Adventurers!
Today, we want to lead you on an exploration of the combat system: how stances work, how weapons feel in your hands, and how mastery makes you deadlier with each fight.
At the beginning of Of Ash and Steel, Tristan isn’t a seasoned warrior: he’s just a cartographer. Surviving the dangers of the island means he must grow into a fighter, learning new combat stances, mastering weapons, and eventually unlocking powers far beyond his humble beginnings.
The Language of Stances
As Tristan begins his journey as an ordinary man, he doesn't immediately know how to fight. To unlock combat stances, you’ll need to seek out teachers who can pass down their martial knowledge.
There are 7 combat stances in total:
3 for one-handed weapons
3 for two-handed weapons
1 unique stance for the rapier
Each stance has its own tactical identity. Power stances deliver heavy blows and can stagger enemies, but they’re slow, leaving you open against quicker foes. Fast stances, on the other hand, sacrifice raw damage for speed, letting you unleash a flurry of attacks. Every hit in a combo strengthens the stance’s modifier: by the fifth strike in a heavy combo, your chance to stagger is already boosted by 25%.
And yes, you can switch stances right in the middle of combat. At higher skill levels, you can even change stance mid-combo, keeping your chain of bonuses going.
Every Weapon has its Purpose
Not every weapon can use every stance. Universal weapons like one-handed and two-handed swords allow full flexibility. But others are more specialized. For example, daggers are locked to fast stances, while two-handed axes stick to power and circular stances.
These limits are balanced by weapon-specific bonuses: for example, an axe might not allow finesse stances, but its raw destructive potential more than makes up for it. Stances don’t just affect damage, they influence movement, defense, stamina use, and how your character feels in battle.
Weapons fall into three global categories: one-handed, two-handed, and agility weapons, with sub-categories like swords, maces, axes, and more. Each has unique stats: speed, reach, type of damage, and special effects such as higher crit chance or stagger potential.
To illustrate:
A rapier deals piercing damage. It’s fast, precise, and pairs well with bleeding skills, letting you wear enemies down while staying mobile.
A two-handed axe delivers colossal slashing damage, devastating groups of enemies in wide sweeps.
Both are deadly, but in very different ways.
The Path to Mastery
Fighting isn’t just about the weapon in your hand: it’s about how well you’ve mastered it. One-handed and two-handed weapons each have their own mastery trees, filled with both passive and active abilities. Rapiers, meanwhile, tie into survival and thievery skills, adding another layer of progression.
As your mastery improves, you’ll unlock:
Increased damage
Longer combos
Unique finishing blows (at mastery level 3)
Active combat skills like shoulder strikes or sweeping 180° attacks
Each weapon stance also comes with its own set of combos and finishers. Our team recommends you try a heavy hammer finisher at least once: it’s as brutal as it sounds 😁
Strike Where It Hurts
Combat isn’t just about what you bring into battle, it’s also about what your enemies throw at you. Different foes have strengths and weaknesses against specific stances or weapons.
Fast enemies are dangerous if you try to face them in a power stance. With them you’ll want a quicker approach. But some opponents are highly vulnerable to strong stagger attacks from heavy stances. Hobsters, for example, usually attack in groups, and the more AOE stance is perfect for cutting them down. Experimentation is key!
(Ancient) Knowledge is Power
Around the mid-game, combat evolves once more when Tristan taps into Ancient Knowledge. These long-lost powers don’t require any special resource to use but are limited by a cooldown, making them incredibly valuable in both duels and large battles.
What kind of devastating abilities can you unleash? That remains a secret… for now.
Forging a Warrior
At the heart of combat lies a balance between player skill and character preparation. Precision, timing, and quick thinking are crucial, but so are your stance choices, weapons, and buffs. A talented player can win against the odds, but the smartest fighters will come armed with the right gear and abilities.
Of Ash and Steel builds an invisible bond between you and Tristan. At the start, neither of you knows much: he has no experience in combat, and you’re just beginning to understand the system. As you learn how to manage stamina, master timings, and adapt your style, Tristan also grows stronger, unlocking new skills, stances, and ways to survive even those fights that seemed impossible a few hours ago.
The more you play, the more you both improve, with you helping a cartographer who knew nothing of battle to become a warrior ready to change the island’s destiny.
Thank you for your company during this devlog, we will be seeing you soon with a new one!