Performing a counterattack on parry opponent in Soulmask
Screenshot by GameSkinny

Soulmask Complete Combat Guide — How to Parry Enemy Attacks

Become a skillful warrior with these combat tips!

Fighting is a very important part of Soulmask since you’ll do it often, whether you’re purposely invading an enemy camp or happening upon some enemies as you explore. If you want to avoid having to revive yourself constantly, you’ll want to learn how to fight and fight well. Here are some tips!

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Soulmask Complete Combat Guide — How to Fight

Combat can be difficult in Soulmask, especially when there are a lot of enemies at some of these locations. If you want to be able to excel in battle, you’re going to want to be precise with every action and use them wisely. These are some of the most important moves to know:

How to Lock Onto Enemies

Although most enemies you’ll fight are NPCs, they can still be very good at evading your attacks. If you’re having difficulty connecting your strikes, try locking onto the enemies first so you can aim true each time.

To lock onto an enemy, press the scroll wheel on your mouse. It will lock onto the enemy that you are facing and place a marker over their head. You will track all of their movements, turning your character automatically so you’ll face them no matter what. This makes it easier to hit your attacks and block or dodge theirs. If you want to change your lock to another enemy you’ll have to remove your lock and then place it again.

How to Block & Dodge Attacks

If you’re facing a lot of enemies at once, you’ll want to be prepared to defend yourself just as much as you are attacking them. You can avoid taking too much damage by blocking or dodging incoming attacks.

Dodging enemy attacks in Soulmask
Screenshot by GameSkinny

To dodge, press the left alt button on your keyboard at the same time as the directional movement you want to roll. You’ll want to time your dodge at the right time to avoid their hit. You can also use it to create some more distance with them.

If you want to block an attack, hold the M2/right mouse button. This works with a shield or a weapon but is more effective with a shield. When the shield flashes white, it means you blocked some damage. However, you can still take a bit of damage even when blocking, so pick and choose your moments wisely.

How to Parry Enemy Attacks

One of the best ways to take enemies down while also minimizing incoming damage to yourself is by parrying them. You can parry an enemy by blocking at the precise moment an enemy hits you.

If your parry works correctly, the enemy will be stunned for a short time, falling to their knees with a red icon above their head. During this time, they won’t be able to move, so it’s the perfect time to strike them with everything you got. Hitting them while they’re stunned can trigger a counter-attack. Usually, it is an animation of you decimating the enemy. This can be an instant-kill, depending on how much health the enemy has.

How to Perform Skills

Along with your basic attack with M1 and heavy attack by holding M1, you can also perform special skill moves. These moves do more damage than regular attacks, so you’ll want to use them as much as you can. To perform a skill move, press F while your weapon is drawn.

Each type of weapon will have a different kind of special skill. You’ll unlock more skills as you gain a higher proficiency with the weapon. You can check your available skills and equip them through the Character — Mastery menu (on the right side of the character menu). Press on the skill you want to equip and then press the Spacebar to make it active.

How to Heal

The last very crucial tip to know for combat is how to heal. You’ll want to keep your health high if you’re going to outlast all your opponents. To do that, you’ll want to have healing items on hand and ready to use. Some easy and useful healing items are bandages. You can craft most of them right through your inventory or loom. You’ll also find them on a lot of Barbarians’ death loot.

You can craft basic bandages with Linen or better versions on the Loom with Aloe, Ash, and Cloth (the better the bandage, the more health you’ll get from it). Cooking food can also provide you with some health buffs.

Once you have some bandages, ensure you drag them into your Shortcut Items so you can use them more easily. When they’re in your Shortcut, you can just press the key matching the slot, and you’ll use one right away. You’ll just want to be in a safe spot while you apply them since it will restrict you to a short animation while using them.

Now that you know all the basics of combat, you’ll be ready to head in and kick some barbarian butt. Put all these moves to good use, and when in doubt, bring some Tribesmen along to watch your back.

Want more helpful tips like this? Check out GameSkinny’s Soulmask guides hub!


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Abby Smith
Abby Smith is a super nerd and video game fanatic who grew up playing games on a variety of platforms. Since graduating, she has worked in the online journalism field for over three years. She likes to spend her free time binge-watching Netflix, reading all genres of novels, and playing all the best new video games. She is currently a full-time Staff Writer for GameSkinny, and as an alumni from Full Sail University, also enjoys dabbling in creative writing such as short stories, scripts, and comics on the side.