Block vs Dodge

[VaryNia]

Generally speaking, what is better?

I heard blocking is better in this game, because dodging does not grant invincibilty frames, but I am unsure whether this is true or not.

[Call Sign: Raven]

I found that dodging simply is for repositioning, and it got me in more trouble than it should have. You're expected to mainly block or parry in between the moments where you get to attack, since a lot of damage is unavoidable. It's a really annoying combat system that they came up with, honestly.

[Jethro]

I'm not playing the game for /that/ long but so far most attacks have insane tracking, big AoE or multi hits.

Now the iFrames on the dodge are either super tight or non existent which makes blocking way more consistent.
So far the only times i'm using dodge is to cancel animations/attacks and/or reposition.

[Xelane]

Dodging does not give I-frames, so unless you can COMPLETELY get out of the way of the attack, it is not useful.

That being said, the Parry Materia can allow Cloud and Tifa a great deal of mobility while dodging and guarding, so I like it on them quite a lot.

[Xengre]

Dodge is mainly for manuevering away and, imo, is superior if you get good at it (mostly). If you are okay absorbing a bit of dmg than Punisher and Counterstance are very good. Otherwise, blocking is super safe, especially with the materia to boost it (Steadfast Block iirc).

As mentioned by Xelane, Parry Materia helps when using dodge. That said, Parry is pretty famous for being exploited on Tifa particularly because she becomes Sonic the hedgechog basically and will turbo dash everywhere rendering no enemy actually able to hit her due to its speed, recovery speed for spamming, and range. This makes it good to put on her and dodge if you're having trouble avoiding a certain enemy's attacks like the superboss in hard mode.

Honestly, if you just want the simple route everything but the super boss can be beaten with judge Block and Steadfast Guard on everyone. Heal every now and then (esp Chakra and Pray, they're far better than Restore after leveled up and considered some of the most important materia for hard mode).

You can use Barrier, Magic Barrier, or Wall if you are a really having issues with a boss' enemy output. A tip about this. You do NOT need Magnify (aka 'All' materia) paired with Barrier. This is far more important to put with Haste for hard fights. Further, the enemy AI almost entirely aggros the actively controlled character meaning you really only need it on the character you are primarily playing as anyways.

[Forte224]

Yeah, blocking is key. Dodging is more like a dash; it has no i-frames and is intended to simply get you small distances faster. Now, you can use the dodge roll to dodge certain attacks, mainly ones with smaller hitboxes, but it's usually not reliable.

This was part of the point of calling this a "hybrid" battle system between tactical and action. They didn't want to go for a full action game where dodging is key. Therefore, getting hit is okay and simply blocking to reduce that damage is an acceptable strategy, just like using Defend in turn based games to reduce damage instead of relying on "dodging" (aka, the enemy missing you).

[Mako]

The combat system is built around defending against most attacks, as a nod to original game. Defending in FF7R is much stronger than in other action games. Most attacks that look like they would be unblockable in other games can easily be blocked here. On top of that you get ATB charge when blocking.

Almost all unblockable attacks are telegraphed with exclamation mark, and they are very rare. I found myself using dodge mainly to switch back to operator mode and not for its main function.

Weiss, the one and only FF7R superboss, is the only encounter where dodge is more important than blocking.

[BlackOni]

Originally posted by Forte224:

Yeah, blocking is key. Dodging is more like a dash; it has no i-frames and is intended to simply get you small distances faster. Now, you can use the dodge roll to dodge certain attacks, mainly ones with smaller hitboxes, but it's usually not reliable.

This was part of the point of calling this a "hybrid" battle system between tactical and action. They didn't want to go for a full action game where dodging is key. Therefore, getting hit is okay and simply blocking to reduce that damage is an acceptable strategy, just like using Defend in turn based games to reduce damage instead of relying on "dodging" (aka, the enemy missing you).

Does it even get you smaller distances faster than sprinting? In my experience no, but I could be wrong.