Try putting your most frequent defensive action on an easy-to-reach mouse side button, if your current Controls menu accepts it. Keep dodge on a separate key you can reach while moving. This is a suggested starting layout, not a tested fastest setup or a statement of the retail defaults.
A practical starting layout
| Action | Suggested approach | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Block or parry | Try a mouse side button | You can press it without shifting your grip or interrupting aim |
| Dodge | Try a free thumb-reachable key | It remains comfortable while holding different movement directions |
| Attack | Keep the binding already comfortable to you | Changing defense does not make basic attacks awkward |
| Aim or off-hand action | Keep it separate from defense | A defensive input does not accidentally trigger another action |
Use the action labels actually displayed by the game. If your menu combines block and parry into one action, choose the binding for that combined action; this page does not assume that separate bindings exist.
Why side buttons are worth trying
During the pre-release control-feedback discussion, the developer acknowledged complaints about reaching Ctrl or Alt and suggested mouse side buttons as an ergonomic alternative for blocking or dodging. That supports trying a different layout. It does not establish the current default keys, prove a measurable timing improvement, or guarantee that every mouse button works with every setup.
If a side button forces you to squeeze the mouse or changes your aim, keep defense on the keyboard instead. Comfort during repeated inputs matters more than copying a particular numbered mouse button.
Test the layout before committing
- Change one defensive binding at a time in the available control settings.
- Check for an existing action on the same input before replacing it.
- Try movement plus defense in a familiar encounter. Check forward, backward and sideways movement rather than testing while standing still.
- Repeat several defensive inputs without changing your grip. An awkward repeated input is a reason to move the binding.
- Leave and reopen the settings, then confirm the displayed binding remains the one you selected.
A stagger opportunity is useful feedback when practicing combat inputs, but a new binding does not replace learning an enemy's timing. If the input is comfortable and your timing remains inconsistent, changing keys again may not address the actual problem.
What remains unverified
No universal best layout, measured response-time advantage, current retail default-key table or complete list of supported mouse buttons has been established for this page. Keep an existing working layout if the proposed change makes combat less comfortable.