The Ultimate Guide to Combat Fundamentals | Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
TIMESTAMPS ►
00:00 - Intro
01:38 - Opening: Cheesing vs. Foundational Skills
03:27 - Index Breakdown
04:20 - Part 1.0 What Is Posture?
05:37 - Part 2.0: How Does Posture Work?
06:17 - Part 2.1: Buff Recommendations
07:21 - Part 3.0: Deflecting and Blocking
09:28 - Part 4.0: Safeguarding Your Posture
09:52 - Part 4.1: Method #1: Holding Block
11:13 - Part 4.2: Method #2: Consumable Buffs
12:00 - Part 4.3: Method #3: Latent Skills
12:22 - Part 4.4: Method #4: Defensive Counter Measures
12:30 - Part 5.0: Mastering Defensive Counter Measures
12:38 - Part 5.1: How To Perform Mikiri Counter
14:30 - Part 5.2: How To Jump Over Perilous Sweeps
15:30 - Part 5.3: Making Use of Grab Attacks
16:14 - Part 6.0: Establishing Good Practices
16:59 - Part 6.1: Rule #1: (Almost) Anything Can Be Deflected
18:01 - Part 6.2: Rule #2: Implement Close-Quarter-Combat
18:32 - Part 6.3: Rule #3: Avoid Dancing Around
20:23 - Part 7.0: Putting It All Together
20:39 - Part 7.1: Final Suggestions for Boss Fights
20:53 - Part 7.2: Recommendation #1: Record Your Fights
21:03 - Part 7.3: Recommendation #2: Sleep
21:54 - Part 7.4: Opening for No-Hits
22:03 - Part 7.5: No-Hit vs. Patsy Ogre
23:37 - Part 7.6: No-Hit vs. LongJohnsMan
24:33 - Part 7.7: No-Hit vs. Speven Svears
25:42 - Outro
26:00 - End Cards
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SPOILER ALERT ►
Boss Names that might be considered as spoilers appear at the following times:
02:09
02:10
06:19
09:09
11:50
11:54
12:58
13:00
18:32
19:29
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MUSIC ►
1. "Sekiro, The One-Armed Wolf"
2. "The Ashina Clan"
3. "Emma The Physician"
4. "Ashina Outskirts"
5. "Divine Heir of the Dragon's Heritage"
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MORE SEKIRO GUIDES ►
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2. Best Boss Guide You Ever Saw - How To Beat Owl Dad
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4. How To Perform Mist Raven Lightning Reversal
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THANK-YOU TO FANDOM ►
A big thank-you to admins of the Sekiro Fandom Wiki for allowing my guide to be posted on there. For more detailed guides and how-to's by other awesome contributors, check out -
sekiro-shadows-die-twice.fand...
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SHOUTOUT ►
A massive shout-out to two stalwart shin-OPs of the realm, who offered their invaluable advice and expertise while this guide was being built:
Sheb
Reddit: u/shebnitz1
/ shebnitz1
KZhead: / @shebnitz
Tony
Reddit: u/TonyRodrigo333
/ tonyrodrigo333
KZhead: / @tonyetown420
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TEXT GUIDE LINK ►
Also! If you're interested in reading up on more useful tips that can help you throughout the game, do check out this written guide that was posted on r/sekiro by u/A_Good_Hunter:
/ beginners_tips
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DISCORD ►
Join the discord for epic powers!
/ discord
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APPAREL ►
Pixel Art Sekiro Pullover Hoodie by spykles on Redbubble -
www.redbubble.com/i/hoodie/Se...
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Thank you so much for watching! I hope this guide was helpful and inspiring :)
#sekiro #combat #guide
I'm surprised there was no mention of how Ichimonji and its upgrade can restore posture while allowing you to stay on the offensive. Great video, very informative.
Thank you for commenting! And yes that is a great, great point that I probably could have lumped in together with the importance of acquiring latent skills (part 4.3) that help with posture, namely Ashina arts. I was also, however, trying to emphasise the importance of getting down the fundamentals and flow of combat, before throwing in combat arts. It can be very easy to fall into a habit of "cheesing" with combat arts and prosthetics. So in the end I decided to not talk about combat arts at all. But yes for sure, for some fights, using ichi (or its upgrade) can make a massive difference. Roof Dad is a perfect example. I'm going to pin your comment :) It's a really good point that, while back then I struggled deciding on whether or not to put it in the guide, ultimately is great advice.
I used to use the double ALL the time. It was my go-to move, but I haven't used it in awhile. It is great, at first, but there are better Arts.
@@stevensanders9219 Have you beaten the gauntlets? :)
one of my favorite... bring the hammer down!!!
@@thecasualfly good ol' Ichimonji, aka Weeb Bonk
A guide that actually tells you how to play the game the fun way? Hell yeah
It really is incredible how much more fun and engaging this game is once combat clicks.
Just started sekiro after owning it for a few years. Can't believe I left such a great game just sitting there collecting dust. This guide is extremely helpful. Props to you for putting out such a detailed guide for such a complex game.
Greetings, Joe :) Do you, as I and many others, come from SoulsBorne? How are you enjoying the key action and combat? Who was the last boss you slayed and who's your favourite so far? And thank you - I made this guide so players out there hopefully wouldn't have to spend 100 hours like I did trying to figure out wtf the game wanted me to do lol. Because I mean let's be real here, the in-game tutorials are asinine lol.
@@Katiecakes Nope, as far as the soulsborne games, I'm a virgin lol. The reason I bought sekiro was because I know how highly rated and loved those games are, and then I read that it was like a cross between the tenchu games, (yeah I'm old lol) and the souls games so I was sold. I couldn't get anywhere when I first played it and put it away for a while, and then a few weeks ago I pulled it back out of retirement because of all the elden ring hype. Turns out I was playing it wrong the whole time lol. This game is an absolute masterpiece in every aspect though. So far I am only at hirata estate stuck on juzou the drunk. I'm learning and getting better as I go, and your video was/is a great help to me. I'll be referring back to it a lot. And hey, thank you for taking time out your day to reply back to me on a video ya did a year ago, that's really cool of ya.
I legit bought this after watching a few videos and was sick of the worst combat elden ring had . Now when I die I know it’s my fault not enemies clipping though walls . I will absolutely stick with this game . And it’s a beautiful experience
I feel like Mary poppins is telling me how to git gud 🤣
lol! I almost want to run with that. Wear a hat and bring an umbrella and start breaking out in synchronised song.
Katiecakes that would be hilarious! 🤣 “listen children, yes a spoon full of sugar makes the sword saint, go down”
@Gannon Kristian start shitposting all her friends 😂😂😂
Just a spoonful of git gud Helps the enemies go down The enemies go down The enemies go down
@@Katiecakes supercalifragilisticexpialidocious even though your skills are somethin really quite atrocious, if you watch this video you’ll become really quite precocious! Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!!
Wow, this is next level guiding. I've never seen a guide that is actually super dope to watch, or simply entertaining. It's awesome. It looks so damn pro. Your dedication to helping people with this game is way out there. Great fucking work, Katiecakes.
Thank you Lupus, and for always tuning in :) Making guides just kind of fell into my lap lol. I'm glad I can help, and I'm always looking to improve my guiding skills.
Ultimate is absolutly the right word. This is epic!
Much appreciated, fellow shinobi!
I second this, respect master shinobi!
Thanks for the help
Never seen this creator before, within the first couple of minutes I can tell she is an expert and cares very much about the art she's making. 10/10 would instantly sub again
:) That is so kind of you to say. I don't feel like I'm an "expert" as I'm still always learning more about the game - which is amazing considering it's 3 years old and there's still more to discover from it - but what I do enjoy is sharing what I've learned. All I wanted to do with making this guide is to help people not have to go through the same ordeal I did - taking 100 hours to figure out the combat system. If I could help one person, and if they can get some enjoyment out of the game, it's all I could ask for. So thank you for your kind words
Then make another account and subscribe again. All talk, talk is cheap.
@@heymmommmm Id like you to consider what, "sentiment," means. Specifically definition 2, on Google.
Within the first ten seconds of me reading your comment I sensed your simping
Thank you for applying "I can't believe it's not butter" to the desert dry bread that is my Sekiro gameplay!! Much appreciated and wonderfully done!! 👏 👏
Haha I love that analogy! :D I hope you're having a lot more fun with it now.
Just started Sekiro a few days ago, I expected it to be hard/ unforgiving but oh my.. Felt more like I was trying to solo endgame raids as a noob lol. Your guide is exactly what I needed to stop feeling like a failed swordsman that forever shamed his family, and actually start enjoying the combat and boss encounters. Very detailed and insightful work, no doubt you are saving controllers and Shinobi lives out there :D
Oh absolutely, I've seen what it's like to lose a controller to this game. Not *me*, I mean, I cuss at games a lot but I don't throw things :D Yet. I'm really happy that you're finding joy in your journey as a shinobi. How far have you gone? Who was your last boss?
I was actually stuck at two bosses haha. The demon guarding the gate, and the Shinobi hunter that would make any man jealous with his indomitable thrusting skills xD It was strange to adapt to dodging into an enemy attack to counter, but after watching your guide, I practiced against our undying buddy, and soon after pwnd him :D Now I'm fighting a big drunk in a burning courtyard. Your tip for holding down block and tapping for a deflect is also helping alot. I'm having some problems multitasking ranged dmg while focusing on deflecting and posture, how do you deal with those enemies? Stealth kill them first?
My goodness, we need more guide creators out there that put this much love into their work.
Thank you for the high praise, Matt :) I'm currently working on my final Sekiro guide, for Isshin Sword Saint. It's way more, well, *more*, than this one, lol.
@@Katiecakes Keep up the great work! I finally was able to beat Seven Spears thanks to you
I am just 8 hours into the game and was really struggling, and i can clearly see why after I watched this guide, and now i know exactly what to work on. Thanks so much for the extremely useful tips.
Yeah this game is almost Miyazaki's way of trolling SoulsBorne veterans lol. But, I personally much prefer this combat style, it feels much more finessed. Are you having more fun now that the combat system makes more sense to you?
@@Katiecakes Yes, I beat this mini boss that I was struggling with, in my 2nd try after watching your guide. I practiced on the regular soldiers a lot before taking on the mini boss, also practiced my block and parry as I was just running and dodging before I watched your guide, and now just got in close fight and just blocked and parried, I still suck at it but atleast I suck less at it now lol.
Well said! Exactly why I was here. I beat Lady butterfly (barely) so I was gonna come get some tips lol
I know I'm really late to the party, but I gotta say, this is INCREDIBLY well made! As a smaller content creator myself I'm almost jealous, there's an insane amount of effort poured into this video. When new Sekiro players run into a wall in the coming years, I hope this is the first video they stumble on :)
Wow :) Thank you so much for your high praise. I actually learned a lot from making this guide, and I'd like to think I've stepped up my game since then - the next and final Sekiro guide I've been making is for the end boss and it is, no joke, three hours long, Longer than a Ridley Scott movie lol, since they guy has like 116 moves and combos (also no joke) that I break down one by one. I'm happy to connect with fellow content creators. The work is much harder than most of our audience realises :) I hopped over to your channel for a bit and find the content you cover to be quite delightful. Thank you again for taking the time to leave words to brighten the end of my day
@@Katiecakes I appreciate the sentiment for sure, and it definitely goes both ways! And man, that final boss guide seems absolutely crazy, I completely understand why it's gonna be a massive project. The old man is no joke. I can't wait to check it out when the time comes, and once I have a spare afternoon or two, I'll be looking forward to binging through some more of your content \[T]/
You’re so incredibly articulate, I really like the cadence to your voice. This is such a great guide, thank you so much! Subscribed ❤️
Thank you so much :) I'm happy you dig the guide!
This great!!! So relaxing especially when you’re talking about such intense combat. I’m always so surprised at just how many things you can deflect. This is such a great vid.
Thank you! And indeed, it's pretty insane. I think the biggest (pun intended maybe) thing that can be deflected are the snakes. Both of them. The impact even stuns them to where they lose track of you for a few seconds, so you can make your escape.
This is truly the be-all-end-all of combat guides. And you have such a lovely voice! Thanks so much for this vid :D
Thank you for the high praise! It was a challenging (but still fun) guide to build, definitely the hardest one I've done to date.
I typed in “Sekiro how to combat” and your thumbnail said exactly that. You rock!
Your wavelengths have been keyly synchronised with the Matrix. YOU rock.
I've played through this game more times than I can remember, I didn't learn anything from this but I still enjoyed this video.
Thank you! I tried to make it fun and engaging :) And same, I've been practicing for a run, so, I started up NG many, many times : O
I just started playing after beating Elden Ring, and I found Sekiro to be both more fun but also much harder. I managed to beat Lady Butterfly, but now I’ll take what you taught and tackle the game. I honestly had no idea the visual difference between a block and deflection. Thank you so much for the well put together and amazing guide!
Congratulations on beating Elden Ring :) I'm glad you find my guide helpful. It took me FOREVER to figure out the difference between deflecting and blocking and that they are in fact the basis upon which the combat system is built. It's kinda great isn't it, lol, that the game doesn't really tell you that. Honestly, the *aural* difference between blocking and deflecting, for me, is much more useful than the visual difference. Every fight has its own pattern of sounds, from your counter-defensive maneuvers, and attacks; so essentially they become individual "songs". Therefore, nailing these "songs", is like hitting musical notes at exactly the right key points, so, akin to playing a musical instrument :) I find pretty much everyone who takes to music are able to utilise the rhythmic nature of Sekiro's combat to their advantage. I hope this bit of info helps you along more
Really great guide! It's good that you mentioned sleeping. Sleeping is OP for any muscle memory training, and I think it also helps new Sekiro players a lot to be assured that sometimes the best you can do to make a boss easier is just put the game away and come back the next day, when a boss fight starts to feel like you keep beating your soul and motivation into a brick wall.
Absolutely! It actually applies to me now too with the gauntlet and beating the new inner bosses. It's truly amazing, on that note, to actually experience beating bosses for the first time again. But yeah after sleep, I come back and pwn so much harder. But I also have a really bad habit, an obsession - I can sit here for 12 hours on a day off and keep hammering the same boss to get that no-hit. And thank you for checking this out :) How are you liking the update?
@@Katiecakes Luckily you put your obsession to good uses as well by making videos with your experience. I like the update! It's a good excuse to buy the official game (I played a torrented version before) and do a new playthrough from scratch. Even with the demon bell it's pretty easy, but the update brings some harder fights to learn again, and the great thing about Sekiro is that you can set your own goals beyond just beating a boss and do better every try.
@@broaz885 Aye, so you've got to beat the game twice now in order to access all three gauntlets? Have you tried charmless? It's brutal lol. I tried deathless no-heal in charmless and got my ass handed to me by roof geni.
This is amazingly well done. It is so awesome. I find it criminal that you only have 299 subs.
Thank you so much :) It was a fun guide for me to build, and I also learned a few things myself, which is a fun part of the process of teaching. And I appreciate the vote of confidence! If it's any consolation, right now it's at 304 :) And actually two days ago it was at 279 so it was a fairly substantial jump (for a channel of my size). I'm crossing my fingers that with a wider audience, more players would be able to gain access to this guide and (hopefully) be freed from so much early-game frustration.
Wow, this gotta be the best and most comprehensive guide I have ever seen for this game. Very well done and many thanks for your effort, very much appreciated!
You're most welcome :) I hope it was helpful to you and that you're able to pwn that much harder.
One of the most, well thought out and informative guides I’ve ever watched. Shoutout to you.
Thank you for the high praise! :) I hope my guide was helpful to you.
Fantastically helpful. Your “always hold block then parry” isn’t something I’ve seen anyone else mention.
Oh the block-tapping, yeah it's just a tactic that I sort of developed on my own. For some people it can be kind of hard, especially without remapping the buttons, as using the left index finger is actually quite strenuous, it calls for utilising tendons all the way up to your forearm. It was only a long time after I'd created this guide that I realised I should have recommended remapping the block/deflect button to maybe square (on the ds4/5). It's way easier to pound a button with your thumb than it is to constantly pull that "trigger" finger. So yeah lol, bit of a long story. So this method helped you then? Are you playing on console or PC?
The learning curve in this game is incredible. I've been struggling with Genichiro for over three hours before I managed to get even my first deathblow, but after that it quickly got easy to do and getting to Tomoe was routine. It took me total about four hours to learn the whole fight and get all three deathblows.
What a calm, welcoming, wonderful guide. Thorough, digestible, lengthy without wasting time… seriously, thank you for this. Easy sub!
Thank you for your kind, encouraging words :) I'm glad you dig the guide. I hope it was helpful to you!
Thank you so much. Finally I understood the difference between blocking and deflecting. I always wondered how people 'block' the attacks without filling up their posture meter. Now I understood that it is deflecting and thank you for teaching me how to deflect. You got a new subscriber.
I'm really happy that you now understand how this works. It's gonna help you so much in combat. Did you get Sekiro during the sale? :) And thank you very much for the sub.
21:28 this is some legitimately really good advice. Something like this happened to me on Elden Ring I was on my first time fighting Malenia, I was already 2 hours into the fight, and it was late at night. I was starting to get the hang of her attacks, and the right timing for dodges, but then I just started to fail them, constantly, at this moment I said "Ok, my reflexes are starting to not work anymore, I should go to sleep". Next day, well I didn't beat her on the first attempt, but I was managing to dodge her attacks again. Never underestimate your bodily needs folks.
I feel you on that fight in Elden! Took me two days to get her. I kinda never follow my own advice though, being wayyyy too obsessive lol. I pretty much only stop because it's getting too late. I'm willing to keep going at a boss for like 8 hours lol. But yeah. It's amazing what sleep can do :)
I just think it’s so neat that you’re still replying to every comment years after producing this guide, still dedicated to helping the new folks experience this fantastic experience of a game! What a treasure of a human you are! :) keep being awesome 👏
That is so mighty kind of you to say :) I was sort of "raised" on the internet, so, I tend to treat people online as I would in real life. Not responding to comments would be the equivalent of someone coming up to me, personally, to talk to me, and I just ignore them and walk off. People took time out of their day to watch something I made, and to even share their thoughts with me. My goal in making this video in the first place was to help, at the very least, just one person. I can't find it in myself to not respond. Besides, it's through this game (and others) that we connect with all sorts of wonderful individuals. You're a special person yourself, to possess the sensitivity to share such words of kindness with candor. So, thank you, for being here, and for brightening my day
Beautifully explained....found it useful and interesting with insights even when I finished the game.
I'm glad! I hoped it might be helpful to everyone ranging from beginners to veterans.
Damn, you put so much effort into these videos. Much appreciated! Will use this guide to get deeper into the mechanics for my second playthrough.
I had to be extra careful with this one as, unlike boss guides where there are so many different ways to pwn depending on play style, what I presented here have to be widely recognised as hard fact. I got most of it down, however I would have missed a couple things if not for the sharp eyes on my advisory council (two amazing NG+6/7 Charmless no-hitters). Are you playing soon? Are you gonna try deflecting the snek? ;D
@@Katiecakes I'm probably going to start over again next month. It's been over a year and I definitely cheesed too much. This time I want to fight properly. Wait, you can deflect the snake? I don't think it would be very impressed by me doing that. xD
@@ASMRinGames Yes if you jump to 16:59, you can see that bad boy in action ;D In fact you can do it over and over. It gets dazed and confused by the impact of the deflection that you literally get a few seconds of his triangle turning yellow. During that time you can of course make your escape but if you feel like it you can just stand there and keep deflecting him because you fucking CAN lol.
Sleep - is one of the best advices. I've spent 8+ hours trying to beat one boss in the game. I've decided to stop trying and go to sleep. Next morning I've made it on first try without any mistakes.
It's all those reflexes finally clicking after a good night's rest!
This is a fantastic guide. Clearly thought-out and articulated tips. Great work
Thank you, Edward :) Appreciate your high praise
I picked this up on the Game of the year edition sale because of you. Have watched you go through the challenge runs and felt confident enough to have a go, and with the guide it's not so daunting. Thank you for the amazing guide and content, you're a gem in the gaming community.
:') That was so awesome to read. Thank you for making my day. I know a lot of people struggle with the combat and I feel they just need to be shown how it all works, the "rules", so to speak, and then they'd be inspired to pwn, and not miss out on such an awesome, fulfilling title. It can be a lifechanging experience for some. Have you started yet? :)
Wow, this is such a clear and comprehensive resource!
Thank you :) I've learned some more little skills here and there since then, but overall I always hope newcomers would find this useful and therefore get to enjoy the game, rather than endure the frustration. Because come on, the in-game tutorials are asinine, am I right? :)
Great guide, thank you. Will definitely have to try out the method with holding block and tapping deflect.
You are most welcome :) The block-tapping method definitely works as long as you don't succumb to spamming. It is only truly effective if you are familiar with your opponents' attack patterns, specifically how they sound in a sequence. I find it really helped (and still helps! Definitely applicable to the new gauntlet!) to watch other players' no-damage recordings, and pay especial attention to the sound patterns of deflections. I basically memorise them like songs, which I then try to replicate in my own fights by hitting the deflection trigger just like how you'd hit musical notes. Hope that makes sense :)
WOOOOOOW. This video is amazing. Thank you for making it!
Thank you Maxwell :) I hope you got some useful tips, and that the game is more enjoyable to you now :)
This such a great and comprehensive guide! Also, laughed out loud at your "I JUMPED!!" That's totally me as well 😆
:D Thank you. Happy you enjoyed it. I hope you enjoy the game that much more now :)
Incredible tutorial. Wow! My whole view on Sekiro has changed. You’re unbelievable! Thank you so much. I’ve totally subscribed to your channel! Killing it, just killing it dude. I’m on my first walkthrough versus your 6 so I have tons to learn but I will get there! Lots of admiration and respect from Texas!
Thank you so much. It's all I can hope for, that this guide can help one more player find enjoyment in this incredible game. lol I've actually beaten this game over 50 times now, since I did a challenge run last year and with each attempt, even when I failed, I still continued on to the end boss. Do you feel the urge to platinum/all-achievement? :) it's a pretty organic game to platinum.
insane value, production quality, all the while beeing so on point with entertaining flavours sparkled inbetween the infos. A joy to consume. Excellent stuff and a welcome suprise, this is next Level...
Thank you so much for so stalwart a comment :) real happy you enjoyed this. Are you enjoying Sekiro?
This is so well done and detailed. Congratulations for your work!
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it! :)
This is, by far, the best guide I have seen, and I’ve seen a lot 😑 Amazing work!
That means a lot, it takes quite a bit of work to build a proper guide. Thank you so much for your kind words :)
So casually singing to each flawless victory. What a gamer.
lol can't get me to shut up when I'm playing Sekiro. I'm always singing and making commentary.
This is an amazing tutorial. I could have never put all these information in a coherent manner like you did. Kudos!!
Thank you, that means a lot. It took four weeks to write the script and build this guide, and that's not including gathering footage :) I just want to help players find enjoyment in such a great game.
@@Katiecakes keep up the good work, pal, I am honestly very impressed. I have played through the game several times, but I have been taking a break, so this video was a good refresher.
There is a lot that you covered that I did NOT know, even after several playthroughs of this game so thanks for detailed breakdown. Cheers.
Thank you :) Yeah this guide is OLD lol, and I've adapted my playstyle a LOT since then, couple of things I wish I could go back in time and insert them into this video. Oh wells. Thank you for stopping by and sharing your kind words, means a lot
Best guide ever, I really learned something new. Thank you
You're very welcome. I hope you're enjoying the game :)
I CAN'T WAIT EITHER (but alas I must wait. Super excited tho!) Been waiting for this a long time!
Already it's happening in 12 hours ;D
This is a really thorough and well-packaged video. Thank you.
Many thanks for your kind words
Yesterday I completed this, one of the most fun satisfying combat ever, once you understand the rhythm, there's no stopping 🔥
Glad you're enjoying it! Congratulations on beating Sekiro! It takes hard work!
Just when I was about to give up I ran across this video, perfect 👌🏻
:) I'm so glad. What boss made you about to give up? You pwnd with a vengeance, I presume?
@@Katiecakes Stuck on Lady Butterfly, I don't want to cheese my way through the game but it's so freakin tough.
Thanks for this video, it taught me how I was playing the game incorrectly. Managed to beat Genichiro my 3rd try after watching it. I used the dodge way more than I should have been and was blocking instead of parrying. I wish your channel all the best, it turned a game I actively hated into something I am going to enjoy greatly now.
I'm so happy to hear that, it's all I could hope for :) Really glad you're finding enjoyment in this game now. May you conquer ever forwarder and achieve ever greater heights. And btw third try on Roof Geni is amazing, congratulations! He took me like 9 hours to beat lol when I first started playing last year at launch. And I wasn't even doing it the right way. Pure cheese.
It took me 3 rage quits before Sekiro clicked for me. In my 9 playthroughs I never strayed from the mortal blade, so this video was insane and wonderfully constructed.
Thank you for your kind words! :) Yeah I had a lot of bad habits - relying on combat arts and prosthetics far too much. The key, I feel, for fresh players, is to play as vanilla as possible on their first playthrough, get the basics of combat down, and then unleash their arsenal on subsequent playthroughs, incorporating flair to their honed reflexes. I hope you're still having fun with the game I've beaten it probably about 80-90 times now, clocking in at close to 1900 hours over the last 5 years. It's nice to revisit after long breaks!
Loved the way you broke down each tips and tricks and explained with slow mo videos! Keep it up
Many thanks :) I feel it really helps for players to see everything clearly since combat is so fast in-game, it's hard to decipher what's what in the heat of the moment.
Katiecakes Sekiro is really pushing towards unlearning how to approach a from soft game and relearn it’s new ‘keep the aggressive attacks going’ till u die mechanics (rage quits come free)!
Just started the game and this helped so much! Can't wait to practice and go through the suffering
I hope the suffering would be close to non-existent now that you're armed with key knowledge and power beyond comprehension :D
You’re right about cheesing.. After genichiro I cheesed the rest of the game because it made me so frustrated, but it made it even worse. Especially the final fight. It took me 10 hours to finally beat
Yeah I tried cheesing Isshin too my first time around and even then it took like a hundred attempts (I was that bad). Are you still playing in NG+?
Katiecakes No, I vowed that since I had cheesed most of the bosses, I wouldn’t cheese isshin, and that final fight destroyed me 😂 I decided to take an extended break from sekiro, but I’m playing bloodborne and the souls series more than ever
@@snake867511 Absolutely, I cheesed through the entire game, up until Owl Dad, who PUNISHED me like a right BITCH for all the cheating tactics I employed for so many hours. So, he was actually the turning point for me. It's with him that combat finally clicked. But I couldn't do it with Isshin at the time, as in, fight a fair fight. So I cheesed him. And even then the winning fight was 20 minutes long. A lot of players who take a break from Sekiro come back later and are utterly SHOOK by how hard they pwn. Sometimes that break is all that's needed. I'm re-playing ds1 for the first time in years! Gonna start streaming that soon. How far are you in BB in your current playthrough?
Katiecakes Yea, I definitely felt like I owed it to myself to fight the final boss legitimately because I cheated on so many other bosses 😂 I think I will come back to Sekiro, I’m pretty sure it would be different a second time. In bloodborne I’m just about to fight the spirits of Yarnham again, I’m always pretty nervous about fighting them because boss fights with a multiple enemies make me panic, even thought I beat them first try on my first play through! What’s your twitch channel? I’d definitely tune in for some souls content
@@snake867511 Ohhh you're fighting the Yharnam queen? Sorry if I'm mistaken. And yes multiple opponents is classic panic material for me. I don't use Twitch, I stream directly from the ps4 onto KZhead :) If you hit the bell you'll be able to get stream notifications.
I have a good few thousand hours into souls borne and have completed many challenge runs but the combat of this game just didn't click until I saw this video. I now realize my problem was that I was trying to play it like dark souls moving around a lot using spacing and dodging rather than actually getting in close and using the posture system. Im kinda dumb and a slow learner and other videos just went way over my head so I really appreciate that you were able to make everything easily digestible
I know exactly what you mean, the double-edged sword of being a seasoned SoulsBorne vet, and going into Sekiro armed with that. To think I thought "practicing" with ds3 right before Sekiro dropped would be a good idea lol. I'm just happy that I'm able to help get things to click. If I could help eliminate the 100+ hours it took for me to *finally* understand the deflection/posture system, then I'm happy-chappy. I hope the game is a lot more fun for you now
Absolutely ultimate! Thank you and wow what a fantastic work you have put up!
Many warm thanks, David :) I hope you're enjoying the game that much more now!
This is a really great video, especially: tip of always keeping block up and deflecting everything. It is a very good tip. If you are a new Sekiro player, take it on board, I have several play throughs and I tried pure deflections in first playthrough without blocking and this is better, BECAUSE: when you block, your posture recovers, so while blocking your posture is always recovering, and this is good even if you can perfectly parry (almost) everything, that one slip up wont leave you vulnerable. And the game does not penalises you holding block down at all. It DOES penalise parry spam, so make sure to hold block then just parry when you need to. And when you recover from being posture broken: BLOCK IMMEDIATELY, this will save you from most grab attacks, especially shinobi owl does this and he will never be able to do the thing where he pins you with his foot. Anyway, I have written too much, my 2 cents and advice for new players.
Aye :) Thank you for writing this up. Also, since you brought up grab attacks - I didn't mention this because it's kind of a mid-game prosthetic and I didn't want to spoil it: the umbrella can block/deflect all grab attacks. The timing is very lenient. In charmless, you'll take a little damage if you throw it out too early and end up blocking, but it's still better than actually getting grabbed, and you can still throw out projected force. Have you been enjoying the gauntlet challenges? Have you gotten your platinum/all-achievements?
it does penalize you bc you cant move as normal or sprint
Incredibly detailed material here, and very easy to follow! You make it look easy! Lol. That’s actually what I need to get a friend of mine (or two) into this game. I talked-up a big game of relentless intimidation to them and it might’ve had the opposite effect that I was hoping for. 😂 I believe this is the perfect remedy. Thank you! 🙏
Haha yeah this is definitely really new territory for players who are not used to challenging games, since this requires a lot of patience to develop instinct. Still, FromSoft knows how to reward. When you beat a boss, well, idno about you but when I beat my end boss fair and square the first time, I wanted to put that on my job resume lol. I hope your friends get to enjoy everything this amazing game has to offer :)
Great guide, great skill! Learned a few new things about timing and I have finished the game already.
Ah like with the Mikiri? Yeah it's interesting, especially considering the game can be truly hudless, and yet we still get the Perilous prompts.
I wish I'd had your tips for every game I've played! You are a game-mechanics samurai.
lol Thank you
Absolutely fantastic video... the no-hit demos at the end are just like fine art, I wish I can get that good one day
Aww thank you
@@Katiecakes Speaking of distractions, I was getting my a** kicked by genichiro but I knew I could beat him... then it came to me, I just needed to stay calm, so I turned the music off and voilà... defeated him first try without that awesome yet dramatic anxiety-inducing music 😆,... I'll try without the HUD now cause I still panic against some enemies 😑
You set the standard for this kind of video so high! You deserve more subscribers.
Thank you :) I enjoy making guides, and the way I build my guides is based heavily on what I wish could have been out there to help me, when I was a fresh noob and had to figure everything out myself. Tell your friends and their moms to check out the channel ;D
Knowing how to properly Mikiri Counter is such a boost. I started enjoying the game so much more after spoiling the mechanics.
Indeed, it changed everything for me! I'm glad I found a fool-proof way to deal with all types of thrust attacks and even more glad that I'm able to help people who struggle with Mikiri Counters. I kinda hate how the in-game tutorials are basically just like, "oh, you didn't do it right? Well, do it better." lol.
You’re a joy to listen to Katie. Easy on the ears voice and professionally done.
Aww Drew, thank you for coming back to this old thing :) I've actually improved key recording abilities since then. It's so much nicer to record into Adobe Audition, than Adobe Premiere.
Awesome guide! Thank you for your efforts!
My pleasure. I hope it helps!
This video is so well done I'm going to share it :)
You mad lad, you :) Thank you for checking it out!
@@Katiecakes It's fine always here to help :D
Great content, congratulations for the good explanations in a very didactical way, good job!!
Thank you :) I hope the breakdowns helped :)
Great video. Thanks for the time stamps.
My pleasure, Connor. I hope my guide was helpful to you:)
fantastically edited video, i just 100%'ed elden ring (my first fromsoftware game) and am now experiencing beginner learning curve for sekiro (
You're very welcome, Cold Water, and congratulations on 100%'ing Elden! Hope you enjoy Sekiro, the combat is unbelievably good and addictive, triggers the perfectionist in, well, those who are into it lol
I’m late to the party but just picked up Sekiro and am absolutely loving it. This tutorial is priceless and well done. The one gripe i have is that you show so much of the game. Most people that need this like myself are just starting or maybe a few mini or main bosses deep. Maybe it’s unavoidable with a project like this but now I’m just taking in as much as possible through audio only :P.
Greetings fellow Shinobi :) Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. I'm stoked to hear you're having a good time with the game, it's my all-time favourite. And yes, the spoiler aspect has been brought up and addressed numerous times. I confess when I made this guide it didn't occur to me that the spoilers would be... spoilerific. I was really just trying to make the imagery and content as varied as possible, so it's not the same early game bosses being shown over and over. That and I wanted to "tease" what the game has to offer. So as some form of compromise, I put extra timestamps in the description to indicate where the spoilers would be. I hope my guide is helpful to you, and I apologise about spoiling the game for you
@@Katiecakes no worries! This is quickly becoming one of my top 3 games all time. Just beat General Gyoubu. Went against all my instincts to keep jumping away. Stayed in the pocket and deflected like a champ. Thanks again. Been binging your content now. So surprised you don’t have more subscribers. Take care for now. :)
Just stumbled upon this. Love the details and explanation. Subbed!
Thank you
This guide was helpful! especially the posture, blocking, and deflection section. Thanks 👍
Thank you :) yeah I wish I knew all that on my first go-round, took me about a hundred hours and reaching one of the three final bosses to figure it out lol. That boss basically forced me to learn the game's intended combat
Just finished my first playthrough and immediately started New Game+. This is easily my favourite FROMSOFTWARE game, and Isshin The Sword Saint is SUCH A GOOD BOSS! Now onto the Shura ending!
Exciting! It just blows that the Shura Ending cuts the game so short. And of course Isshin is a fantastic final boss. Pretty much the only FS end boss that isn't outright insane in the membrane lol.
@@Katiecakes He is an insane person (he came out of his dead grandson after all) but his attacks just feel fun to parry and doge away from
@@greencheetahreviews4071 lol it's a fair point, however I don't see him as insane; Genichiro is insane for resorting to such measures of bringing his grandad back from the dead. I mean, Isshin is the only boss who is just fighting us for the enjoyment of fighting. He wants to fight us because he's always wanted to feel the power of the ultimate dual. It's not that he wants to kill us, unlike every other final FS boss. It's a fine line, I hope I'm making sense :)
@@Katiecakes Oh I thought he was honouring Genichiro's wish. Well it's nice that in the Shura ending Isshin fights you because you were evil. Also Genichiro boss is less fun for one reason.....THAT DAMN BOY. And yeah he's WAYYYYYY more insane
And you made a lot of sense
Excellent guide for people struggling, the only thing I’d add is that it’s usually pretty safe to attack until your opponent deflects you, at which point you deflect them and counterattack. Repeat until death. Of course there are exceptions; Lone Shadows for example can be cheesed remarkably well by simply attacking once and deflecting after that (they like to spam their little bitch kick to try to break your posture and it’s hilarious to trap them in a loop for a few hits, but they’ll eventually do their two sword swipe or leaping slam in a pitiful attempt to break out but these are punishable as well). Might be helpful for a more advanced guide in the future. Edit: the only exception to the deflect and counter attack rules I can think of are a) beast type enemies such as Ogre or Guardian Ape and b) a certain Owl who refuses to be posture broken until you chunk his vitality.
Those are excellent points, Garrett. I truly appreciate your input as I'm always looking to up my guiding game. I think when a player becomes more confident, they'll be able to find that pattern, of attack/deflect/counterattack back and forth, to be able to grab swift victories. I have a feeling though, that for beginners, it might be more beneficial to try to win fights by deflecting (and performing other defensive counter measures) as much as possible so they can learn to pick out their attack windows. At least, that's how I progressed, by (at first) trying to win fights by attacking as little as possible, and letting my opponents do the job for me. I wasn't sure if I should list exceptions to the overall rule of deflecting and counter-attacking, because I tried to keep this as spoiler-free as possible (for example , with regards to the Ape). There is also another example where vitality dmg is pretty important to avoid a SLOG of a fight, and that's with the false monk. She recovers her posture almost immediately unless you get her down to 60% health.
love this video i took a break from this game and needed a refresher this video helped alot thank you
That made my day :) Where are you at in the game?
Thank you so much. This has been a massive help with my play through.
I'm happy to hear that! How far along have you come? Who's the last boss you slayed? :)
Gosh, I wish my physics professor taught me like this.
You can always show him this video :B
Such a well put together and well made video. I quit a while back even though I’m a huge souls fan. This is just what I needed to learn how to play the game and get back into it! Sub well earned
Thank you kindly for the sub
@@Katiecakes totally get that lol. I did the same ‘Cept with bloodborne
@@canlex Hey at least BB is kind of a little closer to Sekiro than ds3. It's super fast and aggressive, and there's the primitive groundwork for the deflection/deathblow system found in the bullet-parry. Do you have a favourite out of all of Soulsborne? :)
@@Katiecakes laaaaate late response but Bloodborne is my favorite for sure
One of the best tutorials I've ever seen, hats off! The sleep/take a time off recommendation is so true. I've struggled for a week VS Orphan of Kos (1st time fighting him and on NG++). So I let the game a side for a couple days, then I defeated him 1st try.
Yeah Orphan... took many, many, many attempts, and that's between me and my friend, co-oping. Even with our incredible sandwiching powers, it's still tricky af. Did you do a lot of parrying?
absolutely incredible guide! thank you
Thank you, I'm so happy it helped!
This channel deserves waaaay more subs
Thank you
oh, you won a new subscriber with this, thanks!!
Thank you so much, I hope my guide helped :) are you new to Sekiro?
@@Katiecakes i am super new to sekiro and ....to y Uploading stuff to youtube too, So i know how hard is to make quality content like yours, so keep being awesome please 😙
Just started Sekiro. Loving it. Struggling of course. Your guide is the best I’ve seen. Clear and concise explanations and detailed methods to get better. Thank you
Thank you so much for the high praise, Bernabe I hope you enjoy the game that much more
Thank you so much for this in-depth guide 🙏🏻
You are most welcome! I hope it helped.
Love your passion for this game! I have over 150 hours and I still feel like I'm a long way from mastering the combat in Sekiro. The game is amazing, but the combat system is the part that keeps people coming back. Awesome video, thank you for helping people out fellow Shinobi
Dude, by 150 hours I was *barely just* getting the hang of combat. It took me that long to understand the posture and deflection system, as I come from a long history of Soulsborne reflexes :) So yeah you're doing amazing. I suggest to spice things up by doing Charmless/Demon Bell, and perhaps consider taking the HUD off. It might sound counterintuitive but it actually makes the game easier that way. Are you going for Platinum? :)
@@Katiecakes I appreciate your response and input. That makes me feel a little better about how much time it takes to truly 'get gud' at this game lol. I am planning on 100%ing this game. I'm on XBox, I have 7 achievements left. I would Plat if I was still cool with a PlayStation ;) I have played with the Demon Bell a little bit. The idea of Charmless still scares me at this point lol. I joined the Sekiro subReddit after I heard you talking about it. It is cool to talk with other people who have passion for this game. And memes 😅🤣
Game changeing video, thank you for explaining in depth the foundation of the game. Now it is much more enjoyable not dancing around the battle field and getting whooped Everytime. Your awesome 😎
My pleasure
Insanely useful video. Thanks!
I'm so glad :) hope it made the game much more enjoyable. Also love your username. So good. Bountiful nuts are always welcomed.
Such an amazing guide. You rock 💯👌🏼🔥
Thank you 🙌
This video is a treasure This lady is a treasure and a work master.. Your editing skills are amazing.. Your way of speaking and your accent are gorgeous 😉 The information provided and how you organized all these are overwhelmingly tremendous 😚 And the fact that you have only 5K subscribers is soo damn silly you deserve millions 😎 You are a true creator.. I really really respect and appreciate your hard-work here and every single word and moment of this great video 😊 I’m following you in every single video you make.. Your smile and your face are breathtaking.. Finally I’m in love with you and with this game more and more ♥️ From software should ask you to work with them ♥️♥️ My full support with you lady ♥️ protect this game master at all cost ♥️💪💪💪
Thank you very much for your kind words and support. It's a very old video, I'm hoping the Isshin Guide I'm soon to release would be seen as a huge step-up at least in terms of editing techniques. Glad you're enjoying the game
This was really helpful! I'm new to the game and didn't understand how intricate and deep the combat is. im really over getting my ass handed to me on a velvet lined sterling Silver diamond encrusted platter. Thanks again. 🙂
haha that is one fancy-ass platter. Can I have one of those? :P But yeah you're most welcome. How far into the game are you? What was the last boss you beat?
@@Katiecakes Haha It looks like you're handing the platters out. I just started playing, rolling over from GOW trying to adjust to this combat system. I'm currently getting a Lebron James size foot print stopped into my head by the ogre at the beginning. Just trying to prevent the development of a bad habit of "cheesing" my way to victory. The video helped a lot!
I’m 66 and quit this incredible game because I reached a point where progress seemed impossible. I blamed it on my age and just lack of skill in general. However I decided to dive back in after finishing Wo Long which seems easy compared to this. So this guide is most appreciated and it gives me confidence and drive. I’ll still likely fail but I’ll definitely try. Thank you, talented and kind lady.
Greetings, Peter :) Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. I tried the Wo Long demo and it's quite alright, I intend to play it some time in the future. If you feel your reflexes are working against you, it might be a good idea to remap your buttons. Deflecting is the name of the game in Sekiro - you can beat the entire game without hitting anyone even once (minus deathblows). So, that block/deflect button is everything. Honestly, having it set to L1, while intuitive, is incredibly stressful because we actually cause a lot of strain from the back of our hand streaming all the way up our elbow when we keep using our index finger, and so rigorously at that. I didn't think of this at the time of making this guide so that's why it's not mentioned, but, for some people it makes a world of difference to change that block/deflect button to something like square, which is the "attack" button for a lot of combat-based games. It's easier to smack a button with your thumb than it is to pull the trigger finger, I think. See if that helps :) It might also help, when you're stuck on a boss, to look up videos to see how these fights generally look and sound, since all the fights have their own rhythms. It's like, they're individual songs, with notes and rhythms created by YOU interacting and counter-defending. Like a lot of boss fights in a lot of video games, it comes down to repetition and adaptation. And that's why Sekiro is not for everyone. I hope it's still fun for you, it should always be the top priority :) Thank you again for stopping by to watch, and comment, I hope the game brings you much satisfaction and enjoyment
@@Katiecakes thank you so much for the detailed reply. I’ll check out the deflect remapping. I tend to get nervous during a boss encounter which has a huge impact on my performance. The last time I played I could not get past Wolfs Father, I think that’s him, the big fella with all the hair. So I quit in frustration. However I’m back at it and just killed the incredible boss on the horse. His opening scene where he announces himself is one of my favourite gaming moments. I’m grinding now and heading towards the Bull boss fight. ( Wo Long has a Morale system enabling players to grind on low level enemies which increase your own Morale while their Morale remains the same. This allows you to become very powerful if you have the patience for it. By the way, the first boss in the game is considered to be one of the hardest bosses in the entire game. It was for me and it’s why most people quit. I’d love to see you take him out. ).Thank you Katie, you’ve taught me a lot and I’m grateful. Respectfully, Peter in Nova Scotia Canada. 🙏
@@Katiecakes by the way I spent a week on Lady Butterfly. Sekiro in my opinion is unparalleled in terms of providing a sense of satisfaction, reward. I sharpen knives by hand professionally so I get to experience this sense of accomplishment every day actually so experiencing it in a game is quite something for me.
You're an inspiration too, Peter. Keep it up. Representing us older gamers although I'm a pup compared to you at 45 😄
Finally found a guide on sekiro combat that doesnt go on a de-route about what life lessons the game wants to teach us
Well I'm glad I was able to help? and that you're having fun with the game?
I tend to play games stealthily whenever I can and love going in-depth with those mechanics, but I’ve rarely played a game that really let me do the same thing with combat. I might have to give Sekiro a try.
Oh yeah it's awesome how stealth can be exploited in this game. You can pretty much stack-bab everyone if you have the patience to map out their key locations. That and you can outrun EVERYONE except for like, two bosses. I hope you have fun with it and if you get stuck on the combat, the guide'll be here for you :)
sekiro's stealth mechanics are janky as fuck and feel unfinshed. they can be exploited if you have patience to figure it out but it can be pretty unintuitive.
@@semajxocliw bro, I make Assassin’s Creed stealth videos. Learning how to use janky, unfinished and unintuitive mechanics is my bread and butter, haha
I believe one of the most exhaustive videos out there !! Thank you very much for the quality of work/time/effort !!
It's absolutely my pleasure. I hope you found some helpful tips and hints in there :)
Awesome job explaining!
Thank you John Doe :D
I've beaten the game in every way imaginable, no hit, Demon bell, only parrying, no charm, and all of them. Yet I found new things here. I have no idea why such a detailed guide isn't popular enough, you deserve much better attention for how much effort you've put in this guide. All I can say is thank you.
It's pretty fun to apply challenges to this game, to see how far our limitations and adaptability can stretch. I myself am streaming everyday my deathless no-heal challenge run, playing through practically everything in what's essentially a 7-hour run, and it's hard. I'm getting closer though with each attempt :) I really appreciate your kind words. I'm happy that my guide has helped a lot of players, and even if it means only one person gets to truly enjoy this game to a fuller potential because of it, rather than succumb to frustration and defeat, then I'm a happy chappy.
Deserve way more views Greetings from germany
Thank you so much, Helmut from Germany
I feel like I just took a college course on this game. Lol
;D A fun college course, I hope.
Best guide so far. Thank you ❤️
Thank YOU for taking the time to check it out and to comment :)
Thank you so much for this ultimate guide. It really is by far the best guide i watched and it helped me so much. I just started with Sekiro two weeks ago, it wa so challenging so far. The learning curve i have since i watched your guide was amazing. Thank you so much. I was watching your The hitless Gauntlet run livestream yesterday morning, with my morning coffee. Had a lot of fun watching your gameplay, but had to stop at one point, to not get too much spoiled what awaits me.
Ah thank you for tuning in! And I'm so happy to hear that my guide helped, that you're seeing a curve of improvement in your gameplay! What/Who was the last boss you beat? :)
You're welcome. The stream was a lot of fun to watch. I had a little trouble figuring out how the mechanics of Sekiro are working. After the first part of your guide it klicked. To understand how posture works. The last Boss i've beaten was Lady Butterfly. Right now i'm on Genichiro. Have a great day, greetings from Switzerland
@@wisima9910 Oh, nice! It's a big accomplishment to take down Lady B. And I wish you a speedy victory vs Roof Geni. If there are any moves of his that are giving you trouble, I'd be happy to workshop with you.
@@Katiecakes Thank you, it felt like a big accomplishment when i took her finally down. Roof Geni gives me just in his 3rd phase a hard time, through the first two phase i get pretty easy right now. But i struggle with the lightning reversal in the third phase. Thank you for offering me the opportunity that you would workshop with me.