Yea, shield parry is the best way to deal with them, they get staggered and then even spear does decent damage.

If you are fighting in crypts/dense forest its easy to hit multiple things (like skelton and walls/trees) which reduces your damage significantly. It does work in opposite direction too btw.

Try to pick where you start switning back. Beside that, you have to allow your opponent to attack too. Let them swing and miss. get 1 or two hits in then move back so they miss next swing, keep moving.

Dont jump or sprint all the time, stamina is your lifeblood.

When you get to it Stagbraker (made from deer thropies) is very effective vs them.