Combat Guide

3:42 In Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 you win a melee fight by attacking the side your opponent is not guarding, blocking at the last moment when the green shield appears (a Perfect Block), and, with a sword, turning that moment into a Master Strike, an unblockable counter that Game Rant's Master Strike guide says Master Tomcat teaches at the nomads' camp west of Troskowitz once Henry beats him in a duel. Fights are first person and skill based: Warhorse's own combat post says success comes from mastering a weapon's techniques "rather than an unseen roll of the dice". This page explains every part of melee, how to train it and the tips guide outlets give. The weapons themselves are on Melee Weapons, Bows and Crossbows and Firearms.

Quick facts

Attack directions and the combat star

Every melee attack is aimed in a direction on the "combat star", the indicator in the middle of the screen, and the green shield icon marks the moment to block or counter, as Game Rant's guide to the game's unwritten rules describes it. Game Rant says the system went from the first game's five directions to four; a GameSpot review counted three or four depending on the weapon.

The basic rule is to strike where the enemy is not. PCGamesN's combat guide says opponents hold their weapon left, right, high or low, and you attack from the opposite direction. Game Rant's combat tips give the same advice for shields: hit the side away from the enemy's sword or shield.

Patch 1.2 (Mar 13, 2025) added a short delay to melee attacks made while not locked on to a target, and made it harder to simply back away from an attacking enemy, according to Warhorse's Patch 1.2 notes. Fight locked on.

Blocking and the Perfect Block

0:13 A Perfect Block is a block pressed at the last moment, when the green shield appears, instead of holding block. TheGamer's fighting tips say it disrupts the enemy and opens a counter, and that not holding block while idle lets stamina recover faster. PCGamesN's perk list adds that a well-timed block costs less stamina.

Game Rant's combat tips warn against holding block all the time: block when the shield icon shows, then attack straight after a Perfect Block, when a hit is more likely to land.

Riposte

18:11 A riposte is the attack you make straight after a Perfect Block. It is one of the four starting Warfare abilities in PCGamesN's perk list, so Henry has it from the start. Against Master Tomcat, Game Rant advises the opposite: wear him down with Perfect Blocks without riposting (see below).

The Master Strike

7:14 The Master Strike is a counter that parries and strikes in one motion: hold your guard on the side opposite your opponent's attack and press attack, not block, as the green shield appears. Game Rant's Master Strike guide calls it "an unblockable counter-attack" and says it works only with swords, long and short. PCGamesN's example: if the opponent attacks low, strike high at the right moment.

0:39 Henry learns it from Master Tomcat. Game Rant's steps: at the end of the main quest Laboratores, talk to Bara by the Troskowitz guardhouse until she mentions Tomcat, then find him at the Romani nomads' camp west of Troskowitz, past the ridge behind Bozhena's hut, and beat him in a duel. Game Rant's trainer guide says Tomcat teaches Master Strikes free once beaten and sells weapon combos.

To beat Tomcat, Game Rant recommends wearing him down with Perfect Blocks without riposting and using the sword combos he teaches before the duel; a loss leaves Henry at very low health. TheGamer makes these Combat Training side quests its first beginner tip, a couple of hours into the game.

Patch 1.2 adjusted the damage of the upper Master Strike with a shortsword and shield (Patch 1.2 notes).

Combos

A combo is a chain of directional attacks, each entered as the previous hit lands. PCGamesN's combat guide says most are three inputs and counts seven weapon styles with combos of their own. Patch 1.2 raised the damage of combo hits (Patch 1.2 notes), and Patch 1.4 (Sep 9, 2025) cut every polearm combo to three moves from four (Patch 1.4 notes).

Source: PCGamesN's combat and combos guide, Feb 21, 2025. Heavy weapons also use the Lower Left and Right Strikes and Mittelhaw. Combos must be learned from a trainer before they work.

Feints, evades and clinches

A feint is an attack held in one direction and switched just before release, so the opponent blocks the wrong side. Evade dodges with jump plus a direction. Both are starting Warfare abilities in PCGamesN's perk list, and the Warfare perk Masterful Feint makes feints work better on tougher foes.

3:30 A clinch starts when fighters rush into each other, and Strength decides who wins it and who breaks free, according to Game Rant's grappling guide. Unarmed fighting goes further: Warhorse's combat post says it has blocks, counters, locks, grips and throws, and that entering a fight unarmed lets Henry disarm an opponent.

Stamina, health and armor

8:15 Stamina pays for attacks, blocks and dodges, so a fight is also a race to keep it. Game Rant says to step back briefly to let it recover. Perks change the sums: Steadfast (Warfare 6) makes blocks cost 20% less, Hardened Veteran (Warfare 8) speeds combat stamina by 10%, and the Swords perk Showtime restores stamina on combos and Master Strikes, in PCGamesN's May 2025 perk list.

Weapons do three kinds of damage, and armor decides which kind works. Game Rant's weapon guide says slash suits unarmored or lightly armored enemies, blunt suits knights in plate and guards in metal helmets, and stab, dealt only by thrusts, is best against uncovered faces. TheGamer puts it as swords finding gaps in mail and cloth and heavy weapons beating plate. Head Protection (Warfare 6) cuts head damage by 20% when Henry wears a helmet (PCGamesN). See Armor and Clothing.

Fighting groups

5:03 Against several enemies, keep them all in front of you. Game Rant's tips say to fight when numbers are even, step back when outnumbered and attack only on an opening; TheGamer says to circle and never back into a corner.

Warfare perks are built for this: Against All Odds (Warfare 8) gives +2 Strength, Agility and Warfare when outnumbered, per TheGamer, and One Man Army (Warfare 16) adds 10% damage, per PCGamesN.

In Hardcore Mode, enemies flank instead of waiting their turn: Warhorse's Karel Kolman told Deep Silver's Hardcore feature "In Hardcore mode they'll try to flank you", and Warhorse's launch post lists no visual combat cues among the mode's rules.

How to train combat

6:31 Combat skills rise by use, and trainers teach the combos. Game Rant's trainer guide lists them:

Training fights with the masters also give Strength experience, Game Rant says, and Patch 1.2 lowered teachers' prices (Patch 1.2 notes). PCGamesN's skills guide says Warfare rises as the weapon skills do, the weapon skills by fighting and practice duels, Unarmed in inn fist fights. More on leveling is on Skills and Stats and Leveling Guide.

Tips from guide outlets

• Get the Master Strike early. PCGamesN calls the stretch after the pillory the hardest part of the game and recommends training with Master Tomcat.
• Use a controller. PCGamesN recommends one over keyboard and mouse for combat.
• Beat Capon in practice. Winning the early sparring duel with Hans Capon in Easy Riders earns "Déjà Vu", held by 67.9% of Steam players (Oct 25, 2026).
• Sharpen your blade. The Craftsmanship perk Razor Sharp adds 10% damage to weapons Henry sharpens himself (PCGamesN).
• Lure bandits to guards. PCGamesN's armor guide suggests leading road bandits to a village so the guards help.

Frequently asked questions

How do you do a Master Strike in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2? In Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 you hold your guard opposite the opponent's attack and press attack, not block, as the green shield appears, which parries and strikes in one move. It works only with swords and is taught by Master Tomcat at the nomads' camp west of Troskowitz after you beat him, according to Game Rant.

How do you Perfect Block in KCD2? In Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 you press block at the last moment, when the green shield icon appears, instead of holding it. A Perfect Block costs less stamina and opens the enemy to a riposte.

Can you Master Strike with a mace or axe in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2? No: Game Rant says Master Strikes in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 work only with swords, long and short. Heavy weapons and polearms rely on blocks, combos and armor-breaking damage instead.

How do combos work in KCD2? A combo in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a chain of directional attacks, usually three, each entered as the previous hit lands. You learn them from trainers such as Master Tomcat, Captain Gnarly and Black Bartosch.

Where do you learn new combos in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2? In Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Master Tomcat at the Nomads' Camp teaches sword combos, Captain Gnarly in Semine teaches longsword, polearm and heavy weapon combos, Black Bartosch at Trosky Castle teaches all weapons, and Barnaby teaches unarmed fighting.

How do you fight several enemies in KCD2? In Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, keep every enemy in view, step back when outnumbered and strike only on an opening; never back into a corner. Perks such as Against All Odds and One Man Army help when you are outnumbered.

Is combat harder in Hardcore Mode in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2? Yes: in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2's Hardcore Mode enemies try to flank you and the visual combat cues are gone, according to Warhorse.

Sources

• Weapons and combat mechanics, Warhorse Studios on Steam, Oct 18, 2024
• Hardcore Mode is live NOW in Patch 1.2.4, Warhorse Studios on Steam, Apr 15, 2025
• This is Hardcore: Adventuring inside a brutal new Bohemia, Deep Silver, undated
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Patch 1.2 notes, Deep Silver / Warhorse Studios, Mar 13, 2025
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Patch 1.4 notes, Deep Silver / Warhorse Studios, Sep 9, 2025
• Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 combat and combos guide, PCGamesN (Lowell Bell), Feb 21, 2025
• Best Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 perks, PCGamesN (Lowell Bell), May 16, 2025
• How to level Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 skills fast, PCGamesN (Lowell Bell), Feb 4, 2025
• Best Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 armor, PCGamesN (Lowell Bell), May 16, 2025
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 - Master Strike, Explained, Game Rant (Marc Santos), Feb 5, 2025
• Where to Learn New Melee Combos in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Game Rant (Marc Santos), Feb 10, 2025
• Tips To Master Combat In Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Game Rant (Eduardo Ariedo), Feb 4, 2025
• The Unwritten Rules of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Explained, Game Rant (Josh Cotts), Feb 4, 2025
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 - All Melee Weapons (& How to Use Them), Game Rant (Marc Santos), Feb 9, 2025
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 - How to Grapple, Game Rant, date not read
• Tips And Tricks For Fighting In Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, TheGamer (Sam Hallahan), Feb 4, 2025
• Beginner Tips For Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, TheGamer (Tom Hopkins), Feb 4, 2025
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II global achievements, Steam Community, read Oct 25, 2026
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Official Live Action - Combat, Warhorse Studios, Dec 11, 2024 (video)
• How to fight and always win, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 combat guide, masterstrikes, etc, Kibbles Gaming, Feb 11, 2025 (video)
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Dev Livestream #2, Warhorse Studios, Nov 20, 2024 (video)
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 - How To Make Combat Easier, IGN, Feb 5, 2025 (video)
• A Quick Guide to Combat Mastery | Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, Neon Knight, Feb 13, 2025 (video)