Foilists: How many parries?

[Poulet]

Anyone used counter-prime in a bout?

As in the "windshield wiper" parry?

Only with a squeegee.

[kalivor]

Anyone used counter-prime in a bout?

Yes. A couple of years ago I was fencing an opponent who, in our previous encounter, had beat me 15-14. I built a lead on him using a disgusting number of prime-ripostes. He caught on, and then I scored about 4 more doing a counter-prime riposte.

I think this is the only time I used it during a bout. I can recall wondering how I was actually winning the bout using something that, ordinarily, would be silly. I suppose every parry has a situation in which it's useful, though.

[Poulet]

Yes. A couple of years ago I was fencing an opponent who, in our previous encounter, had beat me 15-14. I built a lead on him using a disgusting number of prime-ripostes. He caught on, and then I scored about 4 more doing a counter-prime riposte.

I think this is the only time I used it during a bout. I can recall wondering how I was actually winning the bout using something that, ordinarily, would be silly. I suppose every parry has a situation in which it's useful, though.

What was the distance like in this bout? It would make more sense to do prime-4 unless the distance was particularly close. Counter-prime is far slower and easier to disengage than prime-4.

[kalivor]

What was the distance like in this bout? It would make more sense to do prime-4 unless the distance was particularly close. Counter-prime is far slower and easier to disengage than prime-4.

Well, the whole reason I was using prime so much in the first place is that he liked to take my blade in sixte and then collapse the distance ... so much so that he didn't stop doing it until the bout was out of reach, and then seemed a little confused as to what else he could do.

So, yeah ... close distance made counter-prime the thing to do.

I'm not suggesting it as a viable tactic in most situations. It was just the thing that worked in this one bout.

[keropie]

On the old timing vs. leftys especially I would invite in prime, and use a combination of counter-prime (hate that name, so circular prime) and second as my primary parries, almost always followed by a throw to the back. On the new timings, I must admit, I don't use it as often, but still some.