Master Strike
Master Strike, or Master Stroke, is a hidden Perk in Kingdom Come: Deliverance. It's proper category was likely to be Defence. It should not be confused with Perfect Block.
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 preform 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 manor 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 dependant on your enemy's Skill.
- If the user is not able to have Henry automatically preform an attack after pressing the block button, then you have preformed a Perfect Block and not a Master Strike.
- Should the user find they can not preform 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 preform 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.