Mastering the art of parrying in Elden Ring can be the difference between life and death in the game’s treacherous landscapes. This high-risk, high-reward mechanic allows players to deflect enemy attacks with precision, creating openings for devastating counterattacks. However, timing is everything; a successful parry not only negates damage but also leaves foes vulnerable to a critical hit, while a missed attempt can lead to significant punishment. Whether you’re facing off against relentless bosses or cunning PvP opponents, learning how to parry effectively can elevate your combat skills and enhance your gameplay experience. Dive into our guide to discover essential tips, optimal shields, and the best strategies for perfecting your parrying technique.
Parrying – is it necessary?
Parrying in Elden Ring is a high-risk, high-reward combat mechanic that can significantly enhance your gameplay, but it is not strictly necessary for success. While mastering parrying allows players to deflect enemy attacks and capitalize on openings for critical hits, many players may find alternative strategies more suitable for their playstyle. Certain builds, such as mages or ranged characters, may not even utilize shields, making parrying less relevant. Additionally, some enemy attacks are either too fast or unpredictable to effectively counter. Ultimately, while learning to parry can provide a tactical advantage in specific situations, players can complete the game without relying on this mechanic.
It’s worth starting with the fact that parrying is absolutelynot necessary to deal with opponents easier and faster. First of all, you won’t always be able to parry an opponent, as some attacks cannot be countered. Other attacks can be so fast or hard to predict that even though they can be parried, it’s not really worth doing. The reward for parrying such an attack will be much lower than the risk of taking significant damage.
Secondly, parrying will also not be necessary, or sometimes even available, depending on what build you choose. If you decide to play as a mage or a ranged character, you are unlikely to carry a shield in your inventory. It’s true that certain one- or two-handed weapons sometimes give you the option to parry, but there aren’t many weapons like this. Also, the parrying animation is slightly different compared to the shields, and sometimes confusing.
To sum up, parrying is still a very useful mechanic that’s worth learning, assuming that your build is centred around it. Knowing how to parry is useful in many situations, but it isn’t required to complete the game.
Parrying correctly
Parrying correctly in Elden Ring involves mastering the timing and execution of this high-risk, high-reward combat mechanic. To successfully parry an enemy’s attack, you must wait until their weapon is nearly touching your character before activating the parry skill, typically by pressing the L2/LT button on your controller. This requires keen observation of the enemy’s attack animations, as different attacks have specific windows for successful parries. If executed perfectly, a parry will stagger the enemy, allowing you to follow up with a powerful counterattack. However, failing to time your parry correctly can result in taking damage and losing stamina, making it crucial to practice against less aggressive foes to hone your skills before facing tougher opponents.
Parrying, i.e. deflecting enemy attacks, is a high risk, high reward mechanic. You are risking a lot by using this technique. If you manage to pull it off correctly, the payoff is really big.
In order to learn how to parry correctly, you should practice this mechanic on an enemy that won’t deal too much damage to you and whose attacks are easy to read.
Once you have found such an enemy, provoke them to attack you. However, don’t try to parry the first hit. Instead, block their attack or move away to avoid taking any damage. Observe their attack animation. You should parry when the enemy’s weapon is right in front of you, not at the very start of the attack.
You need to parry when the enemy’s weapon comes close to your character. If you do this correctly, you will hear the iconic sound of a parried attack. In addition, the enemy will be thrown off balance for a short while, giving you the opportunity to approach them and then counterattack to deal tons of damage.
If you fail to parry, you will see that the opponent is still attacking and you take damage. Usually, the enemies will chain their attacks, so it’s not worth trying to deflect the hit again after the first unsuccessful parry, as the series of attacks will continue. The main reasons are that you most likely won’t be familiar with the animations and there’s a chance you might die after taking two hits in a row.
What are the best shields for parrying in Elden Ring
In Elden Ring, the effectiveness of parrying can significantly depend on the shield you choose. Here are the best shields for parrying:
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Buckler
- Description: The Buckler is renowned for its large parry window, making it the most forgiving shield for parrying in the game. While it offers minimal protection, its unique skill, “Buckler Parry,” allows for instant stance breaks on enemies.
- Location: Purchased from Gatekeeper Gostoc at Stormveil Castle for 1,500 runes.
- Weight: Light, enabling quick maneuvers.
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Red Thorn Roundshield
- Description: This is a solid starting shield for the Samurai class, providing decent physical and magic guard. It can be infused with Ashes of War to enhance its capabilities.
- Location: Available from a Nomadic Merchant in Weeping Peninsula.
- Weight: Moderate, balancing defense and agility.
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Gilded Iron Shield
- Description: A lightweight shield with excellent physical damage guard (69), making it suitable for parrying while maintaining good defensive stats against magic and incantations.
- Location: Found on a corpse at the Church of Pilgrimage in Weeping Peninsula.
- Weight: 3.0, optimal for parrying.
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Scripture Wooden Shield
- Description: Extremely lightweight and designed for quick parries, this shield is less effective at blocking but excels in speed, allowing players to react swiftly.
- Location: Starting item for the Astrologer class or found in Deathtouched Catacombs.
- Weight: Only 1.5, making it one of the fastest options.
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Spiralhorn Shield
- Description: A versatile lightweight shield that scales off strength and dexterity, making it effective for various builds focused on parrying.
- Location: Located in the Maloseum Compound.
- Weight: 2.0, providing a balance between speed and defense.
These shields not only enhance your parrying capabilities but also allow you to engage effectively with Elden Ring’s challenging combat mechanics .
Which shield has the fastest parry speed
The shield with the fastest parry speed in Elden Ring is the Buckler. This small shield features a parry startup of just four frames, making it one of the quickest options available for executing parries. Additionally, it has a parry duration of five frames and a recovery time of 16 frames, allowing for responsive reactions during combat23.
For those looking for alternatives, the Golden Parry Ash of War can also be applied to shields, providing similar speed and effectiveness. It boasts a four-frame startup and six frames of duration, enhancing the parrying capabilities significantly when combined with a small or medium shield23.
In summary, if you want the fastest parry speed, the Buckler is your best bet, but consider using Golden Parry for additional versatility in parrying mechanics.
