The Duskbloods Combat Basics: Stagger, Bloodsucking, and Guarding

How did stagger work?

Attacks built an enemy’s stagger gauge as well as dealing damage. Filling the gauge broke the target’s stance and created a large opening. The official guide does not publish universal stagger values, so the exact number of hits depended on attacks and should not be reduced to an unverified formula.

What did bloodsucking do?

Bloodsucking could be used against a staggered enemy to deal heavy damage and restore the Bloodsworn’s HP. Vulnerable enemies could instead be charmed by bloodsucking, causing them to follow the Bloodsworn who charmed them.

Some character effects interacted with this system. For example, Bloodhand Jan’s test-build Aspect Blood Lord rewarded charming an enemy, but character-specific effects should be checked separately from the universal mechanic.

What was the universal howl?

Every Bloodsworn could produce a howl with a pressure wave. Timing it against an enemy attack could interrupt that attack and add substantial stagger. The howl could also repel some ranged attacks, making it more than a cosmetic action.

The official guide describes the mechanic but does not guarantee that every projectile or attack can be interrupted.

How did guarding and guard counters work?

Bloodsworn generated a shield to guard against attacks from the front, including while airborne. Repeated attacks could break the shield and create a large opening, while a broken shield repaired itself over time.

A melee input immediately after guarding performed a guard counter. During that counter, the Bloodsworn was harder to stagger. Exact input labels can vary with control presentation, so the in-game manual remains the best control reference.

How was healing replenished?

Goldblood Stakes restored HP. Their number of uses could be replenished by collecting Goldblood from defeated enemies or acquisition effects found around the field. The official guide does not provide a universal drop rate or promise that every enemy restores a use.

Which targeting option did the guide recommend checking?

The Network Test options included a lock-on switching priority setting. Enabling it made the game prioritize an enemy that had attacked the player when switching targets. It was disabled by default in the test version, so players could choose whether that behavior suited them.

Source

• Official Network Test gameplay guide