Train Hard, Fight Easy

Train Hard, Fight Easy
Description
Location	Rattay
Type	Main Quest
← Quest	Awakening
→ Quest	Keeping the Peace - Activities - Ruin
Enemies	Sir Bernard
Reward	70

Train Hard, Fight Easy is the fifth main quest in Kingdom Come: Deliverance. After being accepted into Sir Radzig's service, Henry is required to undergo basic training.

Synopsis

Sir Radzig wants me to undertake training with his Captain, Sir Bernard. He has a reputation for being gruff, and I'm not sure whether he'll be too happy about Sir Radzig taking me, a blacksmith's son, into his service.

Objectives

• Go to the training ground and talk to Captain Bernard.
  • Undertake Bernard's training
    • Slashing (0/5)
      • Stabbing (0/3)
        • Chain strikes (0/3)
          • Block (0/5)
            • Zone change (0/5)
    • Attack the leader (0/3)
      • Perform the perfect block (0/5) [slow]
        • Perform the perfect block (0/5) [medium]
          • Perform the perfect block (0/5) [fast]
    • Attack the teacher (0/3)
      • Dodge the attack (0/3) [slow]
        • Dodge the attack (0/3)
          • Feinting (0/5)
• Follow Bernard to the shooting range.
  • Undertake archery training
    • Compete with Hans Capon in archery
      • Swordfight with Hans Capon
        • Speak to Bernard
• Report to the Bailiff

Walkthrough

Now that you are in Sir Radzig's service, you'll need to undergo basic training. Travel through Rattay and exit through the Northern gate, where you'll find the combat arena. Sir Bernard, the captain of the guard, has been tasked with knocking you into shape. He's not the most eloquent man, but he is a fine soldier, and can teach you a lot. Go and speak to him to begin your lessons.

Training with Sir Bernard

The training starts off similar to what Vanyek taught you back in Skalitz. First, move around, then attack. Practice slashing, then stabbing, then chain strikes. After that, it's time to learn something new - defence and blocking. Once you've got the hang of it, Bernard will invite you to show him what you've learned.

After that it's the more advanced techniques - zone control and more refined blocking. He'll go through it with you slowly, then up the pace as you start to get the hang of it. At this point, you'll notice you have a spectator - young Hans Capon. He mocks Henry for his swordplay before continuing into the castle to practice archery.

Bernard moves onto the next lesson, which is dodging, before he teaches you one last trick for the day - feinting. No not fainting, feinting - pretending to strike one zone then quickly changing your attack to strike at another zone, avoiding the dodge. Once you've got the basics down, your teacher may even admit you have talent.

Lord Hans challenges Henry to an archery competition

Finally, it's time to move on to archery. Follow Sir Bernard into Rattay and to the archery range. There, you will get a set of vambraces - if you're planning on shooting, it's best to always wear arm armour, or your arms will be slashed to ribbons. At this point, it's likely your skills and stamina are low so you'll be pretty awful, as your arms will wobble and you wont be able to pull the string long enough to hone in on the target.

It's made more difficult by Hans crowing over every missed shot. The trick is not to worry about aiming horizontally while the bow is drawn, as you're waving it from side to side anyway. Lining it up vertically and waiting til your bow passes over the target (aim high) is the best technique.

Once your first attempt at archery is over, Hans will mock you for your lack of skill (even if you did well) and remind you that you ran away at Skalitz. Henry insults the young lord and Sir Bernard threatens to lock him in the stocks, but Hans has a better idea - an archery competition. You will both get seven arrows - the black bullseye is worth three points, the white ring two points, and the outer ring one point. The first to finish gets three extra points.

Fighting with Sir Hans

Once that's over, Hans will challenge you to a duel, much to Sir Bernard's exasperation. Hans seems to favour the defensive rather than the offensive, but don't bother with the side swipes - his combat jacket will just deflect the bows. If you want to win, aim for the head. If you win both the archery contest and the sword duel, you'll get Capon's hunting bow.

Once you're done, go and speak to Sir Bernard again, who will send you to see the Bailiff at the Rathaus. Head back through Rattay into the market square, and walk through the arches of the pink building and into a courtyard. The tailors is on the left, follow the stairs on the right up and into the Bailiff's quarters, where the Bailiff is usually at work at his desk.

Put yourself at his disposal, and he will appoint you to sentry duty under Nightingale. You are now an official member of the city watch.

Notes

• Bernard's comments towards Henry after free fighting will vary depending on how well Henry performed. If Henry did not meet his standards, Bernard will remark that he has his work cut out. If Henry performed well, Bernard will say that Henry is on his way to becoming a soldier. Similarly, Bernard will react negatively if Henry missed often during archery training, or reluctantly admit that Henry performed well. Regardless of his performance, Henry's reputation with Bernard will not change.
• Reporting to the Bailiff will enable the option of training with Captain Bernard, so if you are eager to get to the combos and master strikes, head back to Bernard before meeting up with Nightingale.
• Reporting to the Bailiff also enables the bow training by Berthold and Nicholas, which up to that point had been unavailable.
• The meeting with Nightingale does not have to be on the same day. Since the meeting with Radzig triggers the first Rattay tournament, you can first take part in that and meet Nightingale the next day. However, if you delay the meeting for too long, the Courtship side quest triggers automatically and you might lose reputation with the Rattay soldiers. A delay of one or two days however does not seem to have a negative impact.
• After the meeting with the Bailiff you're classified as a guard until the conclusion of Keeping the Peace, which means the Rattay guards will not perform searches on you for stolen goods during that time.
• The quest name is a reference to one of Russian Empire general Alexander Suvorov's mottos. "Train hard, fight easy" means that if one applies themselves to their training, then combat will come easily to them.