Dodge

A dodge is a fast move laterally or backwards, performed by pressing a direction and the dodge key. It has many offensive, defensive, and mobility uses.

Offensive Dodging
Skilled use of dodge allows a player to avoid attacks without the need to block. This allows for maximal damage output without taking excess damage. When done well, this is called Dodge Dancing.

Defensive Dodging
Some enemy attacks cause instant stagger or cannot be blocked. These must be dodged in order to avoid taking damage. Additionally, when a player is at low stamina, dodging away from enemies is the only way to avoid becoming stun-locked due to stagger. Well timed side-dodges can be used to avoid the disabling attacks of packmasters and assassins.

Mobility
If your character and weapon provide bonuses to your dodge-distance, continual side-dodging, also called chain-dodging, can actually be faster than running and can be done while holding block. Skilled use of chain dodges can allow a player to outrun a horde with minimal risk. This can be used for speedrunning, repositioning, or simply to create space before attempting a revive.

Dodge Range
Different weapons have different dodge ranges. Typically light weapons allow for longer dodges. If the effective dodge count is exceeded, dodge range is decreased drastically.

Effective Dodge Count
Each weapon has an effective dodge count. This is the number of consecutive dodges a player can perform in a short time, before the dodges become slower and shorter. Faster, lighter weapons typically allow for a higher number of effective dodges.

There are several ways to reset the effective dodge count. The simplest is to wait several seconds without performing any dodges. The exact time for the count to reset varies per weapon. A variant on this method is to continue dodging, but wait long enough between each dodge so the count recharges as fast as it is used.

Alternatively, a player can jump to reset the dodge count. This is typically used when Chain Dodging. Usually, the jump is performed midway through the final effective dodge, so that the player does not slow down as a result of the jump.

Keybindings
Play that relies on a large number of dodges (and jump resets) is punished heavily if a player accidentally jumps instead of dodging or vice-versa. As a result, separate jump and dodge keys must be used over the default combined jump/dodge key.