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Deadcraft's combat system has a simple foundation. First, you equip a weapon and mash the attack button to hammer out devastating combos. Then, when an enemy barrels toward you, you can roll to evade their attacks. However, this foundation lays the groundwork for a plethora of possibilities. Furthermore, the more you learn to farm and craft, the more rewarding this system becomes.

Related: Deadcraft: Beginner Tips

So, what are some of the finer details you can expect from Deadcraft's combat system? You can craft various weapons with different speeds, strengths, and ranges. Furthermore, Reid's half-zombie status allows him to wield otherworldly powers, like zombified attacks and controlling zombie minions. So, as you'll soon learn, Deadcraft's combat system is much more than meets the eye.

How To Equip And Use Weapons

The "Equipping Tools And Weapons Tutorial" from Deadcraft.

Deadcraft's combat system is straightforward compared to other action RPGs. Reid has two primary actions in combat: his weapon attack and his evasive roll. Furthermore, he can equip two weapons at a time and switch between them with a weapon swap button.

Pressing the attack button multiple times performs combos. Additionally, you can use the target lock button to ensure attacks land on specific enemies. At the end of a combo, Reid knocks opponents to the ground. If you attack a grounded opponent, you can deal more damage by crushing their guts with a deadly boot stomp.

Did you know that Reid can sprint and perform dash attacks? To sprint, push down on the thumbstick while running. Then, press the attack button during a sprint to perform a dash attack.

So, how do you equip weapons? The first weapon you'll receive in the game is an ax. To equip it, go into your inventory, select the weapon, then choose "Equip to Slot 1." You can attack with the ax by pressing its assigned action button.

Reid will learn to craft other weapons, like knives, weed whackers, road signs, and guns, as you progress through the campaign and build your skill tree. Each weapon has its pros and cons, with different levels of strength and reach. If you want to keep a second weapon on hand, select it in your inventory and pick "Equip to Slot 2." Pressing the weapon swap button in combat will switch your slot one weapons for your slot two, and vice versa.

It's vital to note that these various weapons work differently in combat. For instance, knife combat is fantastic for up-close melee attacks with ferocious speed. However, weed whacker attacks have a slower startup but more reach, leaving behind dissembled corpses (a vital ingredient for crafting the quick travel ZPS). In short, each weapon serves a different situation and impacts the kind of remains you can harvest.

Some weapons require more upkeep. For instance, like the Homemade Gun, Ranged weapons will require additional crafting to keep them loaded with bullets. Thankfully, unlike the tools you craft in other games, such as Animal Crossing, your weapons do not wear down or fall apart. Therefore, you won't have to craft the same weapon multiple times (unless you need to make one for a mission).

Evasive Rolls

The "Fight To Survive" tutorial teaches attacks, locking on opponents, and the evasive roll in Deadcraft.

Evasive rolls are your primary defensive action in combat. Furthermore, it's one of the most helpful actions available to you. First, of course, a well-timed evasive roll can dodge enemy attacks. However, you can also use evasive rolls to close into opponents or get distance from them. Lastly, evasive rolls can help you recover from fire attacks, like Molotov cocktails.

We recommend looking for new and creative ways to use the evasive roll. For instance, we discovered that evasive rolls are great for hunting speedy rats and putting them in a corner. We also learned that evasive rolls extinguish fires faster, as the adage "stop, drop, and roll" suggests. However, we would not have learned these tricks without a healthy level of experimentation.

Related: Best Combat Systems In Horror Games, Ranked

What Are Reid's Zombie Abilities?

The "Using Your Powers" tutorial explains Reid's Undead Shield and Bug Crush in Deadcraft.

Since Reid is a half-zombie, he can use special abilities outside the realm of human skill. Both actions come from his red, flesh-exposed arm. However, Reid's zombie powers are limited, unlike his basic combat actions. In other words, consider Reid's zombie powers his special skill moves. Here's what he can do:

  • Undead Shield: This power creates a shield that blocks enemy attacks.
  • Bug Crush: Reid's zombie arm slashes in a large circle around him during this attack and knocks down any enemies in its path. Furthermore, Bug Crush deals a significant amount of damage.

Remember how we mentioned that Reid's zombie powers are limited. Reid has a zombie meter that compares to the super meters you might encounter in other RPGs. You'll need some zombie meter in stock to use the Undead Shield and Big Crush abilities. If your zombie meter runs out, these actions will become unavailable to you.

So how do you fill the zombie meter? To start, it increases when Reid consumes zombie food and drinks. However, Reid's zombie meter decreases when he eats and drinks human food. Using Reid's zombie powers also decreases this meter.

The zombie meter is a complex and nuanced system that focuses on balance. You can learn more about its intricacies in our Beginners Tips.

How To Summon Zombie Minions

The "Grow An Undead Friend" Tutorial breaks down how to grow Frankies and have them fight alongside you in Deadcraft.

While Reid has plenty of skills and weapon options at his disposal, it won't matter if enemies significantly outnumber him. Luckily, since he is a half-zombie, Reid can command zombie minions. However, you'll have to grow them first. You'll learn the basics of farming zombies with Zombie Gramps in the Silent but Not Deadly mission.

The first zombie you'll learn to farm is the Average Frankie. Average Frankies are grown from Average Frankie sprouts, consisting of one corpse and two Z-hearts. You can harvest corpses by killing humans, such as bawkers. Keep in mind that your Average Frankie will wield whatever weapon they wielded when they were alive.

Average Frankie sprouts grow like any other produce. First, till your field, then plant the sprout. After that, you need to water your Average Frankie sprout with zivblood every few hours until your new zombie is ready to harvest.

Once you grow yourself some Average Frankies, you can start deploying them in battle. First, equip your zombie minion to your item slot. Then, press the item button, and an outline of one of your minions will appear in front of you. Pressing the item button a second time will set the minion in your desired position. Finally, if you wish to retreat one of your minions, walk up to them and press the store button.

You can check a zombie minion's stats before deploying them by visiting your inventory. You'll discover traits such as what weapon they wield, their HP, muscle mass, bone density, circulation, and any strength bonuses they provide.

The zombie inventory displays the stats of an unarmed Average Frankie in Deadcraft.

It's vital to know that you can not summon an unlimited number of zombies simultaneously. Each zombie minion has a cost to summon, displayed before setting them down. Once this cost reaches one hundred, you can no longer summon any more zombies unless one of them dies or you put them back in your inventory.

Fighting With Allies

Vernon, a mechanically armed dad, and one of your first allies, in Deadcraft.

Besides your zombie minions, you'll also fight with human allies, such as Vernon, from time to time. These allies attack nearby enemies without requiring any instruction. If your ally takes too much damage or gets knocked out, you can revive them by approaching them and pressing the designated revive button.

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