Attacking
Do not use heavy attacks as your main method of inflicting damage. Instead, you can do more damage by performing a chain of light attacks and then a heavy attack.
Executing
While fighting minions, there’s a chance to execute them (usually when they are low on health). This is ready when a red skull marker appears around your attack buttons. You take almost no damage from the enemies around you while executing.
When Surrounded
There are multiple ways to get out while being surrounded by enemies. One way is to perform heavy attacks; this contradicts the general attacking advice, but heavy attacks have a wider radius, so you can hit more than one enemy, which is especially useful when surrounded. If the opportunity arises, execute one of the enemies surrounding you to gain wrath or health.
Enemy Blocking
When your opponents are blocking, your attacks do less damage. You could try to take them out with the little amount of damage you do against them while they’re blocking, but it’s better to wait for them to attack and then go in for a light attack yourself to break their guard. Then start chaining hits together.
Blocking
Blocking ends an enemy’s chain (excluding bosses), allowing you to go in for an attack. After the second act, blocking is a little more important because enemies start to do considerably more damage. When blocking, you can still take damage, but you can decrease the amount by using skill points to increase defense.
Dodging
Dodging isn’t necessary when fighting minions, but when fighting bosses, you take more damage than normal while blocking because of their damage output. Dodging out of the way of their attacks is the better strategy.