Idle Combat
Idle (Auto) combat is Grinweld's default mode: pick a target and your character fights on its own, and progress keeps ticking even while you're away. Manual play — pressing every Attack/Cast yourself — is a permanent opt-in you choose at character creation; it pays more per kill (see below) but isn't required. The two modes use the exact same combat math.
How idle works
When you have a fight set up and you're not actively clicking, the server's world tick advances your combat automatically — roughly one round every 2 seconds — resolving fights with the same combat math as manual play: same hit chance, damage curve, crits, drops, and mastery gains.
So you can set a safe target and a heal, walk away, and come back to XP, gold, and loot.
Manual vs. idle — the 25% rule
| Manual | Idle | |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | as fast as you click (rate-limited ~6/sec) | ~1 round / 2 sec |
| Reward per kill | ×1.25 bonus | base |
| Attention | hands-on | none |
Manual kills pay +25% more than idle ones. If you're at the keyboard, clicking is strictly better per kill; idle is for when you're not. (There's also a tiny ~0.75s breather after each manual kill before the next auto-fight begins.)
Offline & catch-up
You don't have to keep the tab open forever:
- Your client pings the server periodically; as long as you've pinged within the heartbeat window (~90 seconds) you count as "online" and idle runs in real time.
- When you reconnect after being away, the game pays out a catch-up of offline progress — but it's capped (default ~5 minutes of offline fighting per reconnect). Idle is a steady trickle, not a way to bank hours of AFK gains.
Idle safely
Because idle keeps fighting whatever you targeted, set yourself up not to die:
- Pick a safe tier. Target monsters you comfortably out-class (your WC/SC well above their AC) so idle fights are never close — see Combat.
- Slot sustain. A Drain/Arcane spell or Ruby/Bloodrock gems keep your HP up automatically.
- Bank your gold. Idle death costs the same as any other — carry little, and consider a Gravedigger's Token.
- Use idle for training. Tanky Mossback Warrens mobs or a Master special are great idle targets for grinding Armour/Doublehit mastery while you're away.
When to use which
- Active session? Click manually for the +25% and faster kills; chase specials, quests, and loot.
- Stepping away? Set a safe idle target with sustain and let it tick.
Next: Combat → Masteries → Death & Penalties