Wolf School Combat Style

[SirHallin]

I see a number of people annoyed by the animations in the game and percieving them as unrealistic. i wanted to clarify and help set those people at ease and try to change their mindset.

The main criticism other than the dodge roll [which is dumb in every game not just witcher] is the pirouetted spinning flourishes he uses mid swing or mid dodge. The books will tell you that its a unique style atributed to the wolf school, part dance, part incredibly deadly and inhuman locomotion. and it makes sense in context. Consider that as professional mutated monster hunters they have had to adapt their sword techniques to cutting down more than an unarmored peasant, and often cases armored beasts with hides thicker than plate mail. not to mention the mutagen that enhances their physical atributes in all ways. They are blinding fast with predatorial strength etc and have keener sensory systems than most animals, thats without potions to augment that.

I try to rationalize the flourishes as them compensating for the enhanced reflexes and speed, so for example at close ranges the pirouete move can give more leverage and inertia to a strike that the raw strength and speed at that range could not, and when you are piercing enchanted beast hide for a living you may invent new ways to do that so you kill efficiently and dont die.
So yeah, of course a normal non mutated human would not want to expose his back ever in a fight, they rely on technique and timing to get the job done, but most normal humans do not have to cut into a basilisk hide or whatever multiple times a year, or dodge the lightning quick vampiric strikes of a vledder. Its expected that a witcher could be capable of pulling off what would seem like a flourish to the uninitiated and keep it a practical part of his 100% necessary fight routine. not to mention that they are trained for more than a 1 on 1 scenario, and as the game proves they engage with overwhelming odds at times, so having a style that can transfer the focus of a strike or parry in a 360 radius on a whim is a necessary adaptation.

Also i see people criticising geralts capacity to block...you need to learn how longswords work. blocking is not exactly a concept longswordsmen take to heart, its dangerous and also costly on the steel. or as bruce lee would say " dont block, dont be there instead"

Thats just my two cents though. Im not trying to snuff out all criticism. just trying to offer some rational points to help those who are bothered by the percieved "lack of realism"
dont let it break your immersion. it makes sense in the right context.

[Saint]

Actually the way Geralt uses his sword is the kind of thing you see beginners do in HEMA classes. Take overhead strikes, for instance. In Kendo, it's taught to hold the sword above your head tilted slightly back; but if you watch a beginner they'll hold the sword nearly horizontal behind their back. Geralt is the same way in his heavy attacks, he uses techniques with such major flaws in form that it's hard to believe he's spent time ever holding a sword.

The wolf school style's spins don't bother me, if you execute them fast enough they don't create enough of an opening for enemies to stick a blade in - most human beings just can't execute them fast enough. Maybe Geralt can (he certainly can't in the game though lol) and that's good enough for me. The issues come in when he genuinely has such terrible form with a blade.

His deflections make sense, holding his blade in that almost-horizontal manner is one of my favorite ways of defending in sparring and tourneys; but his wide sweeping slashes are problematic at best for him. Wide sweeping slashes are not a bad thing by any means, but it's again his form that bleeds through and taints them. Overall it doesn't feel like i'm watching a Master Witcher dance around human opponents it feels like i'm watching four people who know practical combat fight one who was shown the HEMA basics on striking and parrying a week ago and has barely practiced or studied beyond that.

[Duncan]

I think the issue is that while witchers use the pirouettes, they use them strongly according to situation, when it makes sense, not just all the time like its shown in the game.

Originally posted by Duncan:

I think the ending cutscene of Witcher 1 shows somewhat close to how a witcher would really fight without breaking the logics of physics or common sense. He uses pirouettes maybe twice or thrice mostly to help him build momentum for a powerful cut. Its not just dancing around because look I'm a little fairy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oo_tyITA40Q
There is this cutscene from Witcher 3, from the siege of Kaer Morhen that is just pure showing off and spinning like ballerinas that doesn't make any sense and imo looks simply stupid.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4xOsSNIEUQ

[Rukk]

Does he also carry swords on his back in the books? Because that's also stupid (you can't actually draw a sword that's longer than your arm from your back, it's impossible).

[SirHallin]

Originally posted by BuzzardBee:

Originally posted by Zera:

Does he also carry swords on his back in the books? Because that's also stupid (you can't actually draw a sword that's longer than your arm from your back, it's impossible).

I don't believe so. In The Last Wish, it describes him as carrying only the Steel Sword on his back. His Silver was on Roach, nicely wrapped up to protect it since it far more valuable than his Steel. Either way, it's just about the dumbest thing to do as, you're correct, it would be impossible to draw a sword 30+" long from one's back.

A lot of games do this however. No shortage of stupidity, it would seem, when it comes to writing this stuff or coding it.

yeah no doubt one of the more gamey aspects. i like the animation for how he pushes the scabard to get it out. makes it slightly more believable. Also to HEMA guy, i agree its not the best form, in fact its exagerated to look cool. if you watch some of the making of videos they use a professional HEMA swordsman but hes also a stunt actor, so hes blending cinematic swordsmanship with real techniques.