---
title: "Melee Combat: API"
package: "@phaser-ae/melee-combat"
tier: Pro
version: 3.0.0-3
released: 2026-10-14
updated: 2026-10-20
description: "Close-combat timing for 2D games, with startup, active and recovery phases, combo windows, one hit per swing, blocking, parries, knockback and a duel bot."
url: https://phaser.io/packs/melee-combat/api
site: Phaser - https://phaser.io
---

# Melee Combat: API

`@phaser-ae/melee-combat` — Startup, active and recovery phases, combo windows, per-swing hits, directional blocking, parries and knockback.

## The pack

### `meleeCombat`

```ts
function meleeCombat():Pack<{meleeCombat:typeof rules & typeof bot}>
```

Install renderer-independent melee combat policies: `game.meleeCombat`, the constructors and the duel bot.

## Helpers

### `createDuelBot`

```ts
function createDuelBot(melee: MeleeCombat, self: string, foe: string, options: DuelBotOptions = {}): DuelBot
```

A fighter for `self` against `foe`, both actors of `melee`.

### `createMelee`

```ts
function createMelee(actors: readonly MeleeActor[], attacks: readonly MeleeAttack[] = duelAttacks)
```

A `MeleeCombat` for the fighters and attacks (default `duelAttacks`) with the default parry window of 0.14 s.

### `duelAttacks`

```ts
const duelAttacks: MeleeAttack[]
```

The default attacks: a quick `jab` and a slow, wide `cleave`, each of which can follow the other.

### `meleeActor`

```ts
function meleeActor(id: string, team: string, x: number, y: number, facing = 0): MeleeActor
```

A living fighter of `team` at (`x`, `y`), facing `facing` radians (0 is +x), with body radius 14, guard down and no attack.

## Classes

### `MeleeCombat`

```ts
class MeleeCombat
```

Timeline policy independent of movement. Call attack/block, then tick with world positions and optional occlusion.

- `readonly definitions: MeleeAttack[]` — The attacks in play, cloned from the constructor's.
- `readonly actors: MeleeActor[]` — The live fighters, cloned from the constructor's; `tick` reads and writes them.
- `readonly events: MeleeEvent[]` — Events raised since the last `drain`.
- `constructor(actors: readonly MeleeActor[], attacks: readonly MeleeAttack[] = duelAttacks, readonly parryWindow = .14)`
- `get(id: string)` — The live fighter with this id. Throws `Unknown fighter` for an unknown id.
- `attack(id: string, move: string): { ok: boolean; reason: string; }` — Start attack `move` for fighter `id`, or queue it as a follow-up when an attack is in progress and its combo window is open. Returns `ok: false` with a reason when the fighter is dead or stunned, or the window is closed. Starting an attack drops the guard. Throws for an unknown fighter or attack.
- `block(id: string, held: boolean)` — Raise (`held` true) or lower the guard of fighter `id`. Raising it restarts `blockTime`; it stays down while the fighter attacks, is stunned or is dead. Throws for an unknown fighter.
- `phase(id: string)` — What fighter `id` is doing: `stunned`, `block`, `ready`, or the attack's `startup`, `active` or `recovery`. Throws for an unknown fighter.
- `tick(dt: number, canHit: (a: MeleeActor, b: MeleeActor) => boolean = () => true)` — Advance every fighter by `dt` seconds (0 to 1): count down stuns, advance attacks, resolve the hits that become active, and start queued follow-ups. `canHit` is an occlusion test and may veto a hit between two fighters. Throws for a `dt` outside 0 to 1.
- `drain()` — Take and clear the events raised since the last drain, oldest first.

## Types

### `DuelBot`

```ts
interface DuelBot
```

A duel fighter.

- `next(dt: number): DuelOrders` — The orders for the next `dt` seconds.

### `DuelBotOptions`

```ts
interface DuelBotOptions
```

How the fighter fights.

- `opener?: string` — The attack it opens with. Default the first defined.
- `reach?: number` — Where it stands to strike, as a fraction of the opener's range. Default 0.8.
- `aggression?: number` — Swings a second it starts, on average, while in reach and ready. Default 1.2.
- `combo?: number` — The chance it follows a swing with the next in its combo. Default 0.5.
- `guard?: number` — The chance it guards against a swing it sees coming. Default 0.6.
- `react?: number` — Seconds into the other's swing before it reacts. Default 0.12.
- `seed?: number` — Default 1.

### `DuelOrders`

```ts
interface DuelOrders
```

What to do this step.

- `x: number` — The way to walk, normalised (zero to stand).
- `y: number` — The y part of the way to walk; see `x`.
- `facing: number` — The way to face: at the other fighter.
- `attack: string | null` — An attack to start or queue, or none.
- `block: boolean` — Hold the guard.

### `MeleeActor`

```ts
interface MeleeActor extends Point
```

A fighter: a position (world units) with a body, a facing, a guard and the attack in progress.

- `id: string` — Unique fighter id.
- `team: string` — Team name; fighters on the same team never hit each other.
- `r: number` — Body radius in world units; added to an attack's range when it is the target.
- `facing: number` — Direction the fighter faces, radians; 0 is +x.
- `alive: boolean` — Whether the fighter is still in the fight; the dead neither attack nor get hit.
- `blocking: boolean` — Whether the guard is up. Set with `MeleeCombat.block`.
- `blockTime: number` — Seconds the guard has been held; a swing that lands within the parry window is a parry.
- `stunned: number` — Seconds of stun left; a stunned fighter cannot attack or block.
- `attack: null | { /** Id of the attack being performed. */ id: string; /** Seconds since it began. */ elapsed: number; /** Ids of the fighters this swing has already struck, so none is hit twice. */ hit: string[]; /** The follow-up attack queued for when this one completes, or null. */ queued: string | null; }` — The attack in progress, or null.

### `MeleeAttack`

```ts
interface MeleeAttack
```

One attack: a timeline of startup, active and recovery, a reach, and the attacks that can follow it.

- `id: string` — Unique attack name, such as `jab`.
- `startup: number` — Seconds from the swing starting until it can hit; at least 0.
- `active: number` — Seconds the swing can hit for, at least 0.001.
- `recovery: number` — Seconds from the end of the active frames until the fighter is ready again; at least 0.
- `range: number` — Reach in world units from the attacker's centre, at least 1; a target's own radius is added.
- `arc: number` — Full width of the swing's cone, in radians, 0 to 2π, centred on the attacker's `facing`.
- `damage: number` — Damage dealt by a clean hit; at least 0.
- `knockback: number` — Size of the push on the target in world units, at least 0; a block cuts it to 15%.
- `comboOpen: number` — Seconds into the attack at which the next attack can first be queued; at least 0.
- `comboClose: number` — Seconds into the attack after which no follow-up can be queued; from `comboOpen` to the attack's total duration.
- `next: string[]` — Ids of the attacks that can follow this one inside the combo window; each must be defined.

### `MeleeEvent`

```ts
interface MeleeEvent
```

Something that happened in a tick, taken with `MeleeCombat.drain`.

- `kind: 'swing' | 'hit' | 'blocked' | 'parried' | 'complete'` — `swing`: an attack started; `hit`: it landed; `blocked`: the target's guard took it; `parried`: the guard went up just in time and stunned the attacker; `complete`: the attack ran its course.
- `source: string` — Id of the attacker.
- `target: string` — Id of the fighter struck; empty for `swing` and `complete`.
- `damage: number` — Damage dealt; 0 for a block, a parry, a swing or a completion.
- `knockback: Point` — Push on the target in world units, directed away from the attacker; zero for `swing` and `complete`.
- `attack: string` — Id of the attack concerned.

---

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