Beginner's Guide

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Beginner’s Guide

Holdfast: Nations At War is a multiplayer game set during the Napoleonic era and the First World War. This guide introduces some of the core game modes, classes, and mechanics to help new players get started.

Game Modes

Army Battlefield

Army Battlefield is a Team Deathmatch game mode. Players choose between two nations and fight until one side runs out of respawn tickets or is completely eliminated. Victory can also be achieved by securing the highest number of kills when the round timer ends.

Army Siege

Army Siege is an attackers vs. defenders game mode. The defenders start with control of several capture points. The attackers must capture all points before the round timer runs out, while defenders must hold at least one until the end of the round.

Army Conquest

Army Conquest is a point-control mode. Teams capture objectives that generate score over time — the more points your team controls, the faster your score increases. The team with the most points when the round timer expires wins.

Class System

Each team has access to a wide variety of classes with unique gear and abilities. Some classes provide direct combat power, while others serve essential support roles such as healing, boosting morale, or providing artillery fire.

Command

Army Infantry Officer

The Infantry Officer directs the battle on land, issuing orders, forming lines, and providing buffs to nearby soldiers.

Naval Captain

The Naval Captain commands a ship and its crew. They steer the vessel, set sail orders, and coordinate the crew in naval engagements.

Rank & File

Line Infantry

The backbone of the army. Armed with a musket and bayonet, they follow officer commands and form disciplined firing lines.

Guards

Elite infantry tasked with protecting officers and key positions. They excel in melee combat and survivability.

Grenadiers

Large, powerful infantry who specialize in melee combat and can absorb more damage than regular soldiers.

Skirmisher

Light Infantry

Fast-moving troops who can reach key positions quickly. Effective at harassing the enemy with mobility and firepower.

Rifleman

Sharpshooters with superior accuracy compared to musket-armed soldiers. Deadly at long range but fewer in number.

Customs

Naval light infantry who can swim, move quickly, and harass enemies from advantageous positions.

Support

Artillery

Specialists in cannons, mortars, and rockets. They deal devastating damage but require coordination and experience.

Cavalry

Horse-mounted soldiers skilled with swords and carbines. Cavalry charges can break lines and turn the tide of battle.

Crewman

Experienced sailors capable of swimming long distances and excelling in naval melee combat with cutlasses or pikes.

Aiming

Musket accuracy is limited. Use the bottom of the reticle to judge range:

• At short range: aim center mass with the reticle at knee height.
• At long range: gradually aim higher. At ~100 meters, place the reticle bottom at head height.

Lateral bullet spread cannot be compensated - firing in volleys improves effectiveness.

Melee

Attacking

• Press X to switch to melee mode.
• Left-click to attack.
• The mouse direction when attacking determines strike direction (e.g., moving the mouse up performs an overhead strike).
• Attacks can be canceled early by blocking, allowing faster follow-up swings. (You can cancel after hearing the “whoosh” sound mid-swing.)

Blocking

• Blocking is only possible in melee mode.
• Hold right mouse button to block.
• The mouse direction determines the block angle (e.g., move the mouse up to block an overhead strike).

Tips

• Hold Y to use voice chat (can be rebound in settings).
• Press P to open the voice chat mute menu. Find a player’s name and click the sound icon to mute them.
• Press K to mute in-game voice entirely.
• Press Tab while in text chat to cycle through chat channels (General, Recruitment, Team, etc.).

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