Behold, Combat.

So here I was, getting slightly frustrated by higher-than-usual death rates, to cockroaches (made doubly frustrating by the lengthy runback), when I decided to gather some data. These are Histogram charts that show how frequently my opponent and I hit certain attack value ranges.

5 Roaches, 5 Metaliths. Both pulled at max range with the Infernae Bow, both melee with 1H Cudgel + Shield. Cudgel attacks faster than the Roach, so movement tech wasn't helpful. Movement tech is highly effective against Metaliths, however. It reduced the frequency of their attacks by nearly half. I had exactly zero chance of surviving any of those fights without it, lol. This does mean that, while the histogram itself should be fine, the total damage a Metalith is capable of dealing during a fight is greatly understated in my chart.

The 2nd Roach fight actually ended with my death, even after consuming a potion (the only time I used a potion out of any of the 10 fights) …that one was on steroids I swear. But, it was a close fight so I left it in.

My conclusion? Roaches suck. They will humble you, and - if you are fighting in the company of others - humiliate you.