The answer first
In The Relic: First Guardian, attacking does not consume stamina.
Last updated: 2026-07-28 · Official PlayStation Blog (Dec 2025), GamingBolt interview (Jul 22, 2026), Steam store listing (Jul 2026).
How stamina works in combat
Official developer material describes a separation between offensive and defensive resource management:
- Attacks do not drain stamina.
- Blocking, dodging and parrying consume stamina.
- Skills operate on cooldowns — a separate system from stamina.
Whether specific stamina depletion effects occur — such as defensive actions being restricted when stamina is low — has not been confirmed in available official sources.
Pre-fight preparation checklist
- Confirm your weapon style suits your preferred combat rhythm.
- Understand that attacking does not use stamina, while blocking, dodging and parrying do.
- Identify whether a fight calls for aggressive offense or patient defense based on your stamina awareness.
- Note that judgment and spacing remain important regardless of resource state.
- Verify official sources for any post-launch balance changes before relying on specific timing windows.
Combat actions at a glance
Attacking
Best for: Offensive pressure without stamina cost
Evidence: S2, S3
Blocking / Dodging
Best for: Defensive survival using stamina
Evidence: S2, S3
Skills
Best for: High-impact moves that operate on cooldowns
Evidence: S2
What is verified
- Attacks do not consume stamina (S2, corroborated by S3).
- Defensive actions and dodging use stamina (S2, corroborated by S3).
- Skills operate on cooldowns rather than a separate resource meter (S2).
- Judgment and spacing remain important regardless of resource state (S3).
What needs more evidence
- Exact stamina bar size, recovery rate or depletion effects — not published in developer sources.
- Per-weapon stamina costs for specific defensive moves — unconfirmed.
- What happens when stamina reaches zero — official sources do not confirm specific depletion effects.
- Post-launch balance changes to stamina or skill cooldowns — verify after July 31 release.
Related Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
Does attacking drain stamina?
No. Official developer material confirms that attacks do not consume stamina in The Relic: First Guardian. Only blocking, dodging and parrying use the stamina bar.
What happens when stamina runs out?
Official developer sources confirm that defensive actions and dodging use stamina. Whether specific depletion effects — such as restricted defensive options when stamina is low — are part of the system has not been confirmed.
Are skills on a shared cooldown?
No. Skills operate on cooldowns — a separate system from stamina. Whether each skill has a distinct cooldown timer has not been explicitly confirmed.
Can I rely on spacing alone to survive?
Judgment and spacing are important, but official sources indicate that specific enemy patterns may require both good positioning and timely defensive actions. Whether boss phase patterns are part of this system has not been confirmed.
Source scope and verification
Official PlayStation Blog (Dec 2025), GamingBolt interview (Jul 22, 2026), Steam store listing (Jul 2026).
Source IDs: S2, S3
Corrections and editorial limits are noted on each page. A full sources and corrections page will be added after the July 31, 2026 launch.