Combat Mechanics

This page collects the main **Combat Mechanics** of *Curse of the Dead Gods*.

Independently from the Weapons, Relics, Blessings or Curses you may be using, these concepts are susceptible to play a role in every single fight in the game.

## Light and Darkness

*Main article:* Light and Darkness
At any given moment, the Player stands either in Light, or in Darkness. **Light and Darkness** have important effects on the Player, the environment, and sometimes the enemies.

* Standing in Darkness increases all Damage inflicted to the Player by 50%.
* Light reveals hidden traps.
* The Indicator at the bottom of the screen shows whether the Player is standing in Light or in Darkness.

A lot of Weapons, Curses, Relics and Blessings have effects related to Light and Darkness. Some Weapons will illuminate the Player and the surrounding area, while some Relics will increase damage inflicted in Darkness, for example. Because of that, it is possible to develop strong builds using synergizing Light- or Darkness-related items and Weapons.

The main source of Light is Fire. The Torch's main purpose is to illuminate the player character and his surroundings, and to ignite braziers and other environmental elements (as well as enemies). Each source of Light illuminates the area around it.

## Stamina

The 5 white squares under the player character represent the Player's **Stamina points.**

Dodging always consumes one Stamina point. Attacks generally use one Stamina point, but some weapons only consume Stamina during the Combo Finisher attack, while others are more Stamina-intensive. Actions requiring Stamina points can't be performed once Stamina is depleted.

To replenish their Stamina, the Player must stop attacking and dodging for a short time - moving normally is fine. Killing an enemy also immediately restores one Stamina point.

## Dodging and Perfect Dodges

**Dodging** allows the Player to roll and evade enemy attacks, traps, or simply reposition quickly.

Each Dodge requires one Stamina point. The Player cannot dodge if their Stamina is completely depleted.

Successfully evading an attack or trap triggers a **Perfect Dodge**, which restores one Stamina point (which functionnally refunds the Stamina cost of the Dodge). More precisely, a Dodge qualifies as a Perfect Dodge if its trajectory intersects an enemy attack.

Counter-intuitively, dodging *into* attacking enemies is a fairly reliable way to trigger Perfect Dodges. It is also possible to trigger Perfect Dodges by dodging *into* most projectiles and even through energy beams !

## Parrying

When attacked by an enemy, the Player can use the **Parry** action at the very last moment to counter the blow. Parrying is a risky but powerful technique which, when executed successfully, allows the Player to recover their Stamina and Weaken the attacking foe.

The time window for successfully parrying is very short, so parrying requires quick reflexes and a good grasp of the enemy's attack patterns. However, a successful Parry Weakens the enemy (meaning it will take more damage for a short time) and restores two Stamina points. Moreover, parrying does not consume Stamina points.

Shields slightly widen the window of opportunity to parry an oncoming attack, making parrying a bit less risky.

## Greed Kills

*Main article:* Greed Kill
Defeating an enemy starts the **Greed Kill** timer. Chaining kills while it is active increases its count and the amount of Gold released by enemies : the higher the kill count, the higher the amount of Gold dropped by each fallen enemy (to a maximum of +500% when the Greed Kill counter reaches 10).

Hitting enemies or performing Parries and Perfect Dodges will refill the timer. The Greed Kill series will reset if the timer drops off or if the Player takes damage.

Some Relics, Blessings and Curses can drastically change how the Greed Kill mechanic works.

## Critical Damage

*Main articles:* Critical Damage, Damage Formula
Some Weapons can deal **Critical Damage** (or **Critical Hits**) under certain conditions. For example, Daggers deal Critical Damage to enemies struck in the back, while Spears deal Critical Damage to enemies hit by the tip of the Spear.

By default, Critical Hits increase the damage inflicted by 50% compared to a "normal" attack. Critical Hits are indicated by yellow damage numbers.

## Interrupts

Some attacks can Interrupt regular and Elite enemies' attacks or break their protections :

* Charged Attacks of Shields and Whips.
* Off-hand Combos of Pistols.
* Combo Finishers of Daggers and Spears.
* Any attack of a Heavy Weapon or Bomb.

Most traps and environmental hazards can also interrupt enemies.