Epic Fight vs Better Combat comes down to your loader first. Pick Epic Fight if you want a souls-like overhaul with skills, new weapons and dodging on Forge or NeoForge. Pick Better Combat if you want Minecraft Dungeons-style melee with combos, and you play on Fabric, NeoForge or Forge.
Facts here come from each project's Modrinth page, its licence file and the Epic Fight wiki, all read on 9 October 2026. We did not play or benchmark either mod, so nothing below says how a fight feels.
Epic Fight and Better Combat at a glance
| Fact | Epic Fight | Better Combat |
|---|---|---|
| Fabric | No build listed | 1.18.2 to 26.3 |
| NeoForge | 1.21.1 only | 1.20 to 26.3 |
| Forge | 1.12.2 to 1.20.6 | 1.18.2 to 1.20.2 |
| Newest build | 21.17.3.1 for 1.21.1 on NeoForge (31 May 2026) | 3.2.2 for 26.3 on Fabric and NeoForge (17 September 2026) |
| Licence file | GPL version 3 | All Rights Reserved |
| Side | Client and server required | Client and server required |
| Required libraries, newest builds | None listed | Fabric needs Cloth Config API, Fabric API and Player Animation Library; NeoForge needs Cloth Config API and Player Animation Library |
| First published on Modrinth | 4 October 2023 | 4 July 2022 |
Loaders and Minecraft versions
Better Combat covers three loaders and reaches Minecraft 26.3 on Fabric and NeoForge. Its Forge builds stop at 1.20.2, with the newest, 1.9.0 for 1.20.1, dated 2 December 2025.
Epic Fight is narrower. It has no Fabric build. Its NeoForge builds cover 1.21.1 only (33 builds), and its Forge builds run from 1.12.2 to 1.20.6 (116 builds). If you play on Fabric or on a Minecraft version newer than 1.21.1, Epic Fight has no listed build for you. Our Fabric vs Forge vs NeoForge comparison covers the loader choice.
What each mod changes in combat
Epic Fight
Epic Fight
@Antikythera Studios · Java Mod
Checked Source and install notes
Its Modrinth page describes souls-like combat in the manner of Dark Souls, Sekiro and Elden Ring, with new entity behaviours, learnable skills and craftable weapons. Per its README, controls include a dash attack, a dodge on Left Alt that needs a Dodge Skill, and a special attack fed by a gauge that fills as you deal damage. Weight changes stun time, stamina use and attack speed. A key (default R) toggles Epic Fight mode, which switches off its player model, animations and combat mechanics.
The Epic Fight wiki also documents datapacks that make other mods' items and armour use its animations and weight system, and a separate API for mod developers.
Better Combat
Better Combat
@ZsoltMolnarrr · Java Mod
Checked Source and install notes
Its page describes melee in the style of Minecraft Dungeons. It lists attack animations for one-handed, two-handed and dual-wielded weapons, weapon combos, an upswing before the hit lands, and collision detection that replaces aiming at a single pixel. Dual wielding alternates hands. Sweeping Edge is reworked so a swing that hits several enemies deals reduced damage unless the weapon has that enchantment.
Weapons from other mods get a preset by item id, and creators can add dedicated behaviour through JSON data files. Its README says the project adds no mod-specific content, to avoid conflicts.
Using the two together
None of our sources says the two mods are tested together, and none says they conflict. Both rework how a swing works, and Better Combat's page warns that mods changing the same mechanics will never be compatible, naming dual-wielding mods as the example. Epic Fight replaces the player model, animations and combat mechanics, which is the same ground. Treat a combined install as untested.
They share builds only where loaders overlap. Both list NeoForge builds for 1.21.1 and Forge builds for 1.20.1. A Fabric pack can use Better Combat alone. Both are required on the client and the server, so everyone who joins a multiplayer world needs the same mod. See client-side and server-side mods for what that means.
Which mod suits which player
- You want a harder, skill-driven fight with dodging, stamina and weight. Epic Fight's own page says it may seem intimidating, and it adds new entity behaviours.
- You want Minecraft Dungeons-style melee with attack animations, weapon combos and dual wielding. Its Modrinth page calls the system easy, spectacular and fun, and its README says it adds no mod-specific content.
- You care about the licence. Epic Fight's repository carries GPL version 3. Better Combat's carries All Rights Reserved.
Each side has a cost. Epic Fight is limited to Forge and NeoForge, and to one NeoForge version. Better Combat needs a library stack that varies by loader. To install either, follow how to install Minecraft mods on Java, or install Forge and NeoForge first.