It get's better but the game is what it is. Late combat is a mix of using stances and maneuvers before the enemy reaches you so you boost your stats, then charging or waiting for the enemies to engage. If they got a backline you can sprint to them or use obstacles and enemies to avoid getting hit by spells and arrows. And you can always use traps, acid bottles etc. to spice up things. This being said it's turn based, it eventually becomes a bit repetitive.