The most important thing to understand is the combat timing since youll need to watch enemy movements carefully for optimal attacks. When going for melee strikes, look for the wind-up animations before committing, especially when using daggers which have a specific four-hit combo ending in that powerful two-handed stab. The bow combat feels completely different now, with enemies actually reacting based on where you hit them - striking the legs can slow them down while upper body hits can stagger them back.

A really useful detail to remember is that power attacks now apply weakness debuffs to enemies, but you need to manage your stamina since infinite swinging isnt possible anymore. Shield mechanics are particularly interesting, where durability actually matters during blocks and shield bashes have been improved with reduced stamina costs. For magic users, youll want to keep in mind that spells work differently than the dual-wielding system - you select one active spell that runs in the background while fighting, which requires some adjustment if youre used to newer systems.

The shortsword is probably your best starting weapon since it has that really effective lunging thrust during strong attacks, just time it right when enemies are recovering. Watch for the blood splatter effects too, they're not just visual - they help confirm when youve landed a solid hit and can guide your combo timing.