Slave Pits/Combat

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Slave Pits

Every fight in Slave Pits is a duel between two fighters, won by timing and by reading the opponent. The Glossary explains every term.

The basics

• Three directions. Attacks and parries go left, middle or right; dodges go left or right. Red buttons attack. Blue buttons parry, towards the same side as the incoming blow. Green buttons dodge, towards the opposite side.
• Taking turns. When both fighters are idle, the chance to attack passes back and forth between them. The defender has a short window to parry or dodge. Some weapons are easier to parry, others easier to dodge.
• Timing. Every button shows an animation with a shining center: the closer to the centre you press (also called deviation), the better the result. A perfect attack (deviation 0%) is a critical hit.
• After the exchange. A chain lets the fighter who has just landed a hit attack again at once. A riposte lets a fighter who has just parried strike straight back.
• Pressure. It builds while nobody lands a blow, and makes everything faster.

Three bars

• Life: lose it and you lose the fight.
• Stamina: pays for attacks and defences.
• Balance: dodging spends it.

Turning a fight

• Vulnerable spot. One direction is marked on the opponent, and hitting it deals extra damage.
• Surge. The orange bar fills as you take damage. When it is full you can spend it: by default it restores stamina and balance, and some talents turn it into a special effect instead.
• Combos. Sequences of actions in a strict order that end in an attack, such as a dodge followed by an attack on the same side. Talents unlock them.
• Effects. Buffs help you: Rage, Frenzy, Ready, Charged and Adrenaline. Debuffs hurt you: Stunned, Bleeding, Exhausted and Weakened.
• Scenarios. Special fights that hinder only you: caltrops make dodging harder, a cage makes parrying harder, barricades soak up your damage until they break, and hot coal burns you for every imprecise action.
• Thrown items. A Throwing shard, Klag powder or a Combat net can be thrown during the fight.

Building a fighter

• Weapons. One-handed weapons pair with an off-hand weapon or a shield, and each off-hand gives its own bonus. Two-handed weapons hit harder and are harder to parry, but easier to dodge.
• Armor reduces damage, but costs stamina and slows you.
• Tier. Equipment comes in wood, carapace and iron. A weapon of a higher tier hits harder, unless the opponent's armour is as good or better.
• Talents are bought with reputation: five basic talents with three levels each, and many more that open up when their requirements are met.
• Constellations are suggested groups of talents, each a way to fight.
• Services are bought before a fight: thrown items, equipment upgrades, care for your wounds, rumours about your opponent, and more.