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How realistic is WITCHER style combat? FUNCTIONAL FANDOM

Shadiversity

398,297 views

Hint, it's far more effective than you think.

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20 Comments

@winterburden 3 years ago

He neglected the enormous advantage that you're completely immune to damage while rolling and attacks pass right through you.

@quill9648 3 years ago

I remember in books, whenever a fight was described somewhere in the early pages of each tome, the narration would contain an explanation of Geralt's tactics, how he spins and moves the sword at a different rythm from his steps, how he speeds up and slows down to confuse the monster. It's also explained he does it because monsters are not completely mindless, and can find a pattern if your moves are too rythmic, and Geralt scolds Ciri because her motions are rythmic.

While fighting humans, a lot of parades, feints and strikes are detailed and explained beautifully. Overall, Sapkowski did his homework in terms of swordfighting.

@kaimagnus5760 3 years ago

The Dodge Roll would make more sense in the context of oversized creatures. Sometimes a light feint or side step just doesn't clear enough space when something the size of a flying school bus is trying to run you over.

@matthewguardo673 3 years ago

One thing in the books is that while training, Geralt often gets on to Ciri for having too much rythym, because it is too predictable. Witcher are trained to basically not have predictable patterning to these attacks so everything is slightly offbeat causing both humans and monsters to fail to predict strikes and movements. obviously these sort of spins and flourishes are easier to do with a sense of tempo, but its being able to offset things just right to surprise opponents that makes it really effective.

@epsilonfallen5830 3 years ago

In terms of gameplay in the Witcher 3, the dodge roll is used against bigger attacks like a charging Griffin. It makes sense to jump to the side in these cases.
The smaller sidesteps are more useful against human sized enemies, since you are still in attack range after dodging, so you can follow up with a "counter attack".

@epsilonfallen5830 3 years ago (edited)

One thing to also keep in mind is Geralts enhanced senses. He can hear peoples heartbeat and so on. Combined with his superhuman reflexes, it makes the spins and pirouettes more plausibel, since he might be able to keep track of his opponents even without seeing them.

@sanfera5644 3 years ago

In the books, a sword master specifically explains in one part where Ciri complains about a particular move.

A witchers technique is meant to be used against group of people, group of monsters, and even against enemies they haven't spotted yet. Their spins and swings also meant to pinpoint invisible creatures if there are any.

"You never know." master says. "You never know if there is an enemy behind or around you."

And considering they can parry crossbow bolts during a combo, wide spins and swings also form some form of shield that prevents tail stings or thrown weapons/spikes.

Their hits, combined with the potions and oils they use, needs to contact and sometimes just making a small cut could damage a monster significantly to slow down its moves.

@edwardelric4975 3 years ago

Kramer did impressive job of replicating the moves. Another excellent video.

@lkotof 3 years ago

In the Witcher world, monsters are usually described as being overall tougher than non-magical creatures, having thicker bones, skin, sometimes shells and just overall more mass that you need to get through to significantly wound them. Therefore, adding a bit of a spin could perhaps be a method of them generating additional velocity and strength into their strikes to deal with monsters more efficiently

@axelhopfinger533 3 years ago

The dodge roll probably has one specific use case, which is for dodging attacks from very large monsters, like a Griffin swooping down on you or a troll charging. But it's much less viable in anything but very light and flexible armor. It's basically like throwing yourself to the ground in a controlled manner in order to get up again as quickly as possible.
It makes sense to train it until you can do it reflexively, because there's always the chance to slip, trip and fall in the uneven and treacherous terrain Witchers often find themselves fighting in, like sewers, swamps and woods.

@MEKKO123 3 years ago

I would love a fight scene autopsy of the ending to Witcher 1. It's 1 sword vs 2, and it always looked really believable to me.

@Tharsix36 3 years ago (edited)

You should also take into consideration that Geralt is both a special case even among the witchers (due to his mother being a sorceress) and really experienced as he's around 100 years old in the books and even older in the games.

@vikingshaggy2786 3 years ago (edited)

Something in universe I thought about Geralt's fighting style is the one of the reasons that he is spinning and doing pirouettes is not only to keep enemies away for spacial awareness but to also disorient them (The Monster). Much like waving a red flag at a bull. Where the motion makes them aggressive or "blind" enough to gain an advantage on whatever beast you're fighting.

@alackofgames913 3 years ago (edited)

There is mention of tempo at about the 3 quarter mark, and I find it interesting that that's one of the first things addressed in the books. Geralt specifically keeps his sword movements at a different tempo than his footwork to confuse his opponents

@alpinewolf7751 3 years ago

"...a monster which wouldn't have taken a fencing class."
angry higher vampire noises
Seriously though, amazing analyzis and video, thanks!

@General_Weebus 3 years ago

Something to consider with rolling is in the Witcher 3 you don't generally use it to dodge human or roughly human sized enemies. You have a smaller quick step that keeps you in range to quickly counter attack and the roll is mostly used to avoid big attacks from huge monsters like the griffin, or to quickly move from an area and get out of an unfavorable situation in a big group melee like someone threw a firebomb at you or whatever.

@Romkar 3 years ago

Keep 'em coming, Shad! Analyzing alternative fighting styles is always interesting

@AlexanderofRedwood 3 years ago

I now want CDPR to make a game for all the schools. The armor is great BUT it’d be fun to see the heavy/ light swordsmanship of the different schools. Definitely a style switch between schools.

@nextcaesargaming5469 3 years ago (edited)

"How do you know it's goblins?"

"The hopps is missing and all the goats are pregnant."

*Draws Sword* "THE HOPPS IS MISSING?"

What an opening to a video, lmao. I love that the hopps is the concern, not the pregnant goats.

@Soul1234-v5v 3 years ago (edited)

I read part of the world of the witcher book in which it describes some training the boys go through before getting mutations. They train that style in normal extremes but also stuff like fighting like that in knee high water, in pitch black darkness. All without their abilities, they are also taught to treat any opponent, no matter the size, number or strength as their last fight as anything can easily get a lucky hit