Advice for Fist Fighting Aurochs

[Mah-Dry-Bread]

Hey! So I've recently started playing again and am still getting a handle on the new combat system. I'm at the point where I can very safely kill foxes, badgers, bats, and boars while taking very little damage, but just got absolutely demolished by an Auroch. I went in with my usual punches to open him up for some uppercuts with the occasional lowering of my own openings, but it just wasn't enough and I came super close to being KO'ed before being forced to hide in my house.

I have 30 different moves to choose from and am running with the oak stance at the moment. I have an unarmed of 50, agility of 30 (after penelties), strength of 35, 200 HP, and tend to wear a boar helmet, leather armour, leather pants, badger vest, and bat wing to battle.

I get the feeling that I've got everything I need to win, I just need to wrap my head around how I should be fighting this thing. It all happened pretty fast. I figure he was probably lowering the green opening faster than I expected. Maybe I should have focused more on left hooks to open up for uppercuts? Uppercuts hit green and blue, so I have moves that open both on hand. I have regain composure and flex to deal with my own openings, but in the fight I totally blew it and didn't pay enough attention to what he was opening up. Regain composure really dropped the damage he did to me, but I think I wasn't paying enough attention to my red opening.

What does everyone think? Should a character with my abilities, attributes, and attacks be able to win that fight? If so, where did I go wrong and how could I do better next time?

Thanks!

[Aceb]

Not quite sure myself but I live under expression that those got buffed or something, because I don't recall those ripping me so hard while even taming.

[Mah-Dry-Bread]

Yeah it seems like they're stronger than they used to be. The wiki and old forum topics act like a boar is more dangerous than an Auroch, so I figure those are before some kind of Auroch buff. I can take out a boar no problem at all with under 10 soft damage taken, but an Auroch absolutely mauls me.

[Jacobian123]

Aurochsen are devil incarnate.

[MagicManICT]

I'm not an expert at all on combat, but mind sharing what you are using? Could be you could tweak it here or there and someone has a better suggestion for you.

Even a stone axe with chop is better than straight punching. Use the punches to get openings, gather a few IP, and chop to do bigger damage. If need be, kite it to a burrow or cave entrance and you can duck in every few hits to remove openings without breaking combat.

[Mah-Dry-Bread]

As in what weapon I'm using? I have a 25 quality stone axe, but I actually just do all punches, uppercuts, and if they're dealing with my green opening too easily I use left hooks to cause a blue one instead. Uppercuts are as fast as punches and I can pretty easily start hitting 24 damage every uppercut after doing three to four punches. If chop is a better idea though, I'm absolutely up for giving that a shot. I could always get rid of my left hook and take something like think or take aim to get some IP. Or low blow. Is low blow any good? It doesn't look good on paper, but it's possible that I'm just not noticing some kind of great combo I could do with it.

[waga]

punch to 50 ish , Opportuniy knocks , sting (or chop)

[Mah-Dry-Bread]

Damn, looks like I don't have opportunity knocks yet. I do have both chop and sting though. Wiki says I can get the move from boars, so that's nice because I'm pretty good against them.

Unless it's been changed, that's 4 IP for opportunity knocks and another 2 per sting. What do you think is the best way to build up some IP? "Think"? That's 2 IP for a 40 cooldown, so that's pretty quick. Also works at a distance, so maybe I could open the fight with a think or two before they reach me.

[Aethyr]

If I recall correctly, think can be used only if you have 4 or more IP

[Mah-Dry-Bread]

Ouch. That sucks. So it's for stockpiling IP then. I could take aim twice first I guess, but this plan is starting to have a ton of sitting around not lowering my openings or attacking.