Strength

Strength is the second melee skill: where Attack decides whether a swing lands, Strength decides how hard it hits. Your effective Strength level is the main input to your melee maximum hit, so every level shows up in the damage numbers. It trains through the Slash melee style, and it does nothing for ranged or magic.

How Strength works

A melee hit that lands rolls damage up to your maximum hit. Strength sets that ceiling together with the strength bonus on your gear, and Vigils, potions and other modifiers add percentages on top. Ranged and Magic each drive their own damage, so Strength only matters while you fight in melee.

Choose the Slash melee style and the damage you deal comes back as Strength XP. The ordinary weapon ladder reads Attack, not Strength (only a rare weapon such as the Fourfold Godsword asks for both), so the usual pattern is to raise Attack for the next weapon tier, then let Slash run until your damage catches up.

Faster kills mean more loot per hour, and that holds while you are away: a fight keeps running for up to 24 hours with the app closed, so a stronger keeper comes back to a bigger haul.

Tips for training Strength

1. If your hits land but enemies take too long to fall, Strength is the skill to raise. Switch to Slash.
2. Burst of Strength (Vigil 4), Superhuman Strength (18) and Ultimate Strength (40) each add to your melee maximum hit while they are active.
3. Two-handed weapons take the shield slot as well, so weigh their damage against the evasion a shield would give.
4. The Melee Strength Potion opens at Apothecary 60.

Skills that pair with Strength

The 28 trades aren't isolated. Strength works best alongside these:

Frequently asked about Strength

Should I train Attack or Strength first?

Alternate. Attack decides how often you land and Strength how hard, and the melee weapon ladder reads Attack. Most keepers raise Attack to reach the next weapon tier, then let Strength catch up.

Does Strength affect ranged or magic damage?

No. Ranged damage comes from your Ranged level and Magic damage from your Magic level. Strength is melee only.

What's the max-hit formula in Tideward?

Your effective Strength level and the strength bonus on your gear set your base melee maximum hit, and Vigils, potions and other modifiers raise it by a percentage. The higher both numbers, the harder every landed swing can hit.