Combat is one of the most important skills to master in Valheim. By getting the timing of when to attack, block and dodge down-pat the player can become almost unstoppable. The dodge roll is one of the evasive abilities the the player can use in Valheim at the cost of a little stamina. We will show you how and when to dodge in this guide.
How to Dodge With Keyboard and Mouse
The player can dodge in Valheim by holding down the block button and then using the jump button whilst moving in a direction. By default, the player can block by holding down the right mouse button and then whilst moving in a direction with WASD pressing the space bar to roll.
If these controls don’t work for you, check the setting and see if the default key bindings have accidentally been changed to something else. These is a reset controls option at the top of the control menu to reset the bindings to default.
There is a full list of controls available on the Valheim wiki here.
Dodge-Roll Using a Controller
In order to dodge-roll with a controller you will have to do the same thing mechanics-wise as with the keyboard and mouse.
First make sure you are blocking and then move in a direction and press the button for jumping in. To do with on an xbox controller, hold the left trigger in to block and press the B button to roll in whatever direction you are moving with the left joystick.
Players using a DualShock 4 controller (PS4 controller) will have to hold the L2 button in to block and press the Circle button to roll.
Dodge Attacks Without Rolling
Is the player moves a certain distance away from the attack or moves in a certain direction they can also avoid all damage from some attacks. Attacks that are directed in a very specific area can be avoided completely by just walking away to dodge them. Walking requires absolutely no stamina usage and can be used when you just don’t want to take the damage and don’t want the stamina hit from wither dodge-rolling or blocking the attack.
By figuring out the general attack patterns of different enemies and seeing where their strikes land you may get around them and position yourself in a better spot for attacking. For example if you see that a troll always uses their right arm for attacks, you can actually simply walk to the left in order to completely avoid the strike and get the opportunity to land a hit on the enemy.
You don’t always have to dodge-roll Witcher 2 style. Sometimes all you need is a good dodge-walk.
Stamina Usage While Dodging
Using the dodge-roll and blocking attacks will both cost stamina in Valheim. Whether your character is diving through the ground or facing a large hit from an enemy, this can cause serious problems for your stamina. If your character has no stamina left and tries to shield a blow, they will take full damage and sometimes even be stunned for a short amount of time, leaving you open for more attacks.
As seen in the image above, dodge-rolling will cause the player to use about half a ‘bar’ of stamina every time they use it. Keep that in mind if you are being chased by some enemies as you may find it is a better idea just to sprint away or jump up to higher ground to avoid attacks.
Using your stamina wisely is one of the most important factors to consider when attempting any combat in Valheim.
To summarize, using the dodge and roll effectively in Valheim is one of the best defensive methods in Valheim. Along with the block, dodging allows you to take no damage what-so-ever. Learn how to time your dodges in Valheim! It just may save your skin.
Related: How to Backstab in Valheim | A Guide to Leveling All Skills – Valheim