I have been playing games for like 15 years now and this game is still by far the hardest i have ever played! You can barley win 1VS1 and it is insanely hard to win 1vs2 or more. I even tried wasting almost 9 real hours in the training arena to max out my skill and it is still crazy hard to fight 2 people at once. Was getting destroyed by 2 bandits in rags in the woods. If they are armored bandits or thugs with even light armor, hell no you wont win. They seam to be able to swing like 5 or 6 times more in the time it takes for you to swing once. Dont tell me that crap that you need to learn how to play better or train more. The amount of time you need to train in this game is almost as much time it would take me to learn real sword fighting! Mount and blade has awesome combat compared to this game and that game is the most basic combat in a game ever!
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Beware and behold. Git gud comments incoming.
I have no problem with the combat, as I am practically cheesing my way out with riposte, riposte, riposte. It s no skill involved anymore.
Nowadays I kill everything with a bow getting as many headshots as I can. It is more fun that way.
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It seems you probably miss some points in combat. Have you already learned ripostes (master strikes) from Bernard? If not, do it now.
In fight you can easily use following:
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Clinch. If you go too near to enemy, you will end in clinch. If you strike from a clinch and your stats and stamina are high enough, then you will push your opponent away. After he is pushed, strike quickly anywhere. Opponent will never block quick strike after you won a clinch . It is free hit. Good against one enemy.
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Riposte. If you already learned master strikes from Bernard, then you can wait for enemy attacks and just do riposts. It takes some time, but it is safest way to hit. And it works well with perk Skullcracker (I killed Runt by one successful riposte in this way).
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Use stamina against them. Try to do perfect blocks as much as possible, it will wear enemy stamina down. When you manage to hit enemy, try to place more hits quickly after that. Each successful hit also wears stamina down. When their stamina is low (which you can tell by the way they stagger), your attacks will pass through their blocks; then you just strike and strike until they fall. If you see that you can strike through block, do it as much as possible, land as many strikes as you can.
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Take better anti-armor weapon. I found axes easiest to use. Swords are great against unarmored opponent, but not that good against armor.
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When fighting multiple opponents, always maneuver so that they will not surround you. Always stay that the one you fight with blocks to way to others. It involves lot of walking, running, disengaging and switching targets, but it is possible. Attack only when you see that you have some time before they again surround you. Try to do ripostes a lot, use a clinch-attack when you have time for it, and when you see someone staggering from loss of stamina, go for his throat as quickly as possible.
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Counter attack. If you time it right, riposte. Great. Otherwise, still good.
It’s over the top that ruffians behave and fight the way they do.
The push-pull mechanics when fighting more than 1 NPC at a time are also problematic.
If the game is too hard, you are just too weak at the moment. Kill the 2 bandits later. First do other quests.
That is so true. I find the git gud comments to be so shortsighted, unhelpful and annoying. Annoying, mostly because the beginning of the game combat is hard, hell just unfair. Mostly because Henry is an unskilled novice, but that’s how its meant to be by design. Everything, all the basic skills are locked. Once, they become unlocked combat becomes easier and easier. Its not so much that you “git good” like some fools think and say, its more a matter of it “gits easier”. I mean shit, the game slows down, fucking slows down and gives you a visual cue to perform a perfect block. And it has a cheat so you can see the direction of your swings [I think its more distracting than helpful plus your really don’t need it].
Summation, hard in the beginning because henry’s skill are all locked: dodge, parry, perfect block, clinch, combinations [you really don’t need combos to be successful at combat]. But, for many enemies they are unlocked and they will tune you up. You cannot win consistently until most of those are unlocked especially against skilled combatants. So save the git gud comments, because learning the combat in this game isn’t much of an accomplishment. Multi player warband is way harder to master than this.
And in the end I really don’t know how I rate the combat.
Oh, advice for the OP. Try find a lone bandit to fight. Just dance around and block, get used to the way the system feels. Practice feints, shouldn’t be too hard if you’ve played warband. I trained with bernard just to get used to the movements and how to place my swings. Also this game rewards counter attacking [counter attack equals riposte] and punishes aggressiveness. So you gotta be a campy turtle in order to beat the harder enemies. Best advice: get a horse asap. So next time you get ambushed by 5 bandits with heavy armor, just split. Hell anytime your losing hop on your horse and exit combat.
Also, range multiple enemies with a bow and thin out the herd.
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Combat is tricky in the game. If you rush into combat you will normally lose. Take your time to study the situation, in an ambush situation sneak around and attack from the rear. I am terrible still with the sword, adequate with the bow, and demon with an axe. …. BTW. according to steam I have over 100 hours in the game and I am still learning. I guess that makes me a slow learner, but it is still a fun game.
In this game it’s about skill both yours and Henry’s. It is also about intelligence you need to know when to hold them, know when to fold them, and know when it’s time to pull out the bow.
One reason why I like archery development much more. You suck at firing a Cuman 74 bow until you develop strength and experience.
You just need to practice more, start working with Bernard until you feel confident enough. Then train with real weapons…then you’re good to go. Combat is not that hard once you get the hang of it.
Take better anti-armor weapon. I found axes easiest to use. Swords are great against unarmored opponent, but not that good against armor.
Do you think axes are better than maces vs armoured targets?
Personal opinion: Axes are by far the best all-rounder weapon. My first playthrough was solely sword-and-board. Second, longsword only. Third, I used axes, and dear GOD do they make a difference in late game with full-plated bandits. I have yet to use maces in any playthrough, but axes do both slashing and blunt (and a few have stab as well, so all-round damage as well)
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Thanks for your opinion. What kind of axe would you recommend to use at late game?
No, but they are good against everything. And can stab effectively. Just as TheKnightinBlack said.
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Metal plated axe is a good choice. If had to stake life on weapon choice, personally would prefer Stinger to (heavier) axes as it seems to have greater jab range and if you hit the head it’s a lethal strike
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So far I think I’ve sent many more bandits/cumans for a dirt nap with my spiked warhammer. A little messier getting their ears off, but Capn Bernie doesn’t seem to mind. After that, though, axe and shield have become my favorite.
I love how hard the game can be… it feels so much more real, like I’m fighting a real person. That said, once you get defence down, the fights tend to go your way a lot more of the time. (and as others have said, training and armour)
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Perhaps your 15 years has been spent muscle learning how to kill in other games.
They are mostly click and you shoot.
On a pc in this game you clickhold left mouse to aim or prepare your direction of slash/thrust, then release and you swing.
And as crappy as it might seem, you really need to learn how the game works in order to be better at fighting.
Dismissing people for telling you to practice is only telling us, that you don’t really care. You insist on using your old and tried methods and refuse to learn how the game works.
edit: How is training a waste?
It is how the game works. You practice and you get better.
edit edit: I forgot to tell you. I’ve been playing computer games for 34 years.
and something tells me you are playing on a console and are used to crappy controlling and aim assistence.
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Hello,
First, be assured I am really really NOT the kind of commentor who brags about skills and tells others to get better; similar to those who like to mention how their gaming computer is bigger than yours. 
I am not good, but with good armor and my combat skills above 15, and understanding how Stamina soaks damage, I can wipe the floor with the end-game army. I swear this is not to brag, but only to show there is a technical level (stats) involved that has nothing to do with your player skills nor mine.
With Captain Bernard in Rattay, training does not spend time in-game, so I just trained a lot which made me gain many ranks in my weapon skill (again, with very little hours in-game). This makes the game easier as the higher your weapon skill, the slower become your enemies. Moreover, attacking spends less Stamina, and Stamina soaks damage (!) which is huge to know.
With high Stamina and Vitality, enemies do very little damage. With good armor (30+ on given parts), they become almost insignificant, IF I keep my Stamina at least around 35%+.
YES, initially, with low stats and cheap armor, fighting 3 armored bandits was the terror and I would run away most times. Near the end of the game, sure I knew better how to Riposte (blocking at the very beginning on the enemy attack motion), but my stats and armor allowed me to fight tons of enemies without issues.
All in all :
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Low Stamina = you will take damage.
Back peddle non stop when fighting many or sprint away if your character is good at running. - Level your combat skills over 10 with Bernard in Rattay or from other sources.
- Selling armor and weapons, you become rich and highly armored.
nb: I am on a PC.
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This was very interesting to know. I’m very bad on the fighting part and will have to train with Bernard just to learn the mechanics myself. And combos and so on. Having knowledge about how it works makes things easier. Now I just need to overcome my own suckiness at fighting. 
Thanks for that!