No matter what.. I can't riposte! [RESOLVED]

[Raven]

This is my second time playing this game, last was around launch. For some reason no matter how good my timing I can't riposte. Like it just doesn't exist or something. I know my timing is spot on because I've played this game before and I could riposte then but now? It just doesn't work no matter how hard I try.

[theo]

Dunno, note that you have to go to Cpt. Bernard and specifically ask him to teach you master strikes after taking basic training.

[Raven]

I've done all of Bernard's training. More than once too.

Combat is completely and totally IMPOSSIBLE like this. All I can do is perfect block but it WILL NOT riposte even if I catch it IMMEDIATELY.

WHAT EVEN. Bandits wearing nothing but regualr clothes with a stick can beat the hell out of me because they riposte all of my attacks and all I can do is perfect block their attacks.

[HunZolka]

Does it work when you do the training with Bernard?
You need to press Q in the moment the opponent raises his arm to attack, if you wait for the green shield icon you are too late.

[Lieste]

^That is not riposte though.

Your defences go:
Movement keys during the attack, dodge.

Held 'Q' - simple block. (Can be feinted, drains and slows regen of stamina most - can be used with polarms, when it is effective, otherwise your worst option, after getting hit).

Tap 'Q' mid animation (green shield phase) - Perfect Parry. (Always blocks, less stamina effect, pure defensive action).

Tap 'Q' mid animation (green shield phase), then follow with strike (LMB/RMB) while the parry animation is still playing - Riposte. (Always blocks, attack is much harder for low skill enemies to cover, attack/defence action pair).

Tap'Q' at the animation start (after attack animation starts (too soon is a miss or simple block, too late a Perfect parry)) - Masterstrike. (Always blocks, cannot be countered in it's turn, IRL a simultaneous parry and strike (as seen in one thwart cut from the left in the animation set), in game a mix of actions performed during the animation sequence). No attack action is required for this attack, but one thrown will be used in Riposte if the Masterstrike is missed.

For *none* of these is a manual change of guard required to 'cover' to make them work. It can increase the length of the timing window to be in the 'cover', but all that would usually do is move the attack to the newly created opening on the opposite side. IRL the German tradition uses countercuts to suppress the opponent's attack, in preference to parries, and the masterstrike is a footwork and position advantage which permits this countercut to not only cover the line, but to strike beyond the bind into the opponent.

[Raven]

So I ended up verifying game files, it reacquired missing files and then the game would just crash on start up. Didn't know what to do so I uninstalled it and reinstalled it. Figured that if it didn't solve the problem I would just stop playing.

Well, for whatever reason it worked. I can riposte just fine now and the game actually runs more smoothly now too. I think I understand this even less now but whatever.

I'm going to mark Lieste's post as the answer because it's informative.

[Jaden]

Hmm, maybe it's this then. Playing for the first time and cannot riposte either, though I read alot about how it's supposed to be done.

[Lieste]

You have to be taught the process - this is after the prologue ends (and the opening credits cutscene).

In any initial fights only passive blocking and dodging are available, and with low skills both of these are low chance/low effectiveness.

You can move a fair way into the story without learning the more in depth combat options (you get 'Parry' with the Train Hard, Fight Easy quest, but as advised in that quest you should continue to train, to dedicate yourself to improvement to learn more techniques, including parry-riposte and masterstrikes and the combinatory devices).

This practice has three roles :

Unlock combat tools/options so they can be attempted.
Develop Henry's mechanical skills/stats so they become higher utility options.
Develop your judgement/timing/distance/position and 'reading' skills so you are more often using an appropriate mechanical option vs a particular opponent's skill palette (they are different across different npcs, although have similar sets as a middling level Henry for the most part).

A particular thing to watch for is to avoid constantly doing the same initial attacking action - this will be parried more often the more you throw the same attack. Varying up this opening, even by simply picking the opposite guard and adding an extra cut at the start of a planned sequence can break up their 'knowledge' of most likely next action.

Some actions and action sets are higher probability than others (I like the pair of longsword devices Fehler and Drei Wunder, which require 2 or 3 'won' attacks respectively to land 3 or 4 hits but which are high probability and easy to chain attacks). Some of the other devices have a (depending on your mechanical skill and timing, and input device) more or less tricky transition of the cutting line once during a device. None require more than a single change.

[Triple G]

One can´t say more about it than Lieste already did. In fact Riposte gets obsolete if You have masterstrike - which You could get relatively early by training with Captain Bernard. Think of Riposte as a manually executed masterstrike. But You need perfect block for it as far as i know - also available through training with Captain Bernard.

I don´t have the green shield - but the difference is: For the perfect block You have to press the block key when Your opponent strikes at You - if You want to riposte You need to press the attack key while You are parrying - time is slowed down when executing a perfect block. For the masterstrike You need to press the block key if the opponent prepares to strike at You - a bit earlier than for the perfect block. Other words: Perfect block if someone slashes or stabs at You - masterstrike if he pulls back his arms in preparation of the strike. The time window raises with Your defence skill and if You have the same stance than Your opponent. But all in all it´s the same than Lieste said.

[Raven]

Good to see my two year old post being helpful.

[-LJF007-]

em... i didn't learn masterstrikes with Captain Bernard because i missed it. How can I remedy it because I have been playing for a long time after that? i can't learn it again.

[Summers]

An important thing to know is:
Player _can't_ do a [Master Strike] against [Riposte] of NPC. But NPC can [Master Strike] against your [Riposte].
So player can do a [Master Strike] only against normal strikes, but not against the one comes after NPC have made a [Perfect block].

That's why in a chain of Perfect block+Ripost with NPC, there is only one of 3 exits possible:
- You don't perform your riposte
- NPC doesn't perform his riposte
- NPC performs a Master Strike against your riposte

That is one of the issue of combat system in KCD, which makes it incomplete and far from perfect.
A Master Strike mechanics itself works not very well in battles with AI. I hope that they will improve all the issues in KCD2, but that's a challenge.

[Gospodin Popara]

Originally posted by HunZolka:

Does it work when you do the training with Bernard?
You need to press Q in the moment the opponent raises his arm to attack, if you wait for the green shield icon you are too late.

Damn bro, I was struggling with this for days now, and it all changed for me when you said "You need to press Q in the moment the opponent raises his arm to attack, if you wait for the green shield icon you are too late."
This is what made the lightbulb turn on in my head. Thank you. I tested what you said, and it worked perfectly every time, i apparently just had a misconception of when i actually need to press block and slash.

I had the misconception that I have to wait for the Shield icon, then press Block, and then when the block connects, then press slash.
But I need to press both of them at once when the opponent raises his arm for the attack (before the shield icon even appears).
This opened my eyes seriously. I can finally play this game without getting frustrated every fight. Thank you

[TamS]

Originally posted by DotuLord:

This is my second time playing this game, last was around launch. For some reason no matter how good my timing I can't riposte. Like it just doesn't exist or something. I know my timing is spot on because I've played this game before and I could riposte then but now? It just doesn't work no matter how hard I try.

after doing perfect block during the slowmo animation, press lmb or rmb the same time when the opponent's weapon hits your weapon

[Raven]

Originally posted by TamS:

Originally posted by DotuLord:

This is my second time playing this game, last was around launch. For some reason no matter how good my timing I can't riposte. Like it just doesn't exist or something. I know my timing is spot on because I've played this game before and I could riposte then but now? It just doesn't work no matter how hard I try.

after doing perfect block during the slowmo animation, press lmb or rmb the same time when the opponent's weapon hits your weapon

My brother in Christ, this is a post from 2018.