How to win at duelling club in Hogwarts Legacy

The Crossed Wands duelling club is great to get acquainted with one of Hogwarts Legacy’s most interesting pastimes: wizard duelling. Whilst the Crossed Wands quests and the optional training dummy mode is a fantastic way to perfect and practice the basics of duelling, winning at the duelling club can still be a challenge. Let’s get into this how-to win at duelling club guide.

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How do you win at the duelling club?

The way to win at the duelling club comes down to three parts: dodging and blocking, breaking shields, and casting spells.

Dodging, blocking, and countering

You can avoid damage in two ways. That’s either by rolling out of the way with the dodge button or casting Protego - the protection spell that surrounds you in a damage-blocking sphere. However, Protego only lasts for about a second and you can't dodge roll. Time it wrong, and you'll be left vulnerable to being hit with more damage.

Whilst simply dodging is technically easier than relying on Protego, it's more than worth having to time your casting - as it works as a counterattack. When an opponent is about to strike, look out for a yellow ring next to your head.

This will alert you to the incoming attack. Cast Protego immediately, and not only will you block the attack, but you'll also hit back with Stupefy to knock your opponent off the card - giving you the opportunity to bombard with damage.

On the other hand, timing Protego can be tricky if you're fighting multiple foes attacking at different times. So, depending on the number of opponents and their capabilities, you’ll need to alternate between dodge rolling and Protego to avoid the most damage depending on the situation in the duel at hand.

If you are hit by an enemy spell though, be sure to be aware of your options depending on the spell. For example, if hit with Levioso and brought into the air, you’ll be given an on-screen button prompt to break free and avoid damage from follow-up attacks.

Breaking shields

Your opponents in wizard duels can cast Protego for a shield as well. Unlike you, however, they’ll almost definitely cast it a lot more than you do since they’re not so keen on dodging. 

Since wizards can still use other spells whilst casting Protego as well, the situation can be quite deadly if you don’t know how to break shields. Thankfully, you can quickly break shields by colour-matching them against one of your spells of the same category.

Casting spells 

The two ways to damage your opponents are basic attack spells and assignable ability spells that need to be recharged after use. Along with making sure to equip a variety of spells to quickly break shields, it’s also recommended to use different kinds of spells to expand your options.

Again bringing up Levioso as an example - a levitating spell as the name implies - elevates your opponent into the air and leaves them vulnerable to more damage from chaining basic follow-up attacks.

It’s ideal to mix in assigned spells with bonus damage and unique effects to combine and cater to your playstyle. One such combo to keep in mind could be utilizing Accio to bring your opponent up close, then hit with the mid-range fire spell Incendio for guaranteed damage from the short distance.

In addition, you can also get prompted to press R1 (RB on Xbox / Z on PC) to throw items in the environment at your opponent as well. In the first Crossed Wands rounds, for example, you'll see repeated opportunities to use your want to throw barrels at your opposing students to deal extra damage and knock them back.

Use the training dummy

If you’re new to fast-paced gameplay with multiple elements like that in Hogwarts Legacy duelling, it’s best to make the most of the additional practice made available by using the training dummy.

It’s a simple practice mechanic that’s great for getting used to the various controls, spells, and combinations available to you. Plus, if you’ve yet to decide on what wizard duelling playstyle is ideal for you, this is fantastic for a bit of trial and error.

For even more Hogwarts Legacy guides, you can be sure to find them right here at GGRecon.