[Grey Wolf.1995]

I was just wondering what are the actual sword styles used by witchers.I searching for their real life equivalents.The styles dont resemble much medival european fighting styles because they are mostly anti-heavy armor,but neither are their sword tehniques as light as some japanese fighting styles. So can anyone finally put a real name to witcher fighting styles for me that would be great.

[crass2012]

Yeah sure, it's called: Witcher Fighting Style

[Wichat]

crass2012 said:

Yeah sure, it's called: Witcher Fighting Style /> ›››

by Spawoski's guide

[FoggyFishburne]

I'm under the impression that due to their unnatural life span, they tend to "mutate" their swordsmanship over a long period of time. They get to a point where their style is so elegant yet unpredictable, that monsters and other humans alike are unable to counter it in any way, since they've never seen anything like it. So I guess it's good that you feel like you don't recognize it. In that case, RED accomplished their mission

[GeneralMus]

Haha there are no witcher fighting styles in our world simply because there are no witchers able to practice it, since no ordinary human got the moves like Jagger

[Kinl3y]

Don't think any fighting style IRL has so many pirouettes and general leg work that goes into the witcher fighting style. When it comes to monster slaying I'm curious to know from what exactly did Sapkowski get his inspiration for certain techniques (the fast movement of the blade to confuse the monster for example) since we don't have "sword hunting".

[Aaden]

Grey Wolf.1995 said:

I was just wondering what are the actual sword styles used by witchers.I searching for their real life equivalents.The styles dont resemble much medival european fighting styles because they are mostly anti-heavy armor,but neither are their sword tehniques as light as some japanese fighting styles. So can anyone finally put a real name to witcher fighting styles for me that would be great. ›››

Real-life equivalent? Stage combat.

By the way, you're mistaken about European swordfighting being mostly anti-heavy armor. In fact for armored opponents you'd have to rely on a very specific style called "half-swording" or, and that probably is the easier and more common method, use a damn heavy weapon and crush him inside his tin can. A sword really excels against light and medium armor.

The best-documented and most popular European sword style was used in unarmored duels(the German term is 'Blankfechten' 'Bloßfechten' (fencing without armor), don't know if there's one in English) for many centuries. It's very different from TW's (and any video game's) combat, because it does not look as spectacular and games don't (and can't?) depict the importance of the binding of the swords, feeling your opponent's weapon and leverage.

[GeneralMus]

I think 'Blankfechten' is called 'Blank Fighting' in english. />/>

I got a book written in the 15th century by German swordmaster Hans Talhoffer. In almost every duel the sword combatants illustrated in the book fights without heavy armor. The weapons ideal in heavy armor fights is ranged weapons, knifes (if you can hit a weak spot), pikes and crushing weapons such as a warhammer. The way Geralt fights with his sword against heavy armored humans would be useless because the sword can't pierce the armor />/>

[Guy N'wah]

Is "Blankfechten" any different from the more common term "Bloßfechten"? Anyway, the English term I know is "unarmored".

Sword tactics against armor, "Harnischfechten", are indeed different; I believe they require much more use of half-swording and strikes with the hilt ("Halbschwert" and "Mordstreich") in order to penetrate weak points accurately and deal hammer blows.

[VonStreff]

Grey Wolf.1995 said:

I was just wondering what are the actual sword styles used by witchers.I searching for their real life equivalents.The styles dont resemble much medival european fighting styles because they are mostly anti-heavy armor,but neither are their sword tehniques as light as some japanese fighting styles. So can anyone finally put a real name to witcher fighting styles for me that would be great. /> ›››

Actually, European medieval styles were not as heavy and clunky as movies portray. The swords weren't just heavy hunks of steel, and the combat wasn't just brutal swings. A few interesting articles here:

http://www.thearma.o...ays/weights.htm
http://www.thearma.o...dlongsword.html

^ Long and intricate, but very interesting.

[Kinl3y]

VonStreff said:

Actually, European medieval styles were not as heavy and clunky as movies portray. The swords weren't just heavy hunks of steel, and the combat wasn't just brutal swings. A few interesting articles here:

http://www.thearma.o...ays/weights.htm
http://www.thearma.o...dlongsword.html

^ Long and intricate, but very interesting. ›››

A looot of blade holding from what I see, not that familiar with actual sword fighting styles, but I guess it makes sense if you want to be effective.

[Aaden]

Guy N said:

Is "Blankfechten" any different from the more common term "Bloßfechten"? Anyway, the English term I know is "unarmored".

Sword tactics against armor, "Harnischfechten", are indeed different; I believe they require much more use of half-swording and strikes with the hilt ("Halbschwert" and "Mordstreich") in order to penetrate weak points accurately and deal hammer blows. ›››

Nope, same thing. But you're right, "Bloßfechten" is far more common. "Blankfechten" may even have been a product of my tired mind's confusion...

Kinl3y said:

A looot of blade holding from what I see, not that familiar with actual sword fighting styles, but I guess it makes sense if you want to be effective. ›››

Indeed. It's what Guy and I meant. "Harnischfechten" is mostly grappling and precisely poking into weak spots (like the visor or joints) - which is easier with "Halbschwert" techniques, because it allows you better control of the point and better leverage for pushing, pulling and strikes with the pommel.

Due to its light weight and the way it's balanced, a sword just does not have enough momentum and does not hit a small enough area to hammer serious dents into plate armour with slashes. Nor can you cut through it. A thrust will either glance off, or in case it doesn't I doubt it will actually penetrate the armor. Thus the need to severely adapt your fighting style.
TW2's concept of heavy attacks against heavily armored soldiers, sadly, is complete nonsense.

[Tannosuke]

Some of the sword skills were also created from a fan made martial art competition a while ago. I wish I could demonstrate mine, if it weren't for my accident at my left foot...

[The Reaver]

Aaden said:

TW2's concept of heavy attacks against heavily armored soldiers, sadly, is complete nonsense. ›››

actually, they could make it make sense if they adapt the animations or fight mechanics a bit. introduce a fatigue mechanism so enemies get tired running after you and start leaving openings, or change the attacks against heavy armor to be thrusts to the armpit, neck,or visor. Or cuts to the hamstring, wrist or achilles tendon. those are the most likely ways to fight an opponent who's armored if you arent. (though bashing them repeatedly on the helm can still do some damage)

[Eglard]

My longsword weights 1360 g, so basically next to nothing. Blossfechten means literally "fighting to the openings". The point is to strike to one of the four openings and at the same time protect yourself. In blossfechten every defense is an attack, so that you can move from nach to vor (from responding to attacking).

In TW2 the blocking is aniamtion is a hengen guard, specifically the ox position. Riposte on the other hand comes from the italian masters, though the animation is not correct.

[cmdr_silverbolt]

The Reaver said:

(though bashing them repeatedly on the helm can still do some damage) ›››

Haha, at the very least it would be disorienting.

[Grey Wolf.1995]

Well I can offer some details on monster vs human styles witcher employ.
Against humans: Piruetes,parry,riposte,block... everything that goes in the real world.
Against monsters:All the above are replaced with dodges,strafes,and evasion moves..attacking remains the same.

Also since RedProject uses real people to animate geralts sword work it stands to reason that every sword move Geralt preforms can be done in real world.Im merely curious(and I partly got my answer) what styles they use.Mostly everybody mentions german style ad italian style,but I think there is maybe more to it that that.

[Wichat]

Grey Wolf.1995 said:

Also since RedProject uses real people to animate geralts sword work it stands to reason that every sword move Geralt preforms can be done in real world. ›››

Not really, devs manipulate movements accelerating or slowing them, making the character look capable of inhumane movement but credible.

[Aaden]

cmdr_flashheart said:

Haha, at the very least it would be disorienting. ›››

Yeah, that it would. A hard hit to the head is a little uncomfortable and quite loud in a modern fencing mask - both of which is probably a lot worse with a steel helmet. The noise would be disorienting and maybe a series of hard impacts could cause a concussion, but I doubt that any serious damage is possible/likely.

Grey Wolf.1995 said:

Well I can offer some details on monster vs human styles witcher employ.
Against humans: Piruetes,parry,riposte,block... everything that goes in the real world.
Against monsters:All the above are replaced with dodges,strafes,and evasion moves..attacking remains the same.

Also since RedProject uses real people to animate geralts sword work it stands to reason that every sword move Geralt preforms can be done in real world.Im merely curious(and I partly got my answer) what styles they use.Mostly everybody mentions german style ad italian style,but I think there is maybe more to it that that. ›››

Well, it's not so much about what's physically possible, but what is effective. Simple example: Of course, it is possible to swing my sword in a wide arc to hit hard in real life. But if I did, my opponent would probably make a much smaller, more direct movement and kill me before my sword is even halfway there.
Things like that are why there is no real life equivalent of the witcher's fighting style. There's a lot of elements that look great, but don't make any sense to implement in actual combat.

The German and Italian styles were mentioned because these are the two major types of European sword fighting that are well documented. There's little resemblance of them in The Witcher - some specific elements are there, like the Ochs position, as Eglard mentioned, but it's nowhere near enough to speak of the styles being similar.

[Bloth]

Well it's definitely not this English style, I say style but the more appropriate name would be butchery. Don't watch if you like piggies.