Enemy Move Categories
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Q:
How are enemy threat levels categorized? Are red, blue, and black-aura moves the only high-tier threats, and how should attacks be grouped by their varying cadences?
A:
Lethal moves go beyond obvious tells. Certain attacks deal devastating damage or pierce your guard outright, despite lacking telltale glints or dark miasma prompts.
- Heavy, crushing blows still deal massive chip damage, heavily drain Sha-Qi through normal blocks, and knock targets back.
- Silk-thread strikes, suicide attackers, and similar threats bypass conventional defenses.
Enemy Attack Weight
Move danger hinges on visual weight and momentum: broad spins, high overhead windups, leap attacks, and charged strikes count as heavy moves, dealing superior health damage, Sha-Qi depletion, and knockback.
Watch the rhythm of enemy attacks: light and medium weapon users typically cap off their combos with a heavy finisher, keeping heavy blows rare until then. Heavy weapon wielders, however, pack their strings with crushing heavy strikes—making well-timed dodges far safer than attempting to stand your ground.
Enemy Move Threat Modifiers
Red attacks pose an extra threat as they cannot be blocked.
Black Qi poses a unique danger: guarding against it strips away nearly all Sha-Qi, leaving just a sliver intact without fully breaking your guard meter.
Certain techniques also inflict status afflictions.
Enemy Attack Intervals
Taking standard sword-wielding foes as a baseline for attack intervals, typical enemies mostly alternate between short-medium, medium, and medium-long pauses, while heavy brutes favor medium, medium-long, and long delays. Extremely short or extended recovery times are generally reserved for cinematic flair. Much will depend on the final balance: well-crafted enemies should exhibit distinct, readable fighting rhythms with predictable tells and intervals, making it intuitive to learn patterns and build muscle memory across repeated playthroughs.