9 Advanced Tips & Tricks for Tears of Metal

    By Marc Santos Published Jul 25, 2026, 2:00 PM EDT Marc Santos is a Guides Staff Writer from the Philippines with a BA in Communication Arts and over six years of experience in writing gaming news and guides. He plays just about everything, from turn-based RPGs to life sims, 4X, horror, and more. Marc has spent over 2,200 hours on Destiny 2, all while leaving his Steam game backlog to grow ever bigger. Tears of Metal may seem easy at first, but the difficulty ramps up noticeably once you reach Act 2 and beyond. If you're having trouble getting far in Tears of Metal, here are a few small but important optimizations you can make to your playstyle to make surviving the enemy hordes easier. Block More, Dodge Less Tears of Metal Block and Dodge tip Image via GameRant; Source: Paper Cult Blocking will absorb the majority of incoming damage for as long as you have Block Stamina to spare. Meanwhile, Dodging lets you get out of the way, but you can only do this once every second or so. Some enemies in Tears of Metal have unblockable attacks, so if they end up using those against you while your Dodge is on cooldown, you'll have a hard time avoiding damage. A good rule of thumb is to just block everything. Save your Dodge for area attacks (ones that create a red circle on the ground) and unblockable attacks. Dodging is also a great way to clear big groups or reach enemies that are farther away, as you can follow this up with a heavy attack that deals good damage over a wide area. Sometimes, walking away is better than expending a Dodge charge. If you know you have time to get out of harm's way, save your Dodge charge and just scoot over to the side. Sidestep with Heavy Attacks Tears of Metal Heavy Attack sidestep Image via GameRant; Source: Paper Cult The animations for heavy attacks (for Wallace, at least) will make your character take a small step forward. You can use this to quickly reposition yourself without having to burn your Dodge cooldown. This is mostly useful when there's an incoming arrow or if an enemy is trying to charge forward. You'll have to release your target lock for this, though, so be mindful of that. This technique is especially useful when playing Tears of Metal multiplayer since other players can draw aggro away from enemies, giving you time and space to plan your moves without getting pressured. Chain Your Combos Tears of Metal Heavy Explosive Attack Image via GameRant; Source: Paper Cult You can seamlessly flow between different attack moves to better suit the situation you're in (as long as you're not doing a finisher). This is particularly useful if you want to close gaps in between targets without having to spend a Dodge charge. As far as Wallace goes, keep the following attack/combo traits in mind: Stab attacks are better at breaking your enemy's Block than your other attacks Heavy Finishers are great for dealing extra damage over a wide area (and they can trigger your perk effects too) Light attacks are generally good because of how fast they are, but they deal little damage; the final hit of your light attack combo deals more damage What's That Weapon? Identify the silhouettes before time runs out. Easy (7.5s) Medium (5.0s) Hard (2.5s) Permadeath (2.5s) Start 5.0 s 0 / 10 Restart Back Results 0 High Score: 0 — Play Again Back More Games What's That Weapon? Identify the silhouettes before time runs out. Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s) Start 5.0 s 0 / 10 Restart Back Results 0 High Score: 0 — Play Again Back More Games Know When to Spam Light Attacks Tears of Metal Light Attack combo hits Image via GameRant; Source: Paper Cult Sometimes, it's better to spam light attacks when facing certain enemies. The elite swordsmen in Act 2, for example, attack very frequently, and their overhead sword strikes come out fairly quickly too. If you use heavy attacks and finishers against them, you'll be locking yourself in an animation that will absolutely get you hit. Light attacks, on the other hand, give you enough opportunities to cancel out of a combo and block/parry accordingly. Also, when you stun an enemy with a stagger meter, they'll get staggered by every attack that hits them. Use this opportunity to unleash a barrage of 5–6 light attacks before finishing with a heavy strike. Focus Your Build Tears of Metal Clan Emblem selection Image via GameRant; Source: Paper Cult Ideally, the equipment and perks you get during a run should all focus on improving one or two aspects of your kit; no more, no less. If you get Emblems that improve your Heavy Attacks and Blocking ability, for example, then all the rest of the Emblems you get should focus on those. This prevents you from spreading your power thin — having a high-level perk is much better than having many low-level ones. The same general idea applies to whenever you're choosing between Emblem Clans. Pick up to two clans at most, if luck permits. If not, then apply the tip above. Pace Your Strikes Tears of Metal Fighting Shield Elite Image via GameRant; Source: Paper Cult While fighting, you shouldn't just be mashing your buttons recklessly. Not only can this get you hit if you accidentally use the wrong attack, but it can also mess up your combo inputs if you're not careful. Be deliberate when attacking — don't press your attack buttons any more than you should. This gives you the chance to react to enemies and read the battlefield situation more calmly. If you're playing Wallace, keep in mind that you can't chain a Heavy Finisher to the third hit of your light attack combo. By pacing your strikes, you can get into a better battle rhythm, minimizing the odds of you fumbling your combos. Your Army Matters Tears of Metal Army Selection Screen Image via GameRant; Source: Paper Cult You won't be fighting alone in Tears of Metal . Soldiers will always be with you during a battle, and apart from soaking up aggro from fodder enemies, you can order them to perform different attacks based on their role: Infantry will rush a single target and pummel them with blows Spearmen will charge through enemy lines, making them great for clearing crowds Archers will rain arrows from above; they excel at damaging slow or stationary targets Additionally, the Captains controlling each unit can get Monikers and Emblems. Monikers provide small but permanent stat bonuses, and you get to give one to a Captain of your choice at the end of a run. Meanwhile, Emblems provide much more powerful bonuses, but they'll disappear if you fail to save a Captain that gets taken down during combat (this is a roguelike game , after all). You should be paying as much attention to your army as you do to your own playable characters. Promote your Captains, equip the right Emblems and Monikers, and do what you can to keep them alive. In return, they'll give you powerful bonuses that can make the difference between failure and success. You'll eventually get higher-level Captains as you play Tears of Metal . Once you do, you can dismiss your lower-level ones at the army screen just before starting a run. Don't forget to buy army upgrades back home. Spend Your Money Wisely Tears of Metal Purchased Item Image via GameRant; Source: Paper Cult I know that the loading screen tells you this, but that tip alone isn't going to cut it. You have three things to consider before you spend your money: How many items do you currently have? Would you rather get a random drop, or buy a specific item from merchants? How much health do you have left? In my experience, purchasing random chests during Act 1 is better than saving money for merchants . You get immediate (albeit random) stat boosts by buying out chests, which means you get stronger much earlier. If you wait for the opportunity to buy from merchants, you'll be sacrificing power in hopes of getting better equipment. The latter is still a gamble, but it's a lot more deterministic compared to just opening chests. If you're low on health, path toward regions with a heart symbol. In these maps, you'll find guaranteed healing shrines. Let Them Break Your Guard Tears of Metal Broken Block Image via GameRant; Source: Paper Cult Having your guard broken is a bad thing, but not all the time. If you think you're going to get hit by a big attack, you might as well absorb all of that damage by letting the enemy deplete your Block Stamina . This is particularly useful for end-of-act bosses like Gilles the Hog, who has very strong single-strike attacks. While your Block Stamina is depleted, you won't be able to block any more attacks until the entire bar is replenished. During this time, focus on Dodgine and proper positioning to avoid damage. You can Parry in Tears of Metal by timing your blocks perfectly. Parrying will negate the damage of that attack, and it won't cost you any Block Stamina. Tears of Metal Like Follow Followed Action Roguelike Hack and Slash Systems Released 2026 Developer(s) Paper Cult Publisher(s) Paper Cult Multiplayer Online Co-Op Number of Players 1-4 players 10 Images Close Where to play Close WHERE TO PLAY DIGITAL Steam Deck Compatibility Unknown Genre(s) Action , Roguelike, Hack and Slash Platform(s) PC Powered by Expand Collapse Close