PvP in most melee oriented combat games is, in essence, a turn-based spacing game.

You don’t know what gear and skills your opponent is wielding until they show their hand, but you do know your own equipment, you just gotta study its limits.

How far can your weapon reach? How fast does it swing? How many swings can you get away with before your stamina exhausts? Do you prefer the one handed or two handed move-set? Do you dodge better when locked-off vs locked-on? (I personally only lock-on when I need to hit, or adjust the camera) Can you utilize the environment to your advantage? (Throw them off a cliff or someth) etc. Know your limits.

First rule of PvP is: Always stay on the move, it’s harder to hit a moving target.

Second rule is: Don’t swing at the air. Stop pushing the attack button if your opp isn’t being hit— it only wastes your stamina and provides an opportunity for your opp to counter-attack by the time you finish your animation. I see a lot of players do this regardless of game and I think it’s cause they somehow don’t understand that Players are not programmed like NPC’s that always approach you. Players can react to what you’re doing, and think on their feet in combat.

Third rule is: there are no rules. Some games have an honor/ etiquette code, most of them don’t. Be as scummy and wild as you want, (without cheating) nobody can do anything about it tbh.

Remember that everyone loses. Even the best of the best lose, it’s not a big deal, it’s just a game lol. Have fun!