GUIDE / COMBAT
Parry, dodge and counter timing
Use Block for blue-flash attacks and Dodge for red-flash attacks, timed to the incoming hit. A successful defensive input does not mean every enemy combo has ended. Check the action names in your current control mapping before copying a creator’s buttons.
Choose the action, then find the opening
Community-reportedAll Things How reproduces the launch tutorial prompts. The reported default PC bindings are Right Mouse for Block/Stance and Left Shift for Dodge. Exact timing windows have not been measured by Kingy.
Ordinary incoming strike
- Response
- Time a Block press for the hit; holding guard is a different action.
- Opening to look for
- Check whether the enemy continues its sequence.
- Common mistake
- Confusing damage prevention with an immediate stagger.
Blue warning
- Response
- Time Block rather than holding it through the attack.
- Opening to look for
- Look for the counter/recovery shown by that specific enemy.
- Common mistake
- Reacting to the flash and ignoring the actual incoming strike.
Red warning
- Response
- Use Dodge for the incoming attack.
- Opening to look for
- Confirm the grab or follow-up has finished.
- Common mistake
- Repeating a failed Block response while changing only its timing.
If the counter keeps failing
Editorial guidanceSeparate three questions: did you choose the right action, did it connect at the right time, and did you attack before the enemy finished? Changing all three at once makes the result hard to interpret.
- Confirm the mapping
Read Block and Dodge in your own Controls menu. Compare action names when a guide uses a different controller.
- Repeat one recognizable attack
Keep difficulty, weapon and distance consistent. Try one defensive input at a time; observe the result before adding damage.
- Watch the next hit
A successful parry during a multi-hit sequence may still require another defense. Practise the complete sequence before extending your punish.
Open The Hunt at Great Waterfall: boss guide →
Dodge and sprint refuse separate buttons?
Community-reportedIn one launch-day PC/DualSense thread, the original poster and one respondent reported that pairing sprint and dodge on the same button resolved their mapping conflict. Try that arrangement in the menu if you encounter the same conflict. This is two reports in one thread, not a verified universal restriction; neither report supplies a build number.
If it does not work, record the conflicting actions and your input device. Avoid stacking a second remapping layer until you know which mapping the game is reading.
Sources and how this guide was made
Updated: 2026-10-30. Checked: 2026-10-30. This guide uses official information and attributed reporting; Kingy has not play-tested these instructions. Each section links to its evidence.
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