Feels like there's little point in blocking

I don't know if this is a problem new to H&H cause I didn't play the game before then.

Anyway, it feels like when trying to block stuff in the tier you're in you might be able to block a hit from a lesser mob but any of the stronger enemies, bosses, or anything from a tier above, they break your guard and you take damage, I don't know if it's more damage than normal or not but it does leave you exposed for more damage should there be a follow-up attack.
It certainly has gotten me into the mindset of "parry or nothing."

I've been eating two health foods and a stamina, sometimes two health and a balanced food but it doesn't seem to make much of a difference.

And when you get better gear and the blocking actually feels like it does something, by then it doesn't matter cause you've got gear from the tier above and you'll wipe the floor with pretty much anything from tiers below you.

It's frustrating when I'm taking on a challenging enemy and block with the hopes it'll at least block some of the damage but instead I die cause it broke my guard and I take full or more.
Or even worse, it doesn't kill me and I now have to try to run away or run in a circle around it trying to regen health and/or stamina cause my mead is on cooldown.

And this doesn't seem to be a stamina issue, I keep my distance unless I've got stamina for at least a couple attacks.
Parrying feels fine, rewarded for a well timed block, sure.
Should probably just switch to bow as my primary weapon but I'm stubborn and want to use melee.
It's not really preventing me from progressing, it's just super frustrating and keeps pushing me away from a playstyle I'd like to do and it seems to be pretty consistent as I play through.

Idk, if that's how you want it then don't change anything, you nailed it.
2:13 pm, September 26, 2021
Garble Master 0 comments 0 likes

76561198068332731 replied to Feels like there's little point in blocking September 26, 2021 @ 2:46:03 am PDT

My health is usually in the 120 range. I'm only eating so much health food cause supposedly it helps, doesn't really seem to though.
2:13 pm, October 2, 2021
0 comments 0 likes

76561198983812351 replied to Feels like there's little point in blocking September 26, 2021 @ 4:35:00 am PDT

first u need proper mindset and training to go into battle here this should help

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojykx7jJv9E
2:13 pm, October 2, 2021
0 comments 0 likes

76561198010969020 replied to Feels like there's little point in blocking September 26, 2021 @ 6:18:48 am PDT

Originally posted by Tenoshii:
If it's three wolves I just run.

Into more wolves, probably.
2:13 pm, October 2, 2021
0 comments 0 likes

76561198020822578 replied to Feels like there's little point in blocking September 26, 2021 @ 6:48:34 am PDT

You cant really parrying an entire group of wolves or fulings anymore , the stag bar it fills pretty fast
But still works super well vs 1 or 2 hard hit monsters
Bronze buckler can parry 70 of damage hits
Iron buckler 100
Silver round shield 107
Black metal shield 135
All that with 0 block skill
And parrying now not means get 0 damage , some little damage u will take now doing it
2:13 pm, October 2, 2021
0 comments 0 likes

76561198068332731 replied to Feels like there's little point in blocking September 27, 2021 @ 1:56:58 am PDT

I switched to using 2h weapons and it feels way better.
Really disappointed that board feels so bad though, but now I'm just cruising through stuff.
2:13 pm, October 2, 2021
0 comments 0 likes

Lucidess replied to Feels like there's little point in blocking September 26, 2021 @ 8:57:11 am PDT

Black Metal Shield or Dodge. That's my motto.

Besides, Parrying with Daggers is 10x more cool and does way more damage than parrying with shields. Works great on Greydwarfs anyhow.
11:13 am, October 2, 2021
0 comments 0 likes

ECHOxxONE replied to Feels like there's little point in blocking September 26, 2021 @ 7:28:23 am PDT

You want a shield with Parry, do not use the tower shields, slows and no parry are worthless and will get you killed. Once the npc swings, block just before the hit and you will get the parry bonus which then open the enemy up for attack, first attack will be a damage bonus and then one or two more hits and there dead, roll dodge/jump or WALK/RUN away and let stamina regen and back at it if needed, also the black metal ATGEIR will be important weapon to learn to use, very useful against multiply npc's, to include wolfs/furlings, easy killing trolls and furlings and anything else once you learn the timing. Block parry works the best.

You want Black metal shield once you can craft it, until then the Iron buckler works just fine.
do not forget proper buff food, stamina =life.
really once you learn how to kills things, its easy, sometimes the plains will be punishing if your caught off guard, other then that take time to learn and grow in the game and things do get a whole lot easier, pretty chill game really.
11:13 am, September 27, 2021
0 comments 0 likes

Kaziklu78 replied to Feels like there's little point in blocking September 26, 2021 @ 7:54:04 am PDT

So you grab a normal shield. you time your block to stagger and go on the attack. You take WAY less damage and you get a chance to get a few free attacks in.

in the early game I find a fully upgraded spear is good for this. I took on a 2 star Skeleton this way with a upgraded wooden shield and Flint spear. (Jerk showed up only after a large group left me low... so he killed me first. (first death on the new toon) and I was able to grab my stuff, gear up. eat some honey, and deer meat and then went back in and just put him down.

If you just hold block you do take less damage but you don't stagger and take more than you did if you block right.

I've always seen the tower shield as kinda pointless.
11:13 am, September 27, 2021
0 comments 0 likes

Tenoshii replied to Feels like there's little point in blocking September 26, 2021 @ 8:17:27 am PDT

Originally posted by @%thesock10150alpha49:
Originally posted by Tenoshii:
If it's three wolves I just run.

Into more wolves, probably.

Hasn't happened yet, but I'm sure before I'm done mining all the silver I need it will.
11:13 am, September 27, 2021
0 comments 0 likes

Lucidess - Buy PROJECTIONS replied to Feels like there's little point in blocking September 26, 2021 @ 8:57:11 am PDT

Black Metal Shield or Dodge. That's my motto.

Besides, Parrying with Daggers is 10x more cool and does way more damage than parrying with shields. Works great on Greydwarfs anyhow.
11:13 am, September 27, 2021
0 comments 0 likes

Garble Master replied to Feels like there's little point in blocking September 27, 2021 @ 1:56:58 am PDT

I switched to using 2h weapons and it feels way better.
Really disappointed that board feels so bad though, but now I'm just cruising through stuff.
11:13 am, September 27, 2021
0 comments 0 likes

Midas replied to Feels like there's little point in blocking September 27, 2021 @ 3:33:51 am PDT

I find the biggest problem with blocking is just how much distance gets put between you and whoever hit you. I'd LIKE to do spear + tower shield and go all Greek on the enemies, but between your own pushback and the attacker reeling, you're like 2 spear thrusts away from them after every swing, which is completely useless.

I pretty much parry exclusively. That's partly because of the above problem, but partly because there's really no reason to block OVER parry. Parry is the skillshot that nets you better rewards at no additional cost, it's meant to be superior but requires more effort.
11:13 am, September 27, 2021
0 comments 0 likes

Varagonax replied to Feels like there's little point in blocking September 27, 2021 @ 4:06:32 am PDT

Originally posted by Garble Master:
I don't know if this is a problem new to H&H cause I didn't play the game before then.

Anyway, it feels like when trying to block stuff in the tier you're in you might be able to block a hit from a lesser mob but any of the stronger enemies, bosses, or anything from a tier above, they break your guard and you take damage, I don't know if it's more damage than normal or not but it does leave you exposed for more damage should there be a follow-up attack.
It certainly has gotten me into the mindset of "parry or nothing."

I've been eating two health foods and a stamina, sometimes two health and a balanced food but it doesn't seem to make much of a difference.

And when you get better gear and the blocking actually feels like it does something, by then it doesn't matter cause you've got gear from the tier above and you'll wipe the floor with pretty much anything from tiers below you.

It's frustrating when I'm taking on a challenging enemy and block with the hopes it'll at least block some of the damage but instead I die cause it broke my guard and I take full or more.
Or even worse, it doesn't kill me and I now have to try to run away or run in a circle around it trying to regen health and/or stamina cause my mead is on cooldown.

And this doesn't seem to be a stamina issue, I keep my distance unless I've got stamina for at least a couple attacks.
Parrying feels fine, rewarded for a well timed block, sure.
Should probably just switch to bow as my primary weapon but I'm stubborn and want to use melee.
It's not really preventing me from progressing, it's just super frustrating and keeps pushing me away from a playstyle I'd like to do and it seems to be pretty consistent as I play through.

Idk, if that's how you want it then don't change anything, you nailed it.
It depends. Smaller shields aren't worth straight blocking with for the most part, which is why they can parry. Tower shields are the only blocking shields really worth using.
Shield material tier makes a difference as well. Your first wooden shield is trash, you want it upgraded as soon as possible to the next tier.
Chip damage is something to be worried about, sure, but overall stop trying to block a 20 foot trolls 500 pound club with your weak and flabby human arms and a wooden shield thats 2 inches thick. Your just asking for a bad time.
11:13 am, September 27, 2021
0 comments 0 likes

Varagonax replied to Feels like there's little point in blocking September 27, 2021 @ 4:09:13 am PDT

Originally posted by Midas:
I find the biggest problem with blocking is just how much distance gets put between you and whoever hit you. I'd LIKE to do spear + tower shield and go all Greek on the enemies, but between your own pushback and the attacker reeling, you're like 2 spear thrusts away from them after every swing, which is completely useless.

I pretty much parry exclusively. That's partly because of the above problem, but partly because there's really no reason to block OVER parry. Parry is the skillshot that nets you better rewards at no additional cost, it's meant to be superior but requires more effort.
Its not meant to be superior. Your not taking into account the difference between the shields and how they mitigate damage, or even why tower shields can be useful.
Your equating skill based chance for bonus damage to just not taking damage and calling the parry better.
Its not comparable like that.
11:13 am, September 27, 2021
0 comments 0 likes

Grandaddypurple replied to Feels like there's little point in blocking September 26, 2021 @ 2:39:39 am PDT

I stopped using the buckler because I find parrying too OP (haven't tried after H&H though) so I solely use tower shields now, and I must say it does a pretty good job.
I currently have the iron tower shield, max upgrades, nothing up until swamp does more than 1 damage. I once accidently aggroed a deathquito, I had 90 health and it took 30 off me (as you might have understood, blocking's efficiency is proportional to max health).
So maybe it's that
2:13 pm, September 26, 2021
0 comments 0 likes

Garble Master replied to Feels like there's little point in blocking September 26, 2021 @ 2:46:03 am PDT

My health is usually in the 120 range. I'm only eating so much health food cause supposedly it helps, doesn't really seem to though.
2:13 pm, September 26, 2021
0 comments 0 likes

Tenoshii replied to Feels like there's little point in blocking September 26, 2021 @ 3:57:57 am PDT

I've spent a good amount of time traversing the mountains in fully upgraded troll armor and I rely heavily on a non-parry shield (Serpent Shield with one upgrade). What I like most about it (outside the damage reduction) is the fact that it does knockback when you block. So while it doesn't provide the stun/damage bonus of a parry, it does allow the player a few seconds to reposition before continuing the fight. I still take 25-30 damage through the block, but it doesn't disorient my character at all.

Since I use a dagger (max upgraded Abyssal Razor), if it's 1v1 against a wolf I just stand there and block and when the knockback is triggered, leap attack (damage stuns the wolf) then finish with 1-2 regular swings. If it's two wolves I just block until one is knocked back and then immediately do two regular swings against the other wolf, then put up block again and repeat.

If it's three wolves I just run.
2:13 pm, September 26, 2021
0 comments 0 likes

Meat-Shield-4u replied to Feels like there's little point in blocking September 26, 2021 @ 4:35:00 am PDT

first u need proper mindset and training to go into battle here this should help

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojykx7jJv9E
2:13 pm, September 26, 2021
0 comments 0 likes

The Big Brzezinski replied to Feels like there's little point in blocking September 26, 2021 @ 6:16:25 am PDT

From what I've seen so far, the quality of the shield has proven more important than timing, i.e. skill. I would say parrying is more of an offensive move than defensive now, a way of receiving a diminished blow to create an opening. Regular blocking sorta kinda works, but dodging and footwork are both more reliable and effective. High health is important for avoiding staggers, but this doesn't seem to be directly related to shields beyond limiting how much you're allowed to block.

So yeah, shields are in a less-than-great place right now. Consider it an opportunity to explore atgeirs and other two-hander weapons.
2:13 pm, September 26, 2021
0 comments 0 likes

@%thesock10150alpha49 replied to Feels like there's little point in blocking September 26, 2021 @ 6:18:48 am PDT

Originally posted by Tenoshii:
If it's three wolves I just run.

Into more wolves, probably.
2:13 pm, September 26, 2021
0 comments 0 likes

blankitosonic replied to Feels like there's little point in blocking September 26, 2021 @ 6:48:34 am PDT

You cant really parrying an entire group of wolves or fulings anymore , the stag bar it fills pretty fast
But still works super well vs 1 or 2 hard hit monsters
Bronze buckler can parry 70 of damage hits
Iron buckler 100
Silver round shield 107
Black metal shield 135
All that with 0 block skill
And parrying now not means get 0 damage , some little damage u will take now doing it
2:13 pm, September 26, 2021
0 comments 0 likes