Blade and Sorcery is what I imagine it’s like to be Geralt of Rivia or the Strider made famous in Lord of the Rings. It’s a physics-based sandbox based on finding the most creative ways to dispatch your enemies. You can see our review here.
Before you dive into the tips I’ve got here, you need to make sure you’ve covered the fundamentals to the game. Do a few rounds in the easier difficulties of the gladiator arena and master:
- Running
- Jumping
- Turning
- Basic sword handling (not dragging your sword on the ground, not bumping into walls, etc)
Once you’ve got a firm handle on these fundamentals, you’re ready to git gud with the tips I’ve found. One other point for you: don’t get discouraged! My own experimentation with these tips found the execution to be harder than I thought. You need to practice, but you’re rewarded with much smoother gameplay.
Let’s get started!
Tip 1 | Go Low
You didn’t think I was going to approach this tutorial with honor, did you? Absolutely go low! This is mortal combat, anything goes. Not quite a squats challenge, but an interesting way to get a full body workout too. Let’s run through a few scenarios to show off some ideas:
Scenario 1 Sword vs shield
Your basic shielded opponent is tough for newbies. They guard well, they seem to push you back, and you often find yourself sidestepping to strike the back.
For this sequence, begin by striking the shield with your weapon to force your opponent to high guard. Aim for the top of the skull and strike downward.
Your sword will deflect from their shield, at which point you can spin or otherwise redirect your strike to whichever leg is vulnerable. Once your opponent is down, you stab for the finish.
Scenario 2: Sword vs Multiple
First, let’s cover Sword v sword as these are the first encounters you come across. You want to strike high until they parry. At that point, a dagger at your hip is handy for a hip or leg stab.
Now the more interesting Sword v Sword v Shield. Use the shield tactic I outlined above, then spin or redirect your momentum. You can often get an extra low attack on an unsuspecting opponent trying to sneak up behind you.
Tip 2 | Don’t forget to leap
The leap is a basic cool maneuver that afford some fun opportunities. It forces enemies to guard high, and is useful for disengaging fights you can’t win. You can pierce wooden shields with a leaping sword strike if your blade is angled properly. Pull the sword downward, then punch the opponent in their exposed face to stun them.
Leaping is great ability that opens up movement possibilities, and is missing from other titles in this genre.
Tip 3 | Master the Blade
A handy move to know is the sword catch or sword grab. Here’s a basic sequence you can practice that shows off how this works:
- Knock the enemy down with your sword hand, or a shield. Keep your sword blade up during this attack so you’re ready to defend.
- Once they fall, toss your sword with a flipping action to catch it blade down and stab for the finish
Once you’ve mastered this, you can do cool stuff like this fancy move:
- Requires dagger and shield
- Use your shield to guard an oncoming attack
- Toss dagger and catch it so the blade is reversed
- Spin and strike the enemy in the head or neck
Tip 4 | Throw Everything
Knives, daggers and shields can all be thrown. Let’s soldier up and tap into our inner Captain America for some fun finishes. Some thoughts:
- Toss your shield at unshielded opponents, then dash and stab for the finish
- Stab one opponent for the finish, then pull the dagger and toss at someone else
This is a good time to remind you that you can also pick up weapons around you from the opponents you’ve taken down. This includes bows, as well as throwable knives and axes. Not every throw has to be super accurate either. Sometimes distracting your opponent with something they have guard or dodge is enough to flee a fight you can’t win.
Practice the stun and throw combo, where you attack an opponent with the hilt of your weapon to stagger them and throw that weapon for the finish. You can even use telekinesis to bring it back to your hand.
Tip 5 | Use Your Spell Arsenal
When I first began, I used lightning frequently as a method of attack. It was easy to do and I dispatched hordes quickly. Once I realized the point of the game is being an awesome fantasy game and not surviving, I started using telekinesis far more frequently.
You can use it to bring weapons to your hand, which you can then throw behind your opponent and return blade first through their midsection. Ouch. The practical use for this tactic is recovering from a missed throw, where you re-arm yourself with the nearest weapon in the coolest way possible.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGb28ZJG5hI?start=97&w=560&h=315]
You can also grab and move heavy objects, or swing swords. They lag a bit as you redirect them through the air but rocks are excellent for knocking someone over. They can be dropped or thrown for a finisher as well.
Tip 6 | Get Creative
Once you realize this game is about making a movie, a whole new world opens up to you. It’s like a giant set piece, you just need to learn what works for you. Use your environment, and your fists, to open up new possibilities.
You can throw enemies over rails or punch them. You can kick shielded opponents to knock them backward, or into a wall. Everything has a use, you just need to consider your situation and think fast.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11EFFhft82E&w=560&h=315]
Try every blade the game has to offer. The diversity on display is amazing, and I feel like I’ve hardly spent enough time with it. These tips focus mostly on one-handed bladed weapons, but spears and axes are amazing tools for creativity.
What are some of your war stories?
