How Important is Parrying in Elden Ring?

Parrying in Elden Ring is a valuable, but ultimately optional skill. While mastering it can drastically alter the difficulty of certain encounters, particularly against humanoid enemies and specific bosses, it’s not essential to completing the game. Many players successfully navigate the Lands Between without ever attempting a single parry. Its importance hinges on your playstyle, preferred builds, and comfort level with the timing-based mechanic. For those seeking a strategic edge, or those who enjoy the feeling of skillfully deflecting incoming attacks, parrying is a game-changer. But, if you prefer dodging, blocking, or overwhelming enemies with raw power, you can safely ignore it. It’s a powerful tool in the right hands, but not a mandatory one.

The Allure of the Parry: Why Bother?

Elden Ring presents a vast array of combat options, from colossal greatswords to arcane sorceries. So, why dedicate time to learning the nuances of parrying? The answer lies in the unique advantages it provides:

• Breaking Enemy Stance: A successful parry almost always staggers your opponent, leaving them vulnerable to a critical hit. This is especially effective against bosses and tougher enemies with large health pools.
• Interrupting Relentless Assaults: Many Elden Ring bosses are notorious for their aggressive attack patterns. Parrying allows you to interrupt these combos and create openings for your own attacks.
• Resource Efficiency: Unlike blocking, which consumes stamina, a well-timed parry uses very little stamina, allowing you to conserve your energy for dodging and attacking.
• Psychological Advantage: There’s a certain satisfaction that comes from perfectly timing a parry, especially against a challenging opponent. It can boost your confidence and even tilt the battle in your favor.
• PvP Dominance: In player-versus-player combat, parrying is a high-risk, high-reward tactic that can instantly turn the tide of battle. Mastering the timing and understanding your opponent’s attack patterns can make you a formidable duelist.

The Challenges of Parrying

Despite its potential benefits, parrying in Elden Ring is not without its challenges:

• Precise Timing: The parry window (the brief period during which you can successfully deflect an attack) is notoriously tight in Elden Ring. Mastering the timing requires practice and a good understanding of enemy attack animations.
• Risk vs. Reward: A missed parry leaves you completely vulnerable to attack. This makes it a high-risk maneuver, especially against fast-moving enemies or those with unpredictable attack patterns.
• Not All Attacks Can Be Parried: Certain attacks, such as jump attacks and some two-handed colossal weapon swings, cannot be parried. Knowing which attacks can and cannot be parried is crucial.
• Shield Choice Matters: The type of shield you use significantly affects the parry window. Smaller shields, like the Buckler, typically have a wider parry window than larger shields.
• Latency Issues (PvP): In online play, latency can make parrying even more difficult due to slight delays in the timing.

Best Parrying Tools and Techniques

If you’re determined to master the art of parrying, here are some tips and tools to help you get started:

• The Buckler: This small shield is widely considered the best option for parrying due to its generous parry window.
• Carian Retaliation and Golden Parry: These Ashes of War offer improved parry frames compared to standard parries, making them highly effective. They can be applied to small and medium shields.
• Practice Makes Perfect: The best way to improve your parrying skills is to practice against enemies with predictable attack patterns. Start with weaker enemies and gradually work your way up to tougher opponents.
• Study Enemy Attack Animations: Pay close attention to the enemy’s movements and telegraphs to anticipate their attacks and time your parries accordingly.
• Experiment with Different Shields and Ashes of War: Find the combination that best suits your playstyle and preferences.

FAQs: Parrying in Elden Ring

1. Is parrying worth learning in Elden Ring?

Parrying is worth learning in Elden Ring if you enjoy a more strategic and reactive combat style. It’s not essential, but it can make certain encounters significantly easier and provide a satisfying sense of mastery. It’s extremely useful in PvP combat too.

2. What does parrying do in Elden Ring?

Parrying in Elden Ring is a defensive maneuver that deflects incoming attacks, stuns the attacker, and creates an opportunity for a critical counterattack.

3. Is parrying in Elden Ring easy?

No, parrying in Elden Ring is not easy. It requires precise timing and a good understanding of enemy attack patterns. It’s a high-risk, high-reward skill that takes practice to master.

4. What enemies are easiest to parry in Elden Ring?

Humanoid enemies with predictable attack patterns, such as knights and soldiers, are generally the easiest to parry in Elden Ring. Also, the Tree Sentinel is a prime target for skilled players.

5. What is the best shield for parrying in Elden Ring?

The Buckler is widely considered the best shield for parrying in Elden Ring due to its generous parry window.

6. What is the easiest class to parry with in Elden Ring?

The Samurai class, with its high Dexterity, is a good starting point for players interested in parrying, though any class can effectively parry with the right equipment and skill. The Vagabond and Prisoner are also beginner-friendly classes.

7. What is the advantage of parrying over blocking?

Parrying, when successful, staggers the enemy, creates an opening for a critical attack, and uses less stamina than blocking. It is an assertive defensive maneuver.

8. Can you parry every boss in Elden Ring?

No, you cannot parry every boss in Elden Ring. Some bosses have attacks that are unparriable. Some bosses, though, are quite easy to parry repeatedly.

9. Is Golden Parry better than normal parry?

Yes, Golden Parry and Carian Retaliation are better than normal parry due to their larger parry windows, making them more forgiving.

10. What attacks can’t be parried in Elden Ring?

You can’t parry jump attacks and most two-handed colossal weapons and whips.

11. Can I parry Malenia?

Yes, you can parry Malenia in Elden Ring, and some players have even defeated her using only the parry mechanic.

12. Do small shields parry better in Elden Ring?

Yes, small shields generally offer better parrying capabilities due to their wider parry windows.

13. Are heavy attacks worth it in Elden Ring?

Yes, heavy attacks are worth it in Elden Ring. They deal significantly more damage than light attacks and can stagger enemies more easily.

14. What’s the point of parrying?

The point of parrying is to deflect attacks, stun opponents, and create opportunities for critical counterattacks, ultimately leading to a more efficient and strategic combat experience.

15. Why is parrying so much harder in Elden Ring than in Dark Souls?

Parrying is generally considered harder in Elden Ring due to tighter timing windows and changes to the parry mechanics compared to previous Souls games.

Conclusion: Parry or Not to Parry?

Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to learn parrying in Elden Ring comes down to personal preference. It’s a challenging but rewarding skill that can significantly enhance your combat experience. However, it’s not a necessity for completing the game. Experiment, practice, and decide for yourself if the risk is worth the reward. Understanding how games affect learning, skill, and strategy, can be better understood at Games Learning Society. Explore GamesLearningSociety.org to discover more research-based insights into game-based learning and the cognitive impact of gaming.