Turn-Based Combat Guide: Rows and Builds

Master Underkeep turn based combat with row placement, action order, mana and food management, plus party-building tips for every fight.

How Underkeep Turn Based Combat Actually Works

Underkeep turn based combat looks simple right up until a second enemy walks in behind your back row. The game pairs grid-based movement with a system where nothing resolves in real time — yet the dungeon keeps advancing around you while you fight. Knowing that overlap is the difference between a clean encounter and a slow, resource-draining disaster.

There is no separate battle screen and no tactical sub-game. Underkeep turn based combat happens in the same space you explore: your four adventurers each take one action, then the monsters respond, then the cycle repeats. Because the level continues to tick forward on its own turn structure, doors open, levers can be pulled, pits can swallow a character, and fresh enemies can close in from behind mid-fight. Traps are the one thing that will not wait for your turn.

The result is a streamlined system rather than a deeply layered one. Regular encounters are often handled with straightforward attacks, so the real skill sits in preparation, positioning, and knowing when to spend a rare resource.

The Turn Cycle at a Glance

Step	What Happens	What to Watch
1	You pick an action for one party member	Mana cost and target priority
2	Remaining party members act in sequence	Keep one defensive or utility option available
3	Enemies respond with their actions	Physical attacks can miss; armor reduces their damage
4	The rest of the level advances	Levers, doors, pits, and new enemies closing in
5	Repeat until the encounter ends	Your resources carry into exploration

Row Placement and Party Building

You build a party of four from six races and seven classes, with roughly 70 skills to experiment with. That is a lot of freedom, and composition genuinely changes how fights feel. The classic structure — durable melee characters screening spellcasters — works because the party is split into a front row and a back row, and the tougher characters belong up front.

Because Underkeep turn based combat resolves one action per character, every slot matters. A back-row character who runs dry on mana becomes nearly dead weight, while a front-row character without enough protection forces you to spend turns healing instead of attacking. Equipment is where you fine-tune the plan: gear can boost elemental damage, improve survivability, or make specific status effects land more reliably. Skills also improve gradually over the adventure, so a build that feels weak early can mature.

Front Row vs. Back Row Priorities

Consideration	Front Row	Back Row
Primary job	Absorb hits and hold the line	Deal reliable damage and control the fight
Damage style	Physical attacks, which can miss and are reduced by armor	Magic, which is more consistent but consumes mana
Resource pressure	Low mana reliance	High mana reliance
Equipment focus	Survivability and armor	Elemental damage and status effect potency
Risk during fights	Targeted first, especially from behind	Exposed if enemies flank the party

If you want to see how the system plays in motion, the turn-based combat structure modeled on classic dungeon crawlers is worth understanding before you commit to a party concept.

Spending Each Turn Well

In Underkeep turn based combat, most losses come from wasted turns rather than weak builds. Casting an expensive spell on a nearly dead enemy, attacking a heavily armored target with physical hits, or ignoring a second enemy approaching from the rear all cost you more than they appear to. Decide your target order before the round begins and stick to it.

Physical attacks are your free option: they cost nothing but can miss and are blunted by armor. Magic is the consistent option, which makes it the right answer for armored targets and emergencies — but every cast draws down a pool that does not refill on its own while you explore. Keep at least one character capable of a meaningful action when everyone else is spent.

Situation-by-Situation Defaults

Situation	Best Default	Why It Works
Weak enemies, healthy party	Basic physical attacks	Conserves mana for real threats
Heavily armored target	Magic or elemental damage	Physical hits can miss and get reduced
Mana running low	Consumables and basic attacks	Mana does not regenerate while exploring
New enemy behind the party	Rotate rows or reposition	Back-row characters are vulnerable to flanking
Lever, door, or hazard nearby	Interact during the fight	The level keeps advancing whether you act or not
Unknown enemy ahead	Open with reliable damage	Avoid gambling a turn on a miss

Mana, Food, and Consumables

Underkeep turn based combat punishes sloppy resource planning more than sloppy tactics. Mana does not automatically regenerate as you explore, so every spell is a withdrawal from a limited account. Food matters too, and consumables are the bridge between fights when your casters are empty and your front row is bruised.

This is not busywork — it is the reason preparation has value. Merchants, equipment upgrades, and potion crafting all feed into the same loop: stock up in town, spend carefully in the dungeon, and return before you are forced to retreat. Enemies generally do not respawn indefinitely, which means the adventure is built around finite experience and loot rather than farming. You cannot grind your way out of a badly managed party.

Resource Checklist Before You Descend

Resource	Why It Matters	Practical Habit
Mana	Powers your most reliable damage	Save it for armored or dangerous targets
Food	Keeps the party functioning on long delves	Restock at the hub village before every trip
Consumables	Cover gaps when mana and health are low	Carry a buffer, not a single emergency item
Equipment upgrades	Improve damage, survivability, or status effects	Upgrade to fix a specific weakness, not just raw numbers
Teleport gates	Shorten the trip back to safety	Unlock them early and use them to bank progress

Exploration Is Half the Fight

Underkeep turn based combat is only part of the challenge. The world is handcrafted rather than randomly generated, with a central village hub and connected regions including forests, mines, crypts, swamps, and underground areas. Secret passages hide behind ordinary-looking walls, objects can be interacted with, and some puzzles block progress until you solve them. That means a strong party can still stall out if you are not paying attention.

Optional loot and hidden rooms are where your build actually gets finished. Exploration rewards curiosity with gear and resources that make later fights easier, and teleportation gates make returning to previously cleared areas painless. A short detour for a hidden passage often pays better than pushing deeper with an under-equipped group.

Exploration Habit → Combat Payoff

Habit	Payoff
Probe suspicious walls	Secret passages with optional loot
Interact with unusual objects	Items, shortcuts, and puzzle clues
Solve environmental puzzles	Removes hard progression blocks
Clear optional areas	Extra gear and upgrade materials
Unlock teleport gates	Safe return trips and efficient restocking

If you want to test a party idea before building it out, a playable demo has been available during Steam Next Fest — a good chance to see how rows and mana pressure feel.

Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Most Underkeep turn based combat problems trace back to a handful of habits. Fix these and the difficulty curve smooths out considerably, even without changing your party.

Mistake	Symptom	Fix
Treating magic as free damage	Empty casters mid-dungeon	Default to physical attacks on trivial fights
Ignoring the rear	Back-row characters shredded from behind	Rotate rows when a second enemy closes in
Skipping secrets	Under-leveled and under-geared later	Search walls and objects in each new area
Delaying upgrades	Fights drag on unnecessarily	Spend at merchants before long delves
Farming for levels	Wasted time	Clear areas once, thoroughly, and move on

None of this makes combat brutally demanding — it is a streamlined system, not a puzzle box. The rewards come from exploration, character progression, and discovering things yourself, and the multiple endings give you a reason to rebuild your party and try different choices.

FAQ

Is Underkeep turn based combat or real time? It is fully turn-based. Your party members each take one action, then the enemies act. Traps are the exception, since they trigger on their own.

Does Underkeep turn based combat switch to a separate battle screen? No. Fights happen in the dungeon itself, and the level keeps advancing on its turn structure while you fight. You can pull levers, open doors, or fall into pits mid-encounter.

Can I move during a fight in Underkeep turn based combat? Yes. Grid-based movement and interaction remain available while enemies are attacking, which is why flanking enemies are a real threat.

How many characters and classes can I use in Underkeep turn based combat? You build a party of four from six races and seven classes, with around 70 skills to combine across your lineup.