Fighting with a shield

[bertibott]

Hey,
so have had the game for a while now but onyl started play recently and I have noticed something very frustrating... I am trying to fight using a sword and a shield (a combo that i used to be rather successful with in Mount and Blade: Warband). When I am in a 1v1 situation (or worse if there are several enemies against me) and I raise my shield I have pretty much lost the fight. The reason being that once I have the shield up I will never be able to get another attack on my opponent. As soon as I drop my shield to attack I am going to eat an attack from him (breaking my own attack) and after that I'll just get pounded until I am out of HP... Does anyone else have this problem? Is there a trick?

[LostBoyLazarus]

When given the choice, I fight mounted with a couching lance and shield. I find I use my shield more than necessary - an old habit from playing RPGs for years! I can't say I've not been able to get an attack in when using the shield except when overwhelmed by opponents, and even then kick or shield bash to open them up to attack. You say that you find you're being hit as soon as you drop your shield? What weapon are you using and how comfortable are you blocking manually?

[Supply Side Jesus]

Yes, shield bash or step back out of swing.

[Byzantine]

Go for a faster or better handling weapon, even if it's weaker. Your one-handed skill is probably low too - will help speed up swings once higher, just like Warband (if I'm remembering right)

[Blizard]

Shields are working fine for me, i am using the round ones

[Zim B7]

It looks like your one-handed skill is low, weapon is heavy, slow and with low handling.
When you hold your blok press E by default. Character will bash enemy with a shield and stagger him.

[Archaist]

Originally posted by Zim B7:

It looks like your one-handed skill is low, weapon is heavy, slow and with low handling.
When you hold your blok press E by default. Character will bash enemy with a shield and stagger him.

In addition to this, blocking without a shield and pressing E initiates a a pommel bash were you hit them quickly with the pommel of your weapon, which is more or less the same as a shieldbash. However pressing E without actively blocking initiates a kick, kicks unlike shield bashes can go through an enemy shield which is being used to block and stun them.

As for getting hits in otherwise, spinning is a powerful if somewhat silly way to fight as you can attack in one direction but spin your character so that a left handed attack hits from the right handside. Another method is advance with in an attack stance and when the ai lowers it's guard to attempt to attack you simply hit them first as you would have already completed the readying stage of your own attack.

A final risky method is to chamber and enemy's attack by attacking into their attack, which lets your attack block theirs and continue on to hit them. Word of warning this is not as simple as attack in the same direction to chamber you need to physically connect your weapon and theirs so unless your in a duel or just very good at the game I'd not recomend this one.

[bertibott]

alright... shield bashing is a thing... I did not know that! thanks guys!