Combat System Explained#
This combat guide is part of our Assassin’s Creed Odyssey hub, where the rest of our Odyssey coverage lives.
Overview of the Three Playstyles#
| Playstyle |
Core Stat |
Damage Type |
Signature Weapons |
Play Pattern |
| Warrior |
Warrior Damage |
Melee physical |
Swords, spears, heavy maces |
Head-on combat, combos |
| Hunter |
Hunter Damage |
Ranged physical |
Bows |
Ranged sniping, traps |
| Assassin |
Assassin Damage |
Melee burst |
Daggers, kopis blades |
Stealth kills, high burst |
| Formula |
Notes |
| Base damage × (1 + damage bonus %) × crit multiplier = final damage |
The core combat calculation |
| DPS = average damage × attack frequency |
For evaluating output per second |
| Level gap modifier |
±1 level = ±10% damage |
Warrior Playstyle in Depth#
Core Abilities#
| Ability |
Unlock Level |
Cost |
Effect |
Rating |
| Spartan Kick |
5 |
1 |
Launches enemies airborne and deals heavy damage |
★★★★★ |
| Preemptive Strike |
10 |
2 |
+50% damage for a short time |
★★★★★ |
| Overpowering Attacks |
15 |
3 |
Spends adrenaline segments on a devastating attack |
★★★★★ |
| Warrior Focus |
10 |
2 |
+15% damage with all weapons |
★★★★☆ |
| Heavy Attack Mastery |
5 |
1 |
+20% heavy attack damage |
★★★★☆ |
| Fury |
15 |
2 |
Area attack that knocks back surrounding enemies |
★★★☆☆ |
| Counter Attack |
5 |
1 |
Counterattack after a perfect block |
★★★★★ |
| Adrenaline I |
10 |
2 |
Gain extra adrenaline on enemy kills |
★★★★☆ |
Warrior Weapon Types#
| Weapon Type |
Attack Speed |
Damage |
Traits |
Recommended Weapon |
| One-handed sword |
★★★★ |
★★★ |
Balanced and versatile |
Persian Sword |
| Two-handed spear |
★★★ |
★★★★ |
Wide reach, fast |
Spear of Achilles |
| Heavy mace |
★★ |
★★★★★ |
High damage, slow |
Hammer of Hephaistos |
| Two-handed axe |
★★ |
★★★★★ |
Strong guard breaking |
Axe of Ares |
| Staff |
★★★★★ |
★★ |
Ultra-fast combos |
Hermes’s Staff |
Warrior Combo System#
| Combo |
Input |
Effect |
| Light attack chain |
□□□ |
Basic three-hit combo |
| Charged heavy attack |
Hold △ |
Charged heavy strike |
| Light + heavy mix |
□□△ |
Launches enemies airborne |
| Dodge counter |
Attack after dodging |
Quick counterattack |
| Block counter |
Attack after a perfect block |
High-damage counter |
Hunter Playstyle in Depth#
Core Abilities#
| Ability |
Unlock Level |
Cost |
Effect |
Rating |
| Devastating Shot |
5 |
1 |
A supercharged arrow that spends 2 adrenaline segments |
★★★★★ |
| Hunter’s Mark |
5 |
1 |
Marks enemies and raises crit chance |
★★★★★ |
| Rain of Arrows |
10 |
2 |
Fires skyward and rains down a volley of arrows |
★★★★☆ |
| Poison Arrows |
10 |
2 |
Adds poison effects to arrows |
★★★★☆ |
| Multi-Shot |
15 |
3 |
Fires several arrows in a single shot |
★★★★☆ |
| Beast Master |
5 |
1 |
Tames an animal as a companion |
★★★☆☆ |
| Wings of Ikaros |
10 |
1 |
Ikaros can mark more information |
★★★★☆ |
Bow Types#
| Bow Type |
Fire Rate |
Damage |
Special Effect |
Best Use |
| Hunting bow |
★★★★ |
★★★ |
Precise shooting |
Precision sniping |
| Cursed bow |
★★★★★ |
★★ |
Extreme range, remote aiming |
Long-range assassination |
| Warrior bow |
★★ |
★★★★★ |
Scatters multiple arrows at once |
Close-range volleys |
| Heavy bow |
★★★ |
★★★★ |
High base damage |
Sustained damage |
Hunter Combos#
| Combo |
Input |
Effect |
| Quick shots |
Tap the fire button repeatedly |
Continuous arrows |
| Charged shot |
Hold the fire button |
A single arrow with higher damage |
| Devastating + normal shot |
△ + □ |
Devastating Shot into a normal arrow |
Assassin Playstyle in Depth#
Core Abilities#
| Ability |
Unlock Level |
Cost |
Effect |
Rating |
| Assassination |
1 |
1 |
Sneak up on an enemy for a stealth kill |
★★★★★ |
| Shadow Strike |
5 |
1 |
Teleport to a target and assassinate |
★★★★★ |
| Venomous Blades |
5 |
1 |
Coats weapons in poison |
★★★★☆ |
| Phantom Fury |
10 |
2 |
A flurry of consecutive assassinations |
★★★★★ |
| Vanish |
10 |
2 |
Break combat quickly after being spotted |
★★★★☆ |
| Rush Assassination |
15 |
3 |
Chain-assassinate multiple targets |
★★★★★ |
| Poison Smoke |
15 |
2 |
Creates a zone of poison smoke |
★★★☆☆ |
| Adaptation |
10 |
2 |
+25% assassination damage |
★★★★★ |
Assassin Damage Math#
| Calculation |
Notes |
| Base assassination damage = assassin attack × weapon damage multiplier |
The core assassination formula |
| Crit assassination = base × crit multiplier (max 3.5x) |
Critical bonus |
| Poison bonus = base × 15% (5s) |
Extra poison damage |
| Assassination fails when assassin damage < enemy health |
Finish off the remaining health in open combat |
Assassination Damage Factors#
| Factor |
Bonus |
How to Get It |
| Gear engravings |
+10-25% assassination damage |
Engraving system |
| Poison effect |
+15% damage over time |
Venomous Blades ability |
| Crit chance |
Up to 100% crit |
Gear + engravings |
| Adrenaline bonus |
Extra damage |
Adrenaline abilities |
| Level advantage |
+5-10% |
When above the enemy’s level |
Universal Mechanics#
Adrenaline System#
| Source |
Amount |
Notes |
| Normal attacks |
+1/4 segment |
Per hit |
| Perfect block |
+1 segment |
Blocking at the exact right moment |
| Killing enemies |
+1/2 segment |
Standard kills |
| Dodge attacks |
+1/4 segment |
Attacking right after a dodge |
| Environmental interactions |
Small amount |
Igniting oil, explosions, and more |
How to Spend It#
| Ability |
Cost |
Effect |
| Spartan Kick |
1 segment |
Launches enemies |
| Devastating Shot |
2 segments |
Powerful arrow |
| Overpowering Attacks |
3 segments |
Devastating attack |
| Rain of Arrows |
2 segments |
Area rain of arrows |
| Shadow Strike |
1 segment |
Teleport assassination |
Blocking and Dodging#
| Action |
Timing |
Effect |
Risk |
| Normal block |
Any time |
Reduces damage by 50% |
Costs stamina |
| Perfect block |
The instant an enemy attacks |
Full damage immunity + counter window |
High risk, high reward |
| Normal dodge |
Any time |
Brief invincibility frames |
Costs stamina |
| Consecutive dodges |
Quick double tap |
Longer invincibility |
Costs more stamina |
Damage Type Overview#
| Damage Type |
Source |
Effect |
Duration |
| Physical damage |
Melee and ranged attacks |
Removes health directly |
Instant |
| Fire damage |
Fire attacks, explosions |
Burns over time + explosion damage |
5-10s |
| Poison damage |
Venomous Blades, poison smoke |
Damage over time, lowers enemy damage |
8-15s |
| Isu damage |
Isu weapons and abilities |
Effective on all enemies |
Instant |
Defensive Strategy#
Enemy Attack Patterns#
| Attack Type |
Tell |
Recommended Response |
| Normal attack |
Weapon glows |
Block or dodge |
| Heavy attack |
Body glows, slow motion |
Dodge (unblockable) |
| Yellow attack |
Yellow marker |
Perfect block |
| Red attack |
Red marker |
Dodge (unblockable) |
| Charged attack |
Long wind-up |
Interrupt or dodge |
| Grab attack |
Up-close grab animation |
Dodge away |
Advanced Battle Techniques#
| Technique |
How |
Effect |
| Use the environment |
Lure enemies next to oil jars/cliffs |
Environmental damage |
| Elemental swapping |
Alternate between fire and poison |
Maximize damage over time |
| Adrenaline management |
Keep 1-2 segments in reserve |
Abilities ready at any moment |
| Vertical combat |
Use elevation differences |
First-strike advantage |
| Crowd control |
Use pushes/Rain of Arrows on groups |
Avoid getting surrounded |
Weapon Playstyle Breakdowns#
One-Handed Sword Playstyle#
| Point |
Details |
| Core idea |
Fast attacks and little recovery — great for combos and attrition fights |
| Go-to combo |
Three light hits into a heavy, or light hits into a Spartan Kick launch |
| Best for |
Dueling elite enemies, fights that demand constant movement |
| Watch out |
Lower damage — lean on crits and passive bonuses to compensate |
Two-Handed Spear Playstyle#
| Point |
Details |
| Core idea |
Wide reach that can hit several enemies at once |
| Go-to combo |
Sweeping light attack into a piercing heavy, then a Spartan Kick |
| Best for |
Groups of enemies and small skirmishes |
| Watch out |
Average attack speed — keep your distance before committing |
Heavy Mace Playstyle#
| Point |
Details |
| Core idea |
Enormous single-hit damage, ideal for quickly killing elites |
| Go-to combo |
Charged heavy into a block counter, topped off with a Spartan Kick |
| Best for |
Solo boss fights and breaking through guards |
| Watch out |
Slow — rely on perfect blocks and dodges to stay alive |
Dagger Assassination Playstyle#
| Point |
Details |
| Core idea |
Pair with Shadow Strike and Assassination to dispatch lone enemies fast |
| Go-to combo |
Open from tall grass with Shadow Strike, assassinate, then disengage |
| Best for |
Clearing camps, stealth runs where alarms must stay quiet |
| Watch out |
Weak face-to-face — if spotted, end the fight quickly |
Advanced Combat Techniques#
Combo Cancels#
| Technique |
Input |
Benefit |
| Dodge-cancel light attacks |
Dodge immediately after a light hit |
Keep mobility, cut attack recovery |
| Cancel a charge mid-swing |
Hold, then release into a dodge |
Bait enemy attacks and punish |
| Abilities into normals |
Follow ability hits with light attacks |
Fill every cooldown gap |
| Retarget after a kill |
Swing onto the next target with auto-target |
Never waste a damage window |
Stat Synergies#
| Combination |
Effect |
Build Suggestion |
| Fire + crit chance |
Stacking burns plus crits |
Fire damage engravings + crit engravings |
| Poison + attack speed |
Poison plus fast attacks |
Venomous Blades + fast weapons |
| Assassin damage + Shadow Strike |
High stealth burst |
Assassin damage engravings + Shadow Strike |
| Warrior damage + perfect blocks |
Frontal dominance |
Warrior damage engravings + perfect blocking |
Bosses and Elite Enemies#
| Enemy Type |
Weakness |
Recommended Approach |
| Leaders |
No special immunities |
Clear the adds first, then duel while circling behind |
| Cultists |
Some carry special resistances |
Watch their attack tells, dodge and counter |
| Giant beasts |
Obvious head weak point |
Hold distance and chip with hunter arrows |
| Shielded soldiers |
Frontal blocking |
Circle to the flank or kick through the guard |
Common Combat Mistakes#
| Mistake |
The Right Way |
| Brawling face-to-face all fight long |
Use dodges and blocks to earn damage windows |
| Sticking to one combo all game |
Swap weapons and abilities based on enemy type |
| Ignoring elemental effects |
Layer fire and poison for sustained damage |
| Forgetting adrenaline management |
Bank one or two segments for clutch abilities |
Tip Don’t lock yourself into a single playstyle. The most effective builds usually blend abilities from several styles — a Warrior-focused build, for example, can still pick up the Assassination ability to handle stealth scenarios. Try different weapons until you find a combo rhythm that suits you, and combat will become far more rewarding.
Explore more in our Assassin’s Creed Odyssey hub.