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Elden Ring gives players a number of ways to get a critical hit on enemies. From Guard Counters to Sleep Arrows, there are more ways to critically damage enemies in Elden Ring than in any other FromSoftware game. One method is as old as the Souls series itself: Parrying.

Triple Rings of Light Incantation in Elden Ring
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Parrying is a skill that requires near-perfect timing to riposte a strike with a shield (or certain weapons), leaving enemies open for a critical hit. Some of the best Souls players use the Parry mechanic to easily kill everything from low-level enemies to the games' hardest bosses. In Elden Ring, Parrying is performed much the same way as before, though there are some restrictions.

Updated May 6, 2024 by Erik Petrovich: When it comes to the question of how to Parry in Elden Ring, many players have a hard time grasping the fundamentals of the system. To perform a Parry in Elden Ring, you must ensure that your weapon or shield has the Parry Ash of War, then precisely time your input to catch an enemy's attack the moment it strikes you. If performed correctly, you will stun the enemy and open them up to a Riposte. This guide to how to do a Parry in Elden Ring has been updated with some more detailed tips as well as a video tutorial on the system. If you have trouble figuring out the correct Parry timing, Elden Ring players can refer to this video guide to see the correct Parry timing for a regular shield.

Elden Ring Parry System vs Other FromSoftware Games

dark-souls-parry

Parrying in Elden Ring is virtually identical to how it works in other FromSoftware games. If you've played Dark Souls 3, you probably already understand how this mechanic works. One important difference, though, is that the ability to Parry isn't necessarily imbued on every shield in the game.

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The Ash of War system introduced in Elden Ring lets players change the special abilities that come with every weapon. There is an option to remove the Parry ability from shields altogether with an Ash of War. Most of the shields in the game have the ability to Parry, but it's not a guarantee.

How To Parry In Elden Ring

Elden Ring How To Parry Shield Fight

The Elden Ring Parry can only be done with a shield equipped or a weapon with the Parry Ash of War imbued on it, and only works on enemy melee martial attacks. You can't Parry an arrow being shot at you, nor can you parry Sorceries or Incantations. Just about every attack made with a weapon that connects physically with the player, though, can be Parried. When fighting a melee foe, watch their attack patterns and don't dodge away – instead, get ready to test your reflexes.

A fraction of a second before a hit connects, press the Ash of War input for the hand holding your shield (typically LT or L2). If your timing is correct, your enemy's weapon will flail away, dealing no damage and staggering them. This lets you get closer to score a Critical Hit, in this case, called a Riposte. Parrying is a very difficult maneuver to pull off for most players, so be sure to study enemy movements and be confident about your Parrying ability.