Dead Island 2 has many terms that can be confusing if you don’t know what they mean. Especially when you see the several slayer traits and status effects that exist. One of these terms may have you asking, what is a well-timed dodge?
Or perhaps you’ve seen the same thing but as a well-timed block instead within a skill description. It’s important to understand how these work so you can take full advantage of them. Whether that’s just performing them in combat or getting certain skill benefits.
What is a Well-Timed Dodge in Dead Island 2
A stunned crusher is a good opportunity to whack away but only for a short time.
As you get deeper into this zombie slaying game you’re bound to unlock a ton of new skill cards. These make up the many active abilities and passive buffs you can equip. With that said, one of the earliest abilities you can unlock is the defensive skill, Dodge.
This defensive skill is great for maneuvering around enemies while also evading incoming attacks. Even if it’s just a Shambler or Walker throwing an attack your way. And one of the best parts about using the Dodge skill is that it doesn’t consume stamina.
While Walkers don’t pose much threat, they are a step above Shamblers. So be careful practicing on them.
Instead, you can use a well-timed dodge to regain stamina and stun zombies too. This relies on dodging or blocking right before a zombie is about to hit you. In the case of dodging, you have to make sure they don’t hit you. Whereas with blocking, they still have to hit you, but the timing has to be just right.
The best way to know if you’ve pulled off a well-timed dodge is if you hear a sound. Afterward, if it’s a common zombie, they’ll likely be stunned for a moment. Then, you can follow up with a strong counter. For those of you playing on PC, the default button is F.
Make sure to tap that button prompt for a high damage counter. This always comes with a fun animation and sometimes finisher move.
Performing a well-timed dodge may stun certain zombies still but they won’t always be vulnerable to a counterattack. Especially if they’re an Apex Variant like a Crusher, for example. In this case, they may stagger for a moment and have a small window of vulnerability.
You’re more likely to have a better chance at dealing damage to an Apex Variant when they run out of stability. This is represented by the blue bar beneath their health. Despite not being able to stomp Crushers, you can stomp certain Apex Variants when they drop to the ground.
What Skills Benefit From Well-Timed Dodges/Blocks?
Safety First is one of many useful skills for healing. The last thing you need is to get low on health and have a Shambler kill you.
As mentioned in the intro, certain skills benefit from performing well-timed dodges or blocks. Aside from the dodge and block abilities themselves, the only relevant skills are in the Survivor category. Here are descriptions of each alongside the abilities too,
| Skill Name | Skill Description |
| Dodge | Press L ALT with a direction to evade incoming attacks. Well-timed dodges regain your STAMINA and STUN zombies, leaving them open to a devastating COUNTER attack. |
| Block | Hold L ALT to defend against incoming attacks. Well-timed blocks regain your STAMINA and STUN zombies, leaving them open to a devastating COUNTER attack. |
| Safety First | Upy our defensive game! A well-timed BLOCK or DODGE regains HEALTH. |
| Blockbuster | Shut ’em down! A well-timed BLOCK triggers a FORCEFUL explosion that drains the STABILITY of nearby zombies. |
| Pain Magazine | Throw a whole bunch more Curveballs! A well-timed BLOCK or DODGE triggers a RECHARGE boost for your active CURVEBALL item. |
If I can’t see the zombie, they can’t see me, right?
While these are the only skills relevant to well-timed dodges, there are other skills that benefit from normal dodging. Such as the Bob and Weave skill unique to characters Amy and Bruno. This one provides a moderate boost to attack speed and agility that can stack.
That’s all there is to this guide on what is a well-timed dodge in Dead Island 2. They can be difficult to pull off especially when you’re still learning the sweet spot. And while you can do it with both dodges and blocks, as our guide on the Best Skills to Use says, I recommend dodging.
Jeff is a journalist with over 10 years of experience writing, streaming, and making content about video games. With an associate degree in journalism, he’s a sucker for RPGs, survival games, roguelikes, and more.