Using sword skills

[Angeluse]

So I can't seem to use the combat arena to practice so I figured I'd ask here. I can't seem to figure out exactly how you're supposed to use the skills like blunt strike for example. Now it may be my fault for mainly trying it on runt and a few high tier ish cumans. But can someone explain exactly how to prompt the skill to activate? I keep doing, for example, the stab, slash left, slash right down. But it doesn't prompt.

Also using mouse movement to aim so it sometimes starts aiming at limbs but how do I hit the center of the target like it says in the diagram if it goes off.

Apologies for any bad sentence structure or grammar, on my phone right now.

[The_Finish]

Using a sword combo is just chaining strikes in a set order. Like how in the tutorial they taught you chaining attacks to drain stamina, it's like that but in a specific order.

For example, one of the first Shorsword combos is stab -> left slash -> lower right slash. So you start with a stab. After you right click, immediately move mouse to left slash, and left slash as soon as you connect the stab. Then do a lower right slash as soon as the left slash connects. It's all about timing.

(Also, a dot in the diagram means a thrust, IE: right click).

Do note that your combo can be broken if the enemy does a Perfect Block or Evades. In those cases you have to start the sequence again. A normal block doesn't end the combo (and in fact, the combos are used to break blocks/stagger the opponent).

Hope it helps.

[Angeluse]

This actually helps Immensely, thank you! And so right click thrusts are always towards the center? No aiming those? Not asking to complain, but to make sure that when the description of the skill says "a stab at the face" that I don't have to aim that anywhere.

[Fokkas]

I was wondering about this too because the combo instruction is simple and just says direction of slash and stab. Easy enough - but then the written descriptions of all of them mention a feint. Are we supposed to feint and fake attack directions into the direction of the combo instruction? Or is feint not really required?

Also, how do we know when we've done the combo? Is it a special animation or is it at very least a guaranteed hit?

[The_Finish]

Originally posted by Angeluse:

This actually helps Immensely, thank you! And so right click thrusts are always towards the center? No aiming those? Not asking to complain, but to make sure that when the description of the skill says "a stab at the face" that I don't have to aim that anywhere.

Yeah, thrusts are always to center mass no matter where your cursor is aiming. Don't worry about descriptions, just follow the symbols and you'll do fine!

Originally posted by internal_memory:

I was wondering about this too because the combo instruction is simple and just says direction of slash and stab. Easy enough - but then the written descriptions of all of them mention a feint. Are we supposed to feint and fake attack directions into the direction of the combo instruction? Or is feint not really required?

Also, how do we know when we've done the combo? Is it a special animation or is it at very least a guaranteed hit?

As I told Angeluse, the descriptions are just for show, the important part is following the combo symbols. I have Sword 10, have 4 combos for Shortsword, none of them require a feint.

And you'll know you've done a combo well because you'll get a special animation, a guaranteed hit, and the enemy will be staggered for 1-2 seconds.

For example, if you pull the first Shortsword combo off (stab - left slash - lower right slash), the lower right slash isn't a normal one, it turns into a special animation where you catch the enemy blade and hit his head with yout pommel.

Hope it helps!