Newb question, I know. I just got to the part where I did the basic training and then whipped Hanz and got his bow. I remember seeing a popup that “Now you can access the combat arena anytime to fight with your master”, yet I dont know how to do that. I tried talking to him, but nothing happened. I tried hopping in the arena, nothing happened. Help?
I would also like an answer to this question.
Has anyone heard back about this? I desperately need a refresher with Sir Barnard or whoever can teach. I need to master these mechanics!
I’ve tried everything and I can’t use the arenas. What I found to be pretty handy instead was on the road from Neuhof to The Inn in the Glade, it spawns pretty often a guy called, Faint-hearted knight, he’ll ask you to duel and he’s a quite average enemy, good for training and for early gear if you don’t have it.
I guess that’ll have to do for now. I want to get good at the combat, but I need that training again. Benard wont leave Neuhof and nobody is manning the Arena outside Rattay. I don’t think taking on 2 or 3 bandits at a time is good for practice LOL, I can hang for awhile, but swapping between enmeies gets overwhelming and I never get comfortable with it. I’ll see if I can find that Knight you speak of. Thanks!
Exactly the same problem. I remember doing it once after the tutorial with Bernard but I went back just now and it’s not an option when I talk to him, and I’ve watched a YouTube video where a guy playing the beta found a dude at the camp outside merhojed to spar with him for like 5 groschen. What’s the point in having the combat arenas marked if you can’t use them…?
Update:
Waited a few hours in game and looked around the upper castle for our pal Bernard and couldn’t find him so thought maybe I’ll check the training grounds.
What do ya know, he’s standing outside the training arena. This was at about half past 5 in the afternoon. He had all the dialogue options and I could train!
So wait around and find the right times, you’ll be able to train. And hopefully this also works with not just the Rattay training arena but the others too.
(Attached is pic of where you can find old chum capn’ Bernard)
Robard is at the training arena of Talmberg, pretty sure… I don’t know about others, I remember that there was a guy in Merhojed but when I went there nobody was a sword master but you can compete in archery there.
I’ve never had the option to use combat arenano matter where I go or what time. So my sword and defence are very low with no way to train them other than real combat 
Captain Bernard is at the training arena in Rattay in the early morning (8-10) and later afternoon (5-6). You can talk to him to train. I made it a habit to train with him with swords every morning while I poached…hunted and cooked meat to sell and worked “milling” with Peshek to gather some funds. I was able to buy some…er…decent gear and train.
He also gives you guests to hunt bandits at camps, do all of them and he’ll send you to Sir. Robard at Talmberg to hunt Cumans, then he’ll send you to the Custodian at the Sasau Monastery to hunt deserted knights around Skalitz (who have some of the best equipment, and also some of the best training, making them some of the most dangerous enemies in the game, but it’s a good way to get gear early on if you don’t want to buy it and your stealth/lockpicking skills aren’t good enough to steal it.)
I had no problems training with Bernard. He just has to be at the training arena to agree to train you.
He gave me the quests to get the bandits, etc. However at the times you mention, yep, he’s standing there by the arena in Rattay and there is no option to train. He’s either not showing sometimes sad when he does he stands there but can’t be talked to about it.
You can only train with bernard after you talk to the balif. Then after that you have to wait till you finish the ginger in a pickle quest.
Does Sir Robard ever train in combat arena either? He stands there at all hours but only offers skill upgrades, no technique training.
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That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out. I would wait for hours to see if that option would appear but apparently, Robard is merely furniture.