Duels: Strategy & combat management
Ideally, it's best to perform perfect parries, or at least parries when your opponent is attacking. This gives you great opportunities for counterattack every time. But not everyone has lightning reflexes, and it usually takes many attempts to master combat enough to know and anticipate enemy attacks. Persevering is a valid and fairly satisfactory method if you have patience.
Investing in Deflection techniques will allow you to ward off more, but the majority of the attacks in duel are unstoppable. That's where the dodge is important. Dodging is an excellent alternative if you can't or don't manage to parry in time, since the timing is much more permissive, and it still opens the possibility of you to counterattack. in many cases.
You can vary your attacks during duels, but we suggest that you use the heavy attack (triangle) quite often, especially after having maxed the Stone Stance, since you will be able to chain these attacks quickly. You can then easily break your opponent's guard.
What works best in most cases is the thrusting attack, holding the triangle down and then releasing the button. This attack reaches far and the opponent will rarely dodge or parry it. However, you need to take the time to load it, which exposes you to attack. Distance yourself with a backward roll and carefully gauge the timing and distance of the opponent. You can use the same method with the Water Stance against enemies with shields, which unleashes a deluge of blows.
Each dueling opponent has one or two techniques that are exclusive and generally unstoppable. One of them is very easy to recognize, your opponent will store his katana in its sheath and prepare to attack. It's unstoppable and very fast, so it's difficult to dodge. However, if you are close to the enemy and attack at the right time, you'll be able to counter it. If you are far from your opponent, keep your distance and wait for your opponent to release their attack into thin air.
All you have to do is properly manage the fight with all these elements. Keep your health as high as possible by healing, in order to avoid dying on the wrong combo. Then, you just have to persevere. Good luck!
Original content by Robin "Raiden" Bouquet.
