What Shields Are Best for Parrying?

The best shields for parrying are those that prioritize speed and parry frames over pure defensive capabilities. While you can parry with any shield in most games, certain types and specific shields are designed to make the act of parrying significantly easier and more effective. In general, small shields and, more specifically, bucklers stand out as the top choices for players looking to master the art of the parry.

The Superiority of Small Shields and Bucklers

Why Small Shields Excel

Small shields are favored for parrying due to their light weight and the fact that they typically grant longer parry windows, which can be crucial for nailing that perfect deflection. They provide minimal protection, making them less ideal for blocking, which is where their strength in parrying lies. This design suits agile characters who value quick reflexes and mobility. The primary advantage comes from the lower animation startup, allowing the user to more rapidly attempt a parry.

The Buckler’s Reign

Among the small shields, the buckler is often considered the gold standard for parrying. It boasts an especially extended parry window, making it the most forgiving for players still honing their parrying skills. While its block capabilities are minimal, the focus of the buckler is squarely on deflecting enemy attacks with precision.

Considering Alternatives: Fist Weapons

While shields are the traditional parrying tools, it’s worth noting an alternative: fist weapons. Weapons such as caestus, manikin claws, regular claws, and the demon fist offer a unique approach. These weapons often have very fast parry animations and minimal downside to missing a parry, unlike larger shields that can leave you vulnerable to attack after a failed attempt.

Beyond the Basics: Understanding Parry Mechanics

Understanding the parry mechanic of the game you are playing is crucial. The core action of parrying usually involves pressing a button right before an attack lands, deflecting it and creating an opening. While specific timing may vary, the goal is to interrupt the enemy’s attack and often create a chance for a critical hit or riposte.

Regular Parry vs. Buckler Parry

Some games feature different parry abilities. For example, in some titles, a standard parry and a “buckler parry” are different. In such cases, the buckler parry will often provide an even more extended parry window, making it easier to land successful deflections.

Golden Parry and Enhanced Abilities

Certain special abilities, such as Golden Parry, can enhance the parrying experience. Golden Parry, for example, infuses the user’s small or medium shield with a wider parrying area, allowing for greater flexibility in the timing of the deflective action. These skills often come at a cost, usually requiring some resource, like FP (Focus Points), per use.

Guard Counters: A Different Type of Defense

It’s important to distinguish between a parry and a guard counter. A guard counter works similarly to a perfect parry from other games, often without the need for as precise timing. This mechanic makes defensive builds viable, but it’s different from the primary focus of a parry.

Why Choose Parrying?

Parrying is not just a defensive maneuver, but also a strategic offensive technique. Successfully parrying an enemy can not only mitigate damage but also create an opening for a devastating counterattack. This makes it a more active and aggressive form of defense, as compared to a simple block.

The Advantages of Parrying

• Efficient Use of Energy: Parrying uses minimal resources compared to blocking.
• Assertive Defense: Allows the player to turn defense into offense.
• Stagger Opponents: Successful parries stagger enemies, setting them up for critical attacks.
• Dominant Position: Parrying can put the player in a superior position.

Practical Implications

In practical terms, parrying is a critical tool in many encounters. It can be an effective tool against formidable bosses and essential in player vs. player battles. Mastering the parry mechanics will lead to a significant advantage over those who rely solely on blocking. However, it’s important to note that parrying isn’t a replacement for blocking but rather a complement to a well-rounded combat strategy. It also might not be as effective against all enemy types. For example, most bosses have movesets which are harder to parry than regular foes.

Conclusion

In conclusion, for anyone seeking to master parrying, focusing on small shields, especially bucklers, and exploring fast fist weapons are the most effective choices. Understanding how to properly time your parries is crucial to gaining an advantage in combat. These shields offer the perfect blend of speed and extended parry windows needed to deflect attacks with ease. The ability to parry provides an advantage in the game that makes learning it worthwhile. With diligent practice, the parry will become an important aspect of your gameplay.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Can you parry with any shield?

Yes, you can generally parry with any shield. However, certain shields are more suited for it due to their parry windows and animation speed.

2. Do small shields parry better?

Yes, small shields generally parry better than larger shields due to their lighter weight and longer parry windows, making them ideal for players who prefer parrying.

3. Is the Buckler the best parrying shield?

The Buckler is often considered one of the best parrying shields due to its very long parry window, which is more forgiving for players learning to parry.

4. What is a “Buckler Parry”?

A buckler parry is often an enhanced form of parry available specifically with a buckler, providing a more generous window for success. This can usually be used via a skill or ability, rather than a regular parry.

5. Is parrying better than blocking?

Parrying and blocking are both valuable defensive techniques. Parrying offers an offensive opportunity when successful, while blocking is better suited for sustained defense. The best technique will depend on the situation.

6. What is a successful parry?

A successful parry occurs when you activate your parry move just before an enemy’s melee attack hits, deflecting their blow and often staggering them.

7. Is a Heater Shield good for parrying?

While the Heater Shield can parry, it’s not ideal. Its parry window and animation are typically slower and shorter than those of small shields like the buckler, making it less effective.

8. What is a guard counter?

A guard counter is a defensive action that involves blocking an attack and then immediately launching a counterattack. It’s less timing-dependent than a parry.

9. What does Golden Parry do?

Golden Parry enhances parrying by emitting a wide-arcing golden wave of energy from the shield. It also expands the parry window, making parrying easier for the user.

10. Is parrying effective against bosses?

Yes, parrying can be effective against certain bosses, especially those that use predictable melee attacks. However, some bosses may have moves that are very hard or impossible to parry.

11. What is the advantage of parrying?

Parrying allows you to turn a defensive action into an offensive one, by creating an opening to counter. It’s also an efficient defensive action which uses little energy and can be an excellent way to disrupt attacks.

12. Are fist weapons good for parrying?

Fist weapons such as caestus, claws, and demon fists can parry effectively due to their speed and low risk of penalties after failed attempts, making them an agile alternative to shields.

13. What is the Iron Buckler?

The Iron Buckler is a type of buckler that, in some games, provides an enhanced parry bonus at the cost of blocking potential, making it highly suitable for parrying.

14. How do you improve your parrying skills?

Improving parrying requires practice. Start by trying to parry predictable attacks, and gradually work towards parrying more challenging ones. Consider using a shield with a longer parry window like a buckler while learning.

15. What happens after a successful parry?

After a successful parry, the enemy is often staggered, creating an opening for a follow-up attack, sometimes a critical hit or riposte with an increased level of damage.