PvP & Raiding

⚔️ Damage & Scaling

How PvP damage differs from PvE

Player-versus-player damage values are independently tuned from PvE. Weapons that shred NPCs may underperform against other players due to separate armour penetration and damage reduction formulas. Some masks and abilities have reduced effectiveness against players to prevent one-shot builds.

Friendly Fire

Friendly fire is enabled by default on PvP servers. You can damage your own tribe members, mounts, and structures if you are not careful. Area-of-effect explosives and AOE mask abilities are the most common source of friendly fire incidents. Some servers configure friendly fire damage reduction to mitigate accidents.

🏷️ Tribe Reputation & Alignment

How the game tracks your faction standing

Each tribe has a reputation score that changes based on their actions. Attacking neutral or allied tribes damages reputation. Repeated aggression can lead to your tribe becoming hostile-on-sight to NPC factions and may restrict access to neutral trading posts. Alignment shifts slowly over time and can be recovered through tributes or peaceful actions.

🚩 PvP Flagging System

When you become attackable

On most PvP servers, players are automatically flagged for PvP outside of designated safe zones. Some servers use a voluntary flagging system where you must toggle PvP mode before engaging. Flagged players cannot unflag for a set duration after combat. Raid windows override normal flagging rules — during a declared war, all participating members are permanently flagged.

💀 Death & Loot Penalties

What you lose when killed by another player

PvP death typically incurs harsher penalties than PvE death. Expect to drop a portion of your inventory on death — server settings determine whether it is a random selection, all items, or just equipped gear. Respawn timers may be extended after repeated PvP deaths. Some servers implement a corpse loot window that allows the killer to claim specific items.

🔨 Battering Ram Tiers

Rams are the primary siege tool. Higher-tier rams are required to damage higher-tier building materials.

Ram Tier	Effective Against
Wood & Stone Ram	Thatch, early wood structures
Bronze Ram	Wood buildings, mid-tier structures
Iron Ram	Stone buildings, high-tier structures
Steel Ram	Reinforced stone, endgame buildings (ebony stone)

🏹 Defensive Artillery

Defenders can fight back with mounted weapons

Weapon	Role	Notes
Crossbow Tower	Automated anti-personnel defence	Fires bolts at enemies in range. Can be manned by tribesmen via patrol routes.
Siege Ballista	High-damage mounted weapon	Must be manually operated. Effective against players and can damage enemy rams.

⏳ Raid Windows

Damage to enemy structures is only allowed during set hours

Every official PvP server embeds its raid window in the server name. The format is a UTC time range, for example UTC18~06 (raiding allowed from 18:00 UTC to 06:00 UTC). Outside these hours, battering rams and other damage tools deal zero damage to enemy buildings.

Private servers can configure their own raid windows or disable building damage entirely. Always verify the rules before investing siege resources.

📅 Ram Tier Progression

Higher-tier rams require progressing through the tech tree and gathering the corresponding ingot tier — there is no fixed unlock schedule by server age

• Wood & Stone Ram — available from very early game, the entry-level siege tool
• Bronze Ram — requires reaching Bronze Age progression and the Bronze ingot supply chain
• Iron Ram — requires Iron Age tech and a working iron smelting setup
• Steel Ram — requires Steel Age tech and the full Powered Refining Furnace production chain

📋 Attack Planning Checklist

• Confirm raid hours — Do not waste siege supplies outside the raid window.
• Match the ram tier — Bring the correct ram for the target material.
• Scout weak points — Look for exposed doors, thin walls, or single-layer defenses.
• Bring sustain — Food, backup rams, and repair materials keep momentum.

🛡 Defense Checklist

• Layered walls — Mix materials so attackers need multiple ram tiers.
• Air gaps — Create buffer spaces to reduce ram efficiency.
• Secure storage — Keep valuables in internal rooms behind multiple layers.
• Raid window coverage — Make sure tribe members can defend during PvP hours.

🔍 Reconnaissance

Scouting a base before attacking

Never raid blind. Scout the target base at different times of day to learn defender activity patterns. Note the location of doors, gates, walls, and any obvious kill zones. Use a secondary character or alt tribe to approach visibly without raising suspicion. Look for external torches, active forges, or smoke from cooking fires that indicate recent activity.

Key Recon Questions

• How many layers of walls separate the exterior from loot rooms?
• Are there multiple exit routes or only one entrance?
• Where are the turrets, traps, and automated defences positioned?
• Do the defenders have high-ground or ranged advantage?
• How many tribe members are typically online during your raid window?

🎯 Identifying Weak Points

Doors, walls, and foundations

Doors and gates are the cheapest entry point — they require fewer explosives than a full wall section. Foundations can be targeted to collapse entire rooms if the defender did not reinforce them. Corner pillars are structural weak points that can bring down connected pieces. However, experienced builders place honeycombed walls and reinforced foundations specifically to counter these strategies.

🚪 Gate Crashing vs Wall Breaching

Two schools of raiding entry

🌀 Distraction Tactics

Divide and confuse

Split the defender's attention with simultaneous attacks on multiple fronts. Use a small team to make noise at the front gate while the main breaching team works on a rear wall. Deploy smoke canisters or noise-making devices to obscure your true entry point. If the defenders have automated turrets, trigger them early to waste their ammunition before the real push.

💰 Loot Priority

What to grab first

Time is limited once explosives start detonating. Prioritise high-value, low-slot items: rare materials (sulphur, nitre, steel ingots), mask fragments, crafted gear, and blueprints. Skip bulky raw resources unless you have dedicated haulers. Mark a clear loot path so every raider knows which containers to hit first.

🏃 Escape Plan & Fallback

Getting out with the loot

Every raider should know the extraction route before the first charge explodes. Designate a rally point outside turret range. If the raid goes wrong, know when to cut losses — dying and respawning far from the raid site loses your loot. Stash a fast mount or exit portal nearby for a quick getaway.

🧊 Honeycombing Walls

Multiple layers of structural redundancy

Honeycombing means building walls in offset, overlapping layers so that breaching one section does not expose the interior. Each layer should be separated by at least one foundation gap and constructed from the highest tier material you can afford. Raiders must blow through multiple independent walls to reach your core, dramatically increasing their resource cost.

🪤 Fake Rooms & Decoy Storage

Psychological warfare

Build false loot rooms filled with empty chests, low-value items, and dummy containers. Raiders who blow into a decoy room waste explosives and time, often leaving before reaching the real storage. Some builders place a single valuable item in the decoy to sell the illusion. Real loot should be hidden behind an additional layer behind the decoy.

🚪 Multiple Gate / Airlock Designs

Controlling entry points

An airlock uses two or more gates in sequence. The outer gate must close before the inner gate can open. This prevents raiders from rushing through your entrance and gives automated defences more time to engage. Place spike traps and gas vents in the airlock chamber for extra punishment. Ensure each gate has separate power and is reinforced to at least stone tier.

⚠️ Trap Placement

Spike traps, poison gas, and more

Traps are force multipliers. Place spike traps at natural chokepoints — doorways, corridor bends, and the base of stairs. Poison gas vents can be triggered manually by a defender or automated with pressure plates. Combine traps with slowing effects (tar, webs) to keep raiders in the damage zone longer. Remember that traps damage friendly units too — keep your own path clear.

🎯 Turret & Automated Defence Placement

Let the machines fight

Turrets should be placed on elevated platforms with overlapping fields of fire. Avoid clustering them — a single explosive can wipe a nest. Position turrets to cover the main approach, airlock chamber, and any wall sections vulnerable to breaching. The Crossbow Tower is cheaper and fires faster against personnel; the Siege Ballista hits much harder but fires more slowly and works best against armoured targets and enemy rams. Keep ammunition stocked in a locked container near each turret cluster.

Artillery Type	Damage	Fire Rate	Best Use
Crossbow Tower	Low-Medium	Fast	Suppression, anti-personnel, automated (can be manned by patrolling tribesmen)
Siege Ballista	High	Slow	Anti-armour, stopping power, can damage enemy rams. Must be manually operated

🗿 Statue of God — Offensive Use

Turning defence into offence

The Statue of God can be used aggressively by placing it near enemy territory. Non-combat tribesmen retreat to the nearest Statue when threatened — placing one close to a rival base can pull your workers into dangerous positions if you are not careful. More importantly, the Statue acts as a mobile respawn point for your tribe during raids within its aura. Offensive statue placement behind enemy lines lets your raiders respawn close to the fight.

⚔️ Weapon Recommendations for PvP

Choose your tool for player combat

Weapon	Strengths	Tips
Spear	Excellent reach, good tracking, poke damage	Keep distance and control engagement range. Spear is king in 1v1 open field fights.
Sword & Shield	Balanced offence, block capability	Great for group fights. Use shield to absorb ranged shots while advancing.
Greatsword	High burst damage, wide swings	Slow windup — requires teammate to set up staggers. Devastating in chokepoints.
Bow	Ranged pressure, poison arrows	Use height advantage. Poison-tipped arrows force the enemy to burn healing items.
Dual Daggers	Fast attack speed, backstab bonus	Flanker weapon. Circle behind distracted enemies for massive burst.

🛡️ Armour Set Recommendations

Pick the right protection for your playstyle

• Light Armour (Hide/Leather) — Maximum mobility, lowest protection. Best for archers and dagger users who rely on positioning over tanking.
• Medium Armour (Bone/Scale) — Balanced defence and movement speed. The go-to for most PvP scenarios. Spear and sword fighters benefit most.
• Heavy Armour (Iron/Steel) — Highest damage reduction, significant movement penalty. Great for front-line brawlers and base defenders who fight in tight corridors.

📍 Positioning & Movement

Winning before the first swing

High ground gives a damage bonus and makes you harder to hit with melee attacks. Always approach fights from an angle that forces the enemy to turn their back to your teammates. Use strafing to avoid predictable attack patterns — Soulmask PvP rewards erratic movement. Learn to bait attacks and punish whiffs with a counter-strike.

🎭 Mask Abilities Useful in PvP

Which masks shine in player combat

Mask	PvP Ability	Use Case
Civilization	Healing aura, stat buffs	Group support — keep your squad alive
Conquest	Damage boost, armour break	Aggressive pushes and burst damage
Rich	Resource drain, economy debuff	Starve the enemy of healing items mid-fight
Horus (DLC)	Aerial mobility, dive attack	Flanking from unexpected angles
Sobek (DLC)	Water speed, poison aura	Ambush in rivers and shoreline bases

👥 Group Combat Coordination

Fighting as a unit

Assign roles before the fight: one or two front-line melee, a ranged support, and a flex flanker. Call targets verbally or use pings — focus fire is the fastest way to remove a player from the fight. Do not cluster up; a single explosive or AOE mask ability can wipe an overconfident squad. Designate a shot-caller and trust their decisions in the heat of combat.

❤️ Healing During Combat

Staying alive in the thick of it

• Bandages are fast but heal less — use for topping up between skirmishes
• Medicinal poultices offer better healing but have a longer cast time — use behind cover
• Potions provide instant burst healing but are expensive — save for critical moments
• Healing aura masks (Civilization) provide passive regeneration — stay within range of your support player
• Never let your health drop below 40% in a fight — burst damage can kill you before you react