I've seen a lot of discussion about parrying recently, so I thought I'd put together a little guide on some parrying techniques. [b]NOTE: This is mainly for PvP, PvE relies solely on reaction parrying and timing[/b] [b]TL;DR:[/b] Prediction Parrying - parry when you think your opponent is about to attack. Great for parrying counter attacks. Reaction Parrying - parry when you see your opponent start swinging. Only works vs very slow weapons. Setup Parry - block the first swing of a combo, parry the second swing. Backstep Parry - backstep through the first attack of a combo, parry the second The parry button is usually LT(L2), but with certain equipment (e.g. Rapier) the heavy attack is replaced by a parry. The different parry tools available are as follows: Small Shields - There are actually 2 types of small shields, "fast" small shields and "slow" small shields. They both have the same active parry frames, so there's not much of a difference, the "slow" ones just have a slightly longer animation. Small shields are one of the best parry tools available, as they have a lot of active parry frames. Medium Shields - Has fewer active parry frames than a small shield, but makes up for it by being better at "setup parries" (see below). Also makes for a better overall shield. Parry Shields - Most active parry frames in the game. The absolute best tools for parrying, but makes it obvious that you'll be attempting a parry. Parrying Dagger - Actually has less parry frames than a small shield, but is extremely quick to start the active parry frames, making it exceptional at reaction parrying (see below). Curved Swords - I'm not too sure about these, as I struggle to land parries with them. I believe the timing is similar to medium shields. Thrusting Swords - My personal favourite. They take a while to start their parry frames (in PvP they start just before you actually hear the parry sound), but they have one of the most stylish parry animations and have a decent amount of parry frames (slightly less than a small shield). "Super" Parry - This includes parries with large weapons, like Greatswords, Ultra Greatswords, and Curved Greatswords. It's best to try and parry a counter attack with these weapons, as it cuts down on the start-up frames if you parry immediately after you attack. I don't recommend using super parries too often, but they're extremely satisfying when you pull them off. Hilt Parry - When you're 2-handing a small weapon, the parry is called a hilt parry. They have the least active parry frames (along with a bare fist and fist weapons, which are almost identical to hilt parries in terms of timing), technically making them the worst at parrying. However, it's entirely down to personal preference. [b]Now onto parrying techniques[/b] [b][u]Prediction Parrying[/u][/b] This is 90% of the parrying I see in PvP. It's basically where you anticipate an enemy attack and parry when you think they're about to strike, either resulting in a successful parry, or getting you hit. I tend to avoid attempting a prediction parry where possible, as it's not worth the risk. That being said, it can be hugely beneficial in certain circumstances. First of all, though, [b]don't make it obvious you're going for a parry![/b] Too often I see someone with a buckler glued to their left hand screaming "prediction parry", and will make any decent PvP player delay their attack or switch to a weapon that can't be parried. Use something inconspicuous, like a Rapier. A lot of players rely on counter attacks to hit their enemies, which is where the prediction parry comes into play. It's very easy to bait a counter attack, and with some practice, parrying them will become second nature. Roll attacks can also be parried easily, but make sure you know the moveset of your opponent's weapon before you attempt a parry, as some can be tricky to time. [b][u]Reaction Parrying[/u][/b] Not as effective as it was during the Monastery Scimitar parry days, but it can still work against slower weapons. For this parry, you wait until you see the enemy start their attack animation, then time your parry accordingly. The best parry tool for this is the parrying dagger, as it has one of the fewest (if not the fewest) frames before the active parry frames kick in, and as an added bonus it has extra parry frames. Personally, I only use this technique against Ultra Greatswords, but I've seen it work against regular Greatswords (although you need cat-like reflexes). [b][u]Setup Parrying[/u][/b] More advanced than the other techniques, but still relatively simple. For this you'll need a shield, preferable a medium shield, but a small shield/parry shield will work against most weapons. For a setup parry, you block the first attack of a combo, then parry the second hit (or block two then parry the third, depending on personal preference/aggressiveness of your opponent). A medium shield is best because they have higher stability, meaning you're stunned for a shorter time after the first hit, and can therefore time your parry more effectively. Remember to watch your stamina whilst blocking; you don't want your opponent to get a free riposte because of poor stamina management. On top of that, some players like to counter this strategy by doing one hit then following it up with a guard break, so be careful of that. The setup parry should work for almost every weapon that can be parried, but can sometimes fail due to latency against faster weapons like Thrusting Swords or Straight Swords. [b][u]Backstep Parrying[/u][/b] Not to be confused with an old glitch of the same name, backstep parrying is the most advanced technique. I don't see many people utilise the fact that [b]backsteps have i-frames![/b] The frames don't kick in until about mid-way through your animation, and there's fewer in a backstep than a roll, but they do exist. Backstep parrying is almost identical to setup parrying, but instead of blocking the first attack you simply backstep through it. (Note: A decent amount of agility is required for a backstep parry, I opt for around 105). The best thing about backstep parries is that they're very difficult to punish. If you miss your parry, they get a single hit on you before you can roll away, as it's the second hit of their combo. However, some players will counter you by doing a light attack followed by a heavy attack, which they can then follow up with a second heavy attack, so be wary. I hope this helps with parrying in PvP, and if anyone has any extra questions or want me to clarify something I said feel free to ask!