A New Look at Combat (Part 6): More Specialized Tactics

This is a continuation of Part 5 of this series (Specialized Tactics).  These last two tactical methods illustrate some of the depth of the interactions between these and previous tactics.  With these basic concepts explained, the next post will look at ideas for building these concepts into an actual system.In order to create an opening, a combatant can Beat the Weapon Aside and attack.  This makes it difficult for the opponent to defend, having his weapon covered or out of place.  Examples include a combatant using his sword to knock the opponent’s sword away before thrusting, using a shield to pin his shield or weapon while attacking, pulling down the opponent’s arms out of the way in order to clinch, or just tapping his weapon against the opponent’s to gauge his reaction.  When things go well, the opponent cannot recover quickly enough to defend, but when they don’t, the combatant is left chasing the opponent’s weapon instead of threatening a target.

This tactic works well against a Defensive opponent because it impedes his defense against the subsequent attack.  Similarly, if the opponent tries to Cover and Move, the anticipated attack will not come until after the defense has been removed.  If the opponent will Target Extremities, this tactic works well because the opponent’s weapon is moved out of place before the limb is exposed by attacking.  However, against an opponent attacking with a Combination or Overwhelming Offense, this method does not fair well; the opponent is more concerned with offense than defense, so attempting to create an opening is going to leave the combatant chasing the opponent’s weapon or facing an attack before he can begin to shove the weapon to the side.

A combatant can attempt to trick the opponent by being Indirect with his attacks – faking one attack, then switching to another.  This could be feinting an attack high then attacking low, pulling the opponent while in a clinch in order to use their reaction to make a push more effective, probing feints to see how the opponent reacts, swinging an attack wide to get the opponent to block so that he can grab the opponent’s arm to break it, taking a couple shots to get the opponent to duck behind cover then shooting them when they come back out to return fire, or ducking out behind one side of the cover, then back in and out of another side to fire.  Ideally, the false attack causes the opponent to waste motion defending a threat and being unable to defend the real attack.  When the opponent doesn’t fall for it, the combatant is the one wasting his movement and left unable to defend.

Defensive opponents, or those who attempt to Cover and Move, will easily fall prey to this tactic because they will defend the wrong attack.  Against an opponent who attempts to Draw and Counter, the combatant can easily trick them by feinting the attack they’re expecting, making it more likely the next one will land.  When the opponent attempts to Beat the Weapon Aside, the combatant will attack another target, since the opponent has already committed his weapon to that place.  However, against an opponent who is offensive, whether attacking by Overwhelming Offense or Combination, it leaves the combatant open to their attacks.  He is even vulnerable against a Direct attack, due to the opponent attacking into his false attack.

A New Look at Combat (index)