Combat Stances in Quasimorph

Every tile you cross in Quasimorph costs action points, and the stance you choose sets that price. Magnum Scriptum built combat around three movement modes — Sneak, Walk, and Sprint — each with different AP costs, combat penalties, and interaction rules. Misusing stances is the fastest way to lose a clone with a full bag. This guide breaks down what each stance actually does and when to switch mid-mission.

If you have not read Getting Started with Quasimorph, review the extraction loop first. Stances only matter once you understand that dying voids mission loot and that the Magnum keeps what you extract.

Sneak — one AP, maximum information

Sneak costs 1 AP per tile and is the default posture for any room you have not cleared. Its advantages stack:

• Wall sense reveals adjacent threats through cover, letting you spot patrols before you commit.
• Doors and interactions are free while Sneaking — you can open, close, and use objects without spending extra AP on top of movement.
• No sprint accuracy penalty, so if you must shoot from Sneak, your weapon behaves normally relative to Walk.

Use Sneak when approaching doors, looting quiet sectors, or repositioning near unaware enemies. Opening a door in Sneak is the correct habit; sprinting into an unknown room is how extractions fail.

Sneak is slow. That slowness is the point. You are buying intel with AP instead of paying in blood.

Walk — two AP, the neutral pace

Walk costs 2 AP per tile. It is the middle ground when you have confirmed an area is empty and need to cross it faster than Sneak allows, but you are not yet in a dead sprint.

Walk does not grant wall sense and does not make doors free. You still interact normally, but each tile eats twice the AP of Sneak. Use Walk in corridors you have already cleared this turn or last turn, when you are rotating to cover a flank, or when Sneak would leave you short of the extract with loot in hand.

Many players default to Walk because it feels faster. Resist that on first contact. Walk into an uncleared junction and you may not have AP left to retreat when a patrol rounds the corner.

Sprint — three AP, combat and inventory lockout

Sprint costs 3 AP per tile and applies a significant accuracy penalty if you fire while moving at that speed. Worse, you cannot open doors or access inventory while Sprinting. Sprint is for confirmed empty lanes only — a straight path to extract, a gap you already scouted, or an emergency escape when staying is lethal.

Treat Sprint as a consumable burst, not a travel mode. The moment you Sprint into an uncleared room, you forfeit the ability to loot a body, med up, or duck through a door without slowing down first.

Pair Sprint discipline with Room Clearing Tactics. Never Sprint past a door you have not opened in Sneak.

Stance switching on a typical turn

A clean turn often looks like this:

1. Sneak to the door and open it for free.
2. Examine visible enemies from cover — examination is separate from stance but should happen while you still have AP buffer.
3. Walk or Sneak into the room depending on contact; fire from cover if needed.
4. Sneak back through the door if you need to break line of sight.
5. Reserve enough AP to Walk or Sneak toward extract; Sprint only if the path is verified empty.

The Controls Reference documents hotkeys for stance changes. Practice toggling stances on the Magnum training missions or low-risk Mars runs before you take expensive kits into Quasimorphosis zones covered in the Quasimorphosis Survival Guide.

The last-AP door peek mistake

Quasimorph ends your turn when AP hits zero. If you spend your final point peeking a door — opening it without AP left to move or shoot — enemies inside act before you can respond. You essentially donate initiative.

Rule: never end turn on a door peek with zero AP remaining. Either keep one AP in reserve to step back or close the door, or open the door earlier in the turn while Sneaking so you still have actions left.

This single habit separates reliable extractors from players who blame bad RNG. It overlaps with door doctrine in Room Clearing Tactics.

Stances and class builds

Starter classes Scouts of Hades and Eclipse Blades both benefit from Sneak-first play, but for different reasons. Scouts extend wall sense value across longer recon routes. Eclipse Blades use Sneak to close distance, then burst when examination confirms a kill window.

Later Class Chip unlocks may favor Walk-heavy aggressive clears or Sprint escapes. Check the Classes Hub before you rebuild a kit around Sprint; some loadouts assume you will Sneak entire sectors.

Use the Loadout Planner to test heavy armor builds that reduce Sprint need versus light kits that rely on Sneak speed.

Stances in Quasimorphosis territory

Once you leave Mars, Phobos, and Deimos, stations can enter Quasimorphosis — a dynamic horror state that changes layout and pressure. Sprinting blindly becomes even more dangerous because the map you sprint through may not be the map you scouted. Slow Sneak clears give you time to react when the station shifts.

See the World Hub for which destinations trigger Quasimorphosis and plan stance habits accordingly before you follow Walkthrough story missions into higher-risk sectors.

Quick reference table

Stance	AP per tile	Wall sense	Doors / interact	Inventory	Accuracy note
Sneak	1	Yes	Free	Yes	Normal
Walk	2	No	Normal cost	Yes	Normal
Sprint	3	No	Blocked	Blocked	Penalty

Memorize the table, then forget it in favor of muscle memory. Sneak until proven safe, Walk through cleared space, Sprint only to extract or escape.

Related guides

• Getting Started with Quasimorph — mission loop and beginner moons.
• Room Clearing Tactics — doors, peeking, and enemy examination.
• Quasimorphosis Survival Guide — when slow play matters most.
• Bartering on the Magnum — fund kits that match your stance habits.
• Quasimorph Review — how stance balance feels in the 1.0 release.