HUNGER / GUIDE
Stamina, Energy & melee defence
Movement and melee draw on different resources. Manage both before committing to a fight.
Movement Stamina and melee Energy
Keep Stamina for movement
Missive VII assigns sprinting, jumping and vaulting to Stamina. It regenerates while stable and grounded. Spending it on your approach can leave you unable to disengage when contact begins.
Keep Energy for the exchange
Melee attacks and blocks use Energy. Holding a charged attack or maintaining a block drains it; exhaustion slows attacks and weakens defence. The beta changed heavy-attack damage and blocking costs, so older numerical breakpoints are not verified.
Use timing and angles
A block timed to impact can parry and stun. The beta starter guide warns that AI may ignore a stun after another player damages it, and that hitmarkers or blood effects can be misleading during block desynchronisation. Coordinate follow-up attacks and practise with your current bindings.
Check newer combat changes
The closed-beta changelog confirms that a block timed to the impact can parry and stun an enemy. Jumping or dodging during a lunge is removed. Heavy-attack damage and Energy block costs were balanced, and the Arms Mastery tree was added. Exact current costs and timings remain unpublished.
Choose fights that support your objective
Keep a ranged and close-range option you can use confidently. Before committing, check your current resources and how you will disengage. After contact, compare the value of continuing with the value of extracting what you have secured. This risk checklist is editorial advice; it does not replace the game’s resource and defence rules.
Budget movement and melee separately
WDguide planning advice
Approaching the encounter
Movement Stamina and melee Energy are separate resources. Avoid spending the movement resource on an unnecessary sprint immediately before a position that may require an escape.
During close combat
Watch the melee resource while attacking and blocking. Create space when necessary rather than treating another attack as free because movement still feels available.
After the exchange
Use the opening to recover and reassess the route. A full bar in one system does not establish that the other system or your health is ready.