Stuck on Genichiro Ashina for the last week and losing my enthusiasm

[Koreth]

Up until this boss battle, the game was difficult but fair. I died a lot and it was sometimes frustrating, but each death taught me something and I could come back and do a little better next time.

But I just can't seem to get past Genichiro Ashina, and after a week's worth of evenings of constant failure, I am having a hard time motivating myself to fire the game up and try again. It stopped being fun a couple days ago and now is just kind of dispiriting.

I got a little better over the course of the first few hours as I learned the rhythm of his regular attacks, but then I hit a plateau and haven't been able to figure out how to keep improving. I went off and explored all the other areas I can get to without beating him, and beat the various bosses I found there, but the practice didn't help me at all against Genichiro.

My problem is that I'm not fast enough at reading his body language. My attempt at a quick-enough read of his next attack ends up being wrong a lot of the time and then I'm pretty much dead instantly. (Oh look, his perilous move was a grab, not a thrust! Glad I hit Mikiri Counter at just the right moment so he can punch the rest of my health out of me!)

So my question for you fine folks: Is he a preview of things to come? If I stick with it and somehow manage to beat him, am I just setting myself up for round after round of the same kind of fight? Or is he more of a one-off?

[la sanie des siècles]

Well, i really struggled with Genichiro for a really long time too, beaten Lady Butterfly before him, but it was Geni who teached me the rythm of the game in general, after Geni the only one i died around 10 or 12 times for was Headless Ape, but i guess i can't get any better, the game it's just not for me i guess, i've died more than 60 times to Sword Saint Ishin, i don't have exact numbers but for the feel i would say is more than double the times i died to Genichiro on the start of my carreer, i'm not willing to try it again so soon.

But what Ishin says in the fight it's true for Sekiro, ''hesitation is defeat'', keep that in mind, they should be afraid of you, not the other way around, you're supposed to be the boss, hope you finish the game, i couldn't.

[HIGHGRADESMOKER87]

Originally posted by Koreth:

Up until this boss battle, the game was difficult but fair. I died a lot and it was sometimes frustrating, but each death taught me something and I could come back and do a little better next time.

But I just can't seem to get past Genichiro Ashina, and after a week's worth of evenings of constant failure, I am having a hard time motivating myself to fire the game up and try again. It stopped being fun a couple days ago and now is just kind of dispiriting.

I got a little better over the course of the first few hours as I learned the rhythm of his regular attacks, but then I hit a plateau and haven't been able to figure out how to keep improving. I went off and explored all the other areas I can get to without beating him, and beat the various bosses I found there, but the practice didn't help me at all against Genichiro.

My problem is that I'm not fast enough at reading his body language. My attempt at a quick-enough read of his next attack ends up being wrong a lot of the time and then I'm pretty much dead instantly. (Oh look, his perilous move was a grab, not a thrust! Glad I hit Mikiri Counter at just the right moment so he can punch the rest of my health out of me!)

So my question for you fine folks: Is he a preview of things to come? If I stick with it and somehow manage to beat him, am I just setting myself up for round after round of the same kind of fight? Or is he more of a one-off?

learn to deflect and first phase mikuri when red kanji second phase jump genichiro is easy mode to the old man third phase its recomended to have lightning reversal or you will have to dodge

[HIGHGRADESMOKER87]

this boss is most certainly the first true roadblock as its hard to beat him without deflecting and chipping away all the things people learnt in dark souls go right out the window on geni

[𝕊𝕠𝕡𝕙𝕚𝕒]

Check my guide should help

[MundM]

Do you have the Mikiri counter, yet? Do you know you can jump on enemies heads, which is especially effective against sweeping attacks?

[MULTIPASS]

Don't feel bad, lot's of people struggle here to some extent. Try this: approach him and make a single attack, and then prepare to deflect/counter/dodge whatever he throws at you. Just keep going back and forth like that until you find a rhythm.

attack - deflect - attack - deflect - attack - dodge - attack - avoid grab - and so forth

Use your ears as much as you use your eyes, the rhythm to the fighting is audible and helps you trigger the muscle memory you need to handle fast-paced combat.

[El Leo]

Genichiro was my first brickwall too. After 3 hours or so, I was able to beat him. Before that, I beated all bosses first try, at exception of the Ape, took me 6 tries. There's a couple things you should know to beat Genichiro. The parry is the most important. If you made a perfect block, there's an animation of sparks coming for the clash of swords, and even if you have your guard bar full, if you make a perfect block (sparks) nobody can break your guard. Also, if you mantain the block, the guard bard goes down faster. I don't advise to run a lot, just mantaining your block, and your posture bar as low as possible. Remember to parry jumping on Genichiro when he's doing his sweeping attack with the kanji, and using Mikiri when Genichiro is doing his thrust (dashing forward, so you can step on his sword). His pattern attack is always the same, and in certain point of the battle, he just adds a couple more attacks, so, if you master his moveset, you shouldn't have anymore problems with him. Good luck!

[Vakula]

if you can, get Ichimonji or Ichimonji double. It absolutely wrecks Ashinas. Also if you still suck at combat go and practice with the undead guy at the shrine.

[Koreth]

Got him, finally! The key for me was doing what orksmith said: attack a single time then wait for his next move. That gave me enough lead time to figure out what he was doing and react appropriately. I had read the "attack - deflect - attack - deflect" hint elsewhere but somehow hadn't clued in that it was really "attack - watch and wait - deflect" rather than immediately trying to deflect.

[Aelin Galathynius]

Originally posted by Koreth:

Got him, finally! The key for me was doing what orksmith said: attack a single time then wait for his next move. That gave me enough lead time to figure out what he was doing and react appropriately. I had read the "attack - deflect - attack - deflect" hint elsewhere but somehow hadn't clued in that it was really "attack - watch and wait - deflect" rather than immediately trying to deflect.

Don't attack once. Attack until you hear the enemy parry you. That's the warning that they are about to attack you.

If they are blocking keep swinging but when you hear the parry it's your turn to go on the defensive.

[zeromaveric]

i just took him out on my first try, though i'm following the walkthrough from FightingCowboy. good combo i've been using as a mainstay is the Loaded Axe/Fang and Blade followup after a Mikiri Counter

[hks]

git gud

[Shalashaska]

oh boy u should see Genichiro in skiero Resurrection ,you will lose ur ♥♥♥♥ haha

[Nocturno]

Don't give up.

[xubo.leo]

generally, most human boss, you can hit 2 twice, then deflect. key is to keep calm (NO PANIC) and be familiar with the pattern.