Stonewards Combat Guide: Melee, Ranged & Waves
Learn how combat works in Stonewards, from enemy waves and knockback to melee vs ranged class roles, wall defense, co-op positioning, and upgrade choices.
Last verified: August 18, 2026 — Game version: Stonewards Early Access Hotfix 0.1.5. Facts come from official Steam sources and verified player reports.
Combat in Stonewards alternates between quiet mining phases and timed enemy waves. The horn marks the start of each wave, and your goal is to protect the central gate or kingdom while using the resources you mined to survive.
The Wave Cycle
- Mining phase — gather ore, gold, and items before the horn sounds.
- Warning — the horn signals that the next wave is about to start.
- Defense phase — enemies spawn and move toward your base.
- Forging/repair — during the next gap, repair walls and buy upgrades.
Melee vs Ranged
| Style | Classes | Strengths |
|---|---|---|
| Melee | Warrior, Miner | High sustained damage, can hold choke points, easier for solo |
| Ranged | Archer, Mage | Safe damage from walls, but charged attacks can feel slow early |
| Hybrid | Hunter | Companion provides extra damage while you move |
Knockback & Crowd Control
Upgrade cards can add knockback to your attacks. This is one of the strongest defensive tools because it keeps monsters away from walls and can chain into other players’ attacks. Frontline classes should prioritize knockback when the forge offers it.
Wall Defense
The forge lets you repair walls and gates. Letting a wall fall exposes the objective, so assign someone to repair during lulls. Upgrades that increase wall toughness make repairs more efficient.
Co-op Combat Notes
- Friendly fire settings have been discussed by the community, but the current default is not confirmed.
- Coordinated crowd control is more effective than splitting damage.
- Revive downed teammates at the campfire between waves.
For build advice, see our best builds tier list and multiplayer guide.
From Community Gameplay
Live co-op footage adds a few combat observations that complement the official mechanics:
- Co-op is strongly recommended for combat. Solo combat was described as getting boring quickly, while higher difficulties throw multiple bosses at once (The Boys are Dwarves, 06:33 & 54:15).
- The Archer must craft arrows from wood, so keeping a wood supply flowing is essential for ranged damage (The Boys are Dwarves, 54:57).
- Stamina is more important than it first looks, especially when blocking and then following up with attacks (The Boys are Dwarves, 47:36).
- Ballistas can be built as automated defenses and do meaningful work against waves, including the smaller goblin-like enemies (The Boys are Dwarves, 05:25 & 50:52).
- Wall health upgrades and raw melee damage are both tempting forge choices; repairing walls costs stone and restores a set amount of HP (The Boys are Dwarves, 24:16 & 39:27).
- Forge upgrade cards include player attack, crit rate, armor, max health, and max stamina, so combat builds vary from run to run (The Boys are Dwarves, 02:57).
Sources
- The Boys are Dwarves (community gameplay): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-XuIMMYeW8
- Official Steam store page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4502710/
- Official Steam announcements hub: https://steamcommunity.com/games/4502710/announcements/
- Steam Community discussions: https://steamcommunity.com/app/4502710/discussions/
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