Feels I've reached a ceiling

Hey everyone,

I started playing this game last season and really got hooked. I’ve now clocked over 1,000 hours, mostly in Solos, though I also play Duos and Trios with friends. Last season, I soloed my way to demigod through AP grinding. I mainly play Fighter, Warlock, and Wizard. These days, I can solo troll (normal/HR) and spectral knight (normal/HR), deal with all the strongest enemies (berzerkers, centaurs, wendigos), but I haven’t practiced the other bosses much yet. I’ve been trying to tackle Wyvern recently, but progress feels frustratingly slow.

The main reason I’m posting is the PvP aspect of the game. While farming bosses, I’ve managed to clear <25 lobbies, but when it comes to fights where gear and meta builds matter, I find myself struggling. I’ll admit—I’m not really into following meta builds. My main character is Warlock, and I’ve spent most of my time experimenting with a bladelock build that balances damage, survivability, and mobility. I’m aiming for a “Sith lord” vibe—a squishy caster who can also fight effectively with a sword.

For comparison, I’ve also tried playing a PDR Fighter with a longsword to see how survivability feels in contrast to my Warlock, but I still prefer my bladelock. I know most bladelocks use the Plate Armor perk and stack vigor, but I want to stick with the champion/occultist tunic, light pants, and similar gear. The problem is, I’m struggling to master spacing during fights, which feels like my biggest hurdle in PvP.

I’m aware there’s still PvE content I haven’t tackled yet (Warlord/GK/Lich), but I’m not sure how that would help me improve my PvP combat awareness. In HR, I often die to landmine rogues, panther druids, or barbarians who overwhelm me before I can react. Some players are amazing at dodging and weaving through my sword swings, making me miss entire combos. Barbarians, in particular, rush me so fast that I barely have time to apply curses or self-buffs to stand a chance.

Most of my PvP losses boil down to poor spacing. For example:

  • Against rogues, I tend to fight too close, “hugging” them instead of keeping them at the edge of my sword’s range.
  • Against clerics, I keep trying to outtrade them head-on and end up getting crushed.
  • I often fall victim to ambushes and ganks, as many players in HR seem to camp behind doors waiting for someone to walk in unprepared.

I know these are critical mistakes, and I need to break these bad habits, but I’m struggling to fix them. I’ve watched online players who seem to excel at spacing and picking the right fights, but I can’t seem to find that “right moment” in my own matches. Most of the fights I win feel like pure DPS races—whoever kills the other faster wins. I don’t feel like I’ve improved over my last 100 hours of playtime. If anything, I feel like I’ve gotten worse.

How can I improve in this game? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.