Shield and Spear enemies?

[Knightmage Bael]

having a really tough time with these two enemy types.

Its not Dark Souls, so I cant just kick the shield, and I cant seem to parry their attack. I've sat there and repeatedly gone back and forth from the shrine to the spawn point to practice parrying their attacks, but they seem to hit me almost before the animation goes through? its so quick. Poise/hyperarmor doesn't seem to exist either, so its not like I can just attack their shield until their stamina breaks. Its friggin' ridiculous and I'm stumped on a *reliable* method of taking them out.

I've tried circle-dashing. On rare occasion when they do a thrust attack and I'm circling around them, I can dash forward. Sometimes that hits me though, but on a few occasions it didn't, and I could get an attack off their back. If only that vault ability worked on enemies that weren't staggered...

The other option of course, the obvious one, is to wait until they attack, backstep then attack back and you'll get 'em and avoid damage, but JUST like the Dark Souls shield enemies...they stand there shield raised and...do absolutely nothing...at all...

As for the spear guys, when they do a downward thrust, I know I can press "B"to step on their spear for a massive amount of stability damage. However, they usually do this "i'm gonna run forever like a homing missile until I impale you - then throw you ten feet" attack. That, or an upward thrust which also seems to be a grab. The caveat with the "B" parry move, is that it has to be a straight thrust forward or down, it doesn't work as an upward attack (I think that's also because its technically a "grab"). I've tried parrying both to no effect. Maybe my timing is off?

[JonWoo]

The axe makes shielded enemies cry, use it. As far as spear enemies your timing must just be off, the Mikiri Counter is pretty generous with its timing. You can't be dodging to the sides or backward when you try it though, it has to be a forward or neutral dodge it seems like.

[Colen Bardbarian]

Use the axe on the shields.

[Funpire]

Loaded axe smashes shields apart, then the follow up hit instant kills them.

For spears, if you can't quite get the step on spear and gut them parry, hold down B, sprint towards them, run by them and let their attack start, then come back around and combo them to death.

[Tassimo]

Right before the first shields you meet, you'll be able to eavesdrop on two bandits talking in front of a temple. You can kill them and open the doors to get the axe, which will smash shields apart in one hit, netting you a free deathblow.

[Knightmage Bael]

Originally posted by Jonwoo89:

The axe makes shielded enemies cry, use it. As far as spear enemies your timing must just be off, the Mikiri Counter is pretty generous with its timing. You can't be dodging to the sides or backward when you try it though, it has to be a forward or neutral dodge it seems like.

Yeah you can't block spear enemies at all, it will just go right through your block, and your parry does work, but it doesn't do anything, because they'll recover and counter strike instantly.

It seems you HAVE to use the Mikiri Counter.

[Mister Veeg]

spears are designed - mostly - for getting mikiri countered, though the window for doing it can be pretty jank.

shields exist for you to refill your health on when you have the axe.

[Knightmage Bael]

Originally posted by Space King Veeg:

spears are designed - mostly - for getting mikiri countered, though the window for doing it can be pretty jank.

shields exist for you to refill your health on when you have the axe.

I prefer not to use my (what are they called again?) "charges" or whatever on them. I mean yeah, you can, and it makes it too easy, but the later you get, the more and more shield users you encounter. Eventually you're going to NEED to know how to fight them without the axe, because you'll run out of your charges if you use it on them only. Unless you rest at every shrine you come across, but who does that? :p

[Mister Veeg]

Originally posted by Archmage_Bael:

Originally posted by Space King Veeg:

spears are designed - mostly - for getting mikiri countered, though the window for doing it can be pretty jank.

shields exist for you to refill your health on when you have the axe.

I prefer not to use my (what are they called again?) "charges" or whatever on them. I mean yeah, you can, and it makes it too easy, but the later you get, the more and more shield users you encounter. Eventually you're going to NEED to know how to fight them without the axe, because you'll run out of your charges if you use it on them only. Unless you rest at every shrine you come across, but who does that? :p

you get charges back for deathblowing people.

[Knightmage Bael]

I know you get HEALTH for deathblowing people, I guess that's another skill you can upgrade?

[Mister Veeg]

Originally posted by Archmage_Bael:

I know you get HEALTH for deathblowing people, I guess that's another skill you can upgrade?

nah, it's just RNG.

[Arngrim]

Originally posted by Archmage_Bael:

I know you get HEALTH for deathblowing people, I guess that's another skill you can upgrade?

I dont remember if you can upgrade it in the skill tree, but it get's upgraded when you kill some minibosses atleast.