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A Guard Counter works similar to a Perfect Parry in Sekiro, though it doesn’t require nearly as precise timing. It’s a mechanic that makes defensive builds much more fun. Instead of hiding behind a Shield and poking for damage every once in a while, a Guard Counter gives defensive players a new tool that can punish especially aggressive opponents.
Updated June 30, 2022 by Erik Petrovich: The Guard Counter is a new melee maneuver in Elden Ring, one that has confused some players who are perhaps too used to the flow of combat in other FromSoftware games. The Elden Ring block counter, as it is called by some players, lets players perform a new powerful move immediately after blocking. Though it can trigger Critical Hits in Elden Ring, it is different than a Parry because it doesn’t instantly open them up for a counter attack. Instead, by introducing the Guard Counter Elden Ring provides players a way to stun enemies without having to Parry them. It’s not as complicated as it sounds, though there are some ways to make this new move more reliable with Ashes of War and careful planning.
Guard Counters Make Shields And Melee Builds More Viable
A Guard Counter is a special attack that can be performed after defending with a Shield. It deals far higher damage to posture than a regular Heavy Attack – very weak enemies will be stunned in a single hit by a well-timed Guard Counter. It’s great for interrupting enemies who like to cast right after striking, like the Godskin Apostle, but its real strength comes from triggering Critical Hit opportunities.
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When the hidden posture meter is broken, an enemy will be stunned and usually have a specific place players can strike to initiate a unique Critical Hit. Because Guard Counters deal so much damage to this meter, it should be a regular part of your melee build rotation.
Guard Counter Tips
Melee builds in other FromSoftware games revolve around ducking in and out of combat to deal a bit of damage at a time. With this mechanic, staying in the middle of a fight is much more encouraged than in the Dark Souls series as it gives shield-wielding melee players another mechanic to look out for and take advantage of.
Use Shields with a higher Guard Boost value to maximize your Stamina reduction, and consider using the Barricade Shield Ash of War to make Blocking even more effective, leaving plenty of Stamina for the comeback. Guard Counters can only be done if you have Stamina remaining after blocking, so be sure to keep your Shield lowered in between enemy attacks to recover Stamina much more quickly.
How To Guard Counter In Elden Ring
To pull off a Guard Counter, first find an enemy who hits up close. The Godrick Soldiers in early Limgrave are a good enemy to test this mechanic out on, but any enemy that deals blockable damage can trigger the Guard Counter. For instance, blocking a Glintstone Pebble at melee range will still allow a Guard Counter just like a physical damage attack.
To Guard Counter, first raise your Shield with the left shoulder button (L1) as you are about to take a hit. As soon as the attack hits your Shield and your Stamina bar takes damage, press the right trigger (R2). If done correctly, you will hear a special sound play as your character whisks around to retaliate in a unique animation, dealing a huge amount of damage to both the enemy’s HP and hidden posture meter.
Elden Ring is available now for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X|S.
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