Guild Wars 2

I’m pretty new to this game. I’m a level 35 guardian and I’ve never dodged in fights. I know how to dodge (double-tap) and I’ve tried it, but never had any success and it just seems like a pain to me. Am I playing the game wrong?

Are there any other people that don’t use dodging?

You’ll get used to it. Just look for a time when the mob appears to be doing something and then go ahead and dodge. It takes some practice to get down just right.

If you press the v key it’s much more responsive (as you don’t have to double tap), but the v key is awkward for me to press so it could be for you. In that case just reassign the keys.

You’ll have to dodge to get through some of the tougher content in the game. It’s a very useful skill to acquire.

Double-tap is a terrible way to dodge…. but honestly… if you aren’t using a key or a mouse button to do so, i don’t blame you for not dodging at all.

Going back to double-tap after using mouse button 4 or 5 would be terrible.

You can get by without dodging in the early levels with some classes, Guardian being a resilient class with a lot of self healing and boons is one of them. But as you lvl up and take on harder content you will find it becomes more necissary to survive. If you ever plan on setting foot in a dungeon or exploring the shores of Orr then it’s an absolute must.

I’d say start practicing now so you don’t hit a wall later on. Ettins are a great mob to learn dodges on as they have very clearly telegraphed, slow hitting attacks. Go get your dodge-ninja on!

Take off double tap and assign dodge to an easy to reach button.

I double-tap to dodge all the time(1). I’ve dodge set to a single press key(2) as well but infrequently use it. Find your comfort zone and practice at it. You’ll get the hang of it, but dodging does come in handy from time to time. It’s a good [player] skill to have.

(1): Level 80 – Warrior, Mesmer, Thief, and working on my Guardian.
(2):V. I have no special gaming mouse, keyboard, controllers, et al.

I personally still use V with a lot of success. (there is a bad thing about it i’ll get to it in a second) in later levels and especially in dungeon, dodging is a requirement. Sometimes the only way to survive is by dodging out of a aoe circle or by excellent timing of a boss 1 hit kill.

The problem with using V is you are handicapped in terms of dodging right since the key bindings don’t exactly allow you to do that with ease. Not saying it’s not possible to get used to. However, I’ve always managed to work around that with no weakness at all. I can dodge left forward and down and still have the same effect.

The problem with double tap dodge is that sometimes you wanna do fine movements and you’ll be tapping your movement keys. This can sometimes cause and unintended dodge and roll you right off.

Two good places to put dodge are any key that you can easily hit with your thumb, such as the spacebar, or the mouse scroll button if your finger naturally rests there anyway (as a click).

Place I learned to dodge was the last boss in Twilight Arbor. The tree places circles and if you dont dodge correctly yu’ll get impaled and take damage.

I hold right click as I’m running around and double tap the direction I want to dodge.

Mobs like Ogres (in Queensdale there are lots) and giant worms and some slow-moving hammer wielding Risen that have an easily identifiable slow-moving big attack are great practice.

There are lots of these types of mobs you can hone your dodging skills on

Dodging is fun because with a little practice you’ll be able to avoid all sorts of damage- magic, ranged, melee etc

Funny thing; my first toon was a thief..and you just HAVE to dodge/evade/move to survive. It was a good introduction to gw2 combat. The thief has no mitigation, very very little HP, and you learn to move or die.

As was previously mentioned here, the fact that you play a Guardian has allowed you to pull this off so far, but I think that will reach it’s limit.

Dodging really is invaluable in this game. It is actually one of the things I came to like very much; it feels very “alive”. This is why the thief is most for me, all the jumping around that is needed. I rarely use stealth; mobility seems much much more important.

Even on my other toons, I play very actively, despite the fact that they are like “tanks” compared to the thief. My Necro, not known for being a mobile profession, still benefits greatly from my antics!

Other games now feel very static and lifeless almost for me.

I turned off double-tap when I started doing the jumping puzzles as it lead to far too many incidents of my characters plunging to their deaths. Although I’m right-handed, I somehow managed to wind up using the mouse with my left hand, so the v key is not inconvenient for me. I’ve also got one of my mouse’s side keys set for dodging, but I always forget to use it. Even so, I’ve gotten a lot better at dodging since it was added to the dailies.

/e guitar instructor voice: practice, practice, practice.

Play an elementalist if you make it to lvl 10 you will be a dodge master.

Leveling doesn’t really require dodging, but in endgame you’ll be dodging all the time or being a complete burden to any team.
You’re lvl 35, try AC without dodging. Kholer is smiling already.

A Guardian can get away with a lot less dodging than most other classes, Rangers with tanky pets and Mesmers who use their clones more as ablative armor than munitions delivery systems probably being the only ones better at it than them. This works best in low to mid level solo PvE. If you want to do dungeons, any kind of PvP, Fractals, a great many Story Missions, and 100% PvE world completion, you’re going to fight things that you can not survive without dodging.

My thief drops pseudo caltrops and gains vigor every time I “dodge”. So I do it more than is needed :P But I’d suggest you start trying/testing dodge now, before you’re 80.

My guardian can be lazy and forget to dodge a lot, so I’d suggest rolling something squishier to get used to the mechanic lol.

Melchior.2135:

Mesmers who use their clones more as ablative armor than munitions delivery systems probably being the only ones better at it than them.

Clone on dodge is my favorite trait in the game :P though not using it now >.>

I double tap to dodge like a boss. Never have a problem in jump puzzles either unless if I’m a little too twitchy.

As a fairly new dodger, I’d like to add one thing. Just because the game doesn’t say ‘Evaded’ it does not mean you were not successful. To get that message you have to be just in time, to avoid taking damage it is ok to be a tiny bit too fast.

Use the spacebar. Good to have such a vital and clutch ability on such an easy to hit key.

i have mine set to shift as im use to useing it for sprint in FPS games. problem with that is you cant rebinde shift to ping the map to somthing ells

epp…. yea doing AC and fighting the first two bosses will show you why to dodge, if not that fight a thief and learn how great/helpful dodge is. Also take into account if you time it right with jump you can do side/front/back flips. Great way to get over a person about to smack you in the face or behind someone to get off that cripple dot.

Rebind your dodge double tap is rubbish…I have mine on the 3rd mouse button, you then dodge all the time instantly well moving around…you will die far less.

Its a good idea to rebind all your skills…it can take some time before your completely happy though…

Double tap is the way to go in my opinion. Much greater control over timing and direction.

legion.7518:

I’m a level 35 guardian and I’ve never dodged in fights.

As a guardian you’ll want to get used to dodging. You can get some pretty big heals to yourself and those around you if you trait it right and have a bit of healing power. Not to mention, dodging is a great way to avoid damage. I used double tap for a long time, but have it bound to my mouse 4 button now, right by my thumb. Makes it easier. Not to mention I rolled off far to many JP.

You’ll need to dodge if you’ll want to get anywhere in pvp or dungeons. Just assign it to any of mouse side buttons or some keyboard key, you won’t get far with double tap…

you’re a guardian, what’s dodge?

Just wait till you’re lvl 80 and have a go against subject alpha or lupicus see how far you get without dodging

I just usually dodge when I see a big red circle around me, sometimes I remember to dodge when a mob is about to do a AOE attack but that’s pretty much it. I think my lag get’s in the way a bit though so I tend only to dodge the big stuff.

Dodging is an essential skill, but it’s one you will easily learn. You’re level 35 so you probably haven’t done dungeons. Once you do a few, it will be second nature.

I have dodge assigned to both v and middle mouse. I was also having trouble dodging right with v, so binding that extra button worked for me. I’m finding myself using middle click a lot more often in fights now and its actually really comfortable for me.

As others have already said, dodging is essential in a lot of boss fights/dungeons and such, so I would suggest practicing on some of suggestions said here, like an ettin or wurm. They have long windups for a few of their attacks and it’s good practice for timing dodges properly.

Tachenon.5270:

I turned off double-tap when I started doing the jumping puzzles as it lead to far too many incidents of my characters plunging to their deaths.

Totally saw that coming. I had double-tap disabled long before, but after picking my way across narrow ledges in the likes of UT, I pretty quickly realized it could make jumping puzzles suck big time unless you were really careful about how you hit the movement keys.

(Which you still have to be, really, but it’s more of a timing + “can my character jump that far?” thing. Less boneheaded shoot-self-in-foot.)

Tamaki Revolution.3548:

Melchior.2135:

Mesmers who use their clones more as ablative armor than munitions delivery systems probably being the only ones better at it than them.

Clone on dodge is my favorite trait in the game :P though not using it now >.>

Yeah, it’s pretty sexy. I’d been doing the mobile artillery thing with Greatsword and Staff, but decided to drop my Staff during solo play in favor of Sword/Pistol or Sword/Focus depending on mood. Clone on dodge is brilliant, if you spend any time in Melee. Or if you just want to blow the little suckers up like Pinatas full of Damage and Hard Mez.

Actually, I mapped my dodge to the Shift key…besides from accidently linking items/skills in combat it works great for me from my time on GunZ The Duel…(Blocking was Shift there, and any sword user needed a fast pinky for it…)

Think of Dodge as another Utility skill in your skill bar. It’s essential to dodge those devastating attacks and to widen the gap between you and your opponent. Each class also has a trait that will modify your Dodge skill. Mesmers create clones when they dodge, Warrior deal damage at the end of their dodge.

For my hotkeys, I took off “Move Backward” and replaced it with “Dodge”.

Disable double-tap. Bind dodging to something handy – i have it on mouse scroll.

Bind dodge to a key.

Preferably to a key that uses the same finger as jump. Because you can’t jump and dodge at the same time; it’s either one or the other.

Morderger.6298:

Take off double tap and assign dodge to an easy to reach button.

This. I moved my backwards key down a level and put my bound dodge key in-between all my movement keys. Then I turned double tap off. Much more fluid for me.

You will need to learn to dodge.

I thought double tap was a little too responsive, sometimes goes off unintentionally (usually in JPs) but it works fine in a fight. Well timed dodges can definitely make the difference in a close fight or if you are trying to escape from one you can’t win.

If don’t double-tap to dodge, you are very bad at this game

Stuff that doesn’t require dodging:

Most open world PvE content.
WvW in zergy keep sieges.

Stuff that requires dodging:
The harder PvE events (e.g. Temple events in Orr)
All Dungeons
All Fractals
s/tPvP
Non-Zergy WvW (and it helps a lot even in zergy keep sieges)

If you’re fine with just doing regular PvE in the world, then you can unbind the dodge key and never touch it again. You’re handicapping yourself, but some people just hate the idea of having to react to stuff or have terribad reflexes. But, in all honesty, this MMO has given us the fastest ride to max level of any I’ve ever played. You’ll be level capped soon, and most of the content at level 80 will require a decent knowledge and usage of dodge mechanics. In many dungeons and fractals missing a dodge means you die. In PvP or WvW missing a dodge can be the difference between getting inside your team’s keep or getting instantly killed by a random warrior.

Playing GW2 without dodge is like driving with no windshield. Sure, you can. But why would you do that to yourself? Getting hit hurts!

Flamenco.3894:

If don’t double-tap to dodge, you are very bad at this game

I rebound my dodge to middle mouse button, and that worked very well for me. I hated double-tap because I’d always set it off at the wrong moment and use up all my endurance.

Flamenco.3894:

If don’t double-tap to dodge, you are very bad at this game

I’m a very fast twitch player. Double tapping occurs when I’m just moving.

to OP:
roll a thief. you will learn how to dodge quickly or die trying.. perhaps both.

guardians have a lot of blocks and high armor.

Double tap isn’t just bad for jumping puzzles.

There are plenty of narrow walkways like Krait towers and Dredge catwalks where an accidental dodge will send you plummeting to your doom.

Well, the Krait towers you usually end up in the water… but you get the point.

A dodge hotkey gives you just as much, if not more, control than double tap as long as you can press it while also pressing your directional movement keys.

Better learn how to dodge before hitting 80, you will need it by then.

Also as suggested, remove dubbletap to dodge, bind it to a good key of your preference.

Question: If you have a single key for dodging, how do you pick which way you’re going to dodge? I like being able to quickly go left, right, or back as I choose with a quick doubletap of my thumb (I seldom dodge forward unless I’m running through aggro with the intent of escaping). Given that I move with my mouse and have my left, right, and back movement handy to my thumb on my HEX, wouldn’t it be -more- work and slower to have to hold down the button with my right hand and tap a keyboard key with my left?

I have dodge binding to left CTRL. It made the most sense.

Anyone who uses double tap rather than setting a single key is doing it wrong for very obvious reasons. So, make sure to disable double tap to evade and set a key for it. You’ll be forced into using that key and it’ll become second nature.

Gaudrath.6725:

Double tap is the way to go in my opinion. Much greater control over timing and direction.

That makes no sense. If you need to dodge you need to double tap a button rather than single press it. It takes more time. Also, what if you are running away from an angry zerg and need all the speed you can get but need to dodge? If you need to double tap forward you need to let go of forward which slows you down.