How to Handle Barbarians Solo?

[Gently]

I can't get the right feel for this game's combat. Every Barbarian is able to do what you are capable of while having tough as nails AI to bully you with the parry mechanic while at the same time swamping you with large numbers. Entering villages or ruins with barbarians you are almost required to out level and kit them to stand a chance.

Is there something I am missing that would make the combat more fair? I love both soul-likes and survival games and I am having a blast with Soulmask but the Barbarians feel like they are severely over tuned.

If people agree with this line of though what would you prefer? More skilled one-on-one duels with difficult AI or fighting more simple minded AI in large groups?

[GhrominIronfist]

Nothing to really guarantee unless they make you invulnerable while stunned to anything but a riposte. You can die from full health to 2 guys with proper gear because they parried your forst m1. Just need to balance the game yourself. Set damage from wild monsters to 0.5 and damage done to 2.

[WookieNinja87]

It's very rough. I'm facing this myself as I'm playing solo as well. I have to go into a barbarian stronghold and kill the chief to get a worship vessel so I can fight the guardian of the pyramid. I went and I was doing ok......until someone glitch ran and lit a fire I had never seen before. 5 guys rushed me from the front while around 10 spawned behind me where I had killed everyone. It definitely needs to be tuned for solo players more but I have found that spear and shield works effectively. The spear allows you to pull enemies to you before they even see you so you can pick them as you wish. The shield I feel gives better parry chances so you can do the massive hit on them. Other than that good luck.

[Asbel]

Originally posted by WookieNinja87:

It's very rough. I'm facing this myself as I'm playing solo as well. I have to go into a barbarian stronghold and kill the chief to get a worship vessel so I can fight the guardian of the pyramid. I went and I was doing ok......until someone glitch ran and lit a fire I had never seen before. 5 guys rushed me from the front while around 10 spawned behind me where I had killed everyone. It definitely needs to be tuned for solo players more but I have found that spear and shield works effectively. The spear allows you to pull enemies to you before they even see you so you can pick them as you wish. The shield I feel gives better parry chances so you can do the massive hit on them. Other than that good luck.

they can call back there scouts with smoke signals. Its a feature, you have to be carefull to not alarm the whole stronghold. The scouts will spawn behind you most of the time.

The best weapon for the beginning is actually the spear with its throw animation, Just Lock on to an enemy with middle mous button and throw the spear to pull them to you, You can pick them one by one with this method, I killed hundreds of enemy with this simple strat, if there health reaches 40% they will MOST of the TIME fall back to bandage, juts let them and throw another spear to cancel it and kill them. When you can knockout an Elite Hunter and take controll of them, there spear mastery can skyrocket and this method becomes even deadlier, currently i can kill lvl 30 barbarians with just there throws dealing 800 dmg with the throw and another 700 with the pull. And my Elite Hunter is not even good, missing two Spear traits.