Defy Danger / Hack & Slash Question

GM: The Goblin thrusts at you with his spear.
PC: I smack it to prevent me from getting hit!

Does the PC roll Defy Danger, Hack and Slash, or both?

I would ask the player how smacking it meant he wouldn't be hit, and assuming the player came up with a decent fiction, that would be Hack and Slash.

It depends on what 'it' in 'I smack it' means - the goblin or his spear. If the goblin, then it is 'Hack and Slash'. If the spear, thus trying to disarm goblin, then 'Defy Danger'.

In general Defy Danger / Hack & Slash split depends on the intention of player attempting the move. Whether he wants to damage opponent (H&S) or only to make some other tactical move (DD).

Its a narrative beat!  

(a beat is when you use your sword against an opponent's sword to push it away from the body and create an opening)

More seriously, it sounds like the GM doesn't have a clear objective.  Perhaps "the goblin thrusts at you, doing damage" or "it thrusts at you, forcing you back."  Otherwise, the GM is just declaring a miss - no need to defy danger, go straight to PC action.

Agree with ifryt, the players response is somewhat ambiguous and I'd ask for clarification, is he smacking the goblin or the spear.  The GM was just showing a sign of doom.  Failure to react means the spear stabs you.

Just ask them which move they want to do.

With H&S, you can hurt the Goblin, but you might get hurt on a 7-9. For DD, you avoid harm on a 7+, but you probably won't hurt the Goblin at all.

Agree with ifryt, the players response is somewhat ambiguous and I'd ask for clarification, is he smacking the goblin or the spear.  The GM was just showing a sign of doom.  Failure to react means the spear stabs you.

Agreed. The gm's move is fine as is. The player could be more specific, but it does sound like they're hitting the spear, not the orc.

Honestly? Sounds like Defy Danger, or defend maybe? Could be H&S too, though.

What's confusing to me is the GM is leading with the fiction, not the PC.

I can't think of what move in particular you're making as a GM right there. You're probably announcing impending doom or something like that but it comes of as: the NPC makes an Attack, roll to Parry. Which you can't do in DW.

Moreover, I don't know why you're making that move in the first place. Did the PC miss? Did they just stare at you blankly?

Usually, I let the PC initiate battles, unless they hesitate or deliberately wait for the Monsters to attack, in which case I make a Monster Move or just deal Damage directly.

Like the other week the Pally burst in on a pirate's den and then demanded that they surrender peacefully or die. So, they shot him with a blunderbuss and did their damage. No roll needed on the part of the Pally. I suppose if he had said, 'Can I leap out of the way?' I'd either be like: 'In full-plate? Fuck no.' or, 'Sure, Defy Damage!'

As everyone else has said, if I was some third person at the table I'd ask them both for more info:

GM, does that mean he's like stabbing her? Driving her back? Covering his retreat?

Player, are you trying to knock away the spear and make an opening? Just get out of the way? Smack him before he can smack you?

Yey! All that totally cleared up my confusion on how that works. Thanks.