Master Strike (also called master stroke or secret strike) is a Perk that appears in Kingdom Come: Deliverance and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. In the first game, it was a hidden perk whose proper category was likely to be Defence. In the sequel, it belongs to the Swords skill. It should not be confused with Perfect Block.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance[]
Description[]
A masterful combat technique that combines defence and attack in one move. You execute it by pressing the block button at the start of your opponent's strike, which you will recognize by the appearance of a green shield in the middle of the combat rose, the same as in the case of a Perfect Block. But to execute the Master Strike instead of a Perfect Block, you must react quickly and press Block right at the very start of the window of opportunity for the Perfect Block.
How long that window is open depends on the difference in level between your Weapon skill and your opponent's. If the opponent is more experienced, executing the Master Strike is almost impossible. If the opponent is weaker, the window for executing the Master Strike is practically the same as for the Perfect Block.
The Master Strike is a very powerful technique against which there is no defence.
(Description found in game assets)
Effects[]
The Master Strike is a technique that allows the user to essentially perform a maneuver similar to the Perfect Block, but will also automatically strike their opponent with an unblockable, unavoidable Riposte. This is done in a similar manner to the Perfect Block, by pressing the Block button at the moment that the enemy begins their attack, which is also the moment that the Green Shield Icon for the Perfect Block will first appear in the Combat Rose. No further button inputs are required, just the timing.
The timing window is small, but can be seen in the way that the enemy begins to lean into a strike with their arms and body at once. This will help users see the difference between an incoming strike, and the changing of their strike angle. The exact moment one sees the arms and body begin moving, and/or the exact moment the Green Shield icon appears, press the Block button and Henry will perform the Master Strike, if the timing was properly within the window of opportunity. The duration of the window of opportunity will increase as skills increase, but is also dependent on your enemy's Skill.
- If the user is not able to have Henry automatically perform an attack after pressing the block button, then you have performed a Perfect Block and not a Master Strike.
- Should the user find they can not perform a Master Strike at all, it is likely that they have learned only the Perfect Block, but must still learn the actual Master Strike.
- If the user finds that they can only perform a Master Strike after timing the Block and immediately attacking, this is not a Master Strike. This is a Perfect Block and a manual Riposte. A Master Strike attack is automatic.
Acquisition[]
This perk can be acquired by training with Captain Bernard anytime after you speak to the Bailiff of Rattay during the quest Train Hard, Fight Easy. One can even go directly back to Captain Bernard and unlock the perk before they speak to Nightingale to continue the aforementioned quest. Note that one must have a skill level of 3 or higher in Sword, Mace and or Axe to fight Captain Bernard in a mock duel using your choice of Weapon (Doesn't matter which) and reduce him to 1/3 of his health in order for him to be convinced Henry is able to learn the Master Strike. The Master Strike unlocks for all weapon types at once.
For other unlockable non-level based combat skills, see:[]
Notes[]
- The Master Strike Perk does not appear under any of the Skills, or anywhere else under the Player tab.
- It is unlikely that the Master Strike is rolled into Perfect Block, as it's in-game description does not change, and there is no known alternate Perk or ID in the Game Assets that changes Perfect Block.
- There is evidence in the game assets that the Master Strike is a Perk and not a Buff, and is referred to as "Riposte" and once had an in-game description. There were multiple perks associated with it, one for each weapon type. This implies you may have originally had to learn the Master Strike separately for each weapon.
- There is no in-game icon. However, there is an icon in the game files for "Riposte" which is now Master Strike.
- Using Commands, Cheats or Mods can not add the Master Strike properly.
- There seems to be one master strike, achievable by any weapon when used in conjunction with a shield, that deals far more damage than any other master strike. Henry will block away his opponent's main hand weapon with his shield, then precede to thrust at the opponent's neck. In the Rattay Tourney, this one move can instantly end a round. It is unclear whether this was intentional by the devs, since the neck was historically a common target in warfare, or if this is just a combat glitch.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II[]
Description[]
Master strikes, sometimes called secret strikes, are techniques that allow a swordsman, if executed correctly, to parry or stop an opponent's attack while simultaneously striking them. In the Lichtenauer tradition of swordfighting, there are five such strikes, each suitable against different attacks. A true master must not only be able to execute these strikes but also quickly choose the right one to use.
Effects[]
The information screen for the Master strike.
Master Strikes in Kingdom Come: Deliverance II remain practically identical in concept to the first game's equivalent, but its execution has been massively changed. Instead of defending the moment an opponent attacks while facing in its direction, you must now attack the opponent the moment they do from the opposite direction.
Another change is that the technique can now only be performed with a sword (both with or without a shield), or while unarmed. Because of this change, now only high-level enemy swordsman can perform master strikes.
Perks such as Showtime in the Swords skill or Start me up! in the Unarmed skill directly interact with this Perk, both allow Henry to instantly regain some stamina if a master strike is performed.
Acquisition[]
The Master Strike can be acquired by training with Master Tomcat, a skill teacher who resides at the Nomads' Camp northwest of Semine. The quest Combat Training I, where he teaches Henry about natural combos, must be completed before speaking with him again, where he will teach the technique to Henry if he can defeat Tomcat in a duel. This will start the quest Combat Training II. If Henry is successful, Tomcat will teach him the technique.
Notes[]
- Master strikes are described in game as being executable while unarmed (see Start me up!), but there is no way to do so by the player. Conversely, opponents are capable of performing them in fights. This was undoubtedly intended to be possible by the player, but was for whatever reason not implemented in the game's release.
Trivia[]
- The concept of the Master strike is based on the Meisterhäue (Master-Hews) in the German fencing tradition.