witcher 2 combat

[Merkavar]

So anyone got some advice on how to fight a group of enemies in this game? i dont seem to have an issue with one enemy or just general monsters but groups of humans just seem really hard.

i seem to have to have quen up all the time for the shield so this means i cant block much at all.

Im only in chapter 1 of the game fighting some *spoiler* dimitri guy. there are like 4 of them and it seems if i stand and fight i die fast and if i dodge the fight lasts 5 mins and i still die cause im taking like 10% of their health off.

So any idea?

 

[The Madman]

Depends how you've been spending your points while leveling. Personally I like using traps and the like, it helps out a lot during fights and consumable items are easily enough replaced later on. Bombs, traps, throwing knives, and the occasional sign to disable one or prevent damage to myself, then when they're whittled down and singled out I can take em down easy with a few sword strikes. My friend however just threw everything in pure combat and and he tells it he's an absolute beast in combat.

Bit surprised you're having trouble at that point however. By the time I was that far into chapter 1 I was pretty familiar with the gameplay and had begun to refine the formula to my tastes. Mind you you might have done it in a different order than I did! I found the endrega queens to be much more difficult, and the boss battle with mr. tentacles was a pain. But that fight? I remember the one you're talking about, in the graveyard right? Didn't find it unusually difficult compared to everything else I'd fought by that point.

Just be careful and be sure to use every tool at your disposal. The game isn't particularly forgiving, but as long as you're careful and know what you're doing you should be fine.

 

[Danceofmasks]

If you have bombs, use those. Make a bunch of grapeshots. Easiest way to do things, IMO.
Daggers, if you've invested in those talents, are ridiculously good.

Or, you can play with Yrden/Axii and get your damage by backstabbing.
One of my videos might help.

 

[Spencer Petersen]

I'm not that far in but I seem to have some luck using the force spell, hoping for it to let me enter an invincible finisher animation. Ive only used it on a few dudes but its working alright.

 

[Waaghpowa]

Don't go in swinging like it's God of War. For groups all I can really tell you is stay aware, dodge often and try and get a few shots in at a time, kite them with bombs etc. Single, small, enemies are generally pretty easy.

Also as stated above, Axii is good if you have the time to charm an enemy, Yrden is good for taking out individuals to thin groups. I forget what the bomb is called, but there's one that stuns/freezes enemies. You'll want to pick that up.

 

[Merkavar]

Mind you you might have done it in a different order than I did! I found the endrega queens

i found the queens to be easy. i think i died once on the queen cause i wasnt sure what to expect. it just poped up behind me. but i have died 5 times on these guys in the graveyard. but cant seem to damage them much at all. maybe ill try some other combo of signs etc.

 

[infohippie]

Bombs are your friend, especially Grapeshot and Samum. Grapeshot is great for killing a group of mooks all at once - sometimes you need two for the harder mooks. Samum will stun or slow a group for a while, as well as doing some damage, so you can get a few good sword hits in or even kill a stunned opponent outright. Make sure you keep moving, DO NOT get in the middle of a group. And take the extended distance rolling ability from the Swordsman tree, when you can roll faster than you can run it's easy to get behind someone for high-damage hits while avoiding their weapon.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

dodge = very friendly, and always hit them from behind, sign up, maybe a bomb or trap, dodge , two MAYBE three hits tops, roll, rinse and repeat

thats whats worked for me, if you KNOW you are going to be in a fight, preset a SHIT ton of traps on one spot, have the fucker go over it and KABOOM they are insta killed nearly, i did that with a few bosses by figuring out where they would spawn and then preload and lay traps by the spot. made it 100000x easier

 

[Danceofmasks]

dodge = very friendly, and always hit them from behind, sign up, maybe a bomb or trap, dodge , two MAYBE three hits tops, roll, rinse and repeat

thats whats worked for me, if you KNOW you are going to be in a fight, preset a SHIT ton of traps on one spot, have the fucker go over it and KABOOM they are insta killed nearly, i did that with a few bosses by figuring out where they would spawn and then preload and lay traps by the spot. made it 100000x easier

Haha awesome .. I didn't want to suggest traps 'cos it's so cheap.
I did it once for the laughs ... "let's see you guys walk through 20 snares"

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

dodge = very friendly, and always hit them from behind, sign up, maybe a bomb or trap, dodge , two MAYBE three hits tops, roll, rinse and repeat

thats whats worked for me, if you KNOW you are going to be in a fight, preset a SHIT ton of traps on one spot, have the fucker go over it and KABOOM they are insta killed nearly, i did that with a few bosses by figuring out where they would spawn and then preload and lay traps by the spot. made it 100000x easier

Haha awesome .. I didn't want to suggest traps 'cos it's so cheap.
I did it once for the laughs ... "let's see you guys walk through 20 snares"

normally i wouldn't care too much either to use "cheese" strategies, but the fuckers can do one-two hit combo's sometimes that near takes out your whole damn health depending on the opponent,especially if they are in groups and get you from behind when your trying to roll or dodge, so fuck that, i'm going to use everything in my arsenal to take the bastard down.

 

[Wolfram23]

Mostly all you can do is dip dodge duck dive and dodge.

But definitely make sure you've got some bombs, and I like throwing knives too. And of course, upgrade your weapons. And predrink a few potions.

But yeah, groups of humanoids are tough.

 

[Merkavar]

Mostly all you can do is dip dodge duck dive and dodge.

But definitely make sure you've got some bombs, and I like throwing knives too. And of course, upgrade your weapons. And predrink a few potions.

But yeah, groups of humanoids are tough.

yeah its just i dont like the whole rolling around on the ground part.

eventually do you get strong enough to block and parry attacks so you dont have to roll around on the ground so much?

the way i imagine the witcher fighting would be parrying attackers blows and countering them. and if someone came at him with like a warhammer that cant be parried he would then dodge it.

 

[Wolfram23]

Mostly all you can do is dip dodge duck dive and dodge.

But definitely make sure you've got some bombs, and I like throwing knives too. And of course, upgrade your weapons. And predrink a few potions.

But yeah, groups of humanoids are tough.

yeah its just i dont like the whole rolling around on the ground part.

eventually do you get strong enough to block and parry attacks so you dont have to roll around on the ground so much?

the way i imagine the witcher fighting would be parrying attackers blows and countering them. and if someone came at him with like a warhammer that cant be parried he would then dodge it.

Well you can parry more if you increase your Vigor. You can also unlock more advanced parries (like from all directions) and also Riposts (a counter attack) in the sword fighting tree.

 

[Ferrsai]

I succeeded using the Aaard and Yrden signs throughout most of the game. Early on, movement is key. Don't let enemies at your back, and don't engage the group. Engage the individual on the end of the group from an angle that won't leave you wide open.

There are many strategies one can use, as mentioned above in other posts. You will find combat becomes easier once you get accustomed to some of the timing and use of different abilities.

Once you establish a particular tactic that works for you and you enjoy, you can start enhancing those abilities in your skill tree. If you like bombs and traps, get the bombs and traps skill. If you like a particular sign, shoot for it in the magic tree. If you prefer sword combat, go heavy in the sword tree. There are also some excellent survivability skills in the sword tree you may want to move towards as well.

I rarely block, I like the idea of a mobile witcher. I leap from enemy to enemy and roll when it's prudent, often following up with some sign usage. In a heavy group, I'm not opposed to using bombs/traps and the like.

I find it important to use a variety of the tactics at my disposal to get the most out of this game, and sometimes it's a necessity.

 

[Sebster 105]

I'm stuck on the kingslayer fight in chapter 1. I seriously just cannot do it

I fucking hate The Witcher 2. Waste of my money.

 

[Ferrsai]

I'm stuck on the kingslayer fight in chapter 1. I seriously just cannot do it

I fucking hate The Witcher 2. Waste of my money.

Have you turned the difficulty down to easy? The normal difficulty is a little bit tougher than one typically expects from a "normal" difficulty.

However, here are a few tips. Pay attention to Letho's movements and actions. If you just concentrate on dodging for a while, they become very predictable. Wait for his Quen to drop, and then either lure him into a Yrden trap, nail him with an Aard, or some combination of both and give him a couple strong attacks to the back. Then, roll away, see if you can nail him with another sign and repeat. They don't always stagger him for long, though, so be prepared to dodge.

You could use some oil on your steel sword for more damage if you happen to have some, or use some bombs and daggers in conjunction with the above tactics. Keep at it, eventually you'll find a tactic that works for you. If you still don't come to appreciate a good challenge, I'm sorry, man. That's what makes a game great, in my opinion.

 

[Sebster 105]

I'm stuck on the kingslayer fight in chapter 1. I seriously just cannot do it

I fucking hate The Witcher 2. Waste of my money.

Have you turned the difficulty down to easy? The normal difficulty is a little bit tougher than one typically expects from a "normal" difficulty.

However, here are a few tips. Pay attention to Letho's movements and actions. If you just concentrate on dodging for a while, they become very predictable. Wait for his Quen to drop, and then either lure him into a Yrden trap, nail him with an Aard, or some combination of both and give him a couple strong attacks to the back. Then, roll away, see if you can nail him with another sign and repeat. They don't always stagger him for long, though, so be prepared to dodge.

You could use some oil on your steel sword for more damage if you happen to have some, or use some bombs and daggers in conjunction with the above tactics. Keep at it man, eventually you'll find a tactic that works for you. If you still don't come to appreciate a good challenge, I'm sorry, man. That's what makes a game great, in my opinion.

Thank you for the tips. I will use them.
However, I do not find the witcher "challenging" I find it completely unreasonable.

And I won't ever forgive myself for bumping down to easy.

 

[Ferrsai]

You're welcome.

I wouldn't want to drop down to easy either, I don't blame you there. The combat really does have some flaws that are on the unreasonable side, and patch 1.2 begins to address these. My roommate had a little difficulty fighting Letho as well, he was using a straight forward sword assault approach. Once he started using signs against him, he did beat him and almost without a scratch. I will say he didn't use the same "finesse" that I would have used. I love finesse.