User blog comment:EmperorArietem/HEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLPPPPP!/@comment-4688189-20140417162748/@comment-4688189-20140417173550

Well, if your builds are specialized, that definately helps. As for some general advice?

Make sure you know your weapon's strengths and weaknesses. Know it's moveset, tracking, range, etc. And definately make sure you know how many swings you can get off before running out of stamina.

Same goes for spells. Make sure you know their tracking, casting times, etc. Also note the casting animation. Spells with similar particle effects and animations can be interchanged during a fight to keep the opponent guessing. A good example was in Dark Souls 1, Dark Orb and Dark Bead looked almost identical while charing, but Dark Orb had a longer cast time and if you used it after 2 or 3 casts of Dark Bead, it often caught the opponent off guard because the tried to roll for Dark Bead.

Make use of the enviroment. If you're on higher ground, try a jumping attack because if you go far enough it becomes a plunging attack, which is very powerful. Some spells can also hit through walls or pillars. A bit cheap, but useful.

Remember to Guard Break opponents who turtle behind their shields.

And parrying? Well, it's tough, but if you have any friends who play Dark Souls 2, you could have them place a red invasion sign or dragon sign and summon them to practice timing with various attacks.

Overall though, it's just a matter of practice.