Combat Skill Guides: Melee & Ranged

To conquer Calradia, you must master the blade and the bow. Your character's proficiency in combat determines not just how much damage you deal, but how fast you swing, how well you block, and whether you can snipe a commander from 200 paces.

One-Handed: The Foundation

The One-Handed skill is essential for survival. It governs the use of swords, maces, and axes when paired with a shield.

• Best For: Sieges, large battles where arrow fire is heavy.

• Leveling: Fight in the arena using sword and shield.

• Key Perk: Shield Basher (allows you to stun enemies with your shield).

Two-Handed: The Damage Dealer

Two-handed axes and swords are for players who want to end fights in one swing.

• Best For: Cutting through multiple enemies (axes only) and breaking shields.

• Tactics: Use footwork to dodge, as you cannot block arrows effectively.

• Key Perk: Shield Breaker (increased damage to shields).

Polearm: The Cavalry Stopper

Polearms are the most versatile weapons. A long spear can stop a cavalry charge dead in its tracks, while a glaive can slice through armor from horseback.

• Couch Lance: On horseback, reach high speed and press 'X' to lower your lance for a one-hit kill.

• Spear Brace: On foot, stand still and press 'X' to brace your spear against a charging horse.

Bow: The Machine Gun

The Bow skill is king of sustained damage.

• Horse Archery: The most powerful playstyle in the game. Circle your enemies and rain death.

• Leveling: Shoot looters from horseback. It levels incredibly fast.

• Key Perk: Mounted Archer (reduces accuracy penalty on horseback).

Crossbow: The Sniper

Crossbows hit harder per shot than bows and require less skill points to be effective early game, but they reload slowly.

• Best For: Siege defense and heavy armored targets.

• Mechanic: You can hold a loaded crossbow indefinitely without losing accuracy, unlike a bow.

Throwing: The Skirmisher

Javelins and throwing axes are devastating at short range.

• One-Shot Potential: A high-tier javelin can kill a heavy cavalry unit in one hit, even through a shield if you have the Impale perk.

• Tactics: Carry a stack of javelins to thin out the enemy line before you engage in melee.

For a deeper dive into choosing your arsenal, check out our Weapon Types & Best Loadouts guide.