Combat & Creature Weaknesses

Neither blocking nor dodging currently exists. The full release will add a weapon blocking system, but until then all defense is positional. Get behind enemies before attacking, sidestep grab animations at the moment they initiate, and use teammates as distractions when surrounded.

• Axe — throwable and retrievable from the enemy's body; the most versatile melee weapon
• Spear — strong reach, effective when you need to keep distance
• Sword and knife — fast but short-range; weakest against armoured undead

Arquebuses misfire in rain. If weather is wet, switch to melee or a bow — a misfire draws attention and leaves you defenceless through a long reload. All ranged weapons carry limited ammunition; treat them as tools for critical moments, not routine clearing.

• Vine-wrapped undead: torches set them alight and — critically — prevent them from reviving; a torched body stays dead
• Creeping canopy: lanterns damage this creature; conventional weapons are less effective
• Undead (general): crucifixes slow their aggression, buying time to reposition or reach the wagon
• Demon birds: they deal sanity damage, not just physical — destroy or outrun them rather than prolonged engagement

Listen for the heavy breathing that telegraphs an incoming grab — it is your cue to break line of sight or reposition before the lunge lands. When an enemy initiates a grab, sidestep the animation at the moment it starts rather than after it connects. A teammate attacking the grabbing enemy will also break its grip. Grabbed enemies are briefly exposed on their back during the animation — a second player can land a clean attack in that window.

Getting behind an unaware enemy allows a backstab finisher. It requires patience to position but uses no ammunition, makes no noise, and leaves no body that might revive later. On quieter contracts, chaining backstabs instead of shooting is the difference between a calm extraction and a premature forest awakening.