by Ack Tue May 04, 2021 10:33 pm
I've made it to level 3 in Battlespire. It makes for a good stopping point to continue discussing the sword combat in the game.
Previously I had talked a little about the variance of attacks. Popo has been doing some digging into the combat of early Elder Scrolls games, so I'll let him break down the differences between slashes, chops, and thrust attacks, but I also wanted to note that the weapon-based skills are not the only ones affecting combat.
Battlespire also incorporates a Dodge, Critical Strike, and Backstabbing skill. Backstabbing is, of course, the stealth option for those who want to sneak up and stick your knife in a foe's kidney. Critical Strike impacts sudden damage spikes that are, again, based on hidden dice rolls. For sword combat, it doesn't make authentic, but it does feel like tabletop roleplaying.
The Dodge skill is more interesting, because while it's still a hidden dice roll, executing a dodge both results in your opponent missing an attack and also briefly slows them. This is a short respite you can capitalize on to get in a quick spell, pull back, or go on the offensive. However, your opponent can also dodge, and when it does, your attack animation becomes incredibly slow. This opens you up for more attacks, so I find the best option is to immediately retreat and try to get some distance. Thankfully the stun only impacts your attacks and casting, not your mobility.
This isn't all to consider when engaging in sword combat, but I'll talk more about how to capitalize on movement and level geometry in Battlespire in a later post.
As for the rest of you, keep fighting! You have many opponents left to best!