Parrying in FromSoftware games can be incredibly difficult, and Elden Ring is no different. However, parrying a hit from an enemy is very satisfying and allows you to stagger the enemy and go for a critical strike. However, it’s important to note that not every attack an enemy does is able to be parried, nor can every enemy in the game be parried.
How to Parry in Elden Ring
For the most part, a vast majority of enemies in Elden Ring can be parried though it requires you to be incredibly precise with your timing. In order to parry, you need to have a shield or an item in your left hand that has the parry skill attached. You can do this by pressing the skill button (usually left trigger or L2) right before an enemy hits you.
To know whether or not your parry has been successful, you’ll see your enemy stumble or recoil from your attack. If you have done it correctly, you’ll also take no damage from their attack. While most enemies will stagger from a single parry, some other enemies (predominantly bosses) will require you to parry multiple times in order to stagger them successfully.
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Parrying in boss fights can be very useful, as it can deplete their health a lot quicker if you are successful in getting critical strike hits on your opponent. Critical ripostes can be activated after a successful parry that stuns an enemy by pressing the right bumper or R1 after it.
Who can be Parried in Elden Ring?
While for the majority, a lot of enemies can be parried in Elden Ring, there are some enemy types as well as attacks that can’t be parried. For example:
- Humanoid enemies can be parried, such as Soldiers.
- Attacks with weapons. Tree Sentinel’s Halberd Combo can be parried, but not the Horse Bash or Charge Attack.
- Physical attacks can be parried. Margit’s swing flurry can be parried, but not his Hammer Smash.
Who can’t be parried?
There are a few exceptions to the parry rule, which will be listed below. Here are some examples of what you can’t parry in Elden Ring
- Huge enemies can’t be parried such as Trolls and Golems. However, Omens can be.
- Flails and Whips can’t be parried.
- Ranged attacks are never able to parried unless you use special parry skills (such as Carian Retaliation).
In order to have the best success with parrying, you’ll want to use small shields like the Buckler Shield, which is available very early in Limgrave. Learning to parry can take a lot of time, so don’t be disheartened if you don’t get it straight away!
Alternatively, there are spells you can use that parry, but they will cost FP to be used. This includes Carian Retaliation, Golden Wall, and Thops’ Barrier.
Tips for Parrying in Elden Ring
If you’re struggling to parry and are finding it a rather frustrating ordeal, don’t panic. Take a breath and read through some of our tips for the best ways to parry in the game.
- Keep practicing! It sounds obvious, but it isn’t something that you’ll be able to grasp in seconds. It can get frustrating having to practice over and over again, but learning the timing is crucial.
- Watch the enemy’s hand rather than the weapon. While it may seem like watching the weapon would be the best bet, you actually want to watch the hand. It’ll allow you to figure out the power of the attack coming at you and when the weapon is expected to hit you.
- Using either a parry spell or a buckler shield is your best chance at success. The bigger the shield, the longer the delay before each connection of shield and weapon.
Good luck, Tarnished!
