How Does Progression Mode Work in Half Sword?

Progression Mode is the core of Half Sword. You create a character and battle your way up from a poor beggar to a respected knight by earning money and gaining levels. Like much of this medieval combat game, the system isn’t clearly explained, so this guide will walk you through everything you need to know – from getting coins and equipment to leveling up and understanding what happens when your character dies.

How Does Progression Mode Work In Half Sword?

Currently, you can only get better weapons and armor for Free Mode by playing through Progression Mode, so it’s pretty much required. Also, the game only allows for one save file.

Character Creation

When creating a character, returning players can begin at a rank they’ve already achieved, while new players will start as a Beggar. Besides selecting a starting weapon and character height, all other customization options are purely cosmetic.

Your character will begin with a low weight, but muscle is gained over time in Half Sword.

The Inn

The inn is essentially the main hub for Progression Mode. Here, players can:

Enter contests via the jester.
Choose their loadout.
Visit the trader to buy weapons and armor or insurance for their gear.
Train against a practice dummy.
Hire mercenaries to fight alongside you.
Spar with no stakes.
Rest to advance time and unlock new contests.
Heal after being wounded.
Forge weapons or customize your armor (rotates each day).
Complete errands to earn extra money.

If you’ve taken a lot of damage, remember to restore your health before starting the next battle. It’s a common mistake to overlook this, and unfortunately, you can’t heal between rounds.

Competing In Fights

Battles are central to Progression Mode. Every day, players can select from several contests by clicking on the jester at the inn. Each contest requires an entry fee and offers a potential prize pool.

Battles come in different forms with various ways to win. A brawl, for instance, is fought with just your fists – no weapons allowed. Check the artwork on each card to see if weapons are being used in that particular fight.

Matches can be won by submitting your opponent, being the first to knock them down, pushing them outside the arena, or getting the first hit. However, if a player is defeated, they lose. It’s generally better to encourage opponents to surrender rather than trying to defeat them, and especially to get them to surrender while using the Half Sword technique.

Most matches are one-on-one, but you can also play in teams of two or in a free-for-all where everyone fights each other. The number of rounds in the match will be shown, and you need to win every round to get the prize.

Try to choose fights with low bets, a high prize pool, and fewer rounds.

Ranking Up

If you start as a Beggar, you’ll only be able to participate in Beggar fights at first. But as you win fights, you’ll fill up a progress bar. Once it’s full, you’ll unlock the Beggar Tournament. If you win all 7 rounds of the tournament, you’ll be promoted to Peasant! The fights get tougher as you rank up, but you’ll also earn better rewards. Plus, you’ll discover new events and explore different maps as you climb the ranks.

Hire mercenaries at the inn to help you pass these tournaments.

All the ranks in Half Sword are as follows:

Beggar
Peasant
Commoner
Militia
Soldier
Veteran
Man at Arms
Knight
Lord

As you achieve higher ranks, you’ll unlock the ability to craft new weapons, and you’ll also find improved armor and weapons for sale at the trader.

Weapons, Armor & Insurance

The blacksmith located in the lower-right corner of the inn alternates each day between making weapons and customizing armor. These items can also be purchased from the traveling trader. Players will need to earn a significant amount of in-game currency in Half Sword to afford them.

After defeating enemies, you can collect their weapons and armor by pressing Q or E. You can also quickly equip or put away these items by holding down the same buttons.

If you drop items that aren’t yours and then leave a battle, or if you die, those items will be gone forever. To prevent this, visit the trader and pay a small fee to insure your belongings.

Insured weapons and armor will also become available in Free Mode.

What Happens When You Die In Progression Mode?

If you die in battle without having killed anyone, your soul is immediately saved. However, if you have defeated opponents, you’ll find yourself in the Abyss, waking up inside a coffin. The more enemies you’ve killed, the more zombies will try to kill you when you wake up.

If you survive, you can carry on as usual. If you die in the Abyss, however, that’s game over.

When you create a new character, you can begin at the highest rank you previously achieved, though you’ll start over within that rank. Your character’s weight and muscle mass will be reset, but you’ll keep most of your gold, weapons, and armor.

2026-02-07 23:06