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Notes -
I used to play Chivalry 1, and by god you never gave Mordhau a fair shake because it's miles and leagues better than Chivalry 1. And Chivalry 2 is not. By comparison, the pirouettes and contortions are extremely subdued in Mordhau, and it's relatively few players who rely on them. And the devs are still active in preventing those. And if it's the damage model that turns you off, then Chivalry is no-go, because it uses pretty much exactly the same design.
Yes it's not a HEMA simulator. There's Hellish Quart for that. And Mount-&-Blade-like velocity-based damage models do even more poorly in multiplayer, where any ping above 0 means the damage you take and deal is pretty much randomized. Mordhau, even if it doesn't attempt to model realistic Harnischfechten, is just a gem of gameplay. Difficult, sure - there's a high skill ceiling. But that also means there's a lot to dig into if you appreciate mechanical depth. Can veteran players lay your armored knight flat with nothing but a bollocks dagger or a horse turd? Yes. Just gang up with your teammates and shank them in the back.
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