept round at the legs.
Javelin	12	Throw	16	6 s	A spear cast hard and true.
Vault Strike	18	Leap	22	8 s	Vaulting on the shaft, coming down point first.
Pinning Thrust	25	Strike	16	9 s	A thrust that pins the foe where it stands.
Thousand Thrusts	32	Flurry	30	9 s	Thrust after thrust after thrust.
Brace	40	Counter	14	10 s	The butt grounded, the point set: whatever charges is met and thrown back.
Gae Dearg	48	Strike, blood	22	12 s	The red spear of Diarmuid: wounds from it do not close.
Skewer	57	Lunge	30	12 s	A charge that carries the spear through a whole line of them.
Storm Javelin	68	Throw, storm	30	12 s	A spear thrown with the storm in it: lightning leaps from its mark.
Gae Bolga	80	Throw, blood	40	25 s	Cu Chulainn's barbed spear: it opens into thirty barbs in the wound.
Areadbhar	92	Throw, fire	48	35 s	Lugh's burning spear: it must be kept in a cauldron, it burns so hot.

Dagger

Art	Level	Kind	Stamina	Cooldown	What it does
Quick Stab	2	Flurry	10	3 s	Two stabs before the foe can blink.
Shadow Step	6	Shadowstep, fae	18	8 s	Gone, and behind the foe: the blade finds the gap in its back.
Throwing Knives	11	Throw	14	5 s	Three knives in a fan.
Envenom	17	Buff, poison	12	40 s	The blade smeared with venom: every cut poisons.
Gutting Cut	24	Strike, blood	14	6 s	A cut low and deep.
Dance of Blades	31	Flurry	26	9 s	The knife a blur, here and there and everywhere.
Vanish	39	Cry, earth	18	24 s	A cloud of dust thrown in their eyes, and you are gone from their sight.
Throat Slit	47	Strike	18	10 s	Fourfold on a foe that is reeling or does not see you.
Fan of Knives	56	Throw	28	12 s	Eight knives flung out in a wide fan.
Redcap's Frenzy	66	Flurry, blood	34	14 s	The redcap's frenzy: six cuts, and each one feeds you.
Death Mark	79	Mark, spirit	16	20 s	A mark laid on a foe: every blow it takes cuts the deeper.
Dance of the Sluagh	91	Shadowstep, spirit	45	30 s	Like the host of the unforgiven dead: from foe to foe, behind each.

Unarmed

Art	Level	Kind	Stamina	Cooldown	What it does
Haymaker	1	Strike	12	4 s	A great swinging blow that rocks a foe back.
Uppercut	5	Strike	12	5 s	From the floor to the jaw: off its feet.
Knee Strike	10	Strike	12	5 s	A knee driven up into the foe.
Flying Kick	16	Lunge	16	7 s	A run and a kick that throws a foe down.
Flurry of Blows	23	Flurry	20	8 s	Three blows in a breath.
Iron Body	30	Buff, earth	16	30 s	Breath held, every muscle hard as iron.
Shockwave Palm	37	Spin, wind	20	9 s	An open palm that drives the air out before it.
Tornado Kick	45	Spin, wind	20	9 s	A spinning kick that strikes all about.
Grappler's Throw	53	Strike	22	12 s	Seized and thrown: it lands senseless.
Champion's Combo	64	Flurry	28	12 s	The prize-fighter's combination.
Hand of Nuada	77	Strike, light	26	14 s	The silver hand of the king: a blow of light.
Hundred Fists	90	Flurry	40	20 s	Blow after blow after blow, too fast to see.

Shield

Art	Level	Kind	Stamina	Cooldown	What it does
Shield Bash	3	Strike	12	5 s	The boss of the shield driven into a foe: it reels.
Shield Charge	9	Lunge	22	9 s	Behind the shield at a run: whatever is in the way goes down.
Shield Wall	16	Buff	14	30 s	Set behind the shield: hard to move, hard to hurt.
Taunt	24	Cry	10	18 s	A shield beaten like a drum: every foe about turns to you.
Retaliation	33	Counter	14	10 s	Behind the shield, ready: blows and arrows alike are turned back.
Shield Slam	44	Slam, earth	24	11 s	The shield's rim brought down on the earth.
Bulwark of the Dagda	56	Buff, light	20	35 s	Nothing gets past: almost every blow turns from the shield.
Shield Throw	70	Throw	26	12 s	The shield thrown edge-on, through a whole line of them.
Unbreakable	86	Buff, light	20	45 s	For a while nothing tires the shield arm.

Bow

Art	Level	Kind	Stamina	Cooldown	What it does
Power Shot	2	Imbue	10	4 s	The next arrow drawn to the ear: it strikes harder and knocks a foe back.
Split Shot	5	Volley	14	5 s	Three arrows from the string at once, in a fan.
Pinning Arrow	9	Imbue	10	8 s	The next arrow pins its mark where it stands.
Hunter's Mark	13	Mark	8	16 s	A mark on the quarry under your eye: every arrow cuts deeper.
Barbed Arrow	17	Imbue, blood	10	6 s	The next arrow's barbs tear: the wound bleeds.
Rapid Fire	21	Rapid	20	9 s	Four arrows loosed as fast as the hand can nock them.
Piercing Shot	26	Imbue	12	7 s	The next arrow goes through three of them, and faster.
Fire Arrow	31	Imbue, fire	14	8 s	The next arrow burns: it sets its mark alight and bursts where it lands.
Rain of Arrows	37	Rain	28	16 s	Arrows loosed high to fall on where you look.
Frost Arrow	43	Imbue, frost	14	8 s	The next arrow is rimed: its mark is slowed, and the cold bursts where it lands.
Storm Arrow	50	Imbue, storm	16	9 s	The next arrow carries the storm: lightning leaps from its mark to three more.
Deadeye	57	Imbue, light	16	12 s	Breath held, the next arrow cannot miss its mark's heart: a certain critical strike.
Elf-Shot	65	Imbue, fae	18	14 s	The Sidhe's own: an arrow no one sees, that strikes its mark senseless.
Volley of the Fianna	73	Volley	30	14 s	Seven arrows at once in a wide fan.
Blazing Rain	82	Rain, fire	40	24 s	Twenty burning arrows falling on the place you look.
Arrow of Lugh	90	Imbue, light	40	40 s	The arrow of the god of light: it goes through everything, and bursts like the sun.

Written from the game's source and content as of commit 02e81b2 (2026-11-01).