Why is parrying so bad?

[Sgt. YippyYap]

I completed the game and now I'm doing another run, completely turning the playstyle from the previous run.

I started with the buckler. Apparently it's good at parries? But it's so bad. It's so horrible, it's so inconsistent.
I am even recording myself so I can analyze it better after, and I literally press the parry button during same part of enemy attacks, sometimes I get easy free parries, sometimes it's a miss.

No wonder not a single phantom I see in my games has a shield lmfao.
there is no point in parrying, it's so inconsistent, the hitboxes are broken. Just dodge attacks and that's it.

Apparently parrying is great and all bosses can be parried to some extent, but I really can't see it. It's just suffering because inconsistencies and wonky hitboxes
And you get no information on when to parry and what to parry
And considering all of the Elden Ring bosses have attack windups that are either to slow and then just INSTANT SLASH, or are instant slashes with no windups, how in the hell am I supposed to predict the parry window that only has like, 2 frames at 60 FPS or some dog**** like that

[Wolfguarde]

There's a reason we call them parry kings, my dude. You're in the desert of despair stage of the learning process. Most of us give up there. Some few push through and become gods.

[Chris1]

Parrying is the worst designed mechanic in the game by far. It is an infuriated exercise in trial and error to figure out which attacks can even be parried, and which can't (there is zero visual cues to the player on which attacks are even possible to be parried). Once you discover which individual attacks can actually be parried, now you have to trial and error the timing to understand the exact split-second timing needed to register the parry. Again, there is zero consistency between attacks on the specific timing you need, it's purely an exercise in trial and error.

If you are really interested in parrying, I would recommend checking online regarding the specific attacks and can even be parried and the timing required.

[rhoenix]

Originally posted by Sgt. YippyYap:

I completed the game and now I'm doing another run, completely turning the playstyle from the previous run.

I started with the buckler. Apparently it's good at parries? But it's so bad. It's so horrible, it's so inconsistent.
I am even recording myself so I can analyze it better after, and I literally press the parry button during same part of enemy attacks, sometimes I get easy free parries, sometimes it's a miss.

No wonder not a single phantom I see in my games has a shield lmfao.
there is no point in parrying, it's so inconsistent, the hitboxes are broken. Just dodge attacks and that's it.

Apparently parrying is great and all bosses can be parried to some extent, but I really can't see it. It's just suffering because inconsistencies and wonky hitboxes

If you watch the animations for Parry, especially on a Buckler, you'll see a small swipe to the side, followed by the sweep with the shield across your body. You'll want to practice the enemy attack falling into the timing of that sweep. For what it's worth, I got much better at parrying once I found that out.

Some attacks cannot be parried - but as a general rule, almost all incoming attacks with weapons can be parried, sending an enemy into a stunned animation, making them ripe for a critical hit.

The Golden Parry AoW is more forgiving visually and timing-wise, but costs FP to use each time.

Which one you practice with is entirely up to you, but I'd actually recommend practicing with the good ol' Buckler. Not only does a successful parry cost no FP, learning the nuances of timing with it can help with other things.

[Chris1]

Carian Retaliation and Golden Parry AoW both have the same number of parry frames (6 versus the buckler's 5) - the advantage of Carian Retaliation is that it doesn't cost FP to parry melee.

[Polraudio]

Originally posted by Sgt. YippyYap:

I completed the game and now I'm doing another run, completely turning the playstyle from the previous run.

I started with the buckler. Apparently it's good at parries? But it's so bad. It's so horrible, it's so inconsistent.
I am even recording myself so I can analyze it better after, and I literally press the parry button during same part of enemy attacks, sometimes I get easy free parries, sometimes it's a miss.

No wonder not a single phantom I see in my games has a shield lmfao.
there is no point in parrying, it's so inconsistent, the hitboxes are broken. Just dodge attacks and that's it.

Apparently parrying is great and all bosses can be parried to some extent, but I really can't see it. It's just suffering because inconsistencies and wonky hitboxes
And you get no information on when to parry and what to parry
And considering all of the Elden Ring bosses have attack windups that are either to slow and then just INSTANT SLASH, or are instant slashes with no windups, how in the hell am I supposed to predict the parry window that only has like, 2 frames at 60 FPS or some dog**** like that

LOLOL GIT GUD

[toughnails]

You need to press the parry button EXACTLY at the APEX of the enemy's attack animation, not a moment sooner or later. Usually it's when their arm is at its highest (or furthest) point.

It's very consistent once you get it down. And yeah the buckler is the best parry tool until you get Carian Retaliation or Golden Parry which can be put on any shield.

[rhoenix]

Originally posted by Chris1:

Carian Retaliation and Golden Parry AoW both have the same number of parry frames (6 versus the buckler's 5) - the advantage of Carian Retaliation is that it doesn't cost FP to parry melee.

Good point - Carian Retaliation is a great shield AoW because of this. Because of that timing, you can put Carian Retaliation or Golden Parry on a shield with better protection than the Buckler, allowing you to have a shield that can actually block as well.

[Sabaithal]

Old mechanic from 2+ decades ago. One of the experimental "high risk - high reward" things that oddly stuck. Mainly because if you do pull it off you can 1-shot most enemies and get a free crit on most bosses.

I personally dislike it. The timing has always been awkward due to windup frames. The Deflect mechanic from sekiro (and now being adapted into newer soulslikes) is better if you ask me. Not as high reward, considering you need to deflect multiple times, but much easier to pull off consistently and it doesn't feel like you got it right by accident.

[Redypie]

there are some bosses you can practise on. Malenia is good because she has quick attacks, pretty difficult but you can learn a lot by doing that. If you have already beat her, Ranella is pretty much the same, maybe even a little harder because i feel like she is quicker

[Dedprice]

parrying bosses is difficult, but any npc even the dlc ones is easy as hell.

[Dedprice]

Originally posted by Redypie:

there are some bosses you can practise on. Malenia is good because she has quick attacks, pretty difficult but you can learn a lot by doing that. If you have already beat her, Ranella is pretty much the same, maybe even a little harder because i feel like she is quicker

do not start with malenia. start with the start of the game, and go from there. the attacks are very basic and easy to parry, so you can understand the window of when to parry and when your just shield clashing, or missing entirely.

[Cryptic]

Originally posted by Chris1:

Parrying is the worst designed mechanic in the game by far. It is an infuriated exercise in trial and error to figure out which attacks can even be parried, and which can't (there is zero visual cues to the player on which attacks are even possible to be parried). Once you discover which individual attacks can actually be parried, now you have to trial and error the timing to understand the exact split-second timing needed to register the parry. Again, there is zero consistency between attacks on the specific timing you need, it's purely an exercise in trial and error.

If you are really interested in parrying, I would recommend checking online regarding the specific attacks and can even be parried and the timing required.

I have to agree. I have been playing for a few hours and I've learned a lot in that time and I've gotten a lot better at the game already but parrying feels like it does absolutely nothing. Like I swear to God I let my guy die a few times just so I could try out the parrying system I never successfully got a single parry and I tried it at different points in attacks by just the freaking Lord sworn soldiers that are walking around. The guys with torches and a single sword that you can kill him like one hit. One of the easiest enemies in the game. Yeah, I can't even seem to get those guys attacks parties

[paincanbefun]

wtf

it gives a free critical. you just need to time it correctly

if your results are inconsistent, it's not the bucker's fault

[Agoraphobic Meep]

I've beaten tons of bosses parry only, and with buckler no less, it feels super lenient wtf. It's more important to not watch the buckler animation but watch the enemy's animation and get used to when you should press parry according to that.

For example, with malenia parry only, you're constantly looking for a few specific moves. The click -> dash up which you press parry when she's around halfway through her dash and closing the distance, her circling sidestep -> slash, where you press parry the second her movement has ended and she rears her arm back, and whenever she rears her arm back diagonally left, you parry IMMEDIATELY, because it comes out fast but when you get used to it it's the easiest parry you get out of her.

You do this for every boss. Stop thinking about the actual parry animation and just internalize the timing, IE pressing parry right before a hitbox comes out so that it collides with the parry active frames.

[Cryptic]

Originally posted by paincanbefun:

wtf

it gives a free critical. you just need to time it correctly

if your results are inconsistent, it's not the bucker's fault

says the guy with almost 1400 hours played lol.