
Only lower your shield in order to close distance.

You'll still get hit sometimes which will drain your stamina, but the gaps between its attacks tend to be long enough for you to recharge your stamina. Stay as close as possible, keep your shield up whenever possible, and poke with thrusting attacks. Stand to Tree Sentinel's right and a little towards its hind leg, so that some of its attacks swing over your head and miss. Shield and Poke: Any weapon with a thrusting light attack, such as Short Spears or Rapiers, can be used while guarding. Once it enters Phase 2, be sure to preserve enough stamina to run away and roll when it starts winding up a Shield Crush. Allow it to approach you again and repeat. A good shield can help buy you time to escape, especially since many of its attacks have substantially different timings so learning how to dodge them all is challenging. In and Out: Wait for Tree Sentinel to finish an attack and get in a quick hit or two before rolling away to avoid the follow-up. Try exploring the region and come back once you've leveled up and found more powerful gear.
