Dungeon Siege II - Melee Combat

Fantasy game art from Dungeon Siege II. Hand-to-hand and missile combat became much more interesting in Dungeon Siege II compared with the original Dungeon Siege, with the introduction of the passive skill and active skill (powers) structure. Combined with spectacular visual effects, choosing a warrior no longer meant watching monotonous-looking combat. Dual wielding weapons is especially neat to watch, with its acrobatic leaps and spins that make it look like something out of a kung-fu movie.

Melee Combat Skills

• Fortitude: Ancient Half-Giant warriors developed grueling training regimens to toughen their bodies, allowing them to withstand an unnatural amount of punishment.
• Critical Strike: Using techniques developed by Elven masters, skillful warriors can occasionally slip their weapons through weaknesses in their enemies' defenses, dealing double damage with a single attack.
• Barricade: The training of Snowbrook Haven elite knights teaches them to wield their shields with unparalleled strength and tenacity. Phalanxes of knights can turn away nearly any attack.
• Overbear: Warriors who have mastered this skill can channel all their rage and anger into their attacks, adding huge power to every devastating two-handed blow.
• Dual Wield: Elven warriors have long known techniques for wielding melee weapons in both hands. They require strength, coordination, and a reckless mindset willing to sacrifice defense for an extra blade.
• Toughness: Tales tell of a Half-Giant wanderer who could survive in any climate and shrug off many attacks entirely. He taught his secrets to those he met on his journeys, and they live on long after he has disappeared.
• Alacrity: Gifted Elven Blademasters can harness the wind itself to hasten their attacks. Masters of this skill appear to be no more than a blur as they cut through their opponents.
• Reinforced Armor: The soldiers of Windstone Fortress learned to modify their armor to enhance its effectiveness and often emerged unscathed from even the most catastrophic battles.
• Smite: In the days after the cataclysm, a roaming band of barbarians used focused attacks from two-handed weapons to stun prey. Would-be thieves discovered they were equally effective on human opponents.
• Fierce Renewal: Berserkers are always on the verge of flying into a blinding rage. They do not see this as a liability, but use their anger to recover from their most powerful attacks more quickly than normal.
• Rebuke: The final stage in the training of Snowbrook Haven elite soldiers is learning to use their shield as a weapon, striking back at those whose attacks they block and knocking them senseless.
• Deadly Strike: Expert warriors learn to take every opportunity they can, as each could be their last. Whenever Elven Blademasters breach their enemies' defenses, the strike is incredibly devastating.

Melee Combat Powers

• Brutal Attack: Though originated by Half-Giant warriors, many warriors learn this technique. Focusing all their strength into their next attack, fighters deal massive damage with a single, brutal strike.
• Provoke: Knights protect their allies by using their shields to provoke nearby enemies, causing them to become angry and attack the knight. The knight's concentration also temporarily increases his armor.
• Whirling Strike: A legendary fighter known only as the Tempest of Tel'kilae originated this technique, in which the fighter whirls his weapons in a circle, damaging and briefly stunning all nearby enemies.
• Staggering Blow: When a two-handed weapon master activates this ability, his next attack will be a Staggering Blow. He slams his weapon into his target, creating a shockwave that stuns any enemies caught within it.
• War Cry: Barbarians of the Plain of Tears can unleash a deafening war cry, energizing themselves and terrifying their enemies, causing them to run in fear and leave their defenses open for a short time.
• Waves of Force: A student of Elven dual-weapon techniques learns to perform a beautiful sequence of rapid swings, each creating a wave of force that rushes out in front of her, tearing apart enemies caught in its wake.
• Elemental Rage: The highest art of the Elven Blademaster is a meditative frenzy that causes elemental energy to manifest in his weapons and speeds his attacks. Ignoring his own defense, he leaps into battle.