Alexander

**Alexander Dynis** or **Denis** is a saber-wielding fencer of the Matrag school who hails from the Ottoman Empire.

## History

### Backstory

Alexander Denis was forced into the Ottoman army as a young boy. He took part in many battles, eventually ending up in Ukraine as a prisoner of war. After being released he served many masters, but this wild country was a true land of opportunity, and he was hungry for more - fame, prestige, and wealth. Alexander accepted a role of a personal bodyguard of Jakub Sienienski, who promised to introduce him to the Bishop of Cracow himself.

### Arcade

As a reward for killing Samuel Zborovski, Jakub introduced Alexander to a servant of a servant of the Bishop of Cracow. In the following years, Alexander kept rising up in the ranks of the Bishop's men and finally became his most trusted advisor. At the end of his service, the Bishop gave him the position of starosta of Kozieglowy castle, where Alexander Denis married, had children, and lived for the rest of his life. He was the only black starosta in Polish history.

## Character Summary

*This information is based on Alexander's character guide by the The Mongolian Rear Charge. Note that the guide and advantages/disadvantages lists were written for an early build of the game and parts of it can be obsolete.*

**Learning Difficulty:** High

### Advantages

* Fantastic guard
* Arguably the best footwork in the game
* Good consistent damage thanks to his broad saber
* Allows the player more freedom than many characters as you can make your own combos instead of sticking strictly to the move list
* Deceptive reach
* Fast thrust from long guard
* Good variation of speed for his limited attacks
* Can exploit pretty much all attack angles at least with regards to cutting
* High health points, same as Gedeon and Isabella's.
* He is the only character who can bob his head like a boxer leading to fantastic dodges used correctly.
* Good dash attack
* Good stamina management like most characters

### Disadvantages

* His long guard still leaves parts of his body exposed and can sometimes be overcome by thrusts. Therefore, it is very offensive in nature unless you catch the blade just right. A cut can also really ruin his day in this position unless (as with any other character’s thrust) unless you are launching a thrust as you are hit and catch the blade just right
* His neutral guard leaves his belly open and his lower openings and if he is flanked it can still be surprisingly easy to hit him. Fast attacks that reach out a bit further like Laszlo's slashes can also hit him
* His footwork can make it hard to manage distance properly because of how quickly he moves
* While surprisingly versatile, his Long guard really only has one real attack sequence that flows without the need to cancel
* A bit slower than Gedeon and Jacek in particular which can be problematic regardless of his guard. Isabella is also a menace to watch out for in this regard. Marie, Isabella, Father Zera, Marta, and Kalkstein can also stab him quite easily depending on what he is doing
* His biggest sidesteps are head bobs which leave him wide open
* His feinting game is weak unless you manually feint with his cuts. His one listed feint is highly telegraphed and is one of those moves that will only work once at most in a fight. If it does hit though it is a powerful leg cut

### Extra Notes

* His footwork is one of his most intimidating characteristics. Alexander automatically takes steps on his spot and switches his feet regardless of whether the player moves or not
* Alexander is very good at the exchange game so make really good use of this and get used to the timing of parrying and riposting immediately afterwards

## Trivia

* Alexander Dynis was a real historical figure. He was the only black starosta in Polish history, who was granted the position by the Bishop of Cracow Marcin Szyszkowski.

## Notes and references

1. ↑ https://steamcommunity.com/games/1000360/announcements/detail/3201504529549764347
2. ↑ https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2905814887
3. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mp85Y\_NKcNs&ab\_channel=Kubold