Apocrypha Combat Guide — M1 Trading, Parries, and Dashing
Apocrypha's combat system revolves around M1 trading, parry timing (hold F), and dashing (Q). Master these three mechanics and you will win most duels even with a B-tier race.
Table of Contents
How to Win an M1 Trade
An M1 trade is when both players are pressing M1 (basic attack) at the same time. The first player to land the next hit wins the trade and gets combo priority. To win the trade, you need to parry — hold F just before the strike lands. A successful parry stuns the opponent and lets you M1 them for free.
- Press M1 to start a trade
- When you see the opponent's M1 animation start, hold F to parry
- If the parry lands, you stun them and get free follow-up M1s
- M1 as fast as humanly possible to get the 'priority' effect
How to Get Behind a Block
If the opponent is parrying, you cannot land an M1 directly. To get behind their parry, dash to the side with Q (hold Q and move the stick), then M1 from the new angle. The parry only blocks attacks from the front, so flanking breaks the block.
Rogue Quickstep is the Best Defensive Skill
If you have the Rogue subclass, Quickstep gives you brief i-frames + movement speed on a short cooldown. Use it to disengage when your parry is on cooldown, or to bait out an opponent's M1 then re-engage from a new angle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is M1 trading the only PvP mechanic?
M1 trading, parry, dash, and class skills are the main PvP loop. Spellblade adds magic damage windows; Shinobi adds combo chains; Harvester adds bleed DoT pressure.