The man in the "dungeon" (spoilersih)

[Handel]

I read there are 8 such men in the 8 dungeons (caves actually) which you have to meet to finish the quest. But the problem is the 1st is coming too early and so he is extremely more stronger and is impossible to defeat. 6-7 hits in succession with heavy weapon takes less then 10% from his HP and at the same time he kills me with 1 common attack bypassing my block (he doesn't even need to use the overhead attack).
Please advice <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/unsure.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":?" border="0" alt="unsure.gif" />

 

[redCorsair]

meet the 1st later(start the quest) when you have better wpns and better wpns and defensive skills(cuirass,elite fencing).
Just load if he addresses you and you think you're not ready.He addressed me as soon as I landed in Martinique( I was lvl 2) and I loaded.
He also comes with a bodyguard(that will spawn right behind you !!!) but your fighters (if any ) won't accompany you inside for this fight so loading until you're ready seems fair to me.

 

[LittleMorgan]

Best advise if you are still that early in the game - restart everything with cheats enabled. You wont loose that much playtime if you do it now...
Not only for this particular fight but everyone runs into almost impossible fighting situations that may take hours of savescaming to resolve and trust me when I say you will need that godmode sooner or later very badly..
I did not believe that myself even after I have read warnings all over the place... always thought, bah, cant be that bad, I'm a good fighter - or I will be later in game.
Until I got stuck in an impossible fight and had to give up almost a week of progress to bypass it from an very old savegame...

 

[veradin]

I didn't even bother with the cuirass. It's a waste of weight if you ask me, especially with the BERSERK skill. My Falchion does upwards of 700 damage a hit with berserk, so I just use the shift+sweep attack and mow targets down with absolutely no problem. I do like to keep things interesting though so I usually only use it when I'm surrounded (I took down 10 spanish guards in two sweeps with it).

 

[redCorsair]

<!--quoteo(post=333707:date=Jun 28 2009, 06:31 AM:name=Nathaniel 'Gallows' Cord)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Nathaniel 'Gallows' Cord @ Jun 28 2009, 06:31 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=333707"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I didn't even bother with the cuirass. It's a waste of weight if you ask me, especially with the BERSERK skill. My Falchion does upwards of 700 damage a hit with berserk, so I just use the shift+sweep attack and mow targets down with absolutely no problem. I do like to keep things interesting though so I usually only use it when I'm surrounded (I took down 10 spanish guards in two sweeps with it).<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

The need for cuiras it's difficulty level dependend.The same goes the spanish slodiers falling in 2 circular hits.<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

Cuiras (dmg reduction 25% - for spanish cuiras ) does stack (sum) with advanced defensive arts (20%) and/or with elite fencing(30% dmg reduction).
On higher dificulty levels one is cuiras dependent I would say - considering that if the health worsens a 2nd( and maybe a 3rd time -1st is escape of Peter Blood and 2nd is sunk by dutchman) you'll start to feel at the end of your career and be a moving (easy) target.
And from a certain dificulty up enemies do have offensive skills like (defense breaking hit, shooting twice and other) and they definently use potions (so you have to last long enough) - I would say cuiras is a must.