Getting started15 min read
Virtue stats · parry/riposte · attunement system
Soulframe uses three core stats called Virtues: Courage, Spirit, and Grace.
You start with 16 Virtue points. Each Envoy Rank gained awards one additional point. Each Loadout saves its Virtue distribution independently.
Note: Per-point Life values have changed across Preludes updates. Check the Arsenal interface in-game for current values.
Preludes 15: Virtue Lith was removed. Adjust Courage / Spirit / Grace free per loadout in Arsenal → Virtues — no consumable. See Virtues explained.
Historical: Virtue Prisms (14.5) and Virtue Lith sliders are not used in Preludes 15.
Every weapon has Virtue Attunement Pips (small dots) that determine which Virtue provides bonus damage.
Damage formula: Attunement Bonus = Courage × (Courage Pips ÷ 2) + Spirit × (Spirit Pips ÷ 2) + Grace × (Grace Pips ÷ 2)
Key rules:
Reforging with a Joinery: At the Nightfold Reforge menu, use a Joinery to add an extra Attunement Pip to a weapon. This increases scaling from that Virtue. Note: reforging again replaces the previous bonus.
Tap the attack key to chain hits. Each weapon type has a unique combo length and rhythm:
Hold the attack key to charge. Heavy attacks break guard and deal bonus stagger damage.
Weapon throw: a charged heavy attack throws your weapon. Headshots can one-shot standard enemies. The Combat Art "Perfect Throw" enhances this.
When an enemy is below the execution threshold, a Finisher prompt appears — a short cinematic attack that varies by weapon type. Finishers are not just flair: some Pact passives (for example Fellust) grant a brief damage buff immediately after a Finisher.
You can sneak behind unaware enemies for bonus damage. Grace investment lowers detection range. Stealth is useful in camps with multiple Sinecure soldiers before you pull the whole group.
Weapons level to Rank 30 through use. Every six levels grant one Combat Art point for that weapon's archetype (Bows, Long Blades, etc.). Open the bookshelf in your Nightfold to allocate or reset perks. This is separate from Virtue points — plan both.
Press block the instant an enemy attack lands. On success:
Parry timing varies by enemy. Practice on Sproutfolk first.
Hotfix 14 (Jul 29): official notes fixed a rare client crash when parrying — if you still crash on parry, verify you are on Hotfix 14+.
Tap dodge to roll. Invincibility frames (i-frames) are active throughout the roll.
Hold E to activate. Reveals:
Jump then attack to perform an aerial strike. Flyblades and Short Blades excel in the air. Aerial attacks can hit weak points on large enemies.
Passive effects from your Pact's progression tree:
Unlocked by levelling a weapon to 30. Allocate and reset points at the bookshelf in your Nightfold.
Active skills with cooldowns. Consume Pact energy built through combat (blocking and kills charge it fastest).
Each Pact has three Arcanics, enhanced by different Virtues:
Spirit also reduces all Arcanic cooldowns.
| Enemy | Notes | Strategy | |-------|-------|----------| | Sproutfolk | Low-health plant creatures | Best targets for parry practice | | Sinecure melee | Ode'n mercenaries | Parry then riposte | | Sinecure archers | Ranged attackers | Dodge in, aerial attack | | Ode'n Knights | Heavy armour, shield | Heavy attack to break guard | | Agari world bosses | Varied, 30-min respawn | Learn attack patterns, parry or dodge accordingly |
For Smite / glowing souls, stagger windows, grey armour bars, Mockery updates, Cogah level-50 scaling, and 4-player scaling, see the dedicated Boss mechanics hub — then open a specific boss page or Torment Stag.
Life Elixirs heal a percentage of max Life, then apply heal-over-time (HoT) until you are full. Taking damage stops the HoT — reposition before drinking in boss AoE. Drinking another elixir during HoT can speed the remaining heal (official patch).
Full guide: Life Elixirs.
With The Cogah Elixir active, spawned enemies start at level 50 and scale with party size — same philosophy as boss co-op (more players = tougher, not a free carry). Plan pots and Virtue gear before long bell chains; see Elite hunting.
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From catalog relations — follow-up topics for this guide.