Press Y to draw or sheathe your weapon on PC by default. With the weapon drawn, press middle mouse to lock a target. Hold W, A, S, or D with left mouse for a directional attack, or with right mouse for a directional block. To inspect clues, sheathe first and then hold right mouse for Focus; right mouse does not use Focus while a weapon is drawn.

Confirm the live binding first

Press Esc for the pause menu, open Settings, then select Controls. PC keyboard and mouse actions can be rebound one at a time: left-click the action, then press the new input. The Y and mouse bindings below are defaults only; use the binding shown in your current settings if it differs.

Find Draw/Sheathe Weapon in Controls before you begin. It is the correct action for drawing and putting away a weapon. Do not confuse it with F, which swaps to another equipped weapon; Y draws or sheathes the current one.

Enter the first combat exchange

  1. Press Y once before approaching an enemy and confirm the weapon is drawn. Press Y again to sheathe after the encounter and return to exploration.
  2. Face the enemy and press middle mouse to lock it. Target selection is easier to maintain once locked; with more than one enemy, use the mouse wheel to cycle targets.
  3. Do not attack continuously as soon as you lock on. Read the incoming direction indicator before deciding to attack, block, or dodge.
  4. To leave combat, inspect tracks, or examine the environment, press Y to sheathe and hold right mouse for Focus. If right mouse blocks instead of using Focus, the weapon is usually still drawn.

Default PC keyboard and mouse inputs

  • Draw / sheathe: Y. Use it when entering combat or returning to exploration.
  • Swap weapon: F. Use it only when you need another equipped weapon.
  • Lock target: Middle mouse. Use it to keep one enemy in view.
  • Directional attack: Hold W/A/S/D plus left mouse. Attack against an enemy direction.
  • Directional block: Hold W/A/S/D plus right mouse. Match the incoming direction and practice Perfect Block.
  • Omni Block: Right mouse alone. Use it for temporary guard, not a Perfect Block drill.
  • Dodge: Hold a movement direction plus Space. Use it for an unblockable attack or to leave its line.
  • Focus: Hold right mouse while sheathed. Use it for tracking, inspecting clues, or abilities.

Directional attack and block both require a direction plus mouse input; clicking a mouse button alone uses an omni action. Omni Block cannot trigger Perfect Block and costs stamina, so use directional block when practicing counters.

A repeatable basic drill

  1. Draw your weapon, lock one enemy, and spend the first exchange reading direction indicators instead of starting a long attack chain.
  2. For a normal attack, hold the matching direction and right-click to block. When the shield turns orange, practice completing a Perfect Block on that cue.
  3. For an unblockable cue, stop blocking and hold a sideways movement direction plus Space. Face the target again after the dodge and read the next attack.
  4. After a successful block, make one directional attack and return to guard. Add longer chains only after this loop is reliable, so you can identify whether direction, timing, or attacking too early caused the problem.

If drawing, Focus, or target lock fails

If Y does nothing, open Controls and check whether Draw/Sheathe Weapon is still bound to Y or has been changed. If right mouse only blocks, sheathe first; Focus works only while the weapon is not drawn. If middle mouse does not lock, face an available target and press it again; use the wheel to switch when there are several targets.

Once you can reliably draw, lock, complete one directional block, and dodge sideways, move to the blocking, dodge, and counter guide for Perfect Block and counter practice. Do not impose unverified hit counts, frame timings, or enemy values; completing those four actions cleanly is the check.