Beginner's Guide

Holdfast: Nations at War is a multiplayer game, set in the Napoleonic and First World War. Here you will be introduced to a few game modes and maps the game has to offer.

Game Modes

Army Battlefield

Army Battlefield is a Team Deathmatch game mode. Players can select between two different nations and fight to the death. You can win by either having more kills as a team or have the enemy team run out of respawn tickets and subsequently killing all remaining enemies.

Army Siege

Army Siege is attackers vs defenders style game mode. It adds in capture points that start off captured by the defending team. You can win by either waiting for the round timer to end while holding at least one capture point as the defenders or capturing all the capture points as the attackers.

Army Conquest

Army Conquest is a capture the points style game mode. It adds in capture points that will increase your teams score over the period of the match. The more points you control, the faster your teams' score will increase. When the round timer ends the team with the most points wins.

Class System

Each team has a wide range of different classes you can pick from. Some classes receive different gear and special abilities that will help them or their team. For example, medics can heal players while holding the “E” key. Every class serves a specific purpose, so it is important to have an understanding of them. Some Classes can be very essential in taking over Enemy territory, while others are designed to protect other players and keep them from dying.

Command

Army Infantry Officer

The infantry officers govern the course of battles on land. They are able to issue Orders to gather their troops into firing lines, and provide bonuses to men who follow them.

Naval Captain

The captain rules the soggier side of the battlefield, commanding a ship and her crew to do his bidding. They have priority over steering ships.

Rank & File

Line Infantry

The stalwart line infantryman. Armed with a musket and bayonet, he is motivated by the orders of the Officers.

Guards

The guards are the elite infantry of the ranks. Their primary job is to guard the command, helping them survive where the common man may fall. Their additional training makes them unparalleled combatants in melee.

Grenadiers

The grenadiers are the largest of the soldiers, able to take far more punishment in melee than their fellow men. As a result, they are also highly proficient in melee combat.

Skirmisher

Light Infantry

The light infantry classes move at a greater speed than the rest of the player classes, able to outpace lines to reach tactical positions.

Rifleman

The Rifleman class is the sharpshooter of the game, demonstrating deadly accuracy compared to their musket wielding peers.

Customs

Customs are the light infantry of the sea, able to swim and run at a greater pace to reach an optimum position to take shots at the enemy.

Artillery

Artillery are the heavy hitters of the battlefield. While their numbers may be low they have the ability to crush entire lines in one shot. This class requires patience and experience to master.

Cavalry

Swift and deadly, the cavalry charge can sway the battle for one faction to another. Their mastery of the horse and skill with the Sword and Carbines allow them to confront any enemy on the field.

Crewman

These veteran sailors instill fear in all landlubbers. They can swim any distance in record time. Equipped with a cutlass or pike, these men are not to be messed with.

Aiming

In general using the bottom of the reticule will help you better find your range. At short range you should aim for centre mass with the bottom of the reticule at about knee height. At longer distances you will have to progressively move the bottom of the reticule up higher. At 100 meters you aim with the bottom of the reticule at head height. This won't help with bullet spread from left to right since it is an inaccurate weapon.

Melee

Attacking

• Pressing the 'X' key switches you into melee mode.

• Left clicking will start an attack.

• The direction you move your mouse when you left click determines the direction you attack. ( For example if you move your mouse up when you click, your character will strike from above.)

• The attack animation can be cancelled early by blocking, letting you attack faster. (Once you hear the resulting 'whoosh' sound effect half way through your animation you can cancel the attack animation.)

Blocking

• You can only block while in melee mode.

• Hold down the right mouse button to block.

• The direction you move your mouse determines the direction you block (For example if an enemy melee attacks from above you have to hold your right mouse button while moving your mouse up.)

Tips

• Holding the 'Y' key will enable your mic in voice chat. (You can also change the key bind in your settings.)

• Pressing the 'P' key will open the menu to mute player in voice chat. If someone is annoying you just press the 'p' key, search for their name, and click on the sound icon to mute that person.

• Pressing the "K" key will mute the in-game voice.

• Pressing the 'Tab' key while in text chat cycles you through the various text channels in game. (General, Recruitment, Team, etc.)