What´s your most common one hit-kill?

[Don Kanaille]

How do you most frequently one-hit kill opponents?


For me, the most frequent one-hits I get come from using the one handed spiked- or flanged maces (both work). A simple overhead swing to an enemy´s unprotected head will often end them instantly. This is especially common when just starting an arena fight and performing my very first attack, leading to some hilariously short duels. And even if it does not kill them instantly, there is a noticable chance to knock my opponent down, ready to follow with a quick finisher.


Strangely, I don´t have nearly as much success in this regard with two handed weapons. I´ve achieved coparatively very few one-hit kills with two handers, even if I specifically go out of my way to try. No matter if I crouch swing, use the most heaviest, smashiest weapons or hit the head right on, the few instant kills I get seem more like freak accidents. Also, they are usually a result of wild sideway swing rather than a dead-center overhead hit.

It´s starting to feel pretty weird. I´ve beaten expert arena with the maul, but I have no idea how to achieve an instant kill with it other than by sheer luck; while at the same time, they just come naturally with the one-handed maces.


Also I was never able to one-hit kill an enemy wearing a helmet.


So what are your one-hit stories?

 

[burgzaza]

I think it was the same for me, 1h good mace, on unprotected head. But I've made only one.
I've also played a lot with the maul, but never one-hit either.
Maybe it's because of the speed that is far greater for the 1h mace ?
Also, I'm not sure, but I've read that for now it's basically all about the "crush" stat, so maybe that all of the low crush weapons just can't do it.

edit : oh, but maybe they can ^^

 

[Scarecrow]

Overhead 2h sword to the back of the head, when my opponent was recovering from a failed overhead attack himself. Very satisfying. This using the best 2h sword against an unprotected head.

Wish decapitation was a thing.

 

[Zoltan]

Well, it's the same for me overhead does the job quick and dirty, especially at the very start of the fight.
In my case i achieve that more often with the heavy pole arms, axes, two handed swords, maces.

One thing for sure is that I am unable of anything good with the sledgehammer, it's especially a nightmare to kill the sword equipped opponents because it's way too slow, but it may be the fact I dislike to use it also.

The only one with a Helmet that I sometime happen to kill on first hit is the fighter with the two handed sword and open helmet.

Speaking of weird I have also one anecdote, the longer I keep playing the arena the more I start to loose, I'm often better doing one novice then one expert and stop there, maybe my stamina

 

[dustbiter]

I took out the second expert arena opponent with a single maul swing to the head, but prior to that I think some impact damage may have been delivered through blows on her shield.

 

[Dorag]

I find this one very exciting, It's often not a one hit kill but I have to mention it, sometimes when the moons are aligned, when you face your opponent, right to left with the maul and side step left+forward at the same time, add swing power with the mouse, and if all the stars are in the right position, the AI quickly dashes forward, into your maul, causing a most delicious John-cena type fall as the maul smothers the AI's face with such power, that the head of the AI actually hits the floor first with great speed, then sends a shockwave through their body as the torso and legs go upwards into the air from the force of the hit while the head is still pinned down, that is one of the most significant and realistic moments for me in the game, and every time it happens I feel like I am a WWE champion. (Also the screams are pretty satisfying as this happens most with the 1h sword lady in novice arena)

About weapons, I would say 1 handed well crafted sword is the most OP weapon in the game right now, simply because of the swing speed and the incredible balance, Its contester would be the 2 handed well crafted sword, but in the small dungeons of Exanima it is sometimes hard to get a proper swing with the 2 hander, so the 1 hander reigns supreme.

You'd expect the Maul to kill with the proper overhead or a nice juicy swing to the face but often times it doesn't, It's actually very rare to get a one hit kill.

Oh another one of my favorites is the "Ghost" swing as I call it, it happens when you wield a 2 handed sword and go against an opponent, the opponent then strikes but you leave them out of range and strike at about the same time as they do, if the range between you two is sufficient you should get a nice juicy cut that spills ALOT of blood going through the width of the opponents neck, that is done only with the edge of the sword or the very tip of it and because the opponents lean forward as they swing, their heads are often ahead of their bodies, so I call this the "Ghost" swing because it feels like the sword out-ranges itself yet that kind of hit is so deadly.

So many exciting things about this game
I cannot tell you how much I wish I would be an insider back at those times, I've been here since 2012 but I was broke at the time, and now It's too late oh well.

 

[Greenbrog]

I almost exclusively use the 2h sword and pole-hammer and get 1 hit kills a lot with both. A really nice back hand swing with full stepping and wind-up/follow through and normally on the back of the head or face. This attack is rally good at knocking them down too, leaving them open to solid ground shots if they aren't dead.Sometimes an overhand will do it too, but I rarely use it. Against zombies this is even easier, though I've never had the joy of the pole-hammer in story obviously.

 

[Don Kanaille]

One thing for sure is that I am unable of anything good with the sledgehammer, it's especially a nightmare to kill the sword equipped opponents because it's way too slow, but it may be the fact I dislike to use it also.

Which is why I consider beating expert with the maul/sledgehammer to be one of my greater achievements. It´s just so unbelievably slow and each swing requires a lot of commitment... there are quite a lot of moments when you start your attack clearly before your opponent does, but because the speed difference is so high you still get hit first. At least the switch from attack to parry is quicker with the maul than you would normally expect.

Speaking of weird I have also one anecdote, the longer I keep playing the arena the more I start to loose, I'm often better doing one novice then one expert and stop there, maybe my stamina

I tend to have the exact same issue.

 

[Orlacktherof]

Best 1 hit?
You know how there is that move you can preform by stepping left and then doing a LtR attack to the back of their neck/head? With the highest quality 1 handed sword, I ended up getting a such a position that the sword dragged down their back, so maybe this one may actually of had been a two hit kill, but in 1 swing. This was against the first axe guy in expert arena.

Edit: Must've killed him by dragging the sword down his back, or may of hit is arm on the swing

 

[Bullethead]

NEVER. Everybody, living in the arena or dead in the dungeon, takes at least 2 whacks of whatever I have in hand at the time.

 

[-Tim-]

To my knowledge one-hitting is only possible with specific weapons and only on overhead strikes. The weapons that I have seen and thus know are able to one-hit are: spiked and flanged mace, best one-handed sword, best two-handed sword, best two-handed axe, halberd, pole-hammer. One-hitting with sideways swings does not seem to be possible, no matter the momentum. One-hitting with the sledgehammer/maul and other, lesser two-handed swords is not possible in my experience, after thorough testing. Any reports of those happening I strongly believe to be tainted by earlier impact damage and the like, as @dustbiter noted.

Edit: I was wrong about the maul. Zaratan is right, one-hitting with the maul is possible. For some reason I've never been able to do it in earlier versions, but after some testing just now I can confirm it is possible.

 

[ZaratanCho]

You can one hit kill with the maul, with overhead(one hit killed half of novice yesterday when my set file got messed and had to unlock expert). Have also had 1 hit kills with sideways swings though don't exactly recall with which weapons, probably the two handed axe/sword, bardiche maybe.

Easiest is overheading with the maces ;d

 

[Dorag]

You can one hit kill with the maul, with overhead(one hit killed half of novice yesterday when my set file got messed and had to unlock expert). Have also had 1 hit kills with sideways swings though don't exactly recall with which weapons, probably the two handed axe/sword, bardiche maybe.

Easiest is overheading with the maces ;d

On a sidenote I have a question, is arena going to see any change in the upcoming update? (since you mentioned you have to "unlock" expert)

 

[ZaratanCho]

I only had to unlock it because my Exanima.set file broke. Nothing to do with the update ;d. Don't think there will be anything new in the arena this patch, next one will be the complete arena overhaul with actual arena and many other things.

 

[Dorag]

I only had to unlock it because my Exanima.set file broke. Nothing to do with the update ;d. Don't think there will be anything new in the arena this patch, next one will be the complete arena overhaul with actual arena and many other things.

Oh alright I'll probably just fall asleep, close my eyes hugging fallout 4 and next thing I know It's March 2016
So I wouldn't worry about updates that much, thanks bro

 

[Avramovic]

No 1-shots, but damn it is satisfying to see those wenches with swords and axes when they literally run into my greatsword swing in Arena, neck-first. I'm actually getting better (a bit).

 

[dustbiter]

Took out the proctor with one overhead blow while using the level 3 two handed sword.

 

[dustbiter]

Scored a one-hit kill with the morning star on the second novice arena opponent. Forward dash and overhead at the start of the match.