Dodge

In Warhammer 40,000: Darktide, a Dodge is a core defensive mechanic that allows players to evade incoming melee and ranged enemy attacks, special enemy abilities like net shots and grapples, and even some environmental hazards. Each dodge provides a brief window of immunity and moves the player in a chosen direction, with different weapons having varying effective "Dodge Counts" and "Dodge Distances". The mechanic also breaks enemy tracking and can be combined with a slide for increased distance and a longer effective dodging window.

How Dodge Works

Input:

Pressing the dodge button (often bound to the same button as jump, which can lead to accidental jumps) causes your character to perform a quick, directional movement.

Direction:

The direction of the dodge is determined by your current movement input when the button is pressed.

Immunity:

During the brief dodge animation, you are immune to most damage and can pass through enemies.

Dodge Cooldown:

After a dodge, there's a brief cooldown before you can dodge again. This cooldown also applies to stamina regeneration if you've just used it.

Dodge vs. Slide

Dodge:

A quick burst of movement that provides a short period of damage immunity and allows you to pass through enemies, with directional control.

Slide:

A sliding action performed after a dodge that covers more distance and extends the window of damage immunity.

Dodge-Slide:

The most effective technique, you slide into a dodge, combining the benefits of both actions for greater movement and an extended dodge window.

Why Dodging is Important

Survival:

Dodging is essential for avoiding high-damage attacks from elites and specialists, particularly on higher difficulties.

Enemy Disruption:

Dodging breaks enemy tracking, causing them to miss their attacks and allowing you to reposition or counter-attack.

Melee Combat:

Dodging allows you to avoid incoming enemy hits, maintain offensive pressure, and evade special attacks from disablers.

Weapon Properties:

Weapons have different effective dodge counts and distances, with lighter weapons generally offering better mobility.

Pro Tips

Keybinds:

Rebind the dodge and jump controls to separate keys, as the default double-tap jump for a dodge is problematic.

Stationary Dodge:

Enable the "Stationary Dodge" option in your settings to perform dodges without needing forward movement.

Dodge-Slide Consistently:

Consistently using the dodge-slide technique provides a significant movement boost and prolongs your dodge window, making it a crucial skill to master.

Audio Cues:

Listen for enemy audio cues, such as the "whoosh" of an attack, to time your dodges.