Hellish Quart is one of its kind for its realistic and complex sword fighting system. Developers kindly provided in-game lines of tutorial to learn the fundamentals of HQ fighting which you want to read again from time to time.

This guide just retrieves the official tutorial lines and print them here (with minor spelling corrections) in order to avoid watching whole in-game tutorials again thus easing out the process of learning game mechanics.

• Press four main buttons on the gamepad to attack.
  You can combine attacks with movement directions.
  
  
• The character blocks enemy attacks automatically, if you don't press "Attack".
  Keep your distance though: if you are too close, enemy's blade might just go through your guard.
  
  
• You can cancel any attack by pressing Backward.
  
  
• The fighters get tired when attacking and blocking.
  You can exhaust your opponent with a series of attacks till he no longer can hold a proper guard.
  Move away to replenish your stamina.
  
  
• At very close range, where there is no room to make a proper cut, the character will execute "Close Attack" instead.
  Opponent will be stunned for a split second.
  
  
• At very close range, press Right Trigger to push away your opponent's hand.
  This will interrupt their attacks and make an opening for your own attacks.
  
  
• If your own hand gets pushed, double press Backward to quickly move away.
  
  
• At very close range, you can grab and kill your opponent by pressing Left or Right Bumper on the gamepad.
  
  
• If you get grabbed, you can escape by pressing Backward on time.
  
  
• Hold Left Trigger to toggle the "Long Guard".
  Holding "Long Guard" allows for alternative attacks.
  
  
• You can maintain contact of both swords blades by holding the "Long Guard" button.
  
  
• Holding the "Long Guard" button is the best method of blocking thrust attacks.
  Use it against rapiers.
  
  
• You can fake an attack by pressing Left Bumper on the controller.
  It will force your opponent to raise or lower his guard.
  
  
• Press Left Bumper to trick your opponent into lowering his guard and immediately attack him to score a hit.
  
  
• If your opponent uses this technique on you, press Backward to assume the correct guard and block his followup attack properly.
  
  
• If your opponent attacks your legs, press Backward.
  Your character will move the front leg out of the way.
  This move allows for punishing counter attack to the head, if you press "High Attack".
  
  
• Each character has their own special moves and combos.
  Press Pause during battle to see the move list.

• A sword fight can turn into a messy swinging competition with random outcome, if you just push attacks as fast as you can.
  
  
• It can also be a very controlled and tactical duel, if you understand the concept of "tempo".
  In most basic definition, it is "the moment to go".
  
  
• For example, if your attack gets parried by the opponent, he will riposte faster and then you can attack again.
  It is best if you prepare to parry the riposte.
  After that, you can counter-riposte and so on.
  
  
• A more risky way of fighting is parrying and riposting at the same time with one motion.
  It is essentialy attacking into your opponent's attack.
  
  
• If you don't attack, you block.
  Even when walking forward.
  Use it to get closer to your opponent.
  
  
• Pressing Backward cancels attacks and turns on parrying mode.
  It is wise to use it right after your blade hits its target to speed up the transition to guard pose.
  
  
• When you are both in Long Guard, you can push your opponent's blade away.
  It will prevent the opponent from attacking for a moment.

• Whiff recovery takes additional stamina.
  
  
• If attack hits something, it does not take additional stamina.
  
  
• Clashing the swords is stamina cheap.
  
  
• Swinging in air is stamina expensive.
  
  
• Tired fencers move slower.
  
  
• Tired fencers do not hit hard.
  
  
• When stamina is low, your side of the screen will pulsate (optional).
  
  
• Press "Backward" + "Long Guard" to hold your sword away.
  Use this to make your opponent miss and spend more stamina.

• Fencer under attack has the obligation to defend his life.
  Going for a double kill is considered a mistake in art.
  
  
• Fencer who moves forward first has the right of way.
  
  
• If you stop, your right of way will timeout.
  
  
• If you move backward, right of way goes to your opponent.
  
  
• If you stop and the opponent moves forward, he takes right of way.
  
  
• If your attack fails to kill, right of way goes to your opponent.
  
  
• Right of way affects only scoring of double kills.
  Clean kills are scored normally.

Note from the Author of this guide: "Right of way" rule, also known as "Priority" rule, is a peculiar rule to modern fencing disciplines like foil and saber (whilst it does not affect épée).
It helps the referee declaring the winner when both fencers hit one another at the same time (both of their lights turn on) and it is necessary to recreate the fencing phrase.
In its simplest form, priority rule rewards the fencer who attacks first unless the defending fencer is able to parry and riposte; if riposte is successful, defending fencer is the winner.

1) PROPER DISTANCE




2) PARRY AND RIPOSTE




3) DEFENDING A RIPOSTE

Be this guide for yourself or to introduce this great fencing simulator to a friend (thanks to its built-in Steam Remote Play feature), you always have this guide in your pocket to quickly recall the fundamentals of HQ at any time.

Please consider that this guide may be subject to future changes since the HQ's development is still in progress.

Credits aknowledgement: even if it is an hobby, writing guide in an accessible way to everyone is not an easy task and requires time and energy. If you liked this guide, please consider rating it in order to let us know that our work is useful at least to you. If you are in need to reproduce this guide in any document of yours, please consider giving a credit to us by referring to this Steam guide. Thanks.