When to use parry?

[CatGPT]

I am new to this game (about one week). Many guides discuss the importance of parry, but I haven't yet figured out when it is better than other alternatives. I play on nightmare difficulty with auto-level mode. Normally, in melee combat, if I want to play defensive, I would charge my heavy attack, dodge, release charged heavy attacks, sleep dart, hidden blade, chain assassination; or after releasing charged heavy attacks, I would light attack, attack and push, overpower attack, chain throw. If I want to go offensive, I would initiate with shield bash or smoke screen, then I either do sleep dart combo, or attack and push combo, or head shot (after smoke screen). I try to fit parry in my game play, but I find it more risky than dodge. The timings for parrying light and heavy attacks are different. On nightmare difficulty, messing up one parry timing could easily get me killed. I just don't know when and how to use parry in a safe and consistent manner.

[Adx]

Dont bother using parry on normal guys.use it on big guys with shield and other elites.

[EbonHawk]

But not too big, because those guys are basically unblockable and their strikes just blast through your defenses. Master the Dodge. Be one with the Dodge. Sleep with it, eat with it, take a shower with it. But USE it. :-)