In combat with the sabre there is a lot to consider. Here are some important basics.


Usually a close combat consists of a constant exchange of attacks. If you block an attack, you then throw out an attack yourself. After your attack has been blocked, you usually take longer to recover than the opponent and therefore will have to block one of his attacks.

At the beginning of the fight you often experience a "clean melee". This is a fight without tricks, a simple exchange of attacks and blocks. Only after a few attacks do people usually try to really threaten the enemy.
It is recommended to block the enemy’s first attack when you meet them. Nevertheless, one should take a threatening attitude and not just run towards the opponent with the block.


Yes, in Mount & Blade Warband there is physics. There are three key factors that calculate the damage to the opponent.

• Direction of Movement: When the duelists run into each other, they do the most damage as they approach. If you move away from the enemy, you go backwards and the damage is minimized.
  
  
• Momentum: If you use momentum to swing an attack, it goes faster and does more damage. To do this, just swipe the mouse in the direction of the attack, as if you were simulating it.
  
  
• Hitbox location: Logically, a blow to the head does more damage than one on the feet. So try to land a hit as high as possible.

The poke is a "realistic addition" to the game. It occurs when a sword blow no longer causes damage to an enemy due to his movement.
To understand this, one has to imagine what a blow looks like in reality. Left and right strokes will poke when the attacker first reaches out to swing. The moving sword will have no strength behind it and just bounce off the enemy. Top and (especially) bottom strikes poke when they have no room to hit, so player A is so close to player B that he can not develop any strength.
A poke is a popular excuse for defeat in a duel, because when you land a poke, it does almost no damage.

By moving the mouse, the sabre can be guided in four directions. With the left-click a blow is triggered, with the right-click it is a block instead.




The right attack is a wide-area attack. Move your mouse to the right to use it, or to the left if the enemy is using it.

Advantages:
• Good range
  
• Covers a large area
  
• Good against multiple enemies, as it threatens a large number of approaches

Disadvantages:
• The slowest attack
  
• Relatively long cooldown

The left attack is a speed-hit. Move your mouse to the left to use it, or to the right if the enemy is using it.

Advantages:
• Very fast
  
• Low cooldown
  
• Good for spinning

Disadvantages:
• Short range

The upper attack is a damage strike. Move your mouse forwards to use it or to block it.

Advantages:
• Very good damage, as it usually hits the target on the head
  
• Very balanced
  
• Not easy to block

Disadvantages:
• The precise direction of the attack cannot be varied as with the other attack directions
  
• Easy to dodge if the enemy is strafing

The stab is a precision strike. Move your mouse downwards to use it or to block it.

Advantages:
• Very long range
  
• Good control

Disadvantages:
• Poke potential
  
• Easy to chamber

Now, knowing these attacks, there are some specific ways to use them. The timing of the attack is often delayed by these variations.


By holding the blow, the release time can be delayed as desired. To do this, simply leave the left mouse button pressed down.
The enemy is now in a dilemma. Most likely, he will try to block the blow, and, like you, hold his block. But if he loosens this block, he has no cover. The attacker is in this case with the held attack ready much faster at the opponent, who must first cancel their block. As soon as he does that, the time has come to attack.
If you hold the attack for one or two seconds, you may even be lucky enough to catch the moment when the defender cancels the block anyway, because he has run out of patience.

Defense against holding:
First hold the block. Then fake a blow, but immediately return to the block.


If you keep faking attacks, many animations will appear one after the other for different attack directions. To do this, keep the left mouse button pressed all the time, but keep tapping the right mouse button. So the character changes constantly between different strokes.
Here you can repeat the previous direction, but of course take another. All possibilities are open. It’s recommended not to do more than three or four fakes in quick succession. This quick sword-wielding play serves to confuse the enemy in the heat of the battle.

Defense against faking:
If you find that your opponent is faking a lot, try to catch him in moments of transition between the animations and make a quick hit on the opponent. Most of the time he can not block it because he is trapped in his attack and block animations.


The feint is probably the most widespread variant. Feinting means triggering a strike, but blocking shortly after releasing the left mouse button by tapping on the right. You should hear a hissing noise.
Here, too, the same or another beat can be added after each feint. In the end, the blow ends just before the opponent. If you then use the same stroke again, it sometimes even looks as if it arrives delayed with the opponent. Again, do not overuse feinting.

Defense against the feint:
There is no real defense except to be constantly ready for the block. Feinting is too well-rounded to have any single counterplay.

With this knowledge, tactics can be developed to defeat the enemy in a stylish way. This requires using the strengths of the attacks optimally.


When outranging, the goal is to outplay the opponent by striking them from a distance out of their possible reach.



A typical position to outrange the opponent

When outranging the right attack is best, because it combines a good range with a large area denial.
In doing so one tries to avoid a blow of the enemy as narrowly as possible and immediately afterwards to attack yourself. The opponent is still in his attack cooldown and ideally can not block in time.
This tactic calls for a passive style of play. You must try to create as much space as possible between you and the other person. When you close distance, you need to dodge because you don't block for outranging (costs time).

Defense against being outranged:
If you press hard on your opponent, constantly pursuing him and licking him, he will find neither time nor room to go out. Just try to put some heat into the fight and encourage the enemy to return the quick strike change.


Spamming is a commonly used tactic that aims to pre-empt the opponent with quick attacks.



A typical position for spamming

Here the left attack is supreme, since it is the fastest. To increase the rate of attack, look at the ground whilst swinging the sword. For this it is important not to give the opponent any freedom, so always to run towards him. Thus, spamming requires an offensive style of play.
Spammers do not walk straight towards you, rather zigzagging. This way they make it harder for the defender to land a kick. With this high rate of attack you can even hit the opponent after he has blocked the previous stroke.

Defense against spamming:
Against spammers there is no surefire defense. You should try to wind sideways out of the danger zone (running backwards does not do much, because you are slower). Furthermore, you can kick a spammer when he is right in front of you.


Kicking is a very special tactic. Pressing ‘E’ causes the player to stand still for a second and kick out.



A kick

The kick is a high-risk tactic that promises success only with a lot of practice. A successful kick stuns the target so that he cannot move for a short time. A successful kick is often followed by a left or upper attack. The right attack is too slow to capitalise on the stun and the stab can lead to a poke.
You can also combine the kick with a block. Only the bottom block is cancelled by the kick, because the leg pushes the sword out of position. The logical conclusion is that you use a kick in addition to a block when on the defensive. The best thing to do is to attack the enemy first and retreat after your attack. He will often follow you and walk into the path of the kick.
But beware! After a kick you cannot move for a short time!

Defense against the kick:
When you realize that your opponent uses many kicks, try to provoke one. Then with a stab and with a bit of luck you can hit him. Furthermore, you can also walk around the opponent, if you dodge their kick, because they will be locked in place for a second. In this case you can attack your enemy from the side or even back and they will be powerless to block you.


Chambering combines a defensive manoeuvre with the potential for attack. Here you must wait for your opponent to attack and shortly after release an attack of your own. When the enemy launches an attack there is a ‘whoosh’ noise, this is your time to attack for a successful chamber. A lot of practice is required to be able to safely and consistently chamber. Any attack direction can be chambered but it is easiest to chamber upper attacks or stabs. In addition, you can re-chamber chambered attacks, so that an endless chain of chambers is possible. In this situation simply hold your chambered attack for half a second and then release.

Defense against chambering:
A chambering opponent can be directly countered by delaying your attacks and feinting often. This makes it much harder for him to chamber your attacks. Of course you can also re-chamber his chambers. Otherwise, simply block a Chamber.

Close combat separates the wheat from the chaff. Only those who can maintain concentration and responsiveness for a long time can win a fight.

It is very important that you develop your own style of play! Do not imitate anyone, stay variable and unpredictable! Everyone can find their own tricks; try different tactics and fight in many ways. You have to be a closed book to your enemy, from which he can read nothing. Only then will you have a chance against a good opponent.

This knowledge was first discovered by the fathers of cavalry and passed on to the next generation. As I have held it for a long time, I am passing it on now. Be careful with knowledge, because knowledge is power. I thank all my former mentors, to whom this guide is also due.

I am grateful to [KGL] Quinn ML who made this translation possible.