Which preposition to use with handstroke

at Occurrences 1%

"Then shall we destroy their ram forthwith with devil-fire, dear lad!" "Aye, and how then, Benedict?" "Then, belike will they plant ladders on the causeway and attempt the wall by storm, so shall we come to handstrokes at last and beset them with pitch and boiling oil and hew their ladders in sunder.

Which preposition to use with  handstroke