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Kingdom Come: Deliveranceaims to throw you right into the fire from the get-go. Protagonist Henry (and you, by extension) will likely struggle in the early portion of the title to really get your legs under you.
The deep survival systems present can be difficult to wrap your head around initially, and melee combat works differently than any other blade slashing title in the genre. Thankfully, you have some teachers to learn from.
Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 Script The Longest In Game History Claims Director
Kingdom Come Deliverance 2’s script is said to be the longest in game history according to its director.
Combat Training 1 and 2 are side quests that become available immediately after the intro portion of the game is finished, so taking the time to brush up on your swordplay should become a main priority for you if you’re struggling to come to grips with Kingdom Come’s unique mechanics.
Let’s go sharpen some skills with Master Tomcat.
Combat Training 1
Quest Giver: Bara In Troskowitz
After spending the evening in the Troskowitz pillory next to Sir Hans, look for Bara the Beggar, who should be in the immediate area ready to speak with you.
She’ll mention to you a strongman named Tomcat that’s a master swordsman, so paying him a visit could be well worth your time.
Master Tomcat is located in the north-eastern portion of the Nomad’s Camp.
Speak with him, and he’ll spin you long tales about his adventures as a strongman in the region.
Once he’s out of stories, ask him to help you train. He’ll jump into the arena with you for your first lesson.
Time to get down to business and learn some combos.
Learn The Natural Combo
Your first task is to learn the Natural Combo, which is likely how you’ve already been fighting in the game without fully realizing it.
To pass this lesson, you simply need to wallop Tomcat with this move three times.
The Natural Combo is just three consecutive but alternating strikes from your sword — left, right, left, or right, left, right.
The move is “natural,” because Henry is automatically positioned to swing from the alternate direction after each attack anyway.
Button-mash this attack enough times, and Tomcat will move on to your next lesson.
Learn The Horizontal Slice
The last move in Combat Training 1 is the Horizontal Slice. This is a more complicated move that’s likely to catch your opponent off-guard, increasing your odds of landing successive blows and doing some hefty damage.
Again, you need three successful combos to satisfy this lesson.
You’ll need to swing from above, from the right, and from the left in a fluid motion.
Unlike the Natural Combo, this move feels a little weird at first, as you’ll physically have to move your blade back to the right position after your opening blow before following up with a third natural swing from the left. You cannot just rely on button-mashing anymore.
After three combos, Tomcat will end the lesson and tell you to come back later if you want to learn one final move.
Combat Training 2
Put Your Skills Into Action
Combat Training 2 unlocks immediately, and you can jump right back into it with Tomcat for more skill sharpening.
First, he needs you to prove you remember your first lesson, so you’ll have a duel with real weapons this time.
Tomcat isn’t a pushover, so look for perfect block opportunities and punish them with a riposte each time to maximize your chances.
Make sure to utilize both combos he’s taught you already, be patient, wait for openings, and whittle his health down.
He’ll eventually yield and reward you with one last lesson.
Since you’re fighting with real weapons this time, equip your best gear. If you lose this fight, Tomcat will make you come back later to retry your lesson. Get that armor on!
Learn The Master Strike
The Master Strike is Tomcat’s ultimate move, and it’s a strong one to take back into the world with you.
It is also a huge risk, however.
When your opponent swings at you, instead of going for a perfect block, Henry can swing from the opposite direction as the perfect block icon is highlighted in his cross-hair, unleashing a devastating counter-attack on his foe.
However, if you mistime your attack or fail to swing from the opposite direction, your opponent’s initial blow will make contact with you and deal heavy damage.
Tomcat will practice the Master Strike with you slowly, then transition to a more active exercise where he’ll continually move his sword around, ensuring you’re paying attention and moving to the opposite side as necessary.
Complete this lesson, and you should have a much better grasp on using the Master Strike in the open world moving forward.
Your New Skills Teacher
Discovering Tomcat also immediately unlocks him as a skills teacher. He can teach you the basics of swordsmanship, heavy weapons, and polearms, or the appreciate-level skills of unarmed combat.
Paying the required Groschen for these lessons passes an hour of time, and afterward, Henry’s skills will be sharpened in the chosen discipline.
For example, if you pay 100 Groschen for heavy weapons training, you’ll immediately gain progress in Henry’s experience bar for this category in his player stats.
In the early game, working on these skills with Tomcat often leads to full level gains, resulting in a shiny, new perkpoint to be spent on a buffed-up trait or ability for Henry.
Here’s what he offers and the prices he’ll charge:
Swordsmanship
Heavy Weapons
Apprentice
If you miss out on Combat Training in the Trosky region, fret not. In Kuttenberg at the Devil’s Den Pub, the Dry Devil himself can also run you through these same training exercises to catch you up.
