Elden Ring introduces a huge variety of combat mechanics intended to make melee fighting and defensive gameplay much less about turtling and more about getting into the action. In Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, constantly being on the offensive is a legitimate strategy. In Elden Ring, it's easier to stay in the fight than ever before thanks to mechanics like Guard Counter.
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 July 28th, 2023: Guard Counter in Elden Ring can be an exceptionally useful skill to help take down tougher opponents. Players that opt to use shields throughout their Elden Ring adventure will have this additional maneuver up their sleeves to help them dish out damage while simultaneously soaking it up. To better help new and returning players with how to Guard Counter in Elden Ring, the following guide has been updated to include a video snippet of the Guard Counter in action to give a visual aid to those struggling to pull it off.
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.
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.