How do I beat shield-wielders?

[kilozombie]

I play mostly with a two-handed sword/polearm and it works against most enemies and low-level shield-wielders. But the later Expert arena opponents have massive shields and really fast-swinging weapons. It's rare that I get an intentional hit in because if I lunge too far forward I get punished massively, where they can lunge and attack with no worry.

I also hate how it's SO ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ hard to get the player character to swing to the right. Even if I'm putting the crosshair massively to the left, I nearly always swing left, then backhand to a left. Because shields are on peoples' left arms, it makes it even harder to hit them.

[Trav1sty]

Overhead swings are your friend when combined with reach and timing.

[Tiny Lampe]

Originally posted by kilozombie:

I also hate how it's SO ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ hard to get the player character to swing to the right. Even if I'm putting the crosshair massively to the left

You don't need to put your crosshair massively to the left. What you need to do is a left to right motion. If you simply move your crosshair to the left and press the attack button, you will still do a regular swing. If you want to do a left to right swing, do a left to right motion with the cursor.

[Delfofthebla]

Originally posted by Tiny Lampe:

Originally posted by kilozombie:

I also hate how it's SO ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ hard to get the player character to swing to the right. Even if I'm putting the crosshair massively to the left

You don't need to put your crosshair massively to the left. What you need to do is a left to right motion. If you simply move your crosshair to the left and press the attack button, you will still do a regular swing. If you want to do a left to right swing, do a left to right motion with the cursor.

Hmm... I haven't tried this. I also was having some pretty major difficulties swinging to the right. I mostly dealt with this by intentionally missing the first swing to the left, then running in as it went back to the right. It was...mildly effective.

That said, I question the reliability of doing a swinging motion as you start an attack. I'll have to test it the next time I hop in the game.

[Tuidjy]

Two-handed weapon against a shield:
- with a short character, step in as you make a normal attack (right to left) If timed correctly, the blow goes under the shield.
- with a tall character, or even with a normal one, as long as you have the reach, keep swinging while remaining just out of reach of the enemy. Eventually he will bite on your sword. If he gets too close, move in and push him back. When you are both within your weapon ranges, you are both safe.

Swinging left to right:
In my experience, it is not about a mouse flick or about moving the cursor far to the left. Your character turns to follow the cursor. As soon as he twists his torso to look at your cursor (like a mоrоn) you are ready to start your left to right attack.

[Tony]

Originally posted by Tuidjy:

Swinging left to right:
In my experience, it is not about a mouse flick or about moving the cursor far to the left. Your character turns to follow the cursor. As soon as he twists his torso to look at your cursor (like a mоrоn) you are ready to start your left to right attack.

Left-to-rights are fairly easy and quick to execute. I can do them with 100% accuracy and also without completely turning my character in that direction. In this video I start out the majority of the fights using a left-to-right strike so it may help people who are struggling to see how I do it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3INbTUhanKo

[El Burrito]

With the two handed sword, I find most of my damage against shield wields is either dealt to their left leg, swinging under their shield with the right-to-left swing, and landing well timed head shots just as they come in to attack.

This also applies to everyone else really.

[eric]

Wait til they swing, avoid or block then feint the opposite, step back, double click and overhead slash - they'll walk right into it if they have a short weapon. Combine that with a step in to block, dash out, swinging - I've clipped them in the neck many times now with that one. But there are many many ways to suit your sword play style. I've watched people with two-handed slashing the shield person on the weapon side after a missed swing and it looks effective but risky.

[aT⚛m]

another thing u can do is to make swing attacks and just before the hit lands go CROUCH. this way u can hit enemys legs. he cant block that

[Balgin Stondraeg]

Interestingly, as a shield user I have a hard time facing the wielders of certain two handed weapons. Mostly it's due to the reach difference.

[TemplarGFX]

get used to doing left-to-right swings on queue then use the feint mechanic to initiate a swing from the enemy at length, then follow up the feint with another immediate left-to-right.

You can get some seriously hard hits in, especially if you can keep them at sword-tip distance throughout, their 1H swing (in response to your feint) will be too short and your follow up will hit them on the end of their swing when they are most open

[Vold]

Crouch is currenty a broken mechanic, the AI seems not to know how to react to it. So, if you want to cheat to defeat shield users, by all means, use crouch "C".

If you don't want to cheat, use a well timed overhead, but be careful. Also, left to right swings are pretty good when used as soon as they start an attack.

[Tiny Lampe]

Originally posted by Vold:

Also, left to right swings are pretty good when used as soon as they start an attack.

Yes; a LTR swing while moving to the left is a very good option; because it's a LTR swing, you are attacking the side unprotected by the shield. And because you are moving to the left while swinging, you are getting out of the way of incoming RTL swings, thus giving your attack more chances to land first.

[D.Cub3d]

Originally posted by Vold:

Crouch is currenty a broken mechanic, the AI seems not to know how to react to it. So, if you want to cheat to defeat shield users, by all means, use crouch "C".

If you don't want to cheat, use a well timed overhead, but be careful. Also, left to right swings are pretty good when used as soon as they start an attack.

In my experience, when I begin to over use the crouch attack on an enemy they begin dropping some heavy overheads into me nearly one hit KOing me on many occasions while trying to learn how to use crouch to do upward slashes and attackthe legs.

[Gheist]

Man, I wish blocking was infallible.

[GigaChrixt]

I'm a fan of the LtR swing with crouch. if I have a short sword or spear equipped I just thrust at the opponents right leg. the round-about method still works too. you do a large LtR swing while stepping forward and left. the tail end of the swing will catch the opponent in the back of the head.