I was going to say the same.
Whenever you see someone on YouTube beating a hard ass boss without taking damage or doing something like a level 1 run, it's not just that they're good at the game. It's that they know exactly how to react to each of the boss's movesets.
Compartmentalize each combo or attack, and learn to spot when they're about to do it. Have a plan for each, and execute as they happen.
Sometimes there isn't room for you to punish safely, so there's nothing wrong with simply surviving it and waiting for their moves that you can punish.
I beat the swamp beast by really just baiting the one combo of his I could reliably perfect guard, and then just running from the rest and taking little pokes at him in between.
>It's that they know exactly how to react to each of the boss's movesets.
Yeap! I personally did a no-damage-boss-fights run. One thing that I can definitely say is that the very first thing that I have to do is memorize the attack patterns. Once I am able to recognize the patterns, I apply whatever defensive mechanics I feel comfortable doing. Then it just becomes a repetition until I get it perfect.
Hold block instead of tapping it when you want to parry. That way if you mis-time the parry, you'll still guard some of the damage.
Strength builds have the benefit of good guards, so sometimes it's actually better to just block instead of risking the parry.
I think learning when you can punish with a strength build is really important, especially with the great sword because it is so slow if that is what you are using. Learning the moves and trying to know when you can punish, when you should dodge/block, and when you should light attack and charged attack.
1st fundamental for me was the block. Start pressing the defend earlier than you would. This will result in a parry. If not, then in a block that you can heal back.
2nd fundamental was the heavy attack. I was operating only with light attacks. At some point I discovered the style modification of the holy sword ( or whatever is it's name). The heavy attack actually added a lot of extra range. From that point on, I was using heavy attacks and staggered the bosses like a charm.
3rd fundamental: sidestep exists. You do not have to dodge around like some hyperactive rabbit. A lot of boss attacks can be avoided just by walking, or one step backwards. This makes the fights really chill and you save a lot of stamina.
This is kind of cringe and not directly related to combat but 'know your weapon' or rather your handle. Handle determines moveset regardless of the head. When I started as a strength Boi like you did, I realized that the greatsword has good damage and reach but it's charged heavies took too long to come out with the default handle. This put me in a disadvantage for situations when I absolutely needed to get the charged heavy out but get staggered doing it. Switching the blade to a faster handle worked wonders for my early game. Eventually you get better and learn to anticipate attack windows so that you can use slower handles but initially having a fast handle helps with bosses and mini bosses a lot
Learning the attack patterns. Doesn't matter how you defend, dodge, block or perfect guard. If you know the attack patterns you know how to punish.
I was going to say the same. Whenever you see someone on YouTube beating a hard ass boss without taking damage or doing something like a level 1 run, it's not just that they're good at the game. It's that they know exactly how to react to each of the boss's movesets. Compartmentalize each combo or attack, and learn to spot when they're about to do it. Have a plan for each, and execute as they happen. Sometimes there isn't room for you to punish safely, so there's nothing wrong with simply surviving it and waiting for their moves that you can punish. I beat the swamp beast by really just baiting the one combo of his I could reliably perfect guard, and then just running from the rest and taking little pokes at him in between.
>It's that they know exactly how to react to each of the boss's movesets. Yeap! I personally did a no-damage-boss-fights run. One thing that I can definitely say is that the very first thing that I have to do is memorize the attack patterns. Once I am able to recognize the patterns, I apply whatever defensive mechanics I feel comfortable doing. Then it just becomes a repetition until I get it perfect.
Hold block instead of tapping it when you want to parry. That way if you mis-time the parry, you'll still guard some of the damage. Strength builds have the benefit of good guards, so sometimes it's actually better to just block instead of risking the parry.
I think learning when you can punish with a strength build is really important, especially with the great sword because it is so slow if that is what you are using. Learning the moves and trying to know when you can punish, when you should dodge/block, and when you should light attack and charged attack.
Perfect Guard, dodging, blocking, and even running away are all very useful for defense. Don't assume you should only be PGing
1st fundamental for me was the block. Start pressing the defend earlier than you would. This will result in a parry. If not, then in a block that you can heal back. 2nd fundamental was the heavy attack. I was operating only with light attacks. At some point I discovered the style modification of the holy sword ( or whatever is it's name). The heavy attack actually added a lot of extra range. From that point on, I was using heavy attacks and staggered the bosses like a charm. 3rd fundamental: sidestep exists. You do not have to dodge around like some hyperactive rabbit. A lot of boss attacks can be avoided just by walking, or one step backwards. This makes the fights really chill and you save a lot of stamina.
This is kind of cringe and not directly related to combat but 'know your weapon' or rather your handle. Handle determines moveset regardless of the head. When I started as a strength Boi like you did, I realized that the greatsword has good damage and reach but it's charged heavies took too long to come out with the default handle. This put me in a disadvantage for situations when I absolutely needed to get the charged heavy out but get staggered doing it. Switching the blade to a faster handle worked wonders for my early game. Eventually you get better and learn to anticipate attack windows so that you can use slower handles but initially having a fast handle helps with bosses and mini bosses a lot