Tactics and Strategy in Fencing

Tactics

Tactics may be regarded as the considered application of technique in order to defeat an opponent.  A good fencer will take into account both their own capabilities and tendencies and those of their opponent.

Vicarious Reconnaissance

A good time to study an opponent's tactics is when they are fencing with someone that has a style similar to your own.  In a real sense, someone else is then out there doing your reconnaissance and taking the risks for you.  It may be that there is no other fencer in your pool with a style similar to yours.  Even so, there is much that you can observe and deduce by watching.

Many fencers have a very limited game and will simply employ the same actions over and over again against any and all opponents.  Such fencers are often very fast within a narrow technical range and thus can pose a threat to an opponent with a broader technical repertoire if that opponent doesn't employ effective tactics.

Strategy and the phases of the bout

Strategy is the implementation of tactics throughout the phases of the bout.  In general, there are often three phases in a fencing bout:

Active Reconnaissance

Assuming you do not already have a good idea of what to expect from your opponent, that you are bouting with someone whose fencing is as yet unknown to you, you should begin the bout by doing some reconnaissance.  In this reconnaissance, actions are usually executed from beyond critical distance, the purpose being to discover tendencies in the opponent to favor particular parries, tempos, thrusts, and preparations.  How do they like to use distance? How do they like to time things? As you begin to observe and assess your adversary, you will begin to select the tactics you want to use with him.  As you develop theses ideas you may want to guide your reconnaissance accordingly.  Depending on your game, you could test your opponent to see how they deal with engagements, changes of engagement, feints, prises de fer, lines, presses, invitos, etc.  Do so in a conservative and straightforward fashion.  Be prepared to defend yourself well, using a retrograde defense.  How does your opponent use distance?  How do they move? How do they maintain their balance? Howe quickly do they react?  Do not try too hard to hit your opponent during your reconnaissance, but rather probe, move, observe, and plan.  While you are reconnoitering, remember that they may be doing the same to you.

Waging the tactical fight

In a second phase of the bout boldly and cleverly apply your tactics. Here is where you really work on getting points. Learning what works well against what and how best to seize the initiative is part of the experience of fencing.  As you become a more seasoned fencer you will get better and better at this.  Use what you know to best advantage. Do not allow disappointment to cloud your thoughts.  Cultivate a clear tactical mind. If what you are doing tactically is not working, realize why.  It may be that a subtle change in timing or distance may make all the difference. It may simply be that you have misjudged your opponent.  They may have camouflaged their strengths and weaknesses from you. Be prepared to re-assess your tactics and make decisive changes. Never despair! There is always something more that you could learn that will help you improve.

A loss of momentum

A third phase sometimes occurs at the end of the bout. In this phase, one fencer or the other has a significant lead over their opponent and begins to fence conservatively.  In effect they lose some of their boldness. This is usually a mistake. If the type of fencing that you are doing is working, don't change it. Conversely, if what you have been doing is not working or has ceased working, do not stubbornly persist in it. A good technical fencer is tactically and strategically flexible.

After the bout

After the bout, whether won or lost, give thought to what happened that shaped the result. Do not distress yourself with negative feelings if you lost. If the victory was yours, know the reasons why.  Resolve to improve, always improve. The struggle is indeed within, not without.

When opponents seem mismatched

The most potent technical fencer can employ an unpredictable mix of offensive, defensive, and counter-offensive actions. They can very their timing and their distance. They cleverly execute designed actions, and they have excellent reflex mechanisms to fall back upon when the situation develops unexpectedly.  They tailor their game to the type of opponent they face.

Audacity: Facing the superior opponent

When you are faced with an apparently superior opponent, do not be afraid to design and execute dynamic offensive actions. Do not match your reflexes against theirs, bur rather, try to outguess and surprise them.  Be fast and be unpredictable. When defending, frequently strengthen your parry defense with retrograde footwork. While this will tend to shore up your defense it will decrease the relative effectiveness of your ripostes. Do not rely on them for many points, try rather to score with unexpected offensive and counter-offensive actions.

Relentlessness: Facing the inferior opponent

Approaching a seemingly inferior opponent with a careless and arrogant attitude courts defeat.  While they may not have your training and experience, an unorthodox novice can surprise you.  Look for exploitable errors in their distance, timing, technique, and tactics.  Seize and hold the initiative, creating opportunities to score points. Do not passively lay traps and wait.

Simplicity: Facing the wild opponent

Facing a wild opponent can be troublesome in that you will likely be working within an unorthodox range of action.  However, wild blade actions tend to waste their speed in being too wide.  The real time to complete each wild tempo is likely to be greater than that to complete a well controlled, more efficient action.  Take that into account as you begin to exploit errors in your wild opponent's distance, timing, technique, and tactics.  Against an opponent that is wild and unpredictable, fence strongly, simply and conservatively.  Be quick, but do not be so intent on your designed actions that you lock out your reflexes.

Technical and Tactical Responses...

Responses to Errors in Balance

Observation: The opponent leans forward while lunging.
Deduction: The opponent is vulnerable to ripostes because by leaning forward they void their option for a quick retrograde defense.  Too much of their weight is placed on the front leg, thus retarding their recovery back en guarde.
Tactics: Ripostes should be paying strokes against this opponent.  Your actions to the back and to the shoulder are good technical response.

Observation: The opponent retreats with loss of balance or leans backwards when attacked.
Deduction: Your opponent's ripostes and counter-offensive actions will not be as effective as they could be in penetrating across longer distance. Their cuts and thrusts will not reach out as far because they cannot support them with immediate forward footwork.
Tactics: Do not close distance. Make frequent use of attacks from middle distance. Recovering well should aid your defense.

Responses to Errors in Footwork

Observation: Your opponent moves his feet slowly or makes advances and retreats that are too big.
Deduction: The opponent may be vulnerable to fast, deeply penetrating attacks because they will not be able to change direction easily while advancing.
Tactics: Launch fast and unexpected attacks while the opponent is trying to complete an advance.  Lull their tempo sense with slow, rhythmic actions just prior to launching a rapid, surprise attack. Also, force your way into critical distance while they are struggling to complete an advance---then hit them.

Observation: The opponent moves the body on the first count of the advance or retreat rather than the second.
Deduction: Each advance and retreat will have a dead count where the trailing foot is dragged after.  Well timed attacks, ripostes, etc. that penetrate at that instant will probably not have to contend with an unexpected change of distance.
Tactics: Try to hit your opponent on the second count of their advance or retreat.

Observation: Opponent habitually retreats in the defense.
Deduction: Middle distance lunge attacks will probably not land.
Tactics: A variety of tactical possibilities present themselves.  Systematically and methodically drive your opponent back until they can no longer retreat. Then attack with a composite attack or with second intention.  Another possible tactic is to use engagements and or prises de fer to penetrate into critical distance prior to hitting them.  Note here that many fencers, when faced by an opponent who habitually defends retrograde, choose to use long distance composite attacks by jump lunge or flesche. Most retrograde defenders will expect this.

Responses to Tactical Errors

Observation: Habitual use of certain parries or parry patterns. Also, little or no use of counter-offense.
Deduction: Opponent's parries are predictable.
Tactics: Pick up the tempo so as not to allow the opponent much variance in the timing of their defense and worry them with a series of feigned starts to encourage these habitual reflexes.  Launch a composite attack designed to deceive their particular defensive patterns.

Observation: Opponent habitually launches composed/compound attacks.
Deduction: Opponent expects conventional defense.
Tactics: Make use of retrograde defense for a few phrases, then execute a designed counter-offensive using dodging (foil/epee), in-fighting (foil/epee), a coup d'arret, a false parry followed immediately by an interception thrust, and/or a coup de temps.  In sabre, unexpected variations in defense are also viable: adroit demi-parries can draw out the opponent's final trompement, deft manchette cuts preceding the first parry tend to discourage deep feints, placement of the line can cause the opponent to hesitate.

Observation: Opponent habitually makes simple direct ripostes.
Deduction: Opponent will tend to use simple direct ripostes. Opponent ripostes will be predictable.
Tactics: Attack in second intention.

Observation: Opponent habitually counterattacks.
Deduction: Opponent has a very bad habit.
Tactics: Alternate between strong simple attacks and preparations in second intention followed by strong parry ripostes.  Also, counter-time will be useful.

Observation: Opponent "throws" his thrusts habitually.  They "flick".
Deduction: Opponent is trying to force you to parry within a very narrow window of opportunity.
Tactics: Short, sharp changes of distance just prior to the impacting of the flick/thrown thrust.  Use the distance in creative and unexpected ways.   Make more frequent use of the counteroffensive.  Efface target unexpectedly.

Observation: Opponent  does not attack much.
Deduction: Opponent is not confident of their offensive actions matched against your defense; or perhaps they are tired  or want to  sit on a lead in points until the time runs out.
Tactics: Work critical distance on them with special attention to designed defense should they attack you as you approach.  Small energetic invitos just outside of critical distance, prepared attacks, and composite attacks may pay strokes.

Observation: Opponent habitually makes prepared attacks.
Deduction: Opponent is trying to upset your timing and confound your defense.  He may try to close into critical distance.
Tactics: Derobements and attacks on the preparation.

Observation: Opponent incessantly makes prises de fer attacks.
Deduction: Opponent has strong prise de fer skills.
Tactics: Depending on your own capabilities, fence with absence of blade (foil/epee) unless your skills are up to the following: work derobements from a blade in line.  Failing in that, fall back on good ceding parries or early tension parries followed immediately by strong interception thrusts.  In sabre and epee, retrograde defense and harassing stop hits to the arm are also useful.  If you wish to defy their prise de fer tactics place your foible on or near their bell-guard; this may encourage them to try to take your foible rather than your medium/middle.  This last, bold tactic is risky but interesting.  I only recommend it to fencers with excellent prise de fer defense.  It is also entertaining during friendly assaults.

This document is in the public domain.
David Glasser