Combat

The Combat badge is one of the very first awards almost every player unlocks, and it rewards you for surviving your initial brush with danger. The requirement is simply to fend off and kill the cultists who attack you for the first time, which is why it sits at a gentle 1-star difficulty and pays out 2 diamonds.

Cultists begin raiding your campfire on the early nights, usually arriving in small groups armed with crude weapons. The badge does not ask for a specific kill count, so you only need to win that opening confrontation. Equip whatever melee tool you have early on, a knife or axe works fine, and stay close to your campfire so the light keeps your stamina and visibility up.

The smartest approach is to bait them one at a time rather than letting the whole pack surround you. Back toward a narrow gap or a wall so you only face one attacker, swing, then reposition. Keep an eye on your health bar and grab any food before engaging. Because this is an unmissable story beat, most players earn Combat naturally within their first night or two without grinding anything extra.