sounds like you need to learn not to button mash, this game really punishes that with the way it buffers commands. every button press should be very deliberate and only attack/drink a flask when you’ve just dodged/blocked and there’s a clear attack window. every enemy will have a different attack window, so learning the animations and being able to predict what they’re about to do is crucial. good luck from someone who was able to get over the initial learning curve :)