Are you getting frustrated with other players invading you in Dark Souls 2? We can sympathise. You don’t need to suffer in silence, however, as we’re here to help you with some of the best PvP hints tips and techniques to get you back into the fight!
One of the most difficult aspects of PvP in Dark Souls 2 is accustoming yourself to the lack of predictability. Unlike the AI, enemy players will do anything and everything they can to beat you, which includes trying to back you off ledges! The best counter to this, arguably, is to be as unpredictable as possible yourself, which means learning techniques that they are unlikely to have seen before.
One of these techniques is known as the Block Cancel. The idea behind it is that, with the correct timing, you can completely circumvent the block stun animation, enabling you to attack instantly after your opponent has landed a hit on your shield, or whatever you’re blocking with. In addition to reducing the delay created when blocking an attack, if timed right you will also fully block your opponent’s attack on you.
How to Block Cancel in Dark Souls 2
The timing is crucial to correctly executing this technique, as you must attack immediately after you have successfully blocked an attack in order to cancel the animation.
The subsequent success of the Block Cancel is dependant on the speed of your swing in comparison to the speed of your opponent’s swing. This is primarily dependant on the weapons being used: a very large weapon such as an Ultra Greatsword naturally swings a lot more slowly than smaller weapons such as a Scimitar. Weigh up the viability of using the Block Counter in each situation: if your opponent is using a very fast weapon, you will more than likely be punished for attempting it unless you manage to catch them off guard.
How to Backstep Charge Attack in Dark Souls 2
Amongst the other good PvP techniques in Dark Souls 2 is the back step power attack. This technique is extremely simple and can be used to trick your opponent into thinking that they can advance upon you and attack, when in actuality they are leaving themselves open for you.
To execute the Backstep Charge Attack, simply press B or Circle without indicating a direction with the thumbstick, then immediately press RB/R1. You will perform an attack just as if you had been sprinting down your opponent, but without the necessity of actually sprinting towards your opponent.
General tips for PvP in Dark Souls 2
Keep your opponent’s stamina bar in mind as much as your own. You can safely assume that after 3 or more swings of that Ultra Greatsword, your foe will have run out of stamina and it is relatively safe to rush them down and attack.
Err on the side of caution and always assume that you are inside their range of attack. Certain issues in PvP, such as latency, can affect the hitboxes and make it seem like your opponent has a greatly extended range.
Heal whenever possible. If you want to win, this can be essential for gaining an edge over your opponent. Your opponent is not able to heal, so this is where you gain the biggest advantage, but of course, healing right in front of your enemy is highly risky as they can rush you down and barrage you with attacks while the healing animation is taking place.
Practice both shield-breaking (forwards and RB/R1) and parrying. Both are extremely useful techniques if you can nail down the timing, though very risky indeed if you get them wrong.
Play defensively at first while trying to get the measure of your opponent. If they are overly aggressive with attacking then you know that you can dodge until they exhaust their stamina and then charge in for an attack.
Finally, ensure your total Equip Load is less than 70%. If it exceeds that amount, you will be so slow on your feet that it will be nigh on impossible to best an opponent using light weapons with a low Equip Load.
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