Directional shield

Three questions for the mechanic

• What does the shield actually cover?

  Resolve the attack's incoming angle relative to Kern's committed facing. This example blocks only within plus or minus 0.9 radians, roughly 52 degrees on each side. Draw the same two boundaries that the hit rule uses; do not secretly block from behind.

• Can the player observe the failed route?

  At 2.05 seconds Tavi attacks from the front within a 132-unit reach. Show the sword meeting the stone plate, a distinct impact flash, and no boss damage. A silent miss would make the rule look like broken hit detection.

• Is the alternate route achievable?

  Tavi travels 110 units right and 105 units upward from 2.22 to 3.4 seconds without a dash. At (390, 430), her sword remains within reach but arrives about 90 degrees from the shield's facing, so the strike at 3.55 seconds lands.

Design mistakes

• The painted edge and block test disagree

  A narrow visual shield paired with a broad invisible immunity cone rejects a plausible flank. Derive the guard rim and angle test from the same half-angle; check borderline attacks on both edges.

• The boss tracks a player who already committed

  If Kern instantly rotates with Tavi after raising the shield, the right-side route disappears. Lock facing for this beat or give turn-rate and re-aiming their own clear signals and timings.

Tune the attack

• Bound the guarded sector

  The lower-facing shield uses a 0.9-radian half-angle and a 132-unit attack reach. A front strike 105 units below Kern is blocked; a strike 110 units to his right is within reach but outside the guarded sector.

• Make a block different from a whiff

  Keep the sword, shield, and collision flash visible together at 2.05 seconds. A blocked hit should give a clear material response, while the successful flank should cause a different body reaction.

• Preserve ordinary movement

  The demonstrated route is 215 units long and takes 1.18 seconds, about 182 units per second on average. Leave comparable floor space outside the guarded edge; never make a special dash the only route unless it is an explicit prerequisite.

• End protection before recovery is called open

  The guard remains active through the side hit and turns off at 3.85 seconds. Its bright boundary then disappears while the physical shield lowers; the following recovery is not mislabeled as another blocked interval.

Arena

• One slab, one readable side

  Kern raises a rune-cut stone plate in front of his chest. Its lit arc shows where a sword will stop, while the rest of his body remains plainly uncovered. A spark at the slab and a separate stagger at the side make the two outcomes easy to compare.

Player upgrades

• Keep weapon choice and movement useful

  Test short and long melee ranges against the same angular boundary. A longer sword may connect from farther away, but should not ignore the shield merely because its tip is distant. If a build gains shield-break or piercing, present it as an optional second response rather than silently disabling the basic flank.

Do not confuse this with

• Direction is not a health phase

  An invulnerability phase blocks every approach for a period; a directional shield blocks only incoming attacks from a facing sector. A weak point adds a positive target to hit, while a directional shield first defines a negative surface to avoid. Reflecting a projectile is a further effect, not required by this rule.