19 Tips to Improve Dodging in Elden Ring Combat
Dodging is one of the most essential skills in Elden Ring, especially for builds that prioritize agility over tankiness. Whether you're facing down a massive boss or a group of smaller enemies, mastering the art of the dodge roll can mean the difference between life and death. If you’ve ever felt like you’re rolling too early, too late, or just not far enough, this guide is for you. Here are 19 tips to sharpen your dodging skills and help you survive the brutal lands between.
1. Understand I-Frames
Invincibility frames (I-frames) occur during specific points in your roll animation. Timing your dodge to align with the enemy’s strike is critical. Don’t mash the button—time it purposefully.
2. Use Medium or Light Equip Load
Your equip load affects your roll distance and speed. Light load offers the best roll animation, but even a medium load can provide solid dodging while keeping some defense. Avoid heavy load unless you're going full tank.
3. Lock-On Strategically
Locking on helps track enemies but can limit your movement awareness. Try unlocking for fights where spatial awareness and wider dodging arcs are more important.
4. Learn Each Enemy’s Attack Rhythm
Every enemy and boss has a unique attack tempo. Some delay their hits to punish early rolls. Watch a few patterns before diving in with dodges.
5. Roll Into Attacks, Not Away
It feels counterintuitive, but dodging into an enemy’s swing often gives you better positioning for a counterattack. Practice this technique—it’s a game-changer.
6. Don’t Panic Roll
Rapidly spamming the dodge button will often get you caught in follow-up attacks. Be deliberate and calm, even in chaos.
7. Use Terrain to Your Advantage
Stairs, hills, and obstacles can affect your roll distance. Practice maneuvering in different environments so you're not surprised during a tough boss fight.
8. Upgrade Your Endurance
More Endurance means more stamina for rolling and attacking. It also increases equip load, giving you more flexibility in armor and gear without sacrificing roll quality.
9. Practice Roll-Canceling
After rolling, certain actions can be initiated more quickly by buffering inputs. This includes attacking, healing, or rolling again. Learn to flow between dodges and other actions smoothly.
10. Experiment with Armor Combinations
Sometimes swapping a heavy chestpiece for lighter gloves and legs keeps you within a medium roll threshold. Test combinations to stay protected and nimble.
11. Time Your Rolls on Reaction, Not Prediction
While it's tempting to roll early in anticipation of an attack, most advanced enemies are designed to bait this. Learn to dodge reactively once you've seen the attack begin.
12. Use Fast Weapons for Responsive Recovery
Weapons like daggers, katanas, and curved swords allow faster animations, giving you more freedom to dodge immediately after attacking.
13. Recognize Redundant Dodges
If you’re rolling away from projectiles that could be sidestepped or blocked, you’re wasting stamina. Use rolling when necessary—don’t rely on it as a crutch.
14. Train on Lesser Enemies
Use roaming groups or weaker enemies to practice dodging mechanics in low-risk scenarios. The muscle memory you develop here will transfer to boss fights.
15. Stay Calm During Multi-Hit Combos
Some bosses have long attack strings. Don’t blow all your stamina on the first few swings. Instead, learn where the pause is—then roll.
16. Use Ashes of War with Mobility Benefits
Some Ashes of War like Bloodhound’s Step or Quickstep add dodge-like mechanics that can be more effective in certain fights. These are worth experimenting with if you struggle in close-range combat.
17. Spend cheap elden ring runes on Stamina Gear
If you’re farming cheap elden ring runes, consider investing them into talismans or gear that enhance your stamina regeneration or dodging capabilities. That added edge can help in tougher fights.
18. Don’t Neglect Flask Tuning
If your dodging isn’t perfect yet, allocate more Crimson Flasks for healing. The more survivability you have while learning, the quicker you improve.
19. Buy Elden Ring Items That Support Agility Builds
You can buy Elden Ring items that complement dodge-focused gameplay—like lightweight armor sets or talismans that improve mobility. Building around dodging means supporting that playstyle in every gear choice.
Improving your dodging is all about awareness, timing, and understanding the enemy. With these 19 tips, you'll not only take fewer hits but also open up more opportunities to punish enemies safely. The Lands Between are unforgiving, but a well-timed roll can carry you through even the harshest trials. Happy dodging, Tarnished.