Note that Sir Wilhelm provides a basic combat tutorial that you can revisit any time at [Gideon's Camp] Monte Sant'Angelo.
Movement
Move using WASD or arrow keys for PC or joystick for console and mobile.
Movement by default is set to sprint out of combat and may be disabled in settings.
Movement in combat is determined by the Agility stat and may be increased through equipping daggers or activating the Momentum passive of Rogue Armor. Past a certain number, you will start sprinting automatically in combat. However, manually sprinting in combat will consume Stamina.
Crouching
By default, hold C on PC to crouch.
Crouching while sprinting will cause you to slide to a stop.
Currently has no practical use.
Dodging
By default, press Q on PC, B on console or the dodge button on mobile to dodge.
Lasting for approximately for the first 0.25s, dodging grants invincibility for a brief duration at the cost of Stamina and becoming exposed for the remainder of the dodge animation.
The direction you are moving determines the dodge animation. Dodging while moving forward or to the side will cause you to enter a rolling animation, however dodging while stationary or moving backwards will cause you to enter a quick step animation - with noticeably less end lag. Make use of this information to best choose which dodge animation can benefit you in battle.
Combat
Most attacks will consume Stamina. Be wise with your Stamina consumption in combat to both survive and fight efficiently.
Light Attack
To Basic Attack, press the Left Mouse Button on PC, your personal keybind for console or the light attack button on mobile.
Basic Attacks on all weapons have unique combos. Check out the pages for Fists, Daggers, Swords, Greatswords, Hammers, Bows and Staves for more info.
Using a Basic Attack within a brief window after another Basic Attack continues the combo sequence. The last hit of every Basic Attack combo is loaded with a noticeably higher damage multiplier.
Heavy Attack
To Charge Attack, press or hold the Right Mouse Button on PC, your personal keybind for console or the heavy attack button on mobile.
Charge Attacks can be held to increase damage, gaining extra damage and extra stance damage the longer they are held. Charge Attacks for ranged weapons increase the projectile velocity and range, with staves gaining a small area of effect.
Perfect Charge Attacks are performed through holding and releasing the Charge Attack when the glowing circles on your weapon converge. Perfect Charge Attacks deal additional damage and stance damage, alongside stunning your target for melee weapons and increasing velocity and range for ranged weapons.
Charge Attack multipliers vary for each weapon. Check out the pages for Fists, Daggers, Swords, Greatswords, Hammers, Bows and Staves for more info.
It is also important to note that Charge Attacks cannot be used with Shields, as the ability to parry and block overrides the ability to Charge Attack. They can still be used with Quivers and Tomes, however.
Thrust Attack
For melee weapons, you can carry out a Thrust Attack by dodging before following up with a Basic Attack.
Thrust Attacks, while quick to execute, do minor damage.
Thrust Attack multipliers are fixed at 0.7x for all melee weapons.
Daggers have the Vital Strike passive that allows for instant stance breaking, making Thrust Attacks an almost essential part of their gameplay.
Aerial Attack
For melee weapons, you can execute an Aerial Attack by jumping before following up with a Basic Attack.
Aerial Attacks bypass blocks at the cost of greater end lag, leaving you exposed after attacking.
Moving before committing an Aerial Attack will launch yourself at your target, covering a greater distance.
Aerial Attack multipliers are fixed at 1.2x for all melee weapons.
Riposte
When the stance bar of most entities is depleted, they will become Staggered and vulnerable to a Riposte.
Players can then walk up to a Staggered entity and press the interact button to Riposte.
Riposting deals True Damage proportional to the target's health and is only available to melee weapons.
Some entities such as NR-02 are immune to Status Effects, including the Staggered debuff, and will be unable to be Riposted.
Abilities
Abilities may be used in and out of combat.
You will have one slot for Weapon Arts and one slot for Spells, with the opportunity to add another slot for Spells by equipping a staff.
Check out the Abilities page for more info.
Block
To block, equip a Shield and hold Right Mouse Button on PC, your personal keybind for console or the block button on mobile.
Blocking mitigates a percentage of damage received and may be handy in situations where you do not have enough Stamina to escape.
Note that equipping a Shield removes your ability to Charge Attack in place for the ability to block and parry.
Parry
To parry, equip a Shield and press Right Mouse Button on PC, your personal keybind for console or the block button on mobile.
A successful parry will negate damage and briefly stun the attacker, in addition to dealing significant stance damage. Most enemies will become Staggered after 2-3 parries. Mistiming a parry late will cause you to block instead, while mistiming a parry early will cause to receive the full brunt of the attack.
Parries have a slight windup so parry slightly before an attack lands for best results.
Note that equipping a Shield removes your ability to Charge Attack in place for the ability to block and parry.
Incapacitation
Upon a player's health becoming depleted, the player will enter an incapacitated state, where they will be immobilized but impervious to all sources of damage.
The stance bar will also become depleted initially, but will slowly regenerate to full. Upon which, the player will be automatically revived with a portion of their health.
If the player does not heal fully after becoming incapacitated, they will die the next time their health reaches 0.
While a player is incapacitated, other players may carry their body or execute them regardless of PvP settings.
Death
Upon dying fully, players will be sent back to the last bonsai they interacted with. Or in the case of a dungeon or raids, players will be sent back to the respawn shrine.
PvP
Toggling the PvP mode on will allow the player to deal damage to other players with the PvP mode on. Killing and executing a player will grant you the Killer status, disabling the toggling off of the PvP mode until you are killed and executed by another player.