now here is a short lesson on how to fight in M&B(AFAIK), I will update this thread with people's worthy additions on "fighting" or with some of my tactics/succesful builds if people like the BASIC section and want to hear more
MELEE BASIC MANEUVERS
LMB=Left Mouse Button RMB=Right Mouse Button
SET YOUR ATTACKS AND BLOCKS IN YOUR OPTION MENU TO "CONTROLLED BY MOUSE*or inverse*" OR "CONTROLLED BY KEYBOARD",
then I highly recommend playing single player arena just a lil bit to familiarize yourself with what BLOCKING and ATTACKING consists of.
BASIC BLOCKING : Block in the same direction the enemy attack, i.e. an enemy overhead attack is blocked by a overhead block
(if you use keyboard, same DIRECTIONAL(WASD)key will block/attack just switch from LMB to RMB for a block)
I use attack/block by keyboard direction, many do not, I have played the game(original M&B) for years, it feels like its been out a decade by now, I used to use mouse direction........
but when I attack or block I like to spin around too and that can get annoying with mouse while keyboard is one quick keyslap
NOTE: EVEN IF A CRUSHTHROUGH WEAPON IS GOING TO OVERHEAD U
*and you can't somehow dodge out of the way or hit him with a quick hit*, BEST CHANCE IS TO FACEHUG ENEMY WITH A HIGHLY HELD OVERHEAD BLOCK
AND INTERCEPT THE SWING EARLY(ESPECIALLY WITH HEAVIER WEAPONS/SHIELDS), LETTING THE SWING NEAR COMPLETION BEFORE IT STRIKES IS A SUREFIRE WAY TO DIE
(REMEMBER HEAVIER WEAPONS/SHIELDS PROTECT VS CRUSHTHROUGH)
PS if your weapon/shield is light, you better be bobbing and weaving and hopefully iniatiating a feint that turns into a good attack for the first part of the engagement, then draw back after the hit and see if you can pull it off again
CHAMBERING YOUR WEAPON BEFORE AN ATTACK
: You can hold an attack before you release it by not letting go of LMB, this is a very important concept in fighting in mount and blade, and not just as it pertains to chamber blocking, which is more often an accidental conseqence of chambering in general, you chamber a attack while the LMB is held down, if you use RMB you stop the chamber(and being a block), you can even stop the swing in first half of animation after you release an attack(which is a "feint")
FEINTING is accomplished by ending an swing by using RMB before midswing and starting another one in a different direction immediately thereafter
Result of a Feint
: Your enemy sees your animation and blocks the wrong direction of your *real* attack
*WARNING UNBALANCED WEAPON PENALTY*-
Unbalanced weapons are slower to stop swings, so remember that whatever speed the weapon says for 1 v 1 it is going to be even harder(especially against anyone decent)
HOW TO USE FEINTING IN COMBAT : You chamber an attack with and you notice enemy is already blocking that direction, quickly tap block to cancel last attack and then chamber and attack in a different direction, if your enemy does manage to have pre-readied the block for the new attack, cancel it before midswing*feint* and attack immediately from another direction,
CHAMBER BLOCKING (often called chambering)
Your enemy is swinging an attack at you, right before it hits you: you can "chamberblock" his attack by readying your own attack of the same direction, timing is critical I highly recommend finding someone in the duel server to practice
SPEED BONUS
Did you know your rotation into/away from an attack and the relative speeds of both targets play into how much damage you deal? This is the inherent effect of the "Speed" Bonus to damage(can be negative % as well i.e. to characters moving/rotating away from each other)
Speed bonus is best realized by playing single player as it actually tells you the speed bonus of various landed attacks based on what you were doing at the time
Basically the easiest way to understand it is when a cavalry charges and does massive damage with his 1hander because his horse was galloping past you at full speed when his weapon connected to your body(and may have caused +50% damage than normal or more)
did you know your various rotations/foot movements will change the speed bonus(or minus!) to damage that your swing does!
Knowing how this works is fundamental to killing people, you can very easily be on foot and be getting +75% damage from this bonus(or more), I highly recommend testing this out in single player, the "arena" is very easy to have continuous fights(althrough enemies do not feint there)
HELD ATTACK BONUS
If you HOLD an attack for a ~1/2 second before releasing, you get a stronger attack than if u just release immediately (You've probably been stunned by a held attack and didn't realize it, it tends to force the enemy to have to block a second time after that attack due to the "stunlock" from the heavy hit)
EFFECT OF WEIGHT OF WEAPONS/SHIELDS
Remember the heavier your weapon/shield is, the better it is of causing "Stun" to other weapons or shields when they block your attack, if you use a light weapon or shield prepare to block twice in instances where a powerful heavy weapon swing has hit you, it takes time to recognize what being "Stunned" is but realizing that it is a game mechanic will help you
