As the title says, I love this game and it's some of the most fun I've had in any PVP game.

I know there are no more updates coming but has anyone got wind of any upcoming games that would scratch this itch by chance? On console specifically!

I’m completely stumped by pc players who excel their overheads over and over again. I don’t play claw and I pretty much just finger roll over LR and LB, twice if they feint. It’s just so clunky and it feels like a huge weak spot in general.

What are the better players experience with-*countering over head spam.

I wanna Invite all my buddies (like 4 of them) we regularly play multiplayer games together. But the hefty $40 price tag on steam for a game that the devs said they would stop updates is not welcoming. (It is for me though i played over 600 hrs) And the game can generate income on skins and battelpasses like Overwatch.

Please devs dont let this game die

I don’t understand how it works I’ve gotten kicked from
Games before where it was at 10 votes and it said 15 need to pass. I’ve seen people reach 14 votes and not get kicked i don’t understand the system.

Introduction

Ever wonder how some people can just absolutely combo the shit out of you for every single move that you do? Well, I'm some people. I'm not the best but I have a very good understanding of how the combat system works and how to utilize it to its fullest extent. In this guide we will talk about the simple rock-paper-scissors game within Chiv 2 that allows you to read any person and combo them to victory.

Cardinal Sin of New Players

I've seen this a lot with new players, aka default knights. The number 1 cardinal sin that new players do is hold block. DO NOT HOLD BLOCK. Every time you get hit you automatically hold block on instinct which is not what you want to do. You're easily susceptible to a free kick. You've already been hit so you might as well take that on the chin and instead read the next move of the opponent. This is where the mindset of a skilled player takes charge.

Rock-Paper-Scissors

I'd like to think of Chiv 2 combat as a game of rock-paper-scissors. As soon as you attack and your hit goes through, you keep the initiative and have another free swing until your opponent blocks, counters, or dodges. When your opponent blocks your attack they now have the initiative. This is how I prevent the endless cycle of swing-block-swing-block gameplay that I've seen many players do.

When do you kick?

If you manage to hit someone, immediately kick. Most people turtle up and block on instinct which is why holding block is bad. After that kick you get a free heavy with any type of attack which either makes them hold block again, then you kick again, then you get another free heavy and end up getting the kill.

But what if they don't hold block after you hit them?
Either they jab, dodge to gain distance, or swing.
If they swing and you kicked immediately after you hit them, this is the only time where I would hold block. There is a very small window after your kick where you can block and even if you have the reaction speed to counter, the game registers it as a neutral attack and you would eat that swing.

When do you jab?

You jab whenever you get hit and if you're close enough for the jab to reach. Against aggressive players who constantly swing while rushing towards you, this is the perfect counter for them. Whenever you jab, you regain initiative which allows you to swing back but be warned: this is the perfect reminder for your opponent that they can jab back. Usually the back and forth jab really only lasts for 2 jabs so if they jab back after you jab them and swing, I wouldn't try to jab back and would rather counter or block their attack.

When do you dodge?

Dodging is a really great way to get a free hit if your opponent manages to whiff their attack on you since the recovery for almost every weapon is long enough for you to get a free swing in, not a heavy, just a normal attack. I usually dodge immediately after my opponent blocks my attack. If I dodge and they countered my attack then I would get a blade to the face. When you attack, you can immediately dodge away to gain distance (if they block it) and use that distance to make your opponent whiff and get a free hit in. If your weapon is slow enough, or short enough, the opponent can also dodge away making you whiff as well.

Differences between blocking and countering

One of the key differences of blocking and countering is the fact that you don't lose your momentum when countering. When you block you're able to be pushed back which is why dodging after an opponent blocks works so well. Countering allows you to keep your stamina and your momentum so you can get around your opponent and potentially hit them in the back with the end of your weapon. Countering someone elses attack also pushes them back as well so you can use that information to "push" someone off a ledge when they attack. Sometimes you can also counter/block, use that pushback from the counter/block, and dodge even further away (just a tiny bit).

Another difference is countering stops your opponents attack completely. Whenever you counter an attack it stops it from completing its full range of motion which is especially helpful during crowd fighting. Attacks still complete their full range of motion if they are blocked which is why you eat some attacks even through teammates if they have blocked. That is why it is essential to COUNTER DURING TEAMFIGHTS. Countering saves the person next to you from eating an attack and also allows your teammate to potentially get around and get a hit in. Sometimes blocking an attack is helpful against slow weapons so they can complete their full range of motion and it allows you time to step around and possibly get a hit in.

Initiative game

Times you get initiative:

Your hit goes through
Your jab goes through
You kick someone who is blocking
You block/counter

Times you lose initiative:

You get hit
Your attack gets blocked/countered
You get jabbed
You get kicked while blocking

Guaranteed free hit:

Kicking a blocking opponent: allows light/heavy
Your opponent misses an attack: allows light/possible heavy with fast weapons

Times when initiative is neutral (the faster weapon or the one who accels gains initiative afterwards):

You both jab
You both kick

Feints

Did you know that you can also feint an attack into a jab or a kick? Use this against people who counter too early or freeze up and block when you start your attack, respectively. You can also feint a counter into a jab and feint a counter into a dodge. You cannot feint a counter into a block. This is where neutral swinging helps since it gives you an option to block or counter if you want. Blocking allows you to kick so if you want to set someone up for a kick, you'd have to block or use neutral attacks. Additionally, you can also feint 3 times if you do a neutral swing, counter, then counterfeint which is way better than pressing the actual feint button. The actual feint keybind sucks imo because the animation is pretty rigid and I feel like it's easy to read. Feel free to give it a try though.

What attacks beat what?

Here is a list of attacks that I've experienced that usually beats other attacks:

Kick>Blocks
Blocks>Jabs
Jab>Attacks, Counters, Counterfeints, Feints
Feint, Counterfeint>Counters
Counterfeint Heavies, Feint Heavies>Counterfeint (timing sensitive)
Neutral Attacks, Counters>Counterfeint Heavies

Combos

Here are some starter combos that I use frequently towards different kinds of players

Against block heavy players:
Hit, kick, heavy, kick, heavy
or
Hit kick, heavy, jab, kick, heavy

Against aggressive players:
Hit, jab, hit, kick, heavy
or
Jab, kick, heavy, kick, heavy

Against jab heavy players:
Get jabbed, counter, counter gets countered, counterfeint heavy, kick, heavy
or
Get jabbed, counter, counter gets blocked, jab, kick, heavy, block jab, kick, light/heavy

Against counterfeinters/counters:
Attack, attack got countered, counterfeint, attack got counterfeinted, jab, counterfeint heavy, got countered, jab, kick, heavy.

There are many other combos that I can think of that players usually do but honestly its down to some quick thinking and nerves of steel which allows you to choose the best choice of action when facing your opponent. Over time, you will gain a better understanding of what to do when facing certain opponents. This is all I can think of right now and feel free to either correct me on some things or add in some tips that I didn't go over.

Last thing, COUNTER HEAVY IN LARGE CROWDS, DON'T HOLD BLOCK, WHEN 2V1 AGAINST A SOLO ENEMY TRY TO GET AROUND AND PINCER YOUR OPPONENT, AND DON'T TRY TO 1VX EVERYTHING. YOU'RE NOT THAT GUY AND NEITHER AM I.

Happy swinging

how do i stop people from instantly blocking my attack after a jab 50% of the time.

As stated, for some reason can't find a match after searching for several minutes in a party with my spouse but individually we found instant lobbies. Is this a known issue?

I stop playing for 3 days and lvl 30 and 80 players are pulling triple faints and jabs out of their goddamn asses, countering every one of my drags, accel, and change ups.

I HAVE 250 HOURS. THERE IS NO GODDAMN CONCEIVABLE REASON FOR ME TO GO 5-0 OR 5-2 AGAINST SUB LVL 100S.

It would have been fine if it was just the one player but 3 different smurfs over the course of 45 minutes makes me want to tear my hair out.