One of the premiere features ofElden Ringcombat is the ability of the player (and many enemies) to dodge attacks. Along with blocking, parrying, strafing, and backstepping, dodging is a key component of the flow of bothElden Ringand FromSoftware combat.
As mentioned above, while players have the ability to dodge, many enemies inElden Ringalso have this ability. In fact,Elden Ringhas an amount of dodging enemies much greater than that of any other FromSoftware game before it. While this ability can be intimidating and frustrating for players to deal with in combat, sometimes it leads to hilarious moments like anElden Ringplayer training a lion guardian.
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Conversely, sometimes players and enemies pull tricks on their foes so perfectly that it gives the appearance of a dodge. For example,Elden Ring’s Bloody Helice weaponhas a weapon art that is a form of dodge due to its backstep, allowing players to follow up with a piercing thrust. However, recently one of the enemies in the Raya Lucaria Academy hit a player with a move straight out ofThe Matrix, pulling off a disrespectful dodge into an equally disrespectful counterattack.
Comparable to anotherstrange encounter with an enemy inElden Ring’s Raya Lucaria Academy, Reddit user antifastidium found themselves at the mercy of a Lucarian Sorcerer. They also note how the sorcerer’s Glintstone Crown raises intelligence, referencing the sorcerer’s strategic dodge. This seems to be actively proven by the sorcerer, who deftly dodges antifastidium’s running strike by simply leaning back a foot. This impressive dodge is then immediately followed up with a headbutt that sends antifastidium staggering in shame.
While the counterattack did almost zero damage to antifastidium, it almost felt as though the little damage made the attack even more disrespectful. It looks as though the sorcerer hit antifastidium with their weakest attack as a followup insult to the incredible dodge it pulled off. Reddit users agreed with this sentiment, with many hilariously stating that antifastidium shouldn’t have messed with the Burger King; this is a clear reference to the sorcerer’s mask, which holds a beard and crown comparable to The King mascot of the fast food franchise.
Putting aside fast food chains and restaurant mascots, this act of pure disrespect from the sorcerer is a fine example of a perfect move made by an enemy, as the attack was not intended to be a dodge at all. However, like aperfectly timedElden Ringattack killing two players at once, the Lucarian Sorcerer decided to kill two birds with one stone, dealing some physical as well as some psychological damage.
Elden Ringis available on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
