I actually got confounded recently in a challenge (I think the 1-life woman) by a ranged orc captain with a red-dripping who kept hitting me for like 25% damage. Thing is, he did it with no lead-up, every time I caught up to him and hit him 3-4 times. He would suddenly raise his bow and shoot me.
Then he would run, because the thing is - he was fleeing, because I killed his warchief. I'd stand back up and resume the chase. Catch him, hit him a few times, suddenly *BAM* arrow'd. And he'd flee. Over and over. Also I think he regenerated.
Never seen any other attack like that, most ranged captains seem pretty stunned when you slash them a bit. Not this guy, though! Totally interrupted my string of blows with a fuck-you shot to the ribs. Repeatedly.
The answer to shield orcs was always dodge over them if possible, which gives them a small stun and puts you on the other side of them away from the shield.
Yeah, that was one of the cheesiest things I actually abused (because otherwise, shield-orcs practically ignore your blows). In my defense, chaff-orcs tend to swarm me as I'm trying to take advantage of the stunned shield-captain. You get bonus damage if you complete the flurry, but a lot of the time you have to cancel and parry instead.
Still though, that dumb leap-over thing is the first thing I try on shield or berserker orcs.
Oh yeah, that's weird too. The dual-wielding "berserker" orcs are perfect at parrying - try to hurt them, they will parry and hurt you! Unlike Skyrim, infinitely better defense than one-hand orcs. Even better than shield orcs, who eventually lose their shields (and don't auto-riposte).