Swordfight Challenge

Image

crazyhermit.jpg

Encounter Conditions

Part of Crazy Hermit Fight

Basic Guide

Overview

You sword fight the hermit over a series of many rounds. Each round:

  • You choose an attack, and the hermit chooses an attack.
  • You clash with the hermit, with varying success depending on attacks chosen.
  • Then the hermit gives a cue hint about what his attack will be.

Eventually, one or the other of you will get too tired to continue, and someone will draw blood to win the match. At any time you can concede to leave the match early.


Tiredness

You both start at zero tiredness. As you make moves or mistakes in the game, your tiredness goes up.

Your tiredness is on a scale, determined by your buffed Reflexes (exact values need spading here).
Tireness Result
nothing
~√(ref)? "Either he's getting faster… or you're slowing down. Dammit."
~√(ref)+2? cuts you to lose the fight
The hermit has a tireness scale of 0 to 12 as follows:
Tireness Result
0-5 nothing special
6-11 "His reactions are visibly slowing."
12 Let you do a "special" move (see below) — and resets his tiredness back to 0 again

Some of the hermits attacks are less effective when his reactions are slowing, and presumably the reverse is true as well.


Cues

The hermit has three basic "Attack Styles", plus some "special" reactions when he is too tired to attack. The three basic styles are:

  • Practiced (P)
  • Quick (Q)
  • Wild (W)

His attack styles + your attack choices combine to result in one of dozens of possible results — see the big table later in this guide for full details. To fully master this minigame, you need to be able to predict what attack style he will use next round, which is hinted at by a cue as follows:

  • 3 "basic" cues: these correspond directly to the next attack style he will use:
Style Cue
Practiced The hermit approaches your reflection with a terminally bored expression, his sword held with the familiarity of decades.
Quick The hermit approaches your reflection. He makes a quick stab with every step, watching the results with a bemused expression.
Wild The hermit approaches your reflection with his sword held high, ready to come down like an executioner's axe.

So, if you see the hermit hold his sword high like an executioner's axe, you know he will do a wild attack next round.

  • 4 "advanced" cues: these are more complicated — and it is randomized for which cue corresponds to which result. The four cues are:
Shorthand Cue
Scratches Chin The hermit hangs back from your reflection and scratches at his chin thoughtfully.
Hides Thoughts The hermit hangs back from your reflection, obviously trying hard to hide his thoughts… which sort of defeats the point.
Blinks The hermit hangs back from your reflection, blinking furiously.
Laughs The hermit hangs back from your reflection, his mouth open in a soundless laugh.

Each of these four cues consistently correspond to one of the following four results:

I. He will repeat the same attack style as he used last round. P->P, Q->Q, W->W
II. His next attack style will be one alphabetically after the one he last used. P->Q, Q->W, W->P
III. His next attack style will be one alphabetically before the one he last used. P->W, Q->P, W->Q
IV. Indicates that he has reached 12 tiredness, and is vulnerable to "special" moves, including winning moves (see below for full detail).

It requires a bit of experimentation to figure out which cue corresponds to which result, but it remains across fights*. So if he did: a Quick attack, then gave a Blinking cue, then did a Wild attack, you know that Blinking will always will give the type II result.

(Pro tip: Rather than memorizing the order of the alphabet, I found it more intuitive to memorize the moves as "same", "down" or "up" for I, II and III respectively, looping around as required. Other than 'jab' (which I didn't have anyway), The [Dodge/Leap away], [Mask face/Parry] and [Punch] options are presented in order in game.)


Your attacks

There are up to nine different attack options for you to choose from each round, plus reconsidering your options and conceding the duel. The nine attacks are unlocked by having certain techniques known to you (though they do not have to be specifically in your deck at the time of the fight).

Attack option Unlocked with General type
Dodge Dive for Cover Footwork
Leap away Leaping Dodge Footwork
Parry Parry Block
Mask your face Shield Block Block
Jab at him (?) Jab Counter
Punch him Punch Counter
Pummel him Brutality Special
Run him through Swordplay Special
Meet his sword always? Other special

(these are sorted alphabetically in the regular encounter)


Expecting your attacks

Over time, the hermit learns to expect your attacks. How this works exactly is unknown, but it seems to not be related to your tiredness, or at least not wholly dependent on it. It may be related to the number of techniques you have in your deck.

Reconsidering your options will allow you to "refresh" your attacks.

(insert details how this works)


Combat results

Generally:

  • Practiced-style attacks are best blocked by Blocking (Parry/Mask your face)
  • Quick-style attacks are best blocked by Counter (Jab/Punch)
  • Wild-style attacks are best blocked by Footwork (Dodge/Leap away)

Using an attack more than x* times in a fight makes the hermit expect it, causing it to be far less effective. Reconsidering your options resets this counter for a particular category of attacks (footwork, blocks or counters) — seems to be picked at random for which category is refreshed(?).

* what determines x is unknown, though it may be related to the number of techniques you know and/or your buffed reflexes.

Tiredness
Style You Him Text
Dodge away: You dodge away from the mirror, sending your reflection diving for cover …
Leap away: You leap away from the mirror, sending your reflection arcing away from him …
P 1x 0 , but he twists the blow after your reflection with practiced ease.
Q 2x 0 , but his sword is already there by the time your reflection gets there.
W 0 1 . He takes a wild overhand swing, but you get yourself just outside its arc.
W exp 0 0? , but his seemingly wild attack comes in at just the wrong angle for you. It's like he knew exactly what you were going to do.
Dodge away (w/momentum): You build momentum into a leap, propelling yourself much of the way across the room. …
Leap away (w/momentum): You transfer your momentum into a roll, sending yourself across the room and your reflection under cover. …
W chain ≥2 He takes a wild overhand swing, but your reflection's not even close to where he was aiming by the time the attack comes down.
Mask your face: You raise your arms to block his attack …
Parry: You raise the sword to block his attack …
P 1 . He swings in with a well-practiced attack, but your reflection sets its feet and absorbs the blow.
P exp , but he seems to have been expecting that, slipping in a well-practiced attack.
Q 0 , but his blade twists here and there, finding weaknesses around the edge of your block.
W , but he crushes your block with a wild overhand swing, sending both you and your reflection sprawling.
W exp , but his seemingly wild attack comes in at just the wrong angle for you. It's like he knew exactly what you were going to do.
W spec Your reflection raise's one arm to block his attack while making a measured attack with the other, but his wild swing brooks no subtlety. (Mask your face only — what triggers this different from the normal attack? Seems to count as a punch when needed)
Make a quick jab: You carefully sink low, sending your reflection between the cracks of the mirror, then launch into a quick jab …
Punch him: You drop your guard for a moment to level a punch with your offhand. Your reflection follows suit …
P 0 , but he twists your blow aside with the ease granted by years of practice.
Q 1 , fouling his attack.
Q spec . Whatever cleverness he may have had planned falls to shambles with your crushing attack. (Quick Jab only? What triggers this? After hundreds of rounds without any jabs available, I have never seen this.)
W 0 , but his wild swing brooks no subtlety.
Run him through: You lunge at the mirror, sending your reflection at the hermit sword-first, …
Pummel him: You grab the sword with both hands and go to town, swinging it like a baseball bat or police baton. Your reflection follows through with identical gusto …
P 2y 0 , but he twists your blow aside with the ease granted by years of practice.
Q 1y 0 , but whatever opening you saw must have been a feint. He bounces back with a clever attack from another angle.
W 2y 0 , but your reflection has to dive to the side before it connects. It's not pretty, but it's better than letting that maniac decapitate you.
P exp , but he seems to have been expecting that, slipping in a well-practiced attack.
Q exp , but he seems to have anticipated your actions, slipping his blade in around your movements before you even made them.
W exp , but his seemingly wild attack comes in at just the wrong angle for you. It's like he knew exactly what you were going to do.

(For the above: P, Q and W refer to the hermit's attack styles, "exp" gives results when the hermit has become accustomed to your attacks, and "spec" are special results that occur under specific circumstances.)

In addition to the above attacks, there are several more, including the special ones where you win the fight. See details at the bottom of this hidden block here:

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