Stamina

Stamina is a rechargeable resource that allows heroes to perform defensive actions in melee combat - namely blocking and pushing.

In-game stamina indicator

General

The hero's base reserve of stamina is determined by the melee weapon they have equipped. This amount can be further boosted with the Necklace property, Melee Weapon property, Career Passive Abilities, or Talents. The hero's total amount of stamina is displayed at the center of the screen while blocking (right mouse button by default), shown as a series of shield icons. A full shield represents 2.0 stamina or less and a cracked shield represents 1.0 stamina or less. The weapon's base stamina is shown at the top-right corner of its hover-over tool tip in the inventory. However, the number shown in the tool tip represents the number of full stamina shields, meaning the actual stamina value is double this number.

Weapon hover-over tool tip. The actual Stamina value would be 6.

Blocking

Blocking is a melee action that allows players to negate certain sources of damage at the cost of stamina. Blocking is performed by holding the right mouse button (by default) while holding the melee weapon. The hero can still be shoved and pushed away while holding block.

Blockable Damage

Only certain sources of damage can be negated through blocking. Stamina pool cannot be reduced to below 0.

Damage Source	Block Effect
Regular melee attacks	Negates
Ungor arrows	Negates
Ratling gunner/Deathrattler bullets	Only Shield weapon negates
Select Boss melee attacks	Only Shield weapon negates. Regular weapons partially negate
Environmental damage	No effect
Friendly Fire	No effect
Special and Boss abilities	No effect

Stamina Damage

Each instance of blockable damage deals a predetermined amount of stamina damage based on its source. This value can scale based on Difficulty. Below is a table of all scaling stamina damage values. For brevity, the term Roamer is used here to refer to Marauders, Clan Rats, Ungors, Gors, Savages, and Plague Monks. The Roamer attacks only refer to their basic swinging attacks and excludes headbutts and berserker combos.

Damage Source	Recruit, Vet, Champ	Legend	Cataclysm 1, 2	Cataclysm 3
Fanatic, Slave Rat standing attack	1.0	1.0	1.5	1.5
Fanatic, Slave Rat running attack	1.0	1.0	1.5	1.5
Roamer standing attack	1.0	1.5	1.5	2.0
Roamer running attack	1.0	1.0	1.5	1.5
Elite sideway sweep, running attack	4.0	6.0	6.0	6.0

Block Broken

If the hero's stamina pool is reduced to 0 by an enemy attack, the hero briefly enters a state of being block broken. During this time, the hero cannot attack or block, their movement and dodge speed are massively reduced, and they suffer from a longer stamina recovery delay, making them extremely vulnerable.

Block/Push Angle

Block angle tooltip

Each weapon has a block angle which is shown on the top-right corner of the weapon's hover-over tool tip in the inventory. If the character blocks an attack within that angle, the block consumes less stamina based on the weapon's inner block cost modifier, while blocking outside of that angle will use more stamina based on its outer block cost modifier. The weapon's block angle is also its push angle -- the angle in front of the hero where enemies are affected by pushing. Melee weapon and necklace properties can increase the block/push angle. However, while the block angle has no hard cap, push angle cannot be raised above 180 degrees.

Block Cost Modifier

Not to be confused with block cost reduction, which stacks multiplicatively with the weapon's block cost modifier.

Pushing

Pushing, also called Shoving and Block Pushing, can be performed by pressing the attack button (left mouse button by default) while blocking. A push will stagger Infantry and most specials (Gutter Runners, Globadiers, Warpfire Throwers, Lifeleeches and the Sack Rat) at a 100 degrees angle in front of the player, with a decreased effect in a 180 degrees angle. Shields have a slightly increased push range (but not push angle).

Similarly to the push angle, some Talents and equipment properties can increase the push angle.

Stamina Recovery

Whenever stamina is expended, it automatically begins recovering after a short delay. The length of the delay is based on the last source of stamina loss.

Stamina Loss	Recovery Delay
Push with Shield weapons	0.75 seconds
Push with other weapons	1.5 seconds
Blocking damage	1.0 second
Block broken	2.0 seconds

After the delay, the rate of stamina recovery scales between around 1.5 to 2.0 per second based on the hero's maximum stamina -- the lower the maximum stamina, the faster it recovers. Stamina recovery rate can be increased by the Trinket property, talents, and Handmaiden's passive ability. Stamina recovery also reduces the length of the recovery delay.

Notes

• Holding block has no negative impact on stamina recovery.