“Rapier sucks, by the way,” he says. “I know,” I respond. “I should probably ditch it, but I’m stubborn.”
"Here, I’ll switch to Phalanx and show you,” he says.
He shifts character and destroys me again. Then, on the second round, he pauses. “Side parry after the first fast attacks.” He demonstrates the move, and waits for me to replicate it. “Okay, go.”
I land a few more hits this time but he wins the game because he’s landing moves I’ve never seen—air-cancelled blade twirls, multi-hitting diving lunges that the rapier can’t do. He’s confirmed it: I need to switch my weapon. If I lose my rating, so be it. It’s time to start learning properly. To hell with Rule 2.
I try longsword, and he destroys me with three different characters. Other Diamond players join, and he sees them off too. I change to scimitar and take one round off him, but he takes the second without breaking a sweat. The other players drift off. He’s held the duelling ground for 44 consecutive wins.
Then it clicks. The scimitar charges faster and lands faster multi-hits than the other weapons, making it great for rushing somebody down. I charge him and land two fast hits followed by lateral swipes, as per his advice. He lands Judgement’s balanced forward strikes but I block them, skidding backwards in a shower of sparks. I counter with air, then light, then an air-cancelled ‘washing machine’ that ends the round in my favour. It’s like the game has opened up: these strikes don’t feel cheap or chancy. I sense how much more reactive my play has become in only an hour—and how much better it could be.
He blocks my fast assault but I grab him, which he doesn’t expect. I land two fast hits as he rises then block and withdraw. He parries a lunge and lands a vertical blow but I parry to the side and needle him again. I start to charge up a fast forward and air-cancel it so it strikes him as he raises his blade. I hit him in the air and then keep hitting him as I fall. He’s expecting the second hit to come as I land, so I jump instead and sweep my blade behind me. It catches his blind spot as I land on his far side, spinning to block his next move. None arrives. He’s down.
“WTF just happened?” I type.
“You just beat me 2-0.”
