Sword of Reborn: How to Defeat Firearm Enemies with Melee Blades

To defeat firearm opponents using a sword in Sword of Reborn, you must close distance using line-of-sight cover, time your blade deflections against incoming bullet bursts, and punish enemy reload and weapon transition animations.

Closing Range and Using Cover

Ranged combatants depend on keeping space between their weapon barrel and your melee range. To eliminate their distance advantage:

• Break Line of Sight: Approach using terrain features and environmental obstacles to avoid open sightlines.
• Maintain Close Proximity: Once inside melee range, remain glued to the target. Retreating allows the opponent to reset their spacing and resume firing.
• Avoid Linear Corridors: Do not pursue enemies through narrow hallways where firing lanes are concentrated. Force fights around corners or inside confined spaces.

Bullet Deflection and Stamina Management

When approaching across open ground, use timed defensive inputs to block incoming rounds:

• Audio Cues: Listen for weapon discharges to anticipate bullet arrival times.
• Parry Windows: Trigger blade-deflection inputs during gaps in automatic fire to mitigate damage and create offensive openings.
• Stamina Conservation: Avoid unnecessary dodging during your approach. Reserve your stamina pool specifically for closing distance and executing counter-attacks.

Exploiting Reload and Transition Cooldowns

Firearms leave users vulnerable during operational delays. Attack immediately when any of these conditions occur:

1. Reload Animations: Strike when you hear a weapon click or see the reload motion begin.
2. Baiting Misses: Track firing cadence to predict bursts, then force a missed barrage to induce a multi-second cooldown.
3. Weapon Swaps: Attack immediately if an opponent attempts to switch weapons, as transition frames leave characters unprotected.