If you press block during “Phase 1” or in the early frames of “Phase 2” of the opponent’s attack, you will not only parry the attack, but you will automatically (without pressing any additional buttons or inputs) follow-up with an extremely quick and unavoidable riposte that will be indicated by several different animations. This is what everyone’s been waiting for.

When this happens, priority is given to you to follow up with an attack (Riposte) which the opponent can only avoid by either doing their own perfect-block or master-strike. If you wait until “Phase 2” of the opponent’s attack (indicated by the “green shield” icon) to press the block button, the game will enter a bullet-time-like slowdown and you will essentially parry the opponent’s weapon off to the side. Oddly enough, once you start oufitting yourself with the higher defensive plate armor, you’ll take less stamina drain from just taking the hit rather than trying to block it (go figure) ːsteamfacepalmː Please note that blocking a hit drains a good amount of stamina. If you hold the block button down during any of these “Phases,” you will simply block the opponent’s swing. Note: Please do not ask me how many active frames are in each phase, because I simply do not know, and I have no desire to spend my time finding out.

Phase 3: The opponent’s weapon finally makes contact with the player, and it lasts all the way throughout the rest of the animation, followed by the back-swing.

This phase is easily indicated by the “green-shield” icon that shows up the center of your star-reticle for the duration of this phase.

Phase 2: The opponent’s weapon will have already begun to swing at the target (player), and follow through until just before the moment of contact with the target (player).

This phase happens before the “green-shield” icon appears.

Phase 1: The opponent will draw back his weapon (watch for shoulder movement) and then begin to swing the weapon at the target (player).

Essentially, there is only one defensive orientation, and it covers attacks from one singular opponent (in front of you), no matter what direction they swing.įor the purposes of this discussion, the opponent’s swing will be broken down into three phases: It doesn’t matter what your weapon-polarity (the red highlighted direction indicated by your star-reticle) is toggled. The first thing that I would like to clarify is that defense, unlike offense, does NOT take weapon-direction of your star-reticle into account. A guide to the defensive mechanics of Kingdom Come: Deliverance.

Kingdom come deliverance master strike