The first combat lesson in Quasimorph is to stop spending every available action. A turn is a budget. Moving to a better tile, opening a door, firing, reloading, treating a wound, and picking up an item all compete for that budget. A safe player spends only what is required to create the next safe decision. This guide gives a repeatable sequence for a new Steam base-game run without pretending that one weapon or route is always best.
Start with the room, not the target
When a door or corner reveals enemies, pause and map the room mentally. Identify the nearest threat, the narrowest passage, the tile that blocks your return, and the place where an ally can support the lead operative. If the room has two entrances, do not let the crew split unless the objective makes that necessary. A single operative that moves one tile too far can expose the entire group to separate attacks.
The first shot is often less important than the first safe formation. Place the operative with the best range where they can fire without blocking the medic or carrier. Keep a second operative close enough to finish a target or recover an item. If you have no clear advantage, close the door, step back, or end the turn in cover. Waiting is an action that preserves information.
Spend action points deliberately
Before moving, say what the movement accomplishes. It might open a line of sight, reach cover, protect the carrier, or create space for a retreat. If it accomplishes none of these, do not spend it merely because the counter is available. The same rule applies to attacks. A low-value shot can consume ammunition and expose your position while a better shot would be available next turn.
Reloading and treatment require the same discipline. Reload before entering a room when possible, not after the first magazine is empty beside an enemy. Treat a wound when the damage will change how many turns you can survive, but do not stand in the open to heal. The useful action is the one that improves the next two turns, not necessarily the one with the largest immediate number.
Use doors and cover as tools
A door can limit contact, but it is not permanent safety. Open it from a tile that allows a retreat, and do not end a turn where a hostile can surround the opener. In a corridor, let the lead operative draw attention while the second stays one step behind. In a wide room, use cover and line-of-sight breaks so that only part of the enemy group can act.
Cover does not replace a plan. A protected tile that traps the crew against a wall is weaker than an exposed tile with two escape lines. Before the turn ends, check whether an ally can still move, whether the carrier can reach the exit, and whether the current formation prevents the enemy from walking directly onto your support unit.
Learn from the combat result
After an engagement, check the health bar, wound panel, ammunition, item condition, and any meter associated with the current threat. If the fight consumed more than expected, classify the reason. A damage problem suggests a different weapon or target order. A position problem suggests fewer movement actions and better room control. A resource problem suggests a shorter route or a more repairable loadout. A status problem suggests treatment or resistance planning.
Do not change five things after one failure. Change the variable named by the failure, then repeat a similar contract. Quasimorph is designed around learning what a run can safely carry. A successful evacuation with less loot teaches more than a greedy death because the returned equipment gives you another experiment.
For wounds
Read the current damage explanation, preserve treatment, and avoid a second fight that the crew does not need.
For low ammunition
Stop chasing optional enemies, switch to a repairable backup, and make the extraction route the objective.
For a trapped squad
Protect the carrier first, create one open tile, and move as a group instead of sending a weak unit ahead.
A first-run sequence
Before departure, assign a lead, damage source, and utility role. During the mission, check the map at every transition, open one room at a time, and secure the required item before optional salvage. At the first sign that the route is consuming more treatment or ammunition than planned, reduce the route. On return, repair what is worth keeping, record the failure, and prepare the next contract around that observation.
The exact cost of an action, item, or status should be checked in the current game because updates can change interface wording and balance. The principles here remain useful because they are decisions about information, space, and risk rather than a fixed tier list. Continue with Mission Preparation when you are ready to choose the contract itself.