Need a combat guide.

[CheshireChester]

I need to be unrivaled under heaven.

I like the game so far, but I really need a thorough combat guide here. The tutorial is fine for getting started but I'm constantly feeling like I'm missing something.

The enemies are so good at blocking and avoiding attacks that all of their names might just as well be Mr Brick Wall. Everything I throw at the guy no matter the angle, timing, or combination gets shut down (the higher the difficulty the more common it gets) until I just sorta happen to take a swing when they're about to do something other than block and they explode into gore. Or I just die.

I counter attack from block, they block the counter attack. Dodge past their attack, they shove me back to neutral etc. Is it a matter of "go back and forth until they die" or what? Are there any hidden moves? What's the logic to beat enemies (especially on higher difficulties)?

I noticed that there's this weird crouched stance where you can still raise and lower your sword for a block but it doesn't seem like it has any real purpose aside for blocking out of a mistimed dodge or something.

Is there a way to do a charge attack faster? I dueled against higher difficulty AI and sometimes they seem to just whip out a charge attack and cleave my head off without having any distance to actually pick up speed. Right now charge attacks feel like the weakest link that there's never space or time for aside for enemies that haven't drawn their swords in Scenarios.

TLTR: Please help me cleave things into tiny cubes better. Tips & tricks to land that first cut. I don't like getting reduced to minced meat.

[1cursedherottv]

Die, die, die a lot on normal mode in the scenario and then it starts to become a puzzle game and it's so relentlessly fun.