How does combat with guards work?

[Corsen]

Does anyone know how combat with guards in the city at night works? I haven't tried it yet because if I get it wrong I'll die and then its game over. Do you just equip a weapon and then click?

[Fruidmè]

You don't need a weapon but it is more efficient to have one. If you actively pursue combat, come from behind, you will do more damage and possibly kill them before they turn around. To initiate combat, simply click on the guard when he's in range, and your character will move toward them and it them. Then, click again and again on the guard until he's dead

[Xaneorath]

Oh? You can hasten the attacks by clicking again and again? I was always just clicking once and let him autobattle the fight.

[Sapiecha]

Yeah, actually Xaneorath is right - you just have to click once on the guard, the PC will take it from there. ;) But of course, there is a lot you can do to help - equip them with an axe, or better yet - a sword and take a better-skilled character for a fight. Also, I heard surprising enemy from the bushes can work wonders!

[bigsiegee]

Do you get to loot guard bodies? I have never tried killing em. Some people are suggesting that killing guards increase the danger level of an area.

[Liro Raériyo]

Enemy guards will drop a broken axe when defeated, early game it can give you an easy way to supply all the soldiers with a weapon for early bastion strength, characters who have a disposition to fighting can back stab with axes for a one hit kill, and as far as i know, everyone can kill from behind instantly with a sword.

This makes enemy guards an excellent source of repairable weapons, which can be sold for quite a high price to merchants, so if you can get good with it, slaughtering enemy guards whole sale to steal their axes can be worthwhile should you have little else to do at night.

Killing enemy soldiers will raise the alert level in every area around the city however, so its ill advised to do this in general, however if you plan to not go out for a night or two in a row for whatever reason then little harm will come from it.