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Where Winds Meet PvP: Skill Priority & Stagger System
Where Winds Meet · PvP
PvP in Where Winds Meet comes down to priority: whose attack staggers the other when two skills collide. Pick any two weapons below and see who wins the clash, then read how it works.
Weapon vs Weapon: Stagger Lab
Pick a weapon and an action for each side. Stagger vs Defense decides the clash. Base values, before Attunements & Inner Ways.
Built by Saia · wwmpvp.com ↗
Data & system credit: the Stagger/Defense priority framework and the values below come from
wwmpvp.com, the PvP priority project by
Saia that Ratz-GG helps run. For live 1v1 matchup testing, counter search, and attunement toggles, use the interactive
Combat Lab directly. The tables here mirror its base values for quick reference.
The Core Principle
When two attacks meet, the game compares your Stagger (S) against your opponent's Defense (D), and their Stagger against your Defense. The rule is simple:
To win a trade, your Stagger must be greater than their Defense, while your Defense holds against their Stagger. Equal values are not enough. A Stagger of 1 into a Defense of 1 does not break through; Stagger has to be strictly higher.
The Priority Scale (0 to 4)
Every Stagger and Defense value sits on the same six-step scale. Higher Defense is harder to stagger; higher Stagger breaks through more Defense.
X No attack. Can't stagger.
0 No stagger or defense
1 Low stagger / defense
2 Mid stagger / defense
3 High stagger / defense (Tenacity)
4 Super Armor. Unstaggerable.
A Defense of 3 (Tenacity) shrugs off most normal attacks; only a high-Stagger move gets through. A Defense of 4 (Super Armor) can't be staggered by anything on the scale. You won't interrupt it, so don't trade into it. Bait it, dodge it, or get out of the way.
The Four Outcomes of a Trade
Every clash resolves into one of four results. Learn to predict which one you're walking into before you press the button.
- Victory (Win). Your Stagger is higher than their Defense, and their Stagger is equal to or lower than yours. You cleanly break their attack and stagger them. Example: your Martial Art (S2, D1) vs their Light Attack (S1, D0).
- Defeat (Loss). The reverse. Their Stagger beats your Defense while yours can't break theirs, and you get staggered. Example: your Light Attack (S1, D0) into their Martial Art (S2, D1).
- Both Staggered (Clash). Both attacks break through, so it comes down to whose hit registers first. Animation speed and ping matter here, and the player who casts second can still win if their move connects faster. Pressing first doesn't guarantee the win.
- Both Defend (Draw). Neither Stagger is high enough to break the other's Defense. Both of you connect, nobody staggers. Example: two Special Skills at (S0, D1), where neither 0 Stagger gets through a 1 Defense.
Tip: The single most useful habit is checking your opponent's weapon's Defense on its key skills, not just its damage. If their go-to move sits at Tenacity (3) or Super Armor (4), trading your normal attacks into it loses every time. You need a high-Stagger answer, or you wait it out and punish the recovery.
Attunements & Inner Ways Change These Numbers
The tables below are base values. Equipped gear Attunements and Inner Ways change them, usually by raising a specific skill's Defense to Tenacity (3) or Super Armor (4) under some condition (on hit, on a non-defending target, for a few seconds after casting, and so on). That one change can flip a matchup: a move you normally stagger for free becomes one you can't touch while the buff is up.
Because those modifiers are conditional and build-dependent, the authoritative place to model them is the live tool. Toggle the relevant Attunements and Inner Ways in the Combat Lab on wwmpvp.com to see the adjusted priorities for an exact loadout. Treat the numbers here as your baseline, and assume a skilled opponent may have pushed one or two key skills higher.
Weapon Skill Priorities
Base Stagger and Defense for each weapon's actions. Read across: a high Stagger column means that move breaks through defenses; a high Defense column means that move is hard to interrupt while it's active.
Strategic Sword
| Attack | Stagger | Defense |
|---|
| Light Attack | 1 | 0 |
| Heavy Attack | 1 | 0 |
| Martial Art | 2 | 1 |
| Special Skill | 2 | 1 |
| Dual Weapon Skill | 2 | 1 |
| Heavy Charged | 1 | 1 |
| Light Airborne | 1 | 0 |
| Heavy Airborne | 1 | 0 |
Nameless Sword
| Attack | Stagger | Defense |
|---|
| Light Attack | 1 | 0 |
| Heavy Attack | 1 | 0 |
| Martial Art | 2 | 1 |
| Special Skill | 2 | 1 |
| Dual Weapon Skill | 2 | 1 |
| Heavy Charged | 1 | 1 |
| Light Airborne | 1 | 0 |
| Heavy Airborne | 1 | 0 |
Heavenquaker Spear
| Attack | Stagger | Defense |
|---|
| Light Attack | 1 | 0 |
| Heavy Attack | 1 | 0 |
| Martial Art | 2 | 1 |
| Special Skill | 2 | 1 |
| Dual Weapon Skill | 2 | 1 |
| Heavy Charged Skill | 1 | 3 |
| Light Airborne | 1 | 0 |
| Heavy Airborne | 1 | 0 |
Nameless Spear
| Attack | Stagger | Defense |
|---|
| Light Attack | 1 | 0 |
| Heavy Attack | 1 | 0 |
| Martial Art | 4 | 1 |
| Special Skill | 2 | 1 |
| Dual Weapon Skill | 2 | 1 |
| Heavy Charged | 1 | 1 |
| Light Airborne | 1 | 0 |
| Heavy Airborne | 1 | 0 |
Infernal Twinblades
| Attack | Stagger | Defense |
|---|
| Light Attack | 1 | 0 |
| Burst Skill | 1 | 3 |
| Martial Art | 2 | 1 |
| Special Skill | 2 | 1 |
| Dual Weapon Skill | 2 | 1 |
| Light Airborne | 1 | 0 |
| Heavy Airborne | 1 | 0 |
Mortal Ropedart
| Attack | Stagger | Defense |
|---|
| Light Attack | 1 | 0 |
| Martial Art | 2 | 1 |
| Special Skill | X | 1 |
| Dual Weapon Skill | 2 | 1 |
| Charging Stance | X | 3 |
| Light Charged Varied Combo | 1 | 1 |
| Heavy Charged Varied Combo | 1 | 1 |
| Light Airborne | 1 | 0 |
| Heavy Airborne | 1 | 0 |
Everspring Umbrella
| Attack | Stagger | Defense |
|---|
| Light Attack | 0 | 0 |
| Heavy Attack | 0 | 0 |
| Martial Art | 2 | 1 |
| Special Skill | 2 | 3 |
| Dual Weapon Skill | 0 | 1 |
| Heavy Charged | 0 | 1 |
| Light Airborne | 1 | 0 |
| Heavy Airborne | 1 | 0 |
Unfettered Rope Dart
| Attack | Stagger | Defense |
|---|
| Light Attack | 1 | 0 |
| Martial Art | 2 | 1 |
| Special Skill | 2 | 3 |
| Dual Weapon Skill | 2 | 1 |
| Charging Stance | 0 | 3 |
| Heavy Charged Skill | 2 | 1 |
| Light Airborne | 1 | 0 |
| Heavy Airborne | 1 | 0 |
Thundercry Blade
| Attack | Stagger | Defense |
|---|
| Light Attack | 1 | 0 |
| Heavy Attack | 1 | 0 |
| Martial Art | X | 3 |
| Special Skill | 2 | 3 |
| Dual Weapon Skill | 2 | 1 |
| Light Charged Skill | 1 | 3 |
| Heavy Charged Skill | 1 | 3 |
| Light Charged Varied Combo | 2 | 3 |
| Heavy Charged Varied Combo | 2 | 3 |
| Martial Art Perception Skill | X | 3 |
| Light Airborne | 1 | 0 |
| Heavy Airborne | 1 | 0 |
Stormbreaker Spear
| Attack | Stagger | Defense |
|---|
| Light Attack | 1 | 0 |
| Heavy Attack | 1 | 0 |
| Martial Art | 2 | 3 |
| Special Skill | 2 | 3 |
| Dual Weapon Skill | 2 | 1 |
| Heavy Charged Skill | 1 | 3 |
| Light Airborne | 1 | 0 |
| Heavy Airborne | 1 | 0 |
Phalanxbane Blade
| Attack | Stagger | Defense |
|---|
| Light Attack | 1 | 0 |
| Heavy Attack | 1 | 0 |
| Martial Art | 2 | 1 |
| Special Skill | 0 | 3 |
| Dual Weapon Skill | 2 | 1 |
| Heavy Charged Skill | 1 | 3 |
| Martial Art Charged | 2 | 3 |
| Light Airborne | 1 | 0 |
| Heavy Airborne | 1 | 0 |
Snowparting Blade
| Attack | Stagger | Defense |
|---|
| Light Attack | 1 | 0 |
| Heavy Attack | 1 | 0 |
| Martial Art | 2 | 1 |
| Special Skill | 4 | 3 |
| Dual Weapon Skill | 2 | 1 |
| Light Charged | 1 | 1 |
| Light Varied Combo | 1 | 1 |
| Heavy Varied Combo | 1 | 3 |
| Light Airborne | 1 | 0 |
| Heavy Airborne | 1 | 0 |
Vernal Umbrella
| Attack | Stagger | Defense |
|---|
| Light Attack | 0 | 0 |
| Heavy Attack | 1 | 0 |
| Martial Art | 4 | 1 |
| Special Skill | 0 | 1 |
| Dual Weapon Skill | 0 | 1 |
| Light Charged Skill | 0 | 1 |
| Heavy Charged Skill | 1 | 3 |
| Light Attack Varied Combo | 0 | 0 |
| Heavy Attack Varied Combo | 0 | 1 |
| Light Airborne | 1 | 0 |
| Heavy Airborne | 1 | 0 |
Soulshade Umbrella
| Attack | Stagger | Defense |
|---|
| Light Attack | 0 | 0 |
| Heavy Attack | 0 | 0 |
| Martial Art | 0 | 1 |
| Special Skill | 0 | 1 |
| Dual Weapon Skill | 2 | 1 |
| Heavy Charged Skill | 0 | 1 |
| Light Airborne | 1 | 0 |
| Heavy Airborne | 1 | 0 |
Inkwell Fan
| Attack | Stagger | Defense |
|---|
| Light Attack | 0 | 0 |
| Heavy Attack | 0 | 0 |
| Martial Art | 2 | 1 |
| Special Skill | 2 | 1 |
| Dual Weapon Skill | 0 | 1 |
| Light Charged Skill | 1 | 1 |
| Heavy Charged Skill | 1 | 1 |
| Pursuit Skill | 2 | 1 |
| Light Airborne | 1 | 0 |
| Heavy Airborne | 1 | 0 |
Panacea Fan
| Attack | Stagger | Defense |
|---|
| Light Attack | 0 | 0 |
| Healing Skill | X | 1 |
| Martial Art | X | 1 |
| Martial Art Perception Skill | X | 1 |
| Special Skill | 0 | 1 |
| Special Perception Skill | 0 | 1 |
| Dual Weapon Skill | 0 | 1 |
| Light Airborne | 1 | 0 |
| Heavy Airborne | 1 | 0 |
Mystic Skill Priorities
Mystic skills are your slotted active abilities. Many carry high Defense, so watch the ones at Tenacity (3) and Super Armor (4); those are the moves you should never blindly trade into. A Stagger of "X" means the skill doesn't deal a staggering hit itself (often a movement, counter, or utility skill).
| Mystic Skill | Stagger | Defense |
|---|
 Meridian Touch | 2 | 1 |
 Cloud Steps | 4 | 3 |
 Lions Roar | 2 | 3 |
 Leaping Toad | 2 | 3 |
 Guardians Palm | 2 | 1 |
 Flaming Meteor | 2 | 4 |
 Flute of the Tides | 0 | 1 |
 Talon Strike | 2 | 0 |
 Yaksha Rush | 2 | 0 |
 Free Morph | 2 | 1 |
 Wolflike Frenzy | 2 | 3 |
 Soaring Spin | 2 | 3 |
 Dragons Breath | 2 | 3 |
 Drunken Poet | 2 | 3 |
 Dragon Head | 2 | 4 |
 Serene Breeze | 2 | 4 |
 Golden Body | X | 3 |
 Ghostly Steps | X | 0 |
 Divine Counter | 4 | 3 |
 Tai Chi | 0 | 1 |
 Mighty Drop | 0 | 0 |
| Bow Ring Skill | 0 | 3 |
How to Actually Use This
- Know your own win conditions. Find the moves in your kit with Stagger 2 or higher. Those are what you trade with, so lead with them when you expect a clash.
- Respect Tenacity and Super Armor. Against a skill at Defense 3 or 4, stop trading. Bait it out, dodge, and punish the recovery instead.
- Watch for buffed defense. If an opponent suddenly tanks a trade you should have won, an Attunement or Inner Way likely pushed that skill's Defense up. Adjust.
- Clashes are a race. When both of you break through, faster animations and lower ping win. Keep your connection clean so you don't lose coin-flips you should win.
Where to Go Next
Priority sits on top of fundamentals. If your spacing, deflects, and stamina aren't solid, knowing the numbers won't save you. Build the base with our combat & deflect guide and pick the right tool for the job with the weapons guide. New to the game? Start with the beginner's guide, or browse all guides. For live matchup testing, head to wwmpvp.com. Full credit to Saia for the priority project this guide mirrors.