What Is Holdfast?
Holdfast is a multiplayer shooter built around teamwork, chaos, and historical battlefields. You are not meant to win every fight alone. The game is at its best when players form lines, follow officers, crew artillery, sing as musicians, patch up allies as surgeons, or charge together when the order comes.
A normal match can swing between serious coordination and complete comedy. Proximity voice chat is a big part of that. You will hear officers giving orders, musicians playing, teammates calling targets, and nearby enemies shouting back across the smoke.
Holdfast covers several eras of warfare. You can fight in Napoleonic battles with muskets, bayonets, cannons, cavalry, and sailing ships, or take to the trenches in Frontlines WW1 with rifles, machine guns, artillery, and more modern battlefield roles.
Game Types
Holdfast features two main historical settings. Movement and teamwork carry across both, but weapons, pacing, and battlefield roles change a lot.
Nations At War
The original Napoleonic setting. Players fight as armies and navies using muskets, bayonets, pistols, cannons, rockets, cavalry, and sailing ships. Expect smoke-filled volleys, officer-led charges, artillery crews, naval broadsides, and plenty of close-range melee.
This era rewards patience. Muskets are slow to reload and inaccurate at long range, so staying with your line is usually better than running off on your own.
Frontlines WW1
A World War I setting focused on trenches, rifles, machine guns, artillery, and attrition. Combat is faster and deadlier at range, but teamwork still matters. Officers, support classes, and coordinated pushes can decide whether a team breaks through or gets pinned down.
Use cover, listen for whistles and orders, and avoid standing in the open longer than you need to.
Core Gameplay
Stay With The Team
Holdfast is not a run-and-gun shooter. A lone player can still get kills, but most battles are won by groups working together. Stay near officers, musicians, surgeons, artillery crews, or ship crews depending on your role.
Listen For Orders
Officers and leaders help keep the team moving. Orders may call for a volley, a charge, a retreat, a new firing line, or a push onto an objective. If you are new, following the nearest organized group is one of the fastest ways to learn.
Use Voice And Chat
Proximity voice chat is directional and distance based. Nearby players can hear you, and nearby enemies may hear you too. Use it to call out threats, ask questions, or coordinate with your group.
If you do not want to speak, use text chat or the command radial. You can still help the team without using a microphone.
Play The Objective
Kills matter, but objectives win rounds. Capture points, defend positions, repair ships, keep officers alive, protect artillery, and support pushes. A player doing a quiet support job can be more useful than someone chasing random kills.
Expect Noise And Smoke
Battlefields get messy. Muskets produce heavy smoke, cannons shake the line, and voice chat can get lively. Do not worry if your first few rounds feel confusing. Pick a simple role, stay near teammates, and learn one thing at a time.
Universal Controls
| Action | PC Input | Console (Xbox/PS) |
|---|---|---|
| Movement | W, A, S, D | Left Thumbstick |
| Aim / Block | Right Click (Hold) | LT / L2 (Hold) |
| Fire / Attack | Left Click | RT / R2 |
| Melee Toggle | X | D-Pad Right |
| Reload / Interact | R / E | X / Square |
| Voice Chat | Y (Hold) | Y / Triangle (Hold) |
| Command Radial | Q / V | RB / R1 (Hold) |
| View HUD / Scores | Tab | View / Touchpad |
| Crouch | C | B / Circle |
Class System
Holdfast has a wide selection of battlefield roles. Some are simple and direct, while others are built around leadership, support, or specialist weapons. Try different classes until one clicks.
Command
Army Officer: Leads infantry, places orders, and keeps players together. A good officer can turn a scattered team into a proper fighting line.
Naval Captain: Commands a ship, manages its heading and sails, and positions the crew for broadsides, repairs, boarding, or escape.
Rank & File
Line Infantry: The backbone of most armies. Good for learning the game because the job is simple: stay with the line, fire when ordered, reload, and prepare for melee.
Guards & Grenadiers: Tougher troops suited for close fighting and pressure. They are useful during charges, defensive holds, and moments where the line needs to survive a push.
Skirmisher
Rifleman: More accurate at long range than standard musket infantry, but slower and less forgiving. Best played from useful positions where you can pick important targets.
Light Infantry: Mobile troops that can fight from looser positions. They are good for flanking, screening, and supporting the main line without standing shoulder to shoulder.
Support
Artilleryman: Operates cannons, mortars, rockets, and other heavy weapons. Artillery can break groups before they ever reach the line, but it takes practice to aim well.
Surgeon: Keeps teammates alive and helps the team hold ground longer. Protect your surgeons, especially during long fights around objectives.
Musician: Provides useful support while adding to the atmosphere of the battlefield. Staying near a musician can help infantry during sustained fighting.
Carpenter / Sapper: Handles repairs and construction. Carpenters keep ships alive, while sappers build defenses and useful battlefield structures.
Combat Mechanics
Aiming & Ballistics
Muskets are powerful, but they are not precision rifles. Shots can miss even when your aim looks correct, especially at long range. At close range, aim center mass. At longer ranges, aim higher and give yourself time to learn each weapon.
Rifles are more accurate, but they still reward calm aim and good positioning. Do not rush every shot. A patient player who fires from cover is often more useful than someone reloading in the open.
Reloading
Reloading takes time. Before you start, check whether enemies are close enough to charge you. If they are, switch to melee or move behind teammates.
Being caught while aiming or reloading is dangerous. In melee range, a prepared enemy can punish you quickly.
Melee System
Holdfast uses directional melee. Attacks and blocks depend on direction, so you need to read your opponent and match their strike.
Blocking: Hold block and move your mouse or right stick toward the incoming attack direction. Good blocking is more important than swinging wildly.
Feinting: Start an attack, then cancel it with block to bait a reaction. Use this sparingly while learning. Simple timing and solid blocking matter more at first.
Chambers And Drags: More advanced melee players use timing and camera movement to change how attacks land. Do not worry about mastering this on day one. Learn to block, keep distance, and avoid getting surrounded first.
Community
Holdfast has a strong community built around public servers, roleplay, regiments, events, and voice chat. Some players come for organized line battles. Some come for naval crews, artillery teams, casual chaos, music, or funny moments in proximity chat.
Regiments
Regiments are player-run groups similar to clans. They host trainings, line battles, campaigns, ceremonies, and private events. Joining one is a good way to learn faster, meet regular players, and experience Holdfast in a more organized setting.
Regiments vary in style. Some are relaxed social groups. Others use historical ranks, scheduled attendance, and strict event rules. Look for one that matches how seriously you want to play.
Public Play
You do not need a regiment to enjoy the game. Public servers are a good place to learn controls, try classes, ask questions, and get used to the pace of battle.
If you are new, tell nearby players. Most veterans would rather explain something quickly than watch a new player struggle in silence.
Voice Chat Etiquette
Use voice chat to help, joke, and coordinate, but do not drown out important orders. During events or serious pushes, clear communication matters.
If someone is disruptive, use the mute tools instead of letting them ruin the round.
Beginner Tips
Start With Line Infantry: It teaches the basics without giving you too many responsibilities at once.
Follow The Loudest Organized Group: If an officer is giving clear orders and people are following them, join that group and learn by watching.
Do Not Reload In Melee Range: If an enemy is close, switch to melee and defend yourself.
Protect Support Classes: Surgeons, musicians, carpenters, sappers, and artillery crews help the whole team. Keeping them alive can decide a round.
Try Every Role: Infantry, artillery, cavalry, navy, support, and command all play differently. You may be surprised by what you enjoy.
Use The Command Radial: If you do not want to use a microphone, the command radial still lets you communicate useful information.
Join Events When Ready: Organized events show Holdfast at its most coordinated. Public events and regiments are a great next step once you know the basics.
Have Fun With It: Holdfast is part battlefield, part community theater, and part comedy. Play the objective, be respectful, and enjoy the madness.