Cloud Steps is a Mystic Skill in Where Winds Meet that doubles as both a combat gap-closer and an exploration tool. Its description mentions two things out of combat: leaping high to slam down, or “holding breath” to jump to marked spots.
That “hold breath” line is what confuses most players. It does not mean you manually aim Cloud Steps anywhere you like. Instead, the game reuses the same input you use to hold your breath with a bow, and it only works on specific, pre-marked traversal points.
How Cloud Steps works in combat
In combat, Cloud Steps behaves like a targeted mobility attack:
- Your character stomps on an enemy’s shoulders to deal damage.
- It is especially effective against Cavalry and enemies with Unstable Poise.
- It functions as a long-range gap closer, letting you jump quickly to archers or mounted targets.
Targeting in combat is distance and camera-based. You do not need to be hard locked; the enemy simply needs to be within Cloud Steps’ range and near the center of your camera.
How Cloud Steps works out of combat
Outside of combat, Cloud Steps does not free-aim. It only activates on specific traversal anchors placed by the level design team. These are used in mobility puzzles, set-piece rooftop chases, and scripted missions where normal lightness skills may even be disabled.
| Context | What Cloud Steps does | How it targets |
|---|---|---|
| Out of combat (open world) | High leap + slam, or jump to marked spots | No free aiming; requires visual icons/markers |
| Out of combat (scripted sequences) | Auto-traverse between rooftops / ledges | Press QTE-style prompt when icon appears |
| In combat | Gap closer; stomp attack, good vs cavalry | Camera-centered enemy within Cloud Steps range |
When you see “hold breath and jump to marked spots” in the skill description, it refers to interacting with these out-of-combat anchors using your breath-hold button.
What “hold breath” means on controller and keyboard
“Hold breath” is not a second, hidden skill. It is simply the same input the game uses when you slow time while aiming the bow.
| Platform | Typical “hold breath” input | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Gamepad (e.g., Xbox) | Click the right thumbstick | Hold breath with archery; trigger Cloud Steps prompts |
| Keyboard | G by default |
Trigger Cloud Steps “lightness” prompts at yellow boot icons |
On the controller, the game reuses the same thumbstick click you press to enter slow-time bow aiming. On the keyboard, the default is G when you are near a Cloud Steps traversal marker.
Note: Button layouts can be remapped, so if these do not match your setup, check the in-game control settings for the action bound to holding breath while using the bow, and use that same button for Cloud Steps traversal prompts.
How to use Cloud Steps on marked spots (out of combat)
When Cloud Steps is unlocked, its exploration use is essentially passive. You do not need it slotted to a mystic skill slot for out-of-combat movement; the game listens for your breath-hold input whenever you are near a compatible anchor.
Reading the visual markers
- On buildings and rooftops, look for icons that resemble a white ribbon or streamer tied to a sword or pole.
- In some missions and puzzles, look for a small yellow boot icon in the world; this indicates a “light skill” spot where Cloud Steps or similar movement can trigger.
Triggering the jump
- Move until your character is close enough that a prompt appears on-screen for the breath-hold button (for example, a button icon over the white ribbon or boot marker).
- Point the camera at the marker so it is roughly centered; the prompt should stay visible.
- Press the indicated button once when the prompt is active. Treat it like a QTE tap, not a long hold.
- Your character will automatically perform the Cloud Steps leap to the marked location, often chaining between several anchors in sequence.
Tip: Timing matters when the prompt appears briefly during moving sequences. Press the button as the indicator lights up rather than holding it down in advance.
Why you cannot manually aim Cloud Steps between any rooftops
A common expectation is that “hold breath and jump to marked spots” means you can freely choose any rooftop as long as you can see it, then use Cloud Steps to reach it. That is not how the system works.
- You cannot mark your own spots or waypoints for Cloud Steps.
- The skill does not read the crosshair as a free target in exploration mode.
- Outside combat, it is strictly tied to predefined traversal links that the game designers have authored.
If you are standing in the street, looking up at an unmarked roof, and pressing your breath-hold button, nothing will happen unless there is an actual Cloud Steps anchor there.
How to “hold breath” with archery
Because the term “hold breath” originates from the bow controls, it helps to understand that mapping as well.
- Draw your bow with the normal fire button.
- Keep holding the fire button to charge; after a short time, clicking the dedicated breath-hold / hyper-focus input initiates the slow-time focus.
- On the controller, this hyper focus action uses the same thumbstick click used by Cloud Steps traversal prompts.
The language in Cloud Steps’ description simply reuses that terminology: the game is telling you that those same breath-hold controls are now reused for traversal spots too.
What Cloud Steps is good for overall
Once you are comfortable with the input reuse, Cloud Steps fills two distinct roles in Where Winds Meet:
- Combat mobility: a fast gap closer that can disrupt mounted foes and enemies with unstable poise.
- Puzzle and mission traversal: an auto-routing tool that jumps between predefined rooftop and cliff anchors in certain quests and chase sequences.
For raw mobility between arbitrary points in the open world, other movement skills and lightness arts cover more ground. Cloud Steps shines when the game explicitly asks for it, either through combat design or by placing those white ribbons and yellow boot icons in your path.
If Cloud Steps feels unresponsive, the usual cause is expecting it to behave like a free-target teleport. Treat the “hold breath” wording as a reminder of which button to press, not as a description of a new aiming mode, and it becomes much easier to read what the game wants you to do.
