Winning fights in We Who Are About to Die isn’t just about brute strength—it’s about positioning, timing, and understanding how to handle specific situations and enemy types. These tips are a collection of practical tricks and insights to help you outmaneuver opponents and come out of fights with fewer injuries and more victories. Whether you’re dealing with shielded foes, awkward weapon matchups, or just want to reduce damage taken, these strategies should give you the edge.

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1. How to Bypass Large Shields with Overhead Weapons

If you’re using a weapon that performs best with overhead strikes (such as axes or certain swords), large round shields on high-level enemies can be a real pain. The trick? Don’t aim for the head directly—instead, aim for the back shoulder.

Why this works:

• The head typically aligns with or sits just above the back shoulder.
• Aiming too high often results in hitting the top of the shield.
• By swinging toward the shoulder, you still target the head zone but from a better angle.

This technique helps avoid deflections and allows your attack to arc around the shield, connecting more often for damage and critical hits.

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2. Thrusting Around Shields with Spears and Polearms

If you’re wielding weapons like the bardiche or faradaka without a shield, breaking through enemy defenses can be tough. Here’s how to get around shields effectively:

• Instead of thrusting straight forward, start your thrust from far off to the left, then rotate your body or aim as the thrust goes out.
• This creates a hooking motion that curves around the opponent’s shield, especially useful for side-angle stabs.

While standard spears aren’t as effective at this as the bardiche, this method still gives you the best chance of landing hits without trading blows head-on.

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3. Don’t Commit to Dangerous Trade-Offs

Sometimes you and your opponent attack at the same moment. Instead of powering through and hoping for the best, cancel your attack and block instead. This tactic:

• Helps you avoid unnecessary damage from simultaneous strikes.
• Gives you a chance to reposition and come back with a clean hit.
• Reinforces discipline—there’s no need to rush.

Remember: you’ll always get another shot. Preserve your health rather than gambling on risky exchanges.

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4. Analyze Fight Options Without Spending Fame

On the weekly fight screen, don’t immediately spend Fame to reveal match details. Instead, scan the visible stats and learn how to interpret them:

• High payouts usually mean group fights, like survival matches.
• If two fights have the same Fame but one has less money, the lower-paying one is likely a spoils match (loot comes from rewards, not payout).
• If a fight shows “Teams,” it’s always a Pit Fight or Wild Card Pit Fight—the only modes that use that label.

This subtle observation can save Fame points over time, letting you spend them on rerolls, gear reveals, or store perks instead.

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Final Thought: Focused Adjustments Make Big Differences

These tips may seem small, but in We Who Are About to Die, every little edge matters. From how you angle your swings to how you preview fights without cost, subtle adjustments compound over the course of a run. If you start applying these techniques consistently, you’ll notice fewer misses, fewer injuries, and more post-fight loot screens in your future.

Stay sharp, and may your next swing land true.