Guard Break is an Unnecessary Mechanic | Forums

[UWS.Wolfe]

There's so many reasons why Guard Break and counter Guard Break is broken, but in reality. It's a mechanic that this game didn't even need. In fact, most of the time, I don't use it.

The Truth: Guard Break is a crutch. with the exception of the few classes that depend on guard break to use their abilities, it's a crutch for players who aren't capable of getting around someone else's guard, otherwise.

Orochi, Warden, and Lawbringer rely so much on guard break, that they've really become boring, one trick ponies. On the other hand, Warden in particular is very strong because of how trashy the Guard Break system is.

In reality, if you're capable of using feints, parries, and counter attacks. Guard Breaks aren't at all necessary. It simply adds complexity that takes away from the otherwise smooth combat system in the game.

The Result: Removing Guard Break from the game would truly separate the players into the necessary tiers to establish a ranked system of play. It would also make environmental kills more rewarding, and give players a sense of accomplishment when an environmental kill is achieved, and completely DESTROY the Guard Break > Throw meta that this game has become, at all ranks of play.

[Mr_Gallows]

I agree. GB is in the game as an emergency solution to the defence/offence balance. The game would be better if it would work without it - with 100% focus on the three-way attack/defence system.

[Civrus]

Guardbreaking follows the rock-paper-scissors pattern that fighting games have had for years. I think it's necessary. Defense is strong enough already, removing guardbreak would make it stronger I feel.

[Zeekoh]

What you're suggesting would make more defensive characters have an extremely unfair advantage. Do you want everyone to play Conqueror or Warlord because you literally can't break through their guard if someone is good enough with them? You pretty much HAVE to guardbreak and parry a good Conqueror. Otherwise you're getting no damage in. How about the fact that the Shugoki doesn't flinch at all on the first hit and gets the status back within seconds? It's obvious you don't even know what the meta game is if you're saying it's all about throws. Meta is all about Revenge and using unblockable push moves, not guardbreaks, to knock characters around. The fact is that it is a crutch, just like you said. It's a tool for less skilled players to stand a chance against someone who is more skilled than they could hope to stand a fair chance against. If you actually practice and get the timing down, they're not that hard to counter. This would also affect a special trait for Berserkers to auto-guardbreak on reflects. You're basically talking about completely restructuring the game from the ground up to make up for the fact that there isn't a guardbreak mechanic.

[MinaX-LorD]

Lmfao I knew this was coming. We've gone from people saying guard break is cheap, guard break counters are "too hard" to a person literally saying they want guard breaking out of the game.

LMFAO... I just can't with you people smh.

[Mr_Gallows]

In the current game GB is a must for sure and I don't think it should be removed, because throwing people is cool. I do wish however that GB was reactionary as a response to your opponent losing balance on a whif. A GB from parry is either too good when it can't be countered or pointless when you can, because the parry will earn you of an incommimg GB.

I think the current implementation og GB may actually be the best, because landing it against a good player is hard - you have to trick him. I do see GBs landing in tournament play outside of parry (it is rare but not too rare as the GB is powerful).

[Drachdhar]

Guard Breaks are very hard(near impossible) to react to on console, unless you know its coming. At least I find it to be like very hard. I literally see the icon flash once and then I am guard broken, basically instant.

[fairliedaft]

Guard breaking is essential for dealing with characters with a solid defence, like the warlord. I do however believe GB needs some sort of cooldown on it, maybe 3 seconds, to eliminate the spamming of it. Counters of course should not have a cooldown (to account for being outnumbered), but initiating a GB shouldn't be something that can be spammed. It should be a way to break the defence of somebody who is turtling, not a primary way to fight.

[UWS.Wolfe]

Guard breaking is essential for dealing with characters with a solid defence, like the warlord. I do however believe GB needs some sort of cooldown on it, maybe 3 seconds, to eliminate the spamming of it. Counters of course should not have a cooldown (to account for being outnumbered), but initiating a GB shouldn't be something that can be spammed. It should be a way to break the defence of somebody who is turtling, not a primary way to fight.

It's really not essential for fighting anyone at all. It's a crutch because you don't know how to bait parries, or feint attacks from different directions.

[massive02]

The one thing I really dislike is the guaranteed guard break after a parry; It breaks it's own rules of not being able to CGB, also people usually follow a GB with an attack anyways so why the extra step? It should just go from parry to counter attack.