There are a plethora of enemies in Hogwarts Legacy, with those belonging to the Ashwinder faction being some of the more dangerous. As players explore the area around Hogwarts, they will eventually encounter a certain enemy type called Ashwinder Duelists.
These enemies are some of the toughest witches the Ashwinder faction has to offer, so learning their attacks and weaknesses will greatly prepare players for fighting them. There is one quest in Hogwarts Legacy where players are required to beat an Ashwinder Duelist as a sort of a mini-boss, and they will appear periodically as regular enemies in Bandit Camps as well.
Players likely first ran into an Ashwinder Duelist during the "Trials of Merlin" main quest. After players talk to Natsai Onai in Lower Hogsfield, they'll hear the voice of Nora Treadwell calling out for help. After investigating and defeating some enemies, an Ashwinder Duelist appears in their stylish outfits, and Hogwarts Legacy players must face them.
How to Beat Ashwinder Duelists
Ashwinder Duelists can be identified by their striking red coats and prominent top hats. They have red shields, meaning the player will need to break through before being able to deal damage. There are a couple of ways to do this. Any red-damaging spell such as Incendio, Expelliarmus, or Confringo will dispel the shield for a short time, and using Ancient Magic to throw an object usually does the trick as well. Once the Ashwinder Duelist's shield is dispelled, they are vulnerable to all types of magic, including Levioso, Accio, and Glacius.
In terms of offensive capabilities, Ashwinder Duelists are much more dangerous than Ashwinder Scouts and should not be taken lightly. For their basic attacks, they fire off two Expulso charms. These can be dodged, but due to how quickly they are fired, the second one is likely to hit after dodging the first one.
It's better to do two quick Protego shields instead. Alternatively, the Ashwinder Duelist can cast Reductor, a powerful spell that cannot be blocked and sends the player flying. While players can simply dodge out of the way of this attack, Ashwinder Duelists are particularly weak to Diffindo, the Severing Charm.
Using Diffindo while the Ashwinder Duelist is charging up Reductor will cause them to spin out of control and shoot an ally instead.
Ashwinder Duelists can be difficult to handle, especially when they are accompanied by a group of other enemies. Sometimes it may be wise to expend a charge of Ancient Magic to get rid of them quickly. On the other hand, if players can sneak up on them, they can usually be taken out with a single cast of Petrificus Totalus.
Hogwarts Legacy is available now on PS5, Xbox Series S|X, and PC. PS4, Xbox One, and Switch versions are currently in development.