Difficulty spike / Unable to block in combat!

[TheIdiot]

I've gotten to the point where I'm hunting a couple of bandits in the woods so that I can pull a certain character out from hiding. I sneak up on them and usually get an arrow or two off into one of them before they come after me. Now, oddly enough, whichever one I DON'T attack first decides to help me in my attack, despite being the friend of the other guy (the second guy turns hostile the instant the first is dead). Anyway, as soon as sword combat starts - they usually get in a free hit on me, because the response time for Henry pulling his sword out is very slow, and sometimes he doesn't do it at all - things suddenly become extremely difficult.

Both of these guys are very difficult to fight. I can get in the odd hit on them after a sequence of strikes and parries, but every now and then I make one attack which is blocked, and suddenly they chain hit me three times in a row - the biggest issue here being that I am unable to even attempt to block any of these attacks, even if my blocking timing should be accurate (waiting for his sword arm to go into motion). I don't expect the fight against two decently armoured bandits to be easy, really, but the fact that I can't hit them more than once without them immediately blocking and riposting, while they can hit me with a chain of unblockable attacks is becoming extremely frustrating. I don't even get the green shield icon in my crosshair to attempt the block when this happens, they just pound me repeatedly and take away half of my health.

I'm wondering if anyone has some tips as to how to beat these guys, and what exactly I'm doing wrong? I'd especially like to know why suddenly at random I can't block their attacks, as this is what keeps losing me the fight. I have near-full health going into this fight, and I'm making sure to keep my stamina up. These unblockable attacks are a complete nightmare.

[randir14]

I just rage quit from the same thing. Even if I do perfectly timed parries (which are supposed to let you get an easy counter-attack) it's like they ignore it and then suddenly flurry me with blows.

[Melk]

Originally posted by randir14:

I just rage quit from the same thing. Even if I do perfectly timed parries (which are supposed to let you get an easy counter-attack) it's like they ignore it and then suddenly flurry me with blows.

Perfect blocks aren't free damage as you can parry a riposte and do your own riposte in return.

[TheIdiot]

randir14, yep, that's the same issue, alright. I get in the occasional hit after a parry with a thrust or a lucky slash, but most of the time the guy just recovers instantly and blocks, which seems to be what starts the unblockable AI flurry. I don't take any risks during the fight and usually let the enemy come to me. Haven't given up yet but I've died 10 times now in about half an hour.

[TheIdiot]

Melk, I understand that, but sometimes after this specific enemy parries you, you simply CANNOT block their riposte, and it always results in a 2-3 chain strike. The block indicator doesn't come up, and even if I try to block, I still get hit. I've had fights with other characters and none of them have done anything like this. I find it funny that a couple of common thugs are more difficult to fight than a pair of armoured Cuman Khanate warriors.

[zacharyb]

What I love is when you try distancing yourself from a melee opponent just to give yourself a second to breathe and get some stamina back, but they still manage to spartan kick you from 10 feet away, and then proceed to chain attack you while you can't even move. Top it off that one chain attack will kill you, or gets pretty close too.

[TheIdiot]

Noeat, you mean feinting? Works some of the time, but the AI is still very good at blocking it. The key issue here is the unblockable flurry attack, which is making the fight completely unfair.

[TheIdiot]

zacharyb, yep, and if you kick them, you're lucky to land a single blow before they're back on their feet parrying into the unblockable chain-strike.

I'm going at it again, wish me luck, chaps.

[Mythic]

Quick tip, you can talk to captain Bernard and tell him about Ginger. He then marches with to help. Ez Win

[TheIdiot]

Finally got the f@ckers after three more rounds, but I still got nailed by an unblockable flurry by the axeman in the final moments of the fight (which was otherwise going well). Got a pair of arrows into the swordsman, and fortunately his buddy hacked him to bits afterward. Had to fight the axeman one-on-one. I managed to kill him by darting in and out of range and only attempting to strike after blocking one of his hits first. DO NOT try to hit him more than once in sequence, as this seems to lead to the potential counter-flurry. Also, DO NOT be the one to initiate an attack, as his first block can be followed up by a flurry as well. Morale of the story: block once, strike once, back off, rinse and repeat.

[TheIdiot]

Mythic, see, I didn't try that, because I attempted to speak with Bernard once I'd found out where Ginger was hiding, hoping that he'd come with me to arrest him, to no avail. Which led me to assume that Bernard was done with helping me for the rest of the quest.

[Melk]

Originally posted by TheIdiot:

The key issue here is the unblockable flurry attack, which is making the fight completely unfair.

You can avoid it completely by dodging backwards.

[小冰块]

This is the real combat which you dont just avoid and hit so easily by just swinging your sword with your small arm.

[TheIdiot]

Having played a fair bit more and encountered a swathe of other enemies (including a pair of very similarily equipped bandits), I can safely say that none of these other enemies have been anywhere near as difficult to fight as the two bandits I mentioned in the original post. It seems as if specifically these two were the trouble, as I've been attacked by others who chain-hit me, but I was able to block or dodge their chains successfully.
I wonder if these guys were considered "boss" enemies or something by the game, which also leads me to wonder if other potential bosses will pull the same kind of bullsh!t later in the game.

And Melk, no, it seems that, at least in my case, you actually can't. I'd tried a dodge in every direction, Henry just stood there staggering like an imbecile while getting pummeled. Dodging was on the whole ineffective; I found the safest tactic to simply be the "boom-and-zoom" techniquie - a parry, a strike, and then a move to take you out of striking range.

Xiaoiicy, I'm not playing it stupidly, I'm trying to play a swordfight like a game of chess, as they say - my enemy makes a move, and I counter, and vice versa. This is how it plays out in almost every battle, except for the one I drew issue with. It's like your opponent gets three moves for your one, and it becomes very hard to win.

[Jack Greedy]

Get a mace if they are in chainmail/plate or any armour over the leather/cloth . Makes life easier. What i miss is crossbows.