Winds of Valen — Guides
🗡️ Melee Guide
Your complete guide to melee combat in Winds of Valen — from your very first sword to end-game bossing. Covers leveling, weapons, armour, and combat mechanics.
🟢 Getting Started — What is Melee?
Melee is the most beginner-friendly combat style in the game. You equip a sword (or another melee weapon), click an enemy, and your character automatically attacks. Two skills grow as you fight:
- Attack — Your offensive skill. Higher Attack lets you equip better weapons and deal more damage. Leveled while in Attack Stance.
- Defence — Your defensive skill. Higher Defence lets you wear better armour and take less damage. Leveled while in Defence Stance (Requires a Block Shield).
💡 You switch between Attack and Defence stances by clicking the sword icon in your HUD on the left side of the screen. You can only level one at a time — plan your grind accordingly.
⚙️ How Melee Combat Works
- Left-click an enemy to start attacking. Your character will auto-attack until the enemy dies or you move away.
- Melee weapons deal either Quick Damage (1-handed) or Heavy Damage (2-handed).
- Enemies have different weaknesses — check the Damage Types Guide for details.
- Using a Health Potion during combat interrupts your attack. Potion use can be rebound in settings.
🚀 Leveling Path — Where to Train Attack
Follow this progression path for the fastest Attack leveling. Always fight the highest-level enemy you can survive comfortably:
| Attack Level | Where to Train | Enemy Level | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–5 | Goblin Cave / Farmlands | Goblins Lvl 1 / Hen Lvl 1/ Rooster Lvl 1 | No potions needed. Free respawn if you die. Collect Rings and sell them. |
| 5–10 | Wheat Fields Graveyard | Skeletons Lv6 | Buy an Iron Sword from the Sword Stall first. |
| 10–15 | Forest Acove Bandit Camp | Bandits Lvl 10 | Good first spot for getting Potion making ingredients and a new ring. |
| 15–25 | Goblin Village | Goblin Villagers Lvl 15 | Get Berserker Gloves and farm for Bars for your next weapon/armor upgrade. |
| 25–30 | West Mine | Skeleton Knights Lv26 | High value drop — Skeleton Greatswords / sells well. Needs Steel gear. |
| 30+ | Mercenary Camp / Elven Haven | Lv30–37 | Current endgame melee grind. Elves drop Essence — useful for Magic builds too. |
🗡️ Weapon Progression — 1-Handed Swords
1-handed swords deal Quick Damage (Slash or Pierce) and can be paired with a shield. This is the most beginner-friendly setup.
| Weapon | Attack Req. | Quick Damage | Slash Accuracy | How to Get | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze Sword | 1 | 15 | 15 | Sword Stall / Craft (6x Bronze Bar) | 60g |
| Iron Sword | 10 | 25 | 30 | Sword Stall / Craft (6x Iron Bar) | 150g |
| Steel Sword | 20 | 40 | 50 | Sword Stall / Bandit Merc Boss drop | 300g |
| Mithril Sword | 30 | 60 | 75 | Craft only (6x Mithril Bar, Smithing 34) | N/A (craft) |
💡 Always buy your sword from the Sword Stall in Valen Gate as soon as you meet the level requirement or craft a new — the damage jump is always worth it.
⚔️ 2-Handed Weapons — Heavy Damage
2-handed weapons deal Heavy Damage and hit harder than 1-handed weapons, but you cannot equip a shield at the same time. Great for dealing maximum DPS against bosses — combine with shield-swapping for advanced play.
| Weapon | Attack Req. | Damage | Damage Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goblin Axe | 5 | Low | Slash (Heavy) | Goblin Berserker drop |
| Bandit Spear | 15 | Medium-High | Pierce (Heavy) | Bandit Leader boss drop |
| Skeleton Greatsword | 25 | Medium | Slash (Heavy) | Skeleton Knight drop (West Mine) |
| Elven Greatsword | 35 | High | Slash (Heavy) | Elven Haven drop |
⚔️ The Elven Greatsword is currently the highest DPS weapon in the game when combined with shield-flicking techniques. It has even more potential as more endgame content is added.
🛡️ Armour Progression
Armour requires a Defence level to equip. Upgrade your full set (Helm, Chest, Legs) whenever possible — each tier significantly reduces damage taken.
| Armour Tier | Defence Req. | Source | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze Set | 1 | Armour Stall / Craft | First set. Craft at anvil in Valen Gate. |
| Skeleton Helmet | 1 | Skeleton drop (Wheat Fields Graveyard) | Free helmet if you farm Skeletons early. |
| Iron Set | 10 | Armour Stall / Craft | Major upgrade from Bronze. Buy or craft as soon as possible at Defence 10. |
| Steel Set | 20 | Armour Stall / Craft | Required before heading to West Mine. |
| Mithril Set | 30 | Craft (Smithing 30+) | Currently best craftable armour. |
💎 Boosting Melee Power
Your actual damage output depends not just on your weapon but on your Melee Power stat. Here is how to stack it:
- Jewellery — Equip a Ring and Amulet with Melee Power. The Copper Amulet and Copper Ring are early options available from the Jewellery Stall and drops.
- Gems — Socket a Weak Power Gem, Power Gem, or Strong Power Gem into jewellery (found via Mining or fishing).
💡 Rings and Amulets with empty gem sockets are now stackable in the bank. Buy extras in bulk and socket them when you find gems.
📈 Key Melee Tips for New Players
- Upgrade your sword first — Your weapon has the biggest impact on damage per level tier. Always prioritize buying or crafting the next sword before spending gold on potions.
- Level Attack and Defence alternately — Falling too far behind on either makes you die too fast or deal too little damage.
- Potions cancel your attack — Only use a potion when it is actually needed, not just when health dips slightly. Retarget after using one.
- Death is free healing — Early game, dying and respawning at the green crystal in town is free and instant. Do not waste potions when nearly dead with low money.
- Sell your drops — Goblins drop Rings which sell for gold. Skeleton Knights drop Greatswords worth decent money. Never leave drops behind early on.
- Equip items as you get them — If a Skeleton Helmet or Berserker Gloves drop, equip them immediately for free stat boosts.