I cannot emphasize enough how much the choice of character determines what sort of fighting style will work best. While I have completed the game to date only as the Sargon the Knight, I have played around with the other characters enough to be able to offer some advice for each.
It's probably safe to say that Sargon is intended to be the default character for playing the game. He's the only character available in the demo, and after spending some time with each of the characters, he seems the most fully developed to me in terms of fluidity of animation, texture detail, etc. In short, I think Sargon is the character on whom the developers focused most of their attention, probably because they expected he would be the character most played. For what it's worth, I just checked the ongoing poll at Blade Universe, a wonderful site which will sadly be coming down in the near future (probably before you read this), and their numbers show that 35% of those responding are playing the game with Sargon. And for sake of reference, the same poll shows 38% playing Tukaram the Barbarian, 15% playing Nagflar the Dwarf and 13% playing Zoe the Amazon (out of 10,893 total votes as of this writing).
Whether my suspicions are correct or not, this much is certain: Sargon isn't necessarily the best starting character for everyone. I say this because his skills make it difficult to survive at the outset for some players, at least in contrast to other characters. The combat interface in BOD is initially quite daunting, and no amount of experience playing other sorts of first or third-person games really helps. In fact, it might be a hindrance insofar as BOD does not support any kind of sidestepping at the present time—a terrible omission on the part of the developers in my opinion. At any rate, Sargon's particular skill set is relevant because maximizing his style of fighting requires some fairly adroit manipulation of the interface.
Sargon is trained as a Knight; i.e., he is trained to make good use of one-handed swords and maces in conjunction with a shield. In all honesty, I completed the game as Sargon during my first run through it, and I don't think I lifted a shield to an enemy more than once or twice at most. Why? Frankly, it was because I was too darned busy just trying to survive while developing my weapon skills! It is often said that the best defense is a good offense, but that's a sorry load of crap when it comes to playing Sargon! Since completing the game as Sargon, I've played around more with the other characters and realized how useful his skills with the shield really are.
Because of his focus, players that expect to wade into combat hacking and slashing ala Rune will be in for a bit of a rude awakening. I suggest that players looking for a bit less of an initial challenge take a look at the other characters—particularly Zoe the Amazon. In retrospect, the style of play I was using for Sargon is wildly more effective with Tukaram the Barbarian as his strengths do not include shields. Nevertheless, if you're the kind of player that wants a real challenge and doesn't mind the additional element of combat, then Sargon would be a good choice.
Sargon's greatest strength in combat is his ability to deliver some pretty fast and powerful hits via a wide array of abilities and weapon-specific combos, then put up his shield to defend while backing off to establish good position for another maneuver. When playing Sargon, learn to get that shield up and keep it up except when the time is ripe to strike. In the early game you should focus on mastering the basic attacks, and when they become available focus as well on the character-specific abilities and the weapon-specific combos. Knowing which combo to use for which situation takes practice, but it is incredibly rewarding to see Sargon emerge from a seemingly hopeless fight in good shape.
As with most of the characters, learning to use the combat lock effectively is important, but it is perhaps particularly important for Sargon because of the hit and run tactics to which his strengths play. Take care to circle around a foe and strike from the side, then back off. When lining up combos, pay careful attention to where successful (or unsuccessful) execution will leave Sargon so that blocking the inevitable riposte becomes second nature. Also, be careful in selecting combos as Sargon does not recover all that quickly when his swings are blocked or his stamina is drained. Leaving him defenseless for a moment or two can be utterly devastating at many points in the game.
This guy is a killing machine, plain and simple. From looking at him it's just obvious that his idea of fun includes eviscerating his foes and gnawing on their entrails. Unlike Sargon, Tukaram has little use for a shield, armor or one-handed weapons, eschewing them all in favor of large, two-handed weapons that put the major hurt on anyone (or anything) he hits. I should probably have played through the game as Tukaram first, given my near total disregard for shield usage, but it might have been just as difficult given my lack of combat skills as a new player.
As much as Tukaram is oriented toward offense, he's relatively good at dodging defensively. And this is a good thing because he gets up close and personal with his foes. Just as Sargon is not the right starting character for everybody, so too Tukaram isn't the pick of the litter either. Make no mistake: getting started with BOD is a difficult thing in itself, and I personally think it's best to start with an easier character in light of my experience. If nothing but hacking and slashing with the very biggest weapons you can find will do, however, then you are going to love Tukaram, at least, as long as you can keep him alive.
Tukaram relies largely upon his offensive prowess for his defense, or to be more precise, I think he figures that enemies recently cleaved into multiple sections aren't much of a threat. When playing Tukaram, you should leverage this philosophy. Battles with most enemies ought not be the kind of potentially artful dance that ensues when fighting with Sargon. Instead, you should be ready to wade right in and make your own opening. Don't wait for the enemy to strike; don't dance around with him waiting for good position; run right in there and chop him in half from head to foot!
Fortunately, Tukaram's focus on two-handed weapons makes this much easier than it might otherwise seem. While Sargon must generally land several blows to deal with the various enemies in the game, Tukaram can often cut them down with a single, tremendous strike. This is surely part of the appeal of the character—particularly in the early game. Tukaram's weapons are also typically useful at a greater range, so this helps keep him out of danger. Still, he will almost certainly take damage in many of his encounters, so the trick is to inflict a lot more on the enemy than they inflict on you.
To date, I have not found the combat lock to be as useful with Tukaram as with the other characters. Perhaps this is because I am somewhat overzealous in playing his Barbarian nature to the hilt, but it seems to work. I suggest trying to use the combat lock sparingly as it limits the mobility and view of this character. Of course, if you're having trouble just landing a blow, then the lock is probably a good thing. It does no good to be able to inflict tremendous damage if you just can't hit your enemy after all.
It goes without saying that Tukaram can also mount some of the most impressive combos in the game. Watching him mow through enemies with the aptly named Big Sword is really something not to be missed. Just be sure you're prepared for some difficult fights (read: be ready to reload your saved game) as some of the enemies can make Tukaram's day pretty difficult.
Nagflar's name is just as tough as he is to play. In my estimation, he is probably the most difficult of the characters to play in BOD. His strengths are largely with one-handed axes and hammers, and he shares Sargon's shield-handling skills. Because of the generally short reach of his weapons along with his relatively short and stocky build, Nagflar is a close-in fighter to a greater degree than any of the others. Zoe and Tukaram can strike from a distance because of their lengthy weapons, whereas Sargon can duck in to a moderate distance and then retreat to a combat stance. In contrast, Nagflar has to get close enough to smell his foes' breath before scoring a hit. Thus, just as with Sargon, shield use is pretty important. I honestly haven't a clue how anyone could get by playing Nagflar without relying often on his shield. Because of these things, Nagflar is not a character for new players in my estimation.
Despite the difficulty, though, Nagflar remains a very worthwhile character. He gets to play with some of the most compelling weapons and armor in the game—be honest, doesn't wading in like a tank and cleaving an orc in two with an axe sound just awesome? He is also a smaller target than most for a number of attacks, though his dodging skills seem somewhat sub-par compared with at least Zoe and Sargon. Playing Nagflar thus demands a certain higher level of concentration and thought, which is as refreshing as it is sometimes taxing.
In the plus column, however, Nagflar's weapons generally do a good deal of damage. Once he gets in close, he can usually bring combat to an end pretty quickly. The disadvantage, of course, is that it's that it can be harder for him to pull off combos. Any combo move that can be disrupted by taking an enemy hit or by hitting an enemy shield can be disrupted that much more easily with Nagflar because of his proximity to his target. It's a lot harder to put sufficient distance between Nagflar and the enemy than it is with Sargon, for example. Still, if you're the kind of player who wants to smash things with a hammer or chop them up with an axe and doesn't mind the extra work involved in using a shield, Nagflar is your man.
I suggest focusing early on at using the shield to get in close, then delivering as potent a killing blow as possible. Don't plan to back off much, and don't worry so much about dodging. Worry about getting that shield up and keeping it up. Shields are pretty plentiful throughout the game, and that's a good thing because Nagflar will chew through them in a hurry. As he progresses in levels, start focusing more on his character-specific abilities and weapon-specific combos to deliver the most damage in a hurry. And of course, start working on your timing.
Nagflar's special abilities are particularly useful in the early game as some of the weapon-specific combos with the smaller axes and clubs don't seem that useful. When armed with the Spiked Club, for example, his right and left dodge smash special abilities, as well as the Cyclone special ability, can be devastating.
Zoe is without a doubt the easiest character to play. She is agile enough to tuck and roll out of almost any situation without getting hit, yet she can deliver enough damage—particularly with the weapon-specific combos she can execute—to get the job done (eventually). Because of this, she is a lot of fun to play, and this is the character with which I recommend most players begin. The greater range of most of her weapons coupled with her ability to avoid damage makes getting started with her a lot less frustrating than Sargon, et al. It doesn't hurt, of course, that she's also quite easy on the eyes (though she walks like she's a man in drag).
Zoe's strengths should be pretty obvious from what I've said thus far, but let me elaborate for sake of clarity. Zoe will wear some armor and is best with two-handed spear and polearm-style weapons. She is very nimble in her dodging, though she does not possess a great deal of stamina or deal nearly as much damage with her strikes as do the other characters. This difference diminishes as Zoe gains a few levels, and by the time she reaches level eleven or twelve, she can deliver a lot of damage before she gets tired. Still, if you're the kind of player that wants moderate to lengthy fights that are pretty fast and furious with hit and run tactics, then Zoe is definitely the character for you.
When playing Zoe, combat becomes almost as much of a chess game as with Sargon and Nagflar. The difference is that when the going gets tough, Zoe leaves the board and comes back when she's good and ready! In all seriousness, her skills lend themselves to hit and run tactics more extreme than Sargon's. Zoe can die from the kind of hits that roll off the shields (or the bare back) of Sargon, Nagflar or Tukaram. Zoe is best when she goes in quickly for a strike with a long spear or trident, then dodges out of harm's way to rest up for the next big move. Thus, the player should be more aware of the environment when playing Zoe; i.e., avoid cramped spaces as much as possible.
Because many of Zoe's individual strikes just don't pack a lot of punch, the player should focus on developing her character-specific abilities and weapon-specific combos. As always the general comments about knowing which combo to unleash and timing it just right apply to Zoe. With her combos, though, if she is interrupted or just plain misses, she is much quicker at recovering and can generally evade the enemy's riposte more effectively. There is less chance of really getting caught with her pants down, so to speak (and that's probably a good thing), so the player has more freedom to improvise.
This freedom is really quite exhilarating, which is part of the reason I urge new players to try Zoe first. When I started my first game as Sargon, for example, I kept dying and dying and dying, getting hacked up by all sorts of opponents. When I started my first game as Zoe, however, I easily waded through the first level without even saving my game! Now part of this was due, no doubt, to the proficiency I'd gained with combat because of my experience with Sargon. But the greater majority of it was due, I I think, to the simple fact that Zoe is just easier to play.
Since that time, I've played through several of the missions as Zoe without saving the game even once. She's just that easy to work with by comparison. Please don't misunderstand me: the game is not too easy with Zoe. It's just that she's agile enough to get herself out of scrapes that would get Sargon killed almost instantly. This lends itself to a more free style of play. The last time I played Zoe, for example, she was armed with the axe spear, a moderately potent weapon with a great combo. She ran through a hallway into a room before I could remember that a number of enemies were along the way. Suddenly, she found herself confronted by no less than five opponents—a recipe for almost certain doom with Sargon. Zoe took it in stride, however, and after an incredible fight, she was the only one left standing.
To give an idea of her flexibility, let me describe the battle briefly. Seeing as she was so badly outnumbered, I figured the ranks needed to be thinned and thinned quickly. Thus, I backed her off to just the right distance and started the axe spear combo. Sure enough, I'd timed it just right: she delivered the final two devastating strokes right on target, disrupting the attacks of the two enemies she sliced into bits right off the bat. The remaining three foes were right on top of her, but she was able to tuck and roll backwards out of harm's way. I then disengaged the combat lock and ran back across the hallway to lure her opponents into better fighting position. As they stepped through the hallway, she greeted them with a whirlwind that hurt two of them a bit before she had to dodge to get away. To make a long story short, she took a few cuts here and there (getting poisoned in the process) but was able to cut down the toughest of the three after a series of attacks. Once the toughest foe had been dispatched, Zoe switched to using the naginata because of the way its combo works. Using the naginata, she was able to execute combos more quickly and safely, cutting down the remaining two opponents without so much as a scratch.
Had I been playing as Sargon, I doubt seriously whether he would have survived the encounter. If even one of his combos had been blocked, he'd have been a sitting duck for all enemies remaining. And they could have cut him down with only a few swings. In contrast, Zoe could recover from her failed attacks quickly enough to dodge the enemies' ripostes more often than not. What a battle!