Do you feel like you’re a complete mess in Elden Ring Shadow of The Erdtree DLC? You keep dying, you don’t see any progress, and it feels like you’re stuck in an endless loop. Don’t worry, we have some tips that will help you conquer those brutal bosses and greatly improve your Elden Ring experience. So buckle up, grab your controller, and let’s dive into the chaos together.

Why Should You Learn About It?

I’ve seen many people who have tried this game say that their controllers didn’t respond when they tried to dodge attacks, and they died again and again, which was really frustrating. Of course, if they really don’t understand how Dodge mechanic works, they can also come to this conclusion because the game doesn’t really explain this step, but leaves it up to you to discover it.

In fact, the main reason why you encounter these problems is that you simply don’t understand the combat system, especially Dodge mechanic. Once you master it, you’ll be dodging attacks like a pro and turning those frustrating deaths into glorious victories.

Let’s break down how to master Dodge Rolls and finally make some actual progress in Elden Ring.

How Dodge Mechanic Works?

First, one solution is to play defensively and use a shield. A shield will block all attacks, but you will still take some damage, and it will cost you a lot of stamina, which means you have to invest a lot of Elden Ring Runes in upgrading your stamina.

If you want to play in any other way, in any other classes, then you have to learn the most used mechanic in the entire game, Dodge mechanic.

Let’s first familiarize yourself with how Dodge mechanic works. When you press Dodge button, you move backwards. Please note that this is a small step and is not an effective way to avoid damage.

However, if you press Dodge button while pressing the button to move in any direction, your character will start rolling on the ground in that direction, avoiding damage. This triggers an iframe or a second invincibility state.

Now the problem is that I haven’t seen anyone else explain how this mechanic actually works. This is probably because most people find it intuitive and natural to do so.

When you dodge, you are supposed to be invincible and you shouldn’t take any damage, or at least you think it should be that way. But you usually get hit again and again. This is because when you dodge, the character does a specific animation where it rolls on the ground and backs up. In that animation, the moment of invincibility is in the middle of it.

When you dodge rolls, you will see an animation where your character jumps up on the ground during the first and last phases of the animation. At this point, you are not invincible, so you will definitely get hit in those seconds.

That’s why you will hear everyone saying that you have to learn the boss’s moves so that you can press Dodge button one second before the boss starts to attack you. When he swings his weapon, your Dodge animation should happen exactly when the attack should hit you.

Note that the animation should happen in the middle of that second for you to become invincible, one second earlier or later, and you will get hit.

Players who understand this mechanic and learn how to read and remember the boss’s moves can easily win the game, and in some cases, they are so good at it that they can go the entire game without getting hit once.

Other Factors Affecting Dodge Rolls

There are some other factors that affect Dodge Rolls, and that is the weight of your character. If you have heavy armor and weapons equipped, your weight will increase, making you heavier, so your Dodge Rolls will be slower. The lighter you are, the faster your Dodge Rolls will be.

You can find this stat in the character menu, increase Endurance points until you can sustain a certain weight capacity. This is why you often see a lot of players playing naked, because taking off the armor makes them lighter and faster.

Another thing that can affect your Dodge Rolls and the combat itself is the attack animation. For example, if you swing your sword, the swing will also have an animation, and if you press Dodge button in the middle of the swing, you will not dodge until you complete the attack animation.

This is why a lot of players, even excellent players, if they get hit, others will say that they were too greedy and attacked too many times before dodging.

So the key to mastering this mechanic is that you have to be familiar with and read the enemy’s movements in order to stop your attack in time so you can dodge.

Watch Out For Delayed Attacks

Some enemies are designed to intentionally delay attacks and trick you into pressing Dodge Rolls button too early. So keep an eye out for those movements. Don’t get frustrated every time you die, but instead stay calm and learn from every encounter. The sooner you start paying attention to his body movements, the sooner you’ll get used to his attacks and defeat him with ease.

Now there are a lot of things that could be added to the mechanic, but if you can understand this as a new player, you’ll have a good chance of making progress throughout the game. Don’t get me wrong, the difficulty of these games is no joke. You’ll need patience and perseverance, but once you get the hang of it, the sense of accomplishment is unmatched.