Underkeep Combat: Plan a Complete Round

Underkeep fights happen on the exploration grid. Choose your position before spending a hero’s action, then plan the rest of the party’s round around that commitment.

Before the first action

Look at the corridor, nearby enemies and your escape route. Check which heroes can reach the target with their equipped attack. Recover resources before engaging when it is safe to do so. Starting an attack is a tactical decision, rather than an invitation to continuously circle an enemy in real time.

Work through the party

1. Decide whether to stand, approach or retreat before anyone attacks.
2. Select the enemy you intend to focus on. Use a hero whose attack can reach it.
3. Read the active skill’s weapon requirement, resource cost and action description before using it.
4. Once a hero has acted, finish the other useful actions available this round. The player guide reports that party movement stays locked until the round ends.
5. End the round when ready and allow enemies to respond. Reassess health, status effects and position before committing again.

This sequence is an editorial way to apply the documented round rules, not a fixed rotation that guarantees a win. An unusable skill or an enemy outside melee reach needs a different decision.

The level keeps moving

The developer explains that there is no separate battle arena. Other creatures can approach while the fight advances, and doors, levers and pits remain part of the level. A narrow forward view does not guarantee that the party’s rear is safe.

Avoid assuming a harmless enemy in the distance will remain irrelevant. If a battle becomes crowded, use the next available movement opportunity to reassess the route rather than spending another attack automatically.

If a round feels stuck

Check whether a hero has already acted and whether a movement-blocking effect is present. Finish the round deliberately; repeated movement inputs do not reverse an action already taken. If a specific command still does not respond, preserve a save and record the skill, status and build for a bug report.

The game’s tooltips remain the final check for the installed version. This guide does not supply hidden initiative formulas, enemy movement speeds or boss immunities.