The Thaumaturge is a game that has its focal point in the narrative, but this does not mean that there are also moments in which you will be called to fight. Some of these fights, to be honest, can be avoided based on what you decide to say during your adventure, but others, however, are mandatory. For this reason, you may find The Thaumaturge combat tips useful in order to have a simpler life and better face the threats that lurk in Warsaw in 1905.
The Thaumaturge Combat Tips
Combat in The Thaumaturge is turn-based; that’s the first thing you need to know (in case you weren’t already aware). This means that it will not be dynamic, but you will have to select moves to make in order to defeat your opponents. If you are turning up your nose at this more “old-fashioned” approach, we assure you that there is absolutely no need. In fact, even those who don’t prefer this type of combat will be able to appreciate it, as the development team has done a truly excellent job.
Another key thing to know before we get into the meat of the matter is that The Thaumaturge gives you the option to choose between three difficulty levels at the start of your adventure. This is a fundamental thing because it impacts the gameplay and, therefore, the combat. If you choose the maximum difficulty, the fights will be more difficult and will require an excellent strategy to complete, so opt for this difficulty only if you are used to this type of game.
Traits
The first thing you need to take into consideration are the Traits of your individual enemies. In fact, each of them will have Traits that must be canceled before you can launch any type of attack; otherwise, your attacks will inflict almost no damage. But how do you eliminate these Traits? It’s actually very simple.
All you need to do is make use of one of your Salutors and use an attack that is the fastest possible, so as not to waste too many turns. Once you have been able to eliminate all the Traits of the enemies, you can proceed with the actual combat and start using a combination of your attacks and those of your Salutors.
States
The other thing to take into consideration are the States you can inflict and those that can be inflicted on you. Often, in fact, if you look at the bar at the top where there is the tail of how the attacks will be launched, you will notice that there may be symbols near the enemy’s moves, such as a drop of blood for example. In this specific case, therefore, it means that that attack will not only inflict normal damage on you, but that at the end of each turn you will also suffer bleeding damage.
Obviously there are also others that are present in The Thaumaturge, so our advice is to always keep an eye on the States that enemies can inflict on you. In this regard, you can make use of some of your Salutors which will certainly be useful in this case. For example, Upyr is able to make a move that will eliminate all the States you have on you, while Lelek, for example, can make a move that will protect you with a shield for a turn and you will not be able to suffer States.
But we said that not only are enemies able to inflict Stats on Wiktor, you will be able to do it too. Some Salutors, as well as Wiktor himself, have moves in their arsenal that allow you to inflict these States. For example, Wiktor is capable of inflicting a state of agony, as is the Salutor Bukavac, which will allow you to inflict a certain amount of damage at the end of the turn on enemies with this State. In short, making use of this gaming mechanic is certainly very useful and you should always try to incorporate it into the one dedicated to classic attacks.
Focus
Another important thing not to underestimate is the Focus. Focus is a very important stat for both you and your enemies. If you are able to bring your enemies’ Focus to zero (the orange diamonds above the health bar), in fact, you will be able to pull off a special move with both Wiktor and one of your Salutors. This means instant death for the enemy.
However, this also applies to you, so be careful never to have the Focus completely taken away. Make use of some moves that are present in the arsenal of some of your Salutors, so that you can restore Focus if you run out of it: enemies will waste no time in pulling off a special move. Often it’s not that powerful, so it’s not that easy to die, but that’s if we consider that you have a full or almost full health bar; otherwise, in fact, the fight will end with your defeat.
Attack Queue
Earlier we mentioned that The Thaumaturge gives you the opportunity to see the planned attacks. Don’t underestimate this feature. In fact, if you pay attention to it, you will not only be able to understand which attacks the enemies intend to carry out, but you will also be able to find a way to break their attack and prevent it from completing. In fact, some attacks, given certain circumstances, can be broken and therefore the enemy will no longer be able to carry them out.
Skills
Finally, don’t forget about the skills you have available. Before starting any fight, The Thaumaturge gives you the opportunity to reprogram the skills you have unlocked, so that you can vary your way of playing and adapt it to the occasion. In fact, in the event that you are unable to defeat a certain enemy, it is very likely that you are making use of skills that are not very suitable in that situation. For this reason, we suggest you study the opponents in The Thaumaturge as best you can and then choose the best skills for that specific encounter.