Am i just terrible???

So unfortunately im having a hard time enjoying this game. I hear from all the reviews that the game is a bit to easy on normal but i am getting destroyed by everything. Just about every monster can kill me in like 5 hits while it takes me forever to take anyone down and im dying about every other encounter no matter what oils potions etc im using. I don't even think my armor is that bad and the creatures im fighting are around my level even. I've tried to make some new armor but i never seem to have enough money to get anything good. I was just wondering if anyone else has had this much trouble cause all i hear is how easy the game so maybe im just terrible :(

@punisherkaos: The game is not easy on Normal, the balance is just off and it gets easy to overlevel yourself later on. If you're still at the beginning it's normal to have a hard time, it was the same for me.

Don't be afraid to put it on easy, the combat is by far the lesser part of this game and it would be a shame to miss everything else because of it. If you don't wanna put it on easy, just use the shield spell all the time. It makes you invincible for one it. Just dodge if you don't have it one and attack while it's on. It's spammy and super stupid, but it got me through most of the encounters with little problem.

The game will get easier later on if you do the sidequests. Just take the lowest level sidequest and you'll be overleveled soon enough.

Don't mash or be overly aggressive. If you're fighting a group of enemies that's a quick way to die. Be aware of attack patterns and positioning. Look for openings.

Make sure you're using your signs. The right sign can make or break a fight. Quen is always useful. Try to unlock the alternate mode. The alternate mode of Igni is also incredibly useful.

Make sure to dodge often. The sidestep is generally more useful thanthe roll, but sometimes the roll is necessary to dodge far reaching attacks. There's also a skill later that makes you completely invulnerable while dodging.

If you're having trouble killing stuff make sure your equipment is up to date and use oils. Early on 10% isn't a lot, but it does make a difference, and eventually goes up to 50%.

Use potions and decoctions if it's an especially hard fight. Some decoctions are really strong.

The beginning of the game can be kinda hard until you get used to it, but stick with it.

Dodge and roll a lot, use potions, read up on the bestiary for particular monster weaknesses. I found i didn't really need to block/parry that often but i was last at nithral and that may change.

Kinda weird i aired the same grievances about bloodborne and pretty much everyone else seems massively better at that than me. Kinda weird how one person's cakewalk can be another's endless struggle.

Pro tip: Avoid getting hit so much

But seriously, if you're trying to rush fights then you're more than likely going to take more hits than you should be taking

I'd say the most important thing to figure out is how many times you can strike an enemy. If you're fighting a group of monsters you probably never want to hit more than once before you start moving again. 1-on-1 almost every enemy will either start blocking everything or automatically retaliate after a certain amount of attacks (usually 1-3 depending on enemy). The system is actually fairly simple to abuse this way, and you can put almost every enemy into an "attack, dodge/disengage" AI loop once you figure out the right amount of attacks.

5 times is far too many times to get hit, at least in quick succession.

Try and have Quen activated as much of the time as possible, which will effectively act as a safety net in case you do take a hit - Quen lasts a while, so learn to avoid getting hit and you won't need to reactivate it very often. If you do get hit, it's usually a good idea to give yourself some room and keep your distance until Quen is back up.

Get used to using Dodge for most attacks rather than Parry or Roll. Think of Dodge as you would think of Counter in most other third person action games - it should be your go-to option most of the time. Dodge when the enemy name flashes red to indicate an attack. Parry is more for opening a human opponent up to attack, and Roll is for quick movement (especially if you're about to get surrounded). I pretty much never use Block at all, unless it's a timed Parry against a human.

Figuring out a good method for the various types of opponent is more important than applying the appropriate oil. Igni tends to be effective against packs of animals (wolves, dogs etc). Aard will typically drop a Drowner pretty quickly, then you can just hit X over them to insta-kill while they're on the floor.

Blood & Broken Bones is worth perservering with I think. You will soon get the hang of it, and the balance is about right for most encounters to feel dangerous but manageable. I imagine dropping down a level would suck quite a lot of enjoyment out of it and ultimately make the world feel a bit too safe.

I know a lot people love Quen, but I don't find it useful. I'd rather use that stamina to use Axii and stun things so they can't attack me in the first place.

I don't find the game particularly difficult at all (playing on Blood and Broken Bones), but then again I have a ton of experience with the Witcher series so I know how much the combat can be an acquired taste. Here's a few things I've learned over the course of the series that might help:

1. Know Thy Enemy: Enemy types tend to behave in predictable ways. For example, most monsters attack in groups and attack all at once, so having some crowd control or some means of stringing them out is important. However, most monsters also have obvious tells. Both drowners and ghouls for example, will shriek at you just before attacking, and they both tend to counter-attack you immediately after dodging. Wraiths disappear, but almost always re-materialize directly behind you, so rolling away immediately after they disappear will reliably avoid damage.

Human enemies tend not to swarm you as much as monsters, but they do parry your attacks and most groups have one or two archers sniping you from the back. Getting to their archers first can avoid a lot of damage, and using Aard/Igni/Axxi to stun them briefly will generally allow you at least one hit before they can get their defenses back up.

2. Know Thy Surroundings: In most cases where I've died, it's because I got backed up against an object and couldn't dodge incoming attacks. Know where stuff is, and avoid getting backed into a corner, particularly since the game tends to hang you up on very small objects.

If you're approaching a group of enemies that haven't seen you yet, consider whether you need to swing around and attack from a different point. For example, if there's a bandit camp, you might be able to get a drop on the archers by swinging around to the rear of the camp.

3. Know Thy Tools: Knowing what each bomb and sign is capable of and the best point to use them is critical. For example, Moon Dust bombs will force Specters and Foglets to materialize, and frees you from needing to fight within the limited range of the Yrden circle. The Black Blood potion can be used to return some damage against necrophage type enemies, which is useful since they tend to attack in large groups and it's difficult to avoid getting hit.

Most tools can also be used in creative ways if you think hard enough. For example, Quen is supposed to be defensive, but you can use it offensively if you combine the alt-use shield with the explosive Quen perk. Since the shield will explode and stagger enemies when you toggle it off, you can use a quick pull of the trigger to stagger incoming enemies and get in a few free hits, and then immediately be in a position to put up the shield again.

You should also take the necessary time to craft the stuff you can, even if it means taking the time to find herbs or buy stuff from an herbalist. Most of the basic potions and oils don't require a very rare ingredients, but can make a huge difference. The upgraded versions of the oils will really help against the appropriate enemy types, and some of the decoctions are really powerful provided you know how to manage your toxicity level. This goes for new equipment too. If you're having money trouble, remember to pick up all the random junk enemies drop and sell it. A lot of monster parts can make you some good cash early. Also remember that you can deconstruct stuff you don't need to parts if you're short on materials to make something new.

4. The Bestiary Isn't Optional: You must read up on the monsters you're fighting. If you're just running in and hitting them with whatever, you're going to die. The right oils, bombs and signs can swing a monster fight from prohibitively tough to a cake walk. If you read the study bestiary enough, you'll eventually reach a point where you know how to prepare for fights without going into the menu. This is probably one of the most critical points. You should get into the habit of applying oils even for routine fights. It'll make them easier and killing things in fewer hits will save you on repair costs for your weapons.

5. Don't Tank: Health is a precious resource and needs to be treated as such. Particularly early on, you don't have a lot of ways of restoring health quickly in combat. This means that you can just trade blows with someone and hope to survive. You need to pick your spots, get in a couple of hits and dodge out again. Prioritize defense over attack. If you don't think you can make an attack without getting hit from somewhere else, dodge away and take the time to study enemy patterns instead.

That is why you pop a Quen right before the battle starts so your stamina just goes right back to full.

I'm level 5 and I feel like I'm completely surrounded by level 9s and 10s.

Then again, it seems like the main thing that raises difficulty is group size and if they attack simultaneously. I've ruined almost every human fighter I come across, but the little nekker fucks stunlock me and I die.

The only time I have trouble is when I get surrounded by wolves. Other than that, just make sure to use absolutely everything.

• Use parrying (block right when you are going to get hit). Be sure to use both dodging AND rolling.
• Dodge is good when you want to counter-attack right after an enemy attacks, but sometimes they will do 2 or 3 hits and you'll get hit. (Try dodging in different directions too, including behind them.)
• Roll when you need to GTFO of there and begin your approach again.
• Use crossbow only if an enemy is extremely low on health.
• Light attacks are good for counter-attacking an enemy's poorly-timed attack.
• Heavy attacks are good for when your opponent leaves itself open, or when you burn/parry them.
• Use Agni as a medium-range attack when you are excelling in a particular battle.
• Use Aard when you see they are weak to it in the beasiary.
• Axii is hard to use in combat with no upgrades. Use at the beginning of an encounter when there are a lot of enemies maybe.
• Quen is useful when you are uncomfortable with a combat encounter.
• Use Yrden to slow or separate enemies from each other.
• Lastly, never press a button unless you are fully committed to it. The game punishes rapid pressing the attack buttons.

I know this is a huge wall of tips, but these all helped me.

@sterling: Really? Quen is pretty much my all-purpose go to spell. The upgraded form is ridiculously overpowered. It heals you, can be upgraded to return damage, and explodes when you turn it off, which almost always staggers enemies. If you upgrade the intensity enough, it also has a fair shot of knocking enemies over, making for some easy kills.

On the other hand, I almost never use Axxi outside of conversations and occasionally on an Alghoul. All of the things that might make it useful are way too far down the upgrade tree for me to feel good about investing the points into it.

@sterling: @evilsbane: Yeah, I mostly just use the standard Quen before the start of a fight. Mid-fight the alternate mode is more useful. But it can depend on the enemy. If they hit especially hard and not particularly susceptable to other signs you might as well keep Quen up whenever you have a chance. If you invest enough in signs and stamina regeneration then it doesn't take that long to fill back to full.

Aard is a Nekker's bane. It's pretty much guaranteed to knock them down and then you can just roll in for an instant kill.

I play more super light and dodge so much I rarely get hit anymore so I don't actually even need it. So I never upgraded it. And when I have tried to use the lowest level it doesn't doesn't seem that effective. But with my Axii maxed out I can stun people for 15 seconds or make them fight for me for 15 seconds or until they die. So I can stun them and hack them to bits and when they wake up dodge away from them. Or make a group fight against itself.

I can't really remember but somewhere between like level 8-10 Geralt could take more of a beating it seemed.
Still easy to die but that's also when the combat really clicked with me.
Always be blocking, use dodge while blocking, roll if an enemy has a far reaching attack you can't seem to get around.
Of course always use the proper oils and use your signs.
Dodge while blocking.
Dodge while blocking.
And dodge while blocking.
: )

Keep away from enemies and go in for a hit any time they are recovering from something. Keep Quen up in case you fuck something up and get hit. Run until you have full stamina if Quen isn't active.

Congratulations you will never die, but some encounters may be tedious and boring!

You just need to learn to dodge/counter and block properly. I was getting jacked up on normal for the first few hours until i learned the enemy timing.

Also, when fighting groups try and focus on one at a time and try not to get flanked and keep them in front of you.