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Your First Match
Use this as a simple checklist for your first few rounds:
- Spawn with the main group. If you are unsure, choose a Line Infantry, Sailor, or other simple frontline role.
- Look for the objective. Check the top HUD, map, or team movement. Game Modes explains the different win conditions.
- Follow an Officer, Sergeant, Captain, or visible mass of teammates. Orders and formation buffs matter.
- Reload behind cover or behind your line. Reloading leaves you vulnerable, especially in melee range.
- Do not block artillery, ladders, ship wheels, or cannon crews. If someone is operating a team asset, give them space.
- Ask before taking command roles. Captain, Officer, and artillery roles are powerful but can hurt the team when misused.
If you get lost: regroup at the nearest friendly spawn, follow the largest friendly push, and avoid charging alone into an objective.
Game Types
Holdfast features multiple historical theatres and round types. The broad split is between Napoleonic / Age of Sail combat and Frontlines WW1 combat.
Nations At War
The original Napoleonic-era setting for Holdfast. Players fight as 18th-19th century armies and navies using muskets, bayonets, cannons, cavalry, and sailing ships. It includes army battles, sieges, conquest, naval engagements, and coastal modes.
Frontlines WW1
A World War I-themed experience within Holdfast. Players use bolt-action rifles, pistols, machine guns, grenades, artillery, and trenches. The gameplay emphasizes attrition, cover, suppression, and coordinated pushes.
For mode-specific objectives, maps, and win conditions, see Game Modes and Maps.
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 |
| Command Radial | Q / V | RB / R1 (Hold) |
| View HUD / Scores | Tab | View / Touchpad |
| Crouch | C | B / Circle |
Class System
Classes decide your weapons, traits, abilities, and team responsibilities. For the full role list, use Classes.
Command
Army Officer: Coordinates the line of battle. Issues Orders such as Fire, Charge, Form Line, and Reinforce that provide buffs to nearby troops.
Naval Captain: Commands the ship, manages sail state and heading, and coordinates broadsides, repairs, ramming, and boarding. See Command and Naval Combat before taking the wheel on a live server.
Rank & File
Line Infantry: The versatile backbone. Strong beginner pick because the job is clear: stay with the line, fire with the group, and defend the objective. See Rank and File.
Guards & Grenadiers: Elite shock troops with stronger close-range utility and defensive traits. They are good once you understand positioning and timing.
Skirmisher
Rifleman: Accurate at longer ranges but slower to reload. Pick this when you can stay alive, choose targets, and avoid blocking the main line. See Skirmisher and Shooting.
Light Infantry: Mobile skirmishers that fight around flanks, cover, and awkward angles.
Support
Artilleryman: Operates cannons, mortars, rockets, and other heavy weapons. Learn Artillery before taking key guns in a serious round.
Carpenter / Sapper: Repairs, builds, and keeps defensive positions or ships alive. See Defences, Spawnable Props, and Naval Combat.
Combat Mechanics
Aiming & Ballistics
Projectile Drop: Smoothbore muskets are inaccurate and have noticeable drop. At short range, aim center mass; at longer range, aim higher and fire with the group. For details, see Shooting.
Vulnerability: Any player caught reloading or aiming is in a vulnerable state. Keep distance from enemies while reloading and switch to melee early if someone closes on you.
Melee System
Holdfast uses directional melee. The basics are simple, but timing takes practice. See Melee for full details.
Blocking: You must match the direction of your opponent's strike. Moving the Mouse or Right Stick Down while holding Block will counter a downward bayonet thrust.
Feinting: Start an attack, then quickly tap Block to cancel it. This baits your opponent into a defensive stance, leaving them open to a follow-up strike.
Drags: Moving your camera during the "Thrust" phase can alter the strike's path, though excessive "dragging" reduces damage dealt.
Where To Go Next
Once you know the basics, use these pages as your next steps.
Pro Tips
Musicians: Stay near a Musician when fighting in formation. Music can provide useful buffs, and later updates allow musicians to support more classes, including ship crew-mates.
Surgeons: Protect your Surgeon. They keep pushes alive and save tickets by healing wounded teammates.
Officers and Captains: Listen for orders. Buffs and coordinated timing matter more than individual aim.
Artillery and Ship Guns: Do not grab a loaded team weapon unless you know what it is aimed at. A bad shot can waste a long reload or hit friendlies.
HUD Toggle: For cinematic gameplay, hold H on PC or the Menu/Options button on console to hide the UI. For normal play, keep the HUD visible until you understand the game state.