Guide: Kingdom Come: Deliverance Combat Tips and Tricks - How to Survive in Battle

Kingdom Come: Deliverance sticks so steadfastly to its realism that even the simplest of actions can get quite complicated. Then there's combat, which is one of the most difficult features to get to grips with.

But get to grips with it you shall – particularly if you pay attention to our guide. We're going to run you through the basics, all the way up to advanced techniques. We'll also go through how the system works to help alleviate frustration.

The basics

On paper, the combat system isn't overly complicated. You press R1 to stab, R2 to slash, and hold L1 to block attacks. You can also use the left analogue stick to direct your stabs and slashes at different body parts.

If you move into touching distance of your opponent, you'll end up in a clinch. This is basically a minor brawl, in which one person ends up the victor. The result is based on your stats, and there are no button presses you can do to sway it in your favour.

The different weapon types

Depending on your weapon type, the damage you cause will completely differ. For example, if you wield a mace, you'll do way more damage with slashes. Spears, on the other hand, are way better at stabbing.

There are a bunch of different variations for these weapon types, so figure out how you like to attack and use a weapon that suits that.

It's also worth noting that different weapons are better suited against different armour types. Maces absolutely decimate plate armour, but are less effective against cloth and mail. Swords are the complete opposite, capable of slashing through mail and cloth but glancing harmlessly off plate armour.

Axes, meanwhile, absolutely destroy shields. It might be best to keep one of each weapon types on you if you can, so you can adapt to the situation at hand.

You can still deal damage depending on where you aim, of course, as it's rare you'll find an opponent decked out in a complete set of the same armour. That's incredibly expensive stuff.

Advanced techniques

As you progress through the story, you'll pick up some advanced techniques from combat trainers. These are perfect parry, dodge, and feint. If you want to surprise your opponent in combat, you'll need to learn all three.

They're also all very simple to pull off. Let's start with perfect parry. All you have to do here is press L1 at the exact right moment and you'll sweep the weapon away. Not only does this allow you to launch an easy counterattack, but you'll also lose no stamina for a perfect block.

The trick to getting this right is to look at the circle right in the centre of your target reticle. Press L1 as soon as a green shield appears here and you'll pull off a perfect parry. You'll know you've done it right if time slows down.

A dodge is very similar. To pull that off you have to wait until the green shield appears then move in the opposite direction of the attack. That slight difference mean dodges are often more difficult to pull off, but you'll also leave your opponent just a little more open to a counter attack.

Finally, feints are really easy. Charge your attack in a particular direction by holding R2, then quickly change direction and release. It's not an exact science, but you might just catch a lesser opponent off guard.

Combos are your best friend

As you level up in your favoured weapon, you'll unlock perk points you can spend on combos. These are a terrific means of damaging a more skilled opponent, as they typically involve creating an opening.

Just follow the steps exactly as they're displayed in the diagram to pull one off. You should note, though, that if an opponent blocks or dodges one of the attacks in the combo, the combo is off. As such, it's best to use these against opponents who you catch off guard following a dodge, feint, or perfect parry.

There is an easy way to tell if your combo is working though. Each time you pull off an attack, the next attack in the sequence will highlight white on your target reticle. If you don't see the white highlight, that means your previous attack failed and the combo is broken.

Assessing the situation is key

There are some battles that you will just never win in Kingdom Come – it's just the way it is here. Henry isn't a hero or a god, he's just a normal blacksmith's son. So it stands to reason that up against four skilled opponents, he's just not walking away from it.

Because enemies in Kingdom Come aren't just there to be defeated by you. Some of them are actually far more skilled than you are. In fact, most of them are at the beginning of the game.

So it doesn't really matter what armour your wearing or the quality of sword you're carrying. If there are too many opponents, that's just the way it is.

Whenever you enter a combat encounter, you need to decide right away whether or not you can deal with it. How many are there? What type of armour are they wearing? Do they have archers? Have they spotted you yet?

You can react based on the answers to those questions. If there are three and they haven't seen you, maybe you can pick one or two off with your bow and finish off the last one with your sword. But that's only if you know how to use a bow properly.

If there are four heavily plated foes and you're just wearing chainmail, maybe leave this one. Assess the situation, add in your own abilities and gear, then act accordingly.

Common misconceptions

There are certain aspects of the battle system that are either poorly explained, or aren't explained at all. To help prepare you for the road ahead, we're going to explain all of that to you below:

You don't have to parry in a certain direction

Contrary to what you might think, you don't have to parry in the direction of an attack to block it. By holding down L1, you'll automatically parry or block certain attacks.

We wouldn't advise this though, as parrying or blocking an attack costs a lot of stamina. If you run out completely, you're wide open to a series of brutal attacks.

Sure, use it sparingly or as a last ditch defence, but you really want to rely on dodging or perfect parries.

You don't always need a shield

You might be tempted to pick up a shield at the first opportunity, and use it in every battle. Well, you don't have to. In fact, the only times that shields are useful is when you're facing archers, as you can raise it to block the arrows.

Your weapon's durability matters

Don't just go for the most powerful weapon you can find, as that often comes with a cost. There are many weapons in the game that promise a ridiculous damage score like 80 stabbing, but only have about 20 durability. That means it will only be good for a couple of battles before it dulls or breaks.

That might work for you. Perhaps you keep a blacksmith's kit handy and can fix it up between each battle, or maybe you don't get into battle often and want to be able to end it as quickly as possible when you do.

But chances are, you're going to need something sturdier. If that means you drop 20 damage to double the durability, then its probably worth it. A dull blade will deliver less damage, and chances are it will be dull far more than it's sharp.

Understanding the blocking situation

What might frustrate you often, is how difficult it is to land a solid blow against an opponent. You might even do everything right, from perfect parrying, feinting, and dodging, but nothing seems to work. Unfortunately, there's very little you can do about that but stick with it and try your best.

Because a lot of that is just out of your hands, and in the hands of the defence and warfare rating of your opponent. These are often missed skill trees that actually hold the key to winning in battle.

Warfare is particularly important – perhaps even more so than your skill with a particular weapon type. Sure, that does allow access to useful combos, but they don't provide much use if you can't land a blow. That's all down to your warfare score.

This dictates how well you perform in clinches and the chance that your blows will land. It increases in combat, so practice really does make perfect here. Just go through encounters until its increased sufficiently, and you'll become the hero you always wanted to be.

That's not to say there's very little you can do. Perfect parrying, feinting, and dodging are still more effective than mindless slashing. The same goes for combos. You might not always pull them off, but that's what makes the combat system so interesting. It's always unpredictable.

So just keep varying up your approach and you'll find something that works. You should also pay attention to your weapon type and use the one most effective against your current opponent.

Finally, following an attack, a direction on your reticule may glow white. If this happens, it means you have a chance of catching your opponent off guard with an attack in that area. Again, it won't always come off, but it's definitely better than nothing.

Do you have any other hints and tips to help with Kingdom Come: Deliverance's complicated combat mechanics? Raise your sword and shield in the comments section below.