Risen Soldier, an enemy in Valor Mortis

Risen Soldier Enemy type 7 of 15 · first met in The Battlefield

Enemy187 placements3 elite variants
Health
100
Catalysts
50
Placements
187
Methodology
Data Methodology

Risen Soldier is an enemy type in Valor Mortis, first met in The Battlefield and placed 187 times across 11 regions. At level 1 it has 100 HP and gives 50 Catalysts; its strongest placements (level 6) have 400 HP and hit ×2.7 harder. It uses 7 attacks, 1 of them unblockable. No damage type does extra damage to it.

Health
100Level 1 · #12 of 15 by HP
Catalysts (level 1)
50200 Catalysts at level 6
Weak to
No weakness
Placements
18711 regions · #1 most common
Most likely drop
Whetstone3%
Can be backstabbed
YesBlocks your attacks
Related guideValor Mortis Combat Guide: Parry, Posture & Unblockables

How to beat Risen Soldier

Game data

Counterplay for Risen Soldier, written from its move list, resistances, variants and drops.

The Risen Soldier is the most common enemy in Valor Mortis (187 spawners in 11 regions, 42 in the Vale of Wrath alone) and the one to master first. Its only red attack is Combo 2 Heavy, which is also its hardest hit (50, more than double anything else it does); every other move deals 18 to 22 and blocks for 27 to 32 Endurance.

Soldiers block: their stored block-chance sequence runs 0% / 10% / 50% / 50% / 100%, so long strings get stopped. Basic Tier 1 soldiers have no posture bar and die to a single backstab (100 damage at level 1), but Tier 3 (400 HP, 400 posture, 30% resistance to firearms, explosives and fire) is a different fight. Head shots deal 1.5x, and damage scales up to 2.7x by level 6.

The Elite Emissary is a mini-boss: 2,500 HP, 1,000 posture, 6 Stasis segments and 30% melee resistance. It has no Stasis resistance, so a full freeze (750 break damage) is the efficient answer.

How to fight Risen Soldier

Game data

Tips built from its data: what it resists, what it is weak to, which attacks to dodge and how to open it up.

  • Watch for the red attacks: Combo 2Heavy cannot be blocked, so dodge them instead of holding block.
  • Its head takes ×1.5 damage, so aim firearm shots at the head.
  • It can block and parry your attacks (block chance 0% / 10% / 50% / 50% / 100%, parry chance — as the game lists them), so mix in charged attacks and posture damage instead of mashing light attacks.
  • Sneak up on it: a backstab deals a fixed 100 damage at level 1, 100% of its health (1 backstab kills it).
  • Its toughest variant, Elite Emissary*, starts at 2,500 HP, far more than the 100 of a level-1 placement.

Risen Soldier variants

Game data

The game defines 9 versions of this enemy. Each has its own health, posture and defensive behaviour; elites are tougher one-off placements, summoned ones appear mid-fight.

Risen Soldier variants
VariantRoleHealth (lowest → highest level)CatalystsPostureStasis segmentsBlock chanceParry chanceBackstabPlaced
Tier 1*Regular100 → 40050—20% / 10% / 50% / 50% / 100%—Yes77
Tier 2*Regular160 → 6408025020% / 20% / 50% / 50% / 100%—Yes50
Tier 3*Regular400 → 80020040030% / 30% / 50% / 100%—Yes12
Tier 0*Regular60 → 25240——Yes—Yes17
Tier 2 No Red Attacks*Regular160802502Yes—Yes1
Tier 2 Only Red Attacks*Regular160702502Yes—Yes—
Elite*Elite600 → 1,0201,50050040% / 50% / 100%—Yes1
Elite T3*Elite700 → 68075035030% / 50% / 100%—No1
Elite Emissary*Elite2,500 → 4,25015,0001,0006100%—No1

* Variant names are built from the game's internal tier tags (the game shows no name for them). Block and parry chances are listed in the order the game stores them. Placed = how many level spawners use that variant.

Health of every variant by level

Health of every variant by level
VariantLv 1Lv 2Lv 3Lv 4Lv 5Lv 6
Tier 1*100140180240320400
Tier 2*160224288384512640
Tier 3*400480560640720800
Tier 0*6090126168210252
Elite*6008401,020———
Elite T3*700560680———
Elite Emissary*2,5003,5004,250———

Speed and posture by variant

Game data

How fast each variant closes the distance, and how quickly its posture comes back once you stop pressuring it.

Its fastest variant moves at 5 m/s; your walk speed is 4 m/s.

Speed and posture by variant
VariantRoleMove speedSprintPosture recoveryRecovery delay
Tier 1*Regular5 m/s—10/s2 s
Tier 2*Regular5 m/s—8/s5 s
Tier 3*Regular5 m/s—10/s5 s
Tier 0*Regular5 m/s—10/s2 s
Tier 2 No Red Attacks*Regular5 m/s—20/s2 s
Tier 2 Only Red Attacks*Regular5 m/s—20/s2 s
Elite*Elite5 m/s5 m/s30/s2 s
Elite T3*Elite5 m/s—15/s3 s
Elite Emissary*Elite5 m/s5 m/s30/s2 s

Speeds are the AI's movement settings in metres per second. Posture recovery is the posture regained per second, and the delay is the wait before recovery begins (game fields posture_recovery_per_sec and posture_reset_delay). — = not set for that variant.

Risen Soldier level scaling

Game data

Enemy levels in Valor Mortis are set per placement, not by a difficulty setting (the game has a single difficulty): the same enemy is level 1 in one spot and level 6 in another, usually higher later in the campaign. This is the main variant from level 1 to 6.

Risen Soldier level scaling
LevelHealthCatalystsDamage dealtCritical attack damage takenBackstab damage takenBackstab share of HP
Lv 110050×1100100100%
Lv 214080×1.4140140100%
Lv 3180110×1.7180180100%
Lv 4240140×2240240100%
Lv 5320170×2.3320320100%
Lv 6400200×2.7400400100%

Damage dealt multiplies every attack's base damage. Critical attacks (after a posture break) and backstabs deal the fixed amounts shown, whatever your weapon; the share column is our arithmetic.

Risen Soldier attacks

Game data

Every damaging attack across its variants, grouped into moves, with base damage per hit, wind-up and whether you can block it.

Moves
MoveTypeHitsDamage per hitWind-upBlock / parry
Combo 2Heavy*Melee1500.4 sUnblockableparry window 0.1 s
Combo 1*Melee1220.4 sBlockableparry window 0.2 s
Charge*Special122—Blockableparry window 0.2 s
Soldier Charge No Windup*Melee1220.4 sBlockableparry window 0.2 s
Combo 2*Melee1200.6 sBlockableparry window 0.2 s
Spin*Melee118—Blockableparry window 0.2 s
Jump*Melee118—Blockableparry window 0.2 s

* Attack names are built from the game's internal tags. Damage is the level-1 base; multiply by the placement's damage multiplier (up to ×2.7 at level 6), so Combo 2Heavy goes from 50 to about 135.

Risen Soldier resistances and weak points

Game data

It has no special resistances or weaknesses: every damage type works the same.

Melee—
Firearms—
Explosives—
Fire damage—
Ignite build-up—
Stasis (Crystallization)—
Infection—

Red = takes extra damage of that type; filled to the right = resists it (100% = immune).

Weak points

Weak points
Body partDamage takenPosture damage taken
Head×1.5×1
Chest×1×1
Hands×0.8×1
Legs×0.8×1

Variants with different resistances

Variants with different resistances
VariantMeleeFirearmsExplosivesFire damageStasis (Crystallization)InfectionHead
Tier 1* · main——————×1.5
Tier 3*—−30%−30%−30%——×2.2
Elite*———−35%——×2.2
Elite T3*—−30%−30%−30%——×0.6
Elite Emissary*−30%——−35%——×2.2

Red = takes extra damage of that type; negative = resists it. Head = damage multiplier on head hits.

Risen Soldier drops

Game data

Random drops on every kill, with the chance the game rolls for each.

Risen Soldier drops
ItemTypeChanceAmountOn average
WhetstoneConsumable3%11 in 33 kills
Crude Blade MaterialUpgrade material1%11 in 100 kills

"On average" is 1 ÷ chance (calculated): the expected number of kills per drop, not a guarantee.

Where to find Risen Soldier

Game data

Placed spawners per region in campaign order: 187 in total, the most in Vale of Wrath (42).

Where to find Risen Soldier
LocationRegionPlacedEnemy levelHealthShare of placementsMap
Abandoned ChurchHub311002%Show on map
The BattlefieldI36110019%Show on map
Valley of AshesII33110018%Show on map
Fallen VillageIII71–2100–1404%Show on map
CavernsIV111–2100–1406%Show on map
Vale of WrathV421–5100–32022%Show on map
Cursed HollowVI721404%Show on map
The OutskirtsVII192–5140–32010%Show on map
City of OrphansVIII942405%Show on map
UniversityIX103–5180–3205%Show on map
FortressX104–5240–3205%Show on map

Counts are the game's placed spawners; scripted waves and summons during fights are not included.

Data: Steam build 25907482 (1.0 launch). How we source this

Vale of Wrath
Full map
Map drawn from the region's own level geometry in the game files (terrain, buildings, water); every marker sits at the exact position of a placed object.

Everything placed in Vale of Wrath

Ability altars: 3

Bosses: 2 (Slaughtermill)

Boss arenas: 1

Chests: 19 (Butcher's Carnage, Pure Blade Material, Lucky Shot, Exquisite Firearm Parts, Perfectionism, Distilled Transmutation Material, Superior Firearm Parts, Empty Ferrofluid Flask, Wound that Heals, Distilled Blade Material, Pure Transmutation Material, Ferrofluid Flask Power Upgrade, Dilated Moment)

Keys: 1 (Basement Key)

Lanterns: 5 (Ship Graveyard, Under the Bridge, Poisoned Camp, Old Windmill, Wolfsbane Field)

Letters: 23 (Mirek's Note, Shrike's Appeal — Join the Resistance, Deserter's Friend Diary, Wolf's Note — Poison, Cryptic Note — Wolf, Wanted Notice, Shrike's Appeal, Medic's Letter, Shrike's Order — Cargo, Painter's Final Letter, Headquarters' Orders — New Troops, Beekeeper's Note, Captain Lefèvre's Letter — New Troops, Shrike's Appeal — Informants, Thief's Note — Loot, Thief's Note — Warning, Emissary's Letter, Headquarters' Orders — Poisoned Troops, Shrike's Orders — Cargo, Rebel's Note — Mistake, Cargo Manifest, Toothless Jack's Journal, Deserter's Diary)

Hits to kill Risen Soldier

Calculated

Basic hits needed to kill a level-1 Risen Soldier (100 HP) with every blade and firearm at weapon levels 1, 5 and 10.

Hits to kill
WeaponWeapon level 1Weapon level 5Weapon level 10
Pistol430 per hit3 to the head342 per hit2 to the head260 per hit
Musket1150 per hit1210 per hit1300 per hit
Blunderbuss1150 per hit1230 per hit1350 per hit
Saber520 per hit340 per hit260 per hit
Rapier425 per hit335 per hit345 per hit
Claymore250 per hit280 per hit1100 per hit

Calculated from weapon damage × the first light attack's multiplier × (1 − resistance); firearms also show head hits. Upgrades, Ambers, coatings and the stat board are not included, and higher-level placements need proportionally more hits.

Journal entry

Game data

William's journal page on Risen Soldier, as written in the game.

SpoilerShow the journal entry

At first, I thought of them as maniacs, possessed by the horrors of what they have seen — but their eyes show no light of life in them. They are but shambling cold corpses that cannot tell friend from foe, risen by a plague unheard of.

When fleeting fragments of memory carry me back, everything appears blurred, as though seen through smoke. I can scarcely remember only brief flashes: the faces of my comrades, the clash of sabres... Yet one thought lingers with strange clarity: those men knew how to fight. Their strikes were measured, disciplined.

These dead-eyed creatures are different. They swing their blades in enormous, desperate arcs, without precision or restraint. At first, I believed it to be madness, but now another thought torments me: perhaps it is fear. What if they only swing their weapons so wildly because they are trying to keep death at bay? And if fear drives them, why do they never flee?

While I make my way forward, taking them down one by one, I cannot escape a deeper question. These plagued creatures still move, still react, yet something essential is absent. Does will remain within them, or only an imitation of it? They do not flee, nor hesitate as a living man would. What force reduced them to this state? Were they condemned by someone, or simply caught in the wrong place when the plague arrived? Were they aware of the change, as it consumed them from within? Or was the transformation rapid — a sudden death of free will, until only habit was left?

Risen Soldier is the #1 most common of the 15 enemy types, with 187 placements across 11 regions; you meet it first in The Battlefield and see it most in Vale of Wrath. Of its 7 attacks, 1 is unblockable (Combo 2Heavy), and the hardest hitter is Combo 2Heavy at 50 base damage. No damage type does extra damage to it, so pick a weapon you like. None of its placements carry a scripted Amber or key. Its health runs from 100 at level 1 to 400 at level 6, paying 50 Catalysts to 200 Catalysts.

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Risen Soldier FAQ

How do you beat Risen Soldier in Valor Mortis?

The Risen Soldier is the most common enemy in Valor Mortis (187 spawners in 11 regions, 42 in the Vale of Wrath alone) and the one to master first. Its only red attack is Combo 2 Heavy, which is also its hardest hit (50, more than double anything else it does); every other move deals 18 to 22 and blocks for 27 to 32 Endurance. Soldiers block: their stored block-chance sequence runs 0% / 10% / 50% / 50% / 100%, so long strings get stopped.

How much HP does Risen Soldier have in Valor Mortis?

Risen Soldier has 100 HP at level 1 and 400 HP at level 6, its highest placement level. Levels are set per placement, not by difficulty. Its toughest variant, Elite Emissary*, starts at 2,500 HP.

What is Risen Soldier weak to?

Risen Soldier has no elemental weakness or resistance: every damage type does normal damage. Head hits deal ×1.5 damage.

What does Risen Soldier drop?

Random drops: Whetstone (3%), Crude Blade Material (1%). Every kill also pays 50 Catalysts at level 1.

Where do you find Risen Soldier?

Risen Soldier first appears in The Battlefield and is placed 187 times in total: Abandoned Church (3), The Battlefield (36), Valley of Ashes (33), Fallen Village (7), Caverns (11), Vale of Wrath (42), Cursed Hollow (7), The Outskirts (19), City of Orphans (9), University (10), Fortress (10).

Where is the best place to farm Risen Soldier?

Vale of Wrath has the most Risen Soldier placements (42 of 187), so that is where you meet it most often. Each level-1 kill pays 50 Catalysts and rolls its drop table.

Can you backstab Risen Soldier, and does it block?

Yes: Risen Soldier can be backstabbed, taking a fixed 100 damage at level 1 (100% of its health). It can block and parry your attacks (block chance 0% / 10% / 50% / 50% / 100%, parry chance —).

Why does Risen Soldier have different health in different places?

Each placement has its own enemy level from 1 to 6. Level 6 has 400 HP and deals ×2.7 damage compared with level 1. It is not a difficulty mode; Valor Mortis has a single difficulty.