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‘For Honor’ dueling guide: How to be the last hero standing

“Duels” is perhaps the most enthralling game mode in Ubisoft’s medieval brawling simulator,

For Honor

. It exclusively shows off the game’s innovative combat system — aka, “The Art of Battle” — and gives players the opportunity to really test their prowess without the risk of getting ganged-up on. Let’s say you already know how the game’s rock-paper-scissors combat works, but you’re struggling to win matches on a consistent basis. These nine dueling tips will help keep you on your feet for the long haul.

Choosing a Hero

Unlike the other multiplayer variants — Deathmatch, Dominion, and Brawl — you should always pick a hero that you know well. It’s just you versus your opponent in a battle to the death, and the last thing you want is to be fumbling along with a hero you are less than familiar with. That being said, if you’re adept with Warden, you should be fine switching to Raider or Kensei, as all three are in the Vanguard class. This logic applies to the respective Heavy, Assassin, and Hybrid classes as well.

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Let your opponent make the first move

When the first round begins, you may feel the urge to rush toward your opponent and lunge for the first blow, but we suggest maintaining your distance. Let your opponent take the first shot, at least in the first round. This allows you can get a sense of their go-to tendencies. The ability to predict your opponent’s moves is a great trait to possess — one that you will likely develop over time — but it’s helpful to get an immediate feel for who you’re up against. After all, you can lose two rounds and still come away victorious. Don’t show your hand to early, as patience is often rewarded with those gruesome, end-of-round executions.

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Stand your Ground

For Honor is all about your battle stance. Ideally, the majority of each duel should be spent in guard mode, fielding off enemy attacks and delivering ones of your own when you have an opening. When you’re in the thick of a testing duel and your health is in the red, you may be tempted to start flailing away to make up for being behind. In most cases, this would be the wrong decision, though. Stick to the framework as it was designed. Even when things look dire, hold that sword right, left, or above your head, and keep calm.

Proximity

Right up there with maintaining your stance, balancing the correct distance between you and your opponent is paramount. Preferably, you’d like to be just far enough away to land a heavy attack. If your opponent steps backward, step forward to counteract the created distant between the two of you. If your opponent dodges left, dodge with them. Mirroring your opponent’s moves to maintain optimal distance puts you in the best position to get the most out of your full moveset.

Keep note of your surroundings

While your main focus should always be on your opponent’s actions, don’t forget to take note of your surroundings. If your opponent inches toward a wall, pummel them into it with a throw. If you’re near a set of stairs, go up them to earn the advantage granted by higher ground. And if your opponent nears a ledge, don’t hesitate to try and knock them off with a push. Conversely, when you find yourself cornered near a wall or looking up at your opponent, remedy it by regrouping, and, if possible, force them to come at you and guide them into a disadvantageous position.

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Diversify your core moves

Your five principle moves — blocking, parrying, light/heavy attacks, guard breaks, and dodging — should be used strategically throughout battle. It’s great to string together a series of blocks, but switch it up by throwing in a parry. Similarly, it may be tempting to go for heavy blow after heavy blow, but you’re better off delivering at least twice as many light attacks as heavy attacks. As for guard breaks and dodging, combining these two tactics often works. Dodge left or right, and then quickly go in for the guard break when your opponent tries to reposition themselves. The less predictable you are, the more trouble you will be to defend against. By being a wild card in this rock-paper-scissors duel to the grave, you will generate more openings for yourself that lead to victory.

Employ your special movesets

A sound grasp of your core moves may be enough to defeat a large percentage of your opponents, but when you run into an equally attentive dueler, shaking things up with special moves and chained combos will help give you the edge needed to be the deadliest warrior. Each hero has at least six special moves, and working a few of these into your dueling diet will put you a cut above the rest. Be cautious, though, and use them sparingly. Otherwise you risk  tunnel vision, exposing yourself and shirking your fundamentals in the name of pulling off fancy tricks.

Know your enemy

Not all heroes perform in the same fashion, and even if you consistently choose a hero you are comfortable with, you may still have to refine your style of play depending on which hero you are facing. A good way to learn about other characters is to watch the tutorial videos that show off their unique talents. If you stick to your technique, there’s no reason why you cannot beat a hero that isn’t technically a good matchup against your own, but keeping your opponent’s strengths and weaknesses in mind will definitely make things easier for you.

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Stamina, stamina, stamina

This cannot be stressed enough: If you get too swing-happy or rely too much on more laborious special moves, your hero is going to need a breather, and you can’t have that in the middle of a heated battle. A fully depleted stamina bar makes you an easy target. If you find your stamina at critical levels, exit guard mode and retreat. You could use dodge to fling backward out of reach, but if your stamina is already dangerously low, that might send you over the edge and turn your screen black and white, an ominous foreshadowing of your likely defeat.

Steven Petite
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Steven is a writer from Northeast Ohio currently based in Louisiana. He writes about video games and books, and consumes…
Monster Hunter Wilds weapons guide
A hunter leaps at a Monster in Monster Hunter Wilds.

There are dozens of important tips and tricks you need to master in Monster Hunter Wilds, but they all pale in comparison to learning how to use your weapon effectively. All 14 are available right from the start and each one completely changes the flow of a hunt. Experienced hunters will be familiar with most of them, but there are some new aspects to take into account this time around. If you plan on playing with friends especially then you will want to make sure you're not holding the team back by just spamming attack. Before you put a new weapon on your wishlist, check out this quick weapons guide for Monster Hunter Wilds.
Weapons guide

As mentioned, there are 14 weapons in Monster Hunter Wilds. We will give you a basic idea of each one's strengths, weaknesses, and playstyle but the best thing you can do to decide is take on into the training area and try it out.
Great Sword
If you like a slow weapon that packs a massive punch, the Great Sword is still the king. This is the iconic weapon of the franchise capable of high-damage charge attacks and a block. You need to be brave and account for your slow swing speeds to land a hit, but once you do, it will count.
Long Sword
A sword so long even Sephiroth would be jealous. This weapon allows you to perform perfect dodges and counterattacks more like an action game. It also has nice wide, sweeping attacks for smaller mobs and hitting multiple parts of a monster at once. Landing hits builds a spirit gauge you can spend on a special combo that buffs your attack.
Sword and Shield
If you're new to the series, this is a great weapon to start with. It has fast attacks with the sword and shield, a decent block, dodge, and is the only weapon that lets you use items without having to put your weapon away first.
Dual Blades
For something a bit more fancy, the Dual Blades are just as fast but have more layers to consider. They give you a Demon and Archdemon gauge that buffs your attack power and speed as you build each one up. If you want to be fast and aggressive, give these a whirl.
Hammer
The Hammer is a lot like the Great Sword, only dealing blunt damage that can quickly tire a monster out or stun it if you target the right body parts. You're not as slow with this weapon and have a dodge, but no guard.
Hunting Horn
This weapon is one best saved for veterans or players who are part of a dedicated squad. The horn plays different tunes that buff yourself and other hunters in addition to attacks, meaning you need to pay attention to the entire battlefield and know which buffs to trigger when.
Lance
If you fancy yourself a tank, pick up the Lance. This weapon lets you attack from relative safety behind your big shield at the expense of speed and damage. What it lacks in damage, however, it makes up for in targeted damage. You can easily wound and exploit a monster's limbs with precise thrusts.
Gunlance
The Gunlance is basically what it says on the tin. You still have the heavy shield, but now focus on shooting explosive shells. It gives you a lot more range to work with and has a dodge.
Switch Axe
This weapon feels ripped right out of Bloodborne. You can use it as a heavy axe or transform it into a more nimble sword. Each one has their strengths, such as being able to cause explosions, but neither are the best in their class. If you want to be as versatile as possible, go with this.
Charge Blade
Another transforming weapon, the Charge Blade also has an axe mode as well as a sword and shield. Most consider this the most difficult weapon to master in the series since using one mode powers up the second and each has their own complete combo list to internalize.
Insect Glaive
Verticality is better in Monster Hunter Wilds than ever before. The Insect Glave will let you leap and sping around the environment and make mounting monsters a breeze. You will need to snag parts of monsters with your Kinsect during fights to buff yourself otherwise you will deal very little damage.
Light Bowgun
The first pure ranged weapon, this bowgun keeps you light on your feet and has a fast rate of fire for great DPS if you can keep the monster in your sights. Landing hits build up a gauge you can spend on a Rapid Fire ability to unload all at once. Just make sure you come stocked with ammo.
Heavy Bowgun
We suggest saving the Heavy Bowgun for party hunts since it is most effective from long-range while others draw aggro. You do have an auto-guard just in case, but an ideal run with this weapon will have you sniping from a distance with the correct ammo type to bring down your target.
Bow
The Bow is unique compared to the other two ranged weapons. It uses your stamina to draw and fire but encourages you to stay somewhat close since a perfect dodge will completely refill your stamina. The coolest feature, though, is the tracer shot. Once you land this, all the arrows you shoot after will home in on that spot. Eventually, the tracer explodes for even more damage.

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How long is Monster Hunter Wilds?
A hunter leaps at a Monster in Monster Hunter Wilds.

Hunters have been preparing meals, sharpening their weapons, and sharing all the best tips and tricks for months waiting for Monster Hunter Wilds to arrive. Now that it has arrived, we're all ready to gather our friends and hunt down the most epic beasts yet. Fans have come to expect these games to last dozens, if not hundreds, of hours beyond just the main campaign. Going into High Rank hunts, grinding to upgrade gear, and taking on rare species can extend the fun for those who want to dive deep into the systems. But the question remains if Capcom had to scale down this latest entry, at least at launch, to account for all the new systems and improved visuals. Let's take a break at camp to find out just how long Monster Hunter Wilds is.
How long is Monster Hunter Wilds?

Determining how long Monster Hunter Wilds is depends on what you consider finishing the game. If reaching the game's credits is your definition of the end, which comes after beating the main story, then you could expect the game to last anywhere from 15 to 20 hours depending on how many optional quests and hunts you decide to take. However, the main story only lasts through the end of Low Rank, with High Rank being where the game really starts for most players and also includes even more story content.

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The best secret bosses in video games
The Moon Presence descending in Bloodborne.

Video games have been hiding secrets from us for decades. As far back as the first console generation we've been finding Easter Eggs, but developers didn't stop with simple hidden rooms or bits of text. Boss fights typically represent a barrier the player is forced to overcome to continue the story. Sometimes they're easy, but sometimes they're some of the hardest bosses in video game history. However, secret bosses are a real treat. Sometimes they represent a challenge far beyond anything the game would normally throw at the player, others serve more as jokes or fun references, or can even unlock a game's secret ending. Let's explore every nook and cranny to find all the best secret bosses in video games.
Moon Presence

FromSoftware is one of the few studios out there brave enough to hide entire levels behind obtuse secrets. There are secret bosses (usually multiple) in all of its games, but we decided to pick Moon Presence for how it both requires some arcane thinking to access and unlocks a new ending. As a Great One, most consider this the game's true final boss, but you can only fight it if you find and use one of three hidden umbilical cords before entering the final boss sequende. Then, as long as you choose to fight Gehrman and win, you can then attempt to beat Moon Presence and see a new ending. As usual, there's almost no way to figure this out on your own.
Akuma

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