How to Parry in Stellar Blade (Posture System Explained)
Stellar Blade is already making waves with its stunning visuals and fast-paced, dynamic combat systems. Blending the best of Soulslikes with the hack n’ slash genre, Shift Up and Sony Interactive Entertainment have a thrilling action RPG for gamers to pick apart.
And none of these games is complete without a parry mechanic to throw your foes off balance. From humble cannon fodder enemies to the mightiest of bosses, parrying is a reliable and rewarding strategy to keep control of the fight and dish out damage on your own terms.
When Blocking Is So Yesterday
Parrying in Stellar Blade works similar to other RPGs before it but with the game’s smooth animations and fast-paced combat, it is arguably among the most satisfying of them all. The right timing is important to achieve a Perfect Parry, which Eve has unlocked from the very start.
SUGGESTED: How to Perfect Dodge in Stellar Blade
Essentially, you will need to tap L1 as the enemy attacks to pull it off. However, studying enemy animations and timing the button input to the moment their weapon begins to swing toward you is a great way to nail down the timing. Watching the enemy’s weapon arm is another handy strategy that many players recommend.
No matter your approach, Perfect Parries are a cornerstone of Stellar Blade’s combat, allowing you to set up several different attacks based on your upgrades and playstyle.
Why Parry in Stellar Blade?
Like Sekiro, enemies in Stellar Blade come with a posture meter, referred to as Balance in this game. You can see an enemy’s Balance below their health bar in the form of Yellow Diamonds. Every successful parry reduces these diamonds by one, eventually staggering the enemy and opening them up to a Retribution Attack, a single high-damage attack that could change the course of a fight.
Parrying also adds to your Beta Guage and Burst Meter build-up, allowing you to activate special moves and buffs more easily. Upgrading your parries improves these build-up rates and also gives you access to counter moves and combos, meaning more options in combat.
You can spend your hard-earned Skill Points on the Focus Boost to increase the timing window for Perfect Parries, or on the Beta Energy Recharge upgrades to improve Beta Guage build-up from parries. For more offensive options, the Counter and Counter Chain upgrades allow you to unlock varied attacks to use right after a successful Perfect Parry.
And that’s all you need to know about Perfect Parries and enemy Balance in Stellar Blade. Are the Naytibas giving you more trouble than they should? Perhaps our guides can help!
