How To Counterattack Witcher 3
The Witcher 3 patch 1.07: Geralt's new movement mode analyzed. With that in mind, the most stark difference with the new mode is the sharpness of Geralt’s turning speeds. In the below video, I’m pressing left (A) and right (D) at the same speed with both the ‘standard’ and ‘alternative’ movement modes. The latter demonstrates a much sharper turn than before. Jun 12, 2015 - Monsters usually do not carry swords, although some specters do. But what is the point of counter attack, block, really against most monsters? You begin the counterattack with your block up (holding the E key) – when an opponent will try to land a blow on you, the icon on his body will turn into a sword icon for a moment, signifying the best opportunity to counterattack. At this point you should press LMB and Geralt will make a dodge and a dynamic riposte.
Against what types of enemies can I riposte, to counterattack them? Does it only work against humans? And should I hit the riposte button when their health bar glows red, indicating that they are about to attack?
And versus monsters and other creatures, I should instead dodge or roll away instead? Would blocking at least be effective versus all types of enemies, or are there some that it wouldn't be?
GaryGary1 Answer
There is a loading screen tip that suggests that you should dodge monsters and block/parry humans. However, many have found this does not tell the full story.
Much like how many enemies can parry your fast attacks but can be broken through with a heavy attack or otherwise, parrying works for many enemies' faster, lighter attacks. For example, with the Drowners and Ghouls, you should be able to parry their regular attacks. However, their heavier attacks--jump attacks, in this case--cannot be, so you'll just need to get out of the way with a dodge or roll. This applies to other enemies. An intuitive rule of thumb is that any enemy attack that has a considerable windup/charge or sense of impact probably can't be blocked or parried.
It seems obvious that you should dodge or roll against very large monsters, but you should probably also do so against enemies with heavier/larger weapons (including humans with two-handed weapons and the Wild Hunt) which will stun you on parries instead of opening a window for you to riposte, so dodging here is a good choice for counterattacks.
Regarding attacks that you can't parry: dodging is also helpful for sidestepping single heavy attacks/charges or backstepping short attacks/lunges and taking advantage of your position to get critical or followup hits. The game also encourages a more conservative usage of rolling given its effect on stamina, so rolling is best used to avoid sustained attacks (namely the Wraiths) or area-of-effect attacks (which I believe golems may perform) or just regain some space.
In general, I've found that you can parry basic attacks from many roughly man-sized enemies, including Nekkers and Wraiths. I can't give you much more detail or specific monsters, but you should have the opportunity to test this against an unfamiliar enemy early on in a fight (activating Quen first, if you wish) by attempting to block or parry a single enemy's lighter attack. If you take damage or Quen deactivates, you'll know that enemy's attack can't be parried. Experimenting will give you a better sense and knowledge of this, however you should be aware that there are enemies that also react differently to ripostes; some hags will have their tongues cut off with a riposte which makes them much easier to kill.
In short: basic attacks (like swipes) from medium to small enemies are often able to be parried, and special/strong attacks generally need to avoided by dodging/rolling regardless of whether it's a monster or human.
Lastly, the health bar glowing red indicates the enemy is beginning an attack, but depending on your situation, parrying immediately may or may not work. If you tap to parry, it will likely work against faster attacks but a slower strong attack may land well after the parry 'window' ends. It may be better to use the healthbar indicator to dodge/roll or even block, and watch the enemy's weapon (or fists) to time your parries.
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The Witcher series is known for its unique combat mechanics. A lot of players are turned off from the games due to the unfamiliarity of it. If you’re struggling to clear a drowner nest or slay the arch-griffin of White Orchard, look no further.
Dodge monsters, parry everything else
There’s two very broad categories of enemies you’ll fight in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Monsters, and humans/elves/the Wild Hunt; any humanoid with a weapon, basically. Nearly all monsters tend to charge at you without much care for their own well-being, whereas ‘weapon wielders’ often block and parry your attacks. Drowners, for example, often leap at you and swipe; it’s impossible to block these. However, dodging then fast-attacking while they’re still facing away from you is a great way to get some critical hits in. Endrega Warriors are another example, as they often spin around and trap you with their tail slam attack. As soon as it raises its tail, simply dodge to the left and spam a few fast attacks.
On the contrary, blocking/parrying any attacks from melee bandits (for example) will result in them staggering backwards and letting their guard down, allowing you to get a couple of fast attacks in. Then rinse and repeat. The guys carrying two-handed weapons, however, are impossible to block. Just wait for them to commit to an attack, then strike.
Alt dodge over spacebar dodge
There’s two types of dodging in The Witcher 3 - left alt and spacebar. Alt is a simple sidestep in whichever direction you please, whereas spacebar is quite a lengthy roll that allows you to escape danger. Unless you need to do exactly that, escape, you should nearly always be using alt over spacebar, for two reasons:
- Spacebar dodging drains your stamina, meaning you’ll need to recuperate for a few seconds before being able to cast a sign.
- As alt dodging is a lot shorter, it allows you to counter the enemy a lot more effectively. You’re still very close to them and they’ll likely be facing away from you, resulting in some vital critical hit damage.
Check weaknesses in the bestiary
During every Witcher contract, the beast you’re about to slay will appear in your bestiary, once you know what it is. Always check what weaknesses it has, as applying the right type of oil to your sword and using the right type of bombs can be crucial to slaying it considerably quicker. You can always apply your oils during combat too, provided you drag and drop it rather than double clicking. It’s a small bug that has existed since the game released that still hasn’t been fixed.
Higher damage doesn’t always mean it’s better
All swords you come across will have a base damage figure, but pay attention to the other bonuses too. A 75% critical hit damage bonus with a 50% extra critical hit chance is a much better option than a sword with 20 more base damage. On a similar note, make sure you use the decent glyphs you find, as some can be very useful, especially the ones with a higher chance to poison/stun/freeze.
Fight tactically, don’t spam
Enemies in The Witcher 3 will only allow you to get a few hits in before pushing you back and causing you to stumble. Instead, time your attacks and anticipate their counters by dodging then striking again. Spamming fast attacks one after the other is a sure fire way to get yourself killed, especially against large groups of enemies.
Take out ranged enemies first
There’s plenty of bandit groups scattered across the war-torn land of The Witcher 3, and many of them will often have a few guys wielding crossbows. Always try and take these frustrating folk out first, as they have incredible accuracy and every hit they land will cause you to stumble, allowing their melee friends to get a couple of hits in.
How To Counterattack In Witcher 3
Quen is your best sign
Quen simply gives you a shield that will absorb all damage from enemy attacks. The more you level it up in the skill tree, the better it becomes. Use and abuse it. At higher levels it deals the damage it absorbs back to the enemy. If you know you’re going to be going into a fight, use Quen beforehand, as it’ll stay enabled when you go into combat and you’ll have a full stamina bar right away to deal some damage with Igni.
Bear these seven tips in mind, and if you execute them correctly, even Death March difficulty should be conquerable!