Every enemy shows what it will do next turn. Reading those intents correctly is the difference between winning and wiping.
Why this matters
Darkest Dungeon is turn-based and telegraphs its attacks. Most deaths come from ignoring a clear warning.
Step-by-step
- Hover or check each enemy’s intent icon each turn.
- Learn what each intent means — attack, buff, stress, or move.
- Stun enemies winding up heavy attacks.
- Mark enemies that are about to hit hard.
- Kill enemies before their biggest turn lands.
- Guard the hero a heavy attack targets.
- Reposition heroes out of a incoming attack line.
Tips
- Stuns beat damage when a big hit is coming
- Guard the target, not the tank
- Kill stress casters before they act
- Every death is a missed intent read
Common mistakes
- Ignoring intents and attacking blindly
- Wasting stuns at the wrong time
- Guarding the wrong hero
- Leaving a wind-up enemy alive
Practical notes
The intent icon tells you the target and the effect, so plan your guard and stun around it. A read intent answers the hit. Guard the marked hero and stun the big cast. Knowledge turns damage into a non-event.
Guard the hero an enemy marks and stun the one winding up a big cast. A read intent turns incoming damage into a non-event, because you prepared the answer in advance. Track which enemies hit the back rank and pre-position your guard there to negate the hit.