The Mea Culpa
Your sword is the Mea Culpa, and its combo is the backbone of every fight. The fourth hit unlocks at level 2 via the Last Words ability (2,000 Tears at a Mea Culpa Shrine) and deals Strength × 4. Because Strength climbs from 10 to 38 across 7 altars, upgrading the sword early is the single biggest damage gain in the game.
Parry and Riposte
Parrying the right enemy auto-triggers a Counter Attack that deals ×3 sword damage with i-frames. Press attack at the top of that arc and certain enemies become executable. This is the highest-damage, lowest-risk opener in the game.
Stun, then punish
Some enemies can be stunned for an execution by a Righteous Riposte or a charged Heavy Attack — Sacred Thrust or Sinful Wrath — landed as they start their own attack. Stunning a foe you cannot normally execute does nothing, so learn which enemies flinch.
Space is survival
Blasphemous is a spacing game. Keep just outside an enemy’s reach so its whiff becomes your window. The enemy database gives each foe’s HP and damage type: the Sacrist hits for 50 (Physical), Amargura for 42 (Fire), and the Mascarón de la Tormenta for 75 (Lightning, 50 contact). Knowing the number lets you decide whether to trade or dodge.
Build toward bosses
The boss database is the same lesson at higher stakes — Ten Piedad has 1,200 HP, Quirce 2,700, Crisanta 2,900, and Sierpes 10,000. Read the fight, then punish the gap.