back stab problems

as in i never get them. even if i am standing directly behind the enemy and he doesn't know i am there. i'm playing a wanderer. my friend playing a thief always gets back stabs. i mean shouldn't i at least get crits when attacking from directly behind?

i mean maybe i am just not doing it right i dunno.

thanks for any help.

You can't be blocking or anything, and you need to be pretty close. I suspect you're just not close enough for the bs, I had a bit of trouble on my first playthrough too.

I remember playing thief at first, I am going to make a small assumption in that either you haven't used them very much yet, or you are still new to the game (not trying to belittle you, just an assumption, for it would answer your question).

When I first started playing, I didn't really know about bleed, sometimes I would slash slash slash and they'd loss a bunch of HP, I only relied on backstabs to kill my enemies (at this time I was in 1.03, I got the game when it released and online play was, well it really wasn't). It used to take note that sometimes my enemies would really want to kill me (especially with a bloodstain down), and it would be hard to hit them with the backstab I needed.

Trust me on this, it is something you get better and better and better at. When people ask me what I love so much about Dark Souls... well among that list is:
The game teaches you how to win, not your character.

Example, I was just having fun and beat the Asylum Demon with just my fists. When I first started I could never do that. Enemies that cannot be backstabbed, giants or (well I was just playing Anor Londo, so forgive me if I haven't another example), become easy. Bosses are just easier, and so is backstabbing. You will get more and more used to what is considered a back, and how they move. Backstabbing enemies, who, unlike players, don't give a rats butt if they die, are harder to read (at first) than players. They'll do whatever attack whenever, sometimes fast, sometimes as though they want to die, but trust me, you will get better and better at backstabbing (and parrying). Remember something you thought was impossible, and in retrospect is quite easy (even Dark Souls is full of them, look back on say Bell Gargoyles).

Heck when I first played, I deleted that Thief and went Pyro. It was loads easier (besides my experience) to play with a class I can understand (FIRE). I don't think I could beat the Bell's with that Thief without spending an insane amount of time with him. Compare myself to then, and I think I could beat them with just my fists too.

Ghadis_God wrote:You can't be blocking or anything, and you need to be pretty close. I suspect you're just not close enough for the bs, I had a bit of trouble on my first playthrough too.

tatics that's where your pic came from figured it out

and yeah no i'm pressed right up against there backs just circle strafing

joeclone wrote:

Ghadis_God wrote:You can't be blocking or anything, and you need to be pretty close. I suspect you're just not close enough for the bs, I had a bit of trouble on my first playthrough too.

tatics that's where your pic came from figured it out

and yeah no i'm pressed right up against there backs just circle strafing

try waiting till they attack your shield then circle arround them to get an easy backstab

that is what i'm doing. i take the time to circle around them until i am convinced i'll back stab them but no just a regular attack.

joeclone wrote:

Ghadis_God wrote:You can't be blocking or anything, and you need to be pretty close. I suspect you're just not close enough for the bs, I had a bit of trouble on my first playthrough too.

tatics that's where your pic came from figured it out

and yeah no i'm pressed right up against there backs just circle strafing

It's actually from Oblivion but FF Tactics is one of my favorite games!

Sometimes the enemies take a bit of a diagonal stance if you know what I mean, backstabbing works best behind the enemy's actual back rather than the back of their line of sight. Imagine a line drawn between your feet, make it parallel to the line drawn between your enemy's feet and as close as you can. You might have to stop moving for a brief instant when you bs, i can't even remember because it's become all instinct to me by now

Ghadis_God wrote:

joeclone wrote:

Ghadis_God wrote:You can't be blocking or anything, and you need to be pretty close. I suspect you're just not close enough for the bs, I had a bit of trouble on my first playthrough too.

tatics that's where your pic came from figured it out

and yeah no i'm pressed right up against there backs just circle strafing

It's actually from Oblivion but FF Tactics is one of my favorite games!

Sometimes the enemies take a bit of a diagonal stance if you know what I mean, backstabbing works best behind the enemy's actual back rather than the back of their line of sight. Imagine a line drawn between your feet, make it parallel to the line drawn between your enemy's feet and as close as you can. You might have to stop moving for a brief instant when you bs, i can't even remember because it's become all instinct to me by now

i am actually thinking that is it. just because i hardly ever stop moving so i will have to try that.



and maybe it is a stock image. cause i swear it is the squire art from the tatics literature but i am likely wrong.

It's the Bard from Oblivion, the Tactics art is a bit more cartoony and no one has a nose. Now that you've made the connection though I think it looks like Dycedarg... And I think I have a new build to roll as well as a new avatar.

well it has taken untill the dukes archives, but im finally getting backstabs.

it seems you have to be off center to get them, i dunno