Mastering the Golden Parry: Your Early-Game Elden Ring Advantage
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The Golden Parry Ash of War is a game-changer in Elden Ring, offering significantly improved parry frames compared to the standard parry. To obtain it early, venture to the Outskirts of Leyndell, Royal Capital, specifically near the Outer Wall Phantom Tree Site of Grace. Look for large shut frame doors where you’ll find aristocrats begging. Near the bottom of the stairs leading up to these doors, on the left-hand side, you’ll find a Teardrop Scarab perched on a railing. Killing this scarab will reward you with the coveted Golden Parry Ash of War. This single acquisition can dramatically alter your early-game combat strategy, providing a powerful defensive and offensive tool.
Understanding the Power of Golden Parry
The Golden Parry Ash of War is not just a simple upgrade; it fundamentally changes how you approach combat in Elden Ring. Unlike the standard parry, Golden Parry offers a larger parry window, making it significantly easier to deflect enemy attacks. This enhanced timing allows you to more consistently stagger opponents, setting them up for critical attacks and turning the tide of battles, even against formidable foes. It has 4 start-up frames and 6 parry frames at 30 FPS.
Why Get it Early?
Acquiring the Golden Parry early in your playthrough provides several crucial advantages:
- Enhanced Defense: Survive encounters that would otherwise be overwhelming.
- Offensive Opportunities: Consistently stagger enemies for critical hits, dramatically increasing your damage output.
- Learning Curve: Mastering the Golden Parry early sets you up for success against later, more challenging bosses.
- FP Efficiency: The FP cost is minimal, making it usable even with limited Mind stat investment.
Choosing the Right Shield
While the Golden Parry Ash of War can be applied to small and medium shields, some shields are inherently better suited for parrying than others. The Buckler is widely considered the best early-game parry shield due to its extended parry frames. You can purchase it from Gatekeeper Gostoc at the main gate of Stormveil Castle for 1,500 runes. Its affordability and effectiveness make it an ideal choice for early acquisition.
Integrating Golden Parry into Your Playstyle
Once you have the Golden Parry Ash of War and a suitable shield, it’s crucial to integrate it effectively into your combat strategy. This involves learning enemy attack patterns, mastering the timing of the parry, and understanding when to prioritize parrying over other defensive maneuvers like dodging or blocking.
Practice Makes Perfect
- Target Practice: Practice parrying against weaker enemies to get a feel for the timing.
- Observe Enemy Patterns: Learn the telegraphs for enemy attacks to predict when to parry.
- Experiment with Timing: Don’t be afraid to experiment with different parry timings to find what works best for you.
- Patience: Mastering the Golden Parry takes time and practice. Don’t get discouraged by early failures.
Golden Parry vs. Other Parry Options
Elden Ring offers several parry options, including Carian Retaliation and various shield-specific parries. However, Golden Parry stands out due to its ease of acquisition, effectiveness, and versatility.
Golden Parry vs. Carian Retaliation
Both Golden Parry and Carian Retaliation have the same parry frame data, making them the best parries in the game. However, Carian Retaliation requires a specific build focused on Intelligence, as it retaliates with magical glintblades. Golden Parry, on the other hand, is universally applicable and doesn’t require any specific stat investment.
Golden Parry vs. Standard Parry
The standard parry offers significantly fewer parry frames than Golden Parry, making it much more challenging to execute consistently. Once you have access to Golden Parry, there is little reason to rely on the standard parry.
Overcoming Challenges with Golden Parry
While Golden Parry is incredibly powerful, it’s not a guaranteed win button. Certain enemies and bosses have attacks that are difficult or impossible to parry, requiring you to adapt your strategy accordingly.
Unparryable Attacks
- Grab Attacks: Most grab attacks cannot be parried and must be avoided through dodging.
- Certain Boss Abilities: Some boss abilities have unique properties that make them unparryable.
Adapting Your Strategy
- Know Your Enemy: Research enemy attack patterns to identify parryable and unparryable attacks.
- Mix Defensive Options: Don’t rely solely on parrying. Incorporate dodging and blocking into your strategy.
- Use Spirit Summons: Spirit Summons can provide valuable distractions, allowing you to create openings for attacks or parries.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Where exactly do I find the Golden Parry Ash of War?
It’s on the Outskirts of Leyndell, Royal Capital, near the Outer Wall Phantom Tree Site of Grace. Look for the Teardrop Scarab on a railing near the large shut frame doors with the begging aristocrats.
2. What shields can I apply the Golden Parry Ash of War to?
You can apply it to small and medium shields.
3. Is the Buckler the only good shield for parrying?
No, but it is considered the best early-game option due to its extended parry frames and ease of acquisition.
4. Does my character’s stats affect the effectiveness of Golden Parry?
No, the effectiveness of Golden Parry is not affected by your stats. It provides the same parry frames regardless of your build.
5. How many parry frames does Golden Parry have?
Golden Parry has 4 start-up frames and 6 parry frames at 30 FPS.
6. Can I parry every attack in Elden Ring?
No, some attacks, particularly grab attacks and certain boss abilities, are unparryable.
7. Is Golden Parry better than Carian Retaliation?
They have the same parry frames, but Golden Parry is more universally applicable since it doesn’t require Intelligence investment.
8. How much FP does Golden Parry cost?
The FP cost is minimal, making it usable even with low Mind stat investment.
9. Can I use Golden Parry on a Greatshield?
No, Golden Parry can only be applied to small and medium shields.
10. Does upgrading my shield improve the effectiveness of Golden Parry?
Upgrading your shield will improve its guard boost and damage reduction, but it will not affect the parry frames provided by the Golden Parry Ash of War.
11. Can you parry Malenia with the Golden Parry?
Yes, Malenia can be parried, and skilled players have defeated her using only the parry mechanic.
12. What is the best early game stat in Elden Ring?
Endurance is the most important stat to level up early on, no matter your chosen Elden Ring class, because it increases your stamina.
13. Can katanas parry Elden Ring?
Of course. Pretty much all swords can parry to some extent and, as the katana is used without a shield, an inability to parry would be a giant disadvantage.
14. Can you parry with Storm Wall?
Yes, Storm Wall is a regular skill that can be found in Ashes of War and can be applied to small and medium shields. This skill deflects incoming physical projectiles such as arrows but can also be used as a regular parry skill.
15. Is Bloodhound Parryable?
Yes, if you like to parry, the perfect opportunity is when he does the attack where he drags his claw on the ground. Parry the first hit, and you will stagger him, leaving him vulnerable for a big attack.
Conclusion
The Golden Parry Ash of War is a powerful tool that can significantly enhance your early-game experience in Elden Ring. By acquiring it early, mastering its timing, and integrating it effectively into your combat strategy, you can overcome challenging encounters and dominate your enemies. Remember to practice, experiment, and adapt your strategy as needed. For further exploration of the intersection of gaming and learning, consider visiting the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org. Good luck, Tarnished, and may your parries be golden!