Block command

Block
A defensive combat maneuver that shifts your positioning to favor blocking with a shield. Given a target, it instead designates a second opponent to divide your defensive attention with, so that opponent flanks you rather than attacking you from behind.
BLOCK You see: You move into a position to block.      [You're nimbly balanced and in dominating position.]      Roundtime: 4 sec. Others see: <Name> moves into a position to block. BLOCK <target> You see: You divert some of your attention to defending against <target>. Target sees: <Name> diverts some of <his/her> attention to defending against you. Others see: <Name> diverts some of <his/her> attention to defending against <target>. BLOCK STOP You see: You stop trying to defend against <target>. Target sees: <Name> stops trying to defend against you. Others see: <Name> stops trying to defend against <target>.

Syntax

• BLOCK

Adjust your position to enhance your ability to block with a shield, at the expense of your ability to dodge or parry. Carries a short roundtime.

• BLOCK <TARGET>

Divert part of your defensive attention to the specified opponent, who must already be engaged to you. That opponent becomes the one flanking you.

• BLOCK STOP

Stop defending against your second opponent, returning your engagements to normal.

• BLOCK HELP

Display the in-game helpfile.

Game Helpfile

A defensive maneuver that can also be used in combat to control the positioning of your opponents.

BLOCK <target> - Defend against the specified target.

BLOCK STOP will clear your arrangement of your combatants and they will return to normal advancement.

Defensive Maneuver

Used with no target, BLOCK is one of the three defensive maneuvers, alongside DODGE and PARRY. It is barely fatiguing, balance neutral and quick, and it biases your defenses toward your shield while penalizing evasion and parry.

Maneuver penalties fade a few seconds after any maneuver you perform, at which point your defenses revert to the last defensive maneuver you used, so BLOCK also serves as a way to set that fallback. Because it is balance neutral and cheap, it can be used to recover balance between attacks.

Typing BLOCK when it is already your last maneuver produces:

But you are already blocking, or did you mean to defend against a specific foe?

Defending a Second Opponent

A combatant faces only one opponent at a time, but several can engage the same target. Every opponent beyond the one you face imposes a penalty on your defenses, and the size of that penalty depends on where they stand. The second opponent to engage you is flanking you, which is harder to defend against than the opponent you face but easier than the third and later opponents, who attack you from behind.

BLOCK <TARGET> lets you choose which of your engaged opponents takes that flanking position, so you can give your secondary defensive attention to the most dangerous of them. Only one opponent can be blocked at a time: blocking a new one first drops the old one, and you are told so before the new messaging.

> assess
You assess your combat situation...

You (adeptly balanced) are facing a void-black umbral moth (1) at melee range.
A void-black umbral moth (1: solidly balanced) is facing you at melee range.
A void-black umbral moth (2: nimbly balanced) is behind you at melee range.
A void-black umbral moth (3: solidly balanced) is behind you at melee range.

> block second moth
You divert some of your attention to defending against a void-black umbral moth.

> assess
You assess your combat situation...

You (adeptly balanced) are facing a void-black umbral moth (1) at melee range.
A void-black umbral moth (1: solidly balanced) is facing you at melee range.
A void-black umbral moth (2: adeptly balanced) is flanking you at melee range.
A void-black umbral moth (3: solidly balanced) is behind you at melee range.

(You are also defending against a void-black umbral moth.)

ASSESS reports the opponent you are blocking on its last line.

Failure Messaging

• Blocking something that is not a combatant:

That <item> isn't as nasty as it looks.

• No such target, or the target cannot be seen:

What do you want to defend against?

• Targeting yourself:

Trying to defend against yourself?

• Targeting the opponent you are already facing:

You are already facing <target>!

• Targeting the opponent you are already blocking:

You are already trying to defend against <target>!

• BLOCK STOP with no second opponent:

You aren't trying to defend against a second foe!

See Also

• ASSESS
• DODGE
• FACE
• GUARD
• PARRY
• Combat maneuvers
• Combat 101
• Defending skill

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