Equip a shield with the Parry skill in your left hand, then press L2 on PlayStation or LT on Xbox as a melee attack comes in. A successful parry can disrupt an enemy and open a chance for a critical hit, but the timing varies by attack and setup—and one parry does not break every enemy’s stance.
How to parry
- Equip a parrying shield. Put a shield with the Parry skill in your left hand. Bandai Namco’s ELDEN RING Starter Guide gives the console inputs: L2 on PlayStation and LT on Xbox.
- Time the input against a melee attack. Press the parry button as the attack comes in. Do not rely on the weapon visibly touching your character as a universal cue: attacks differ, and the official guide does not give one timing window or frame count that applies to every move.
- Use the opening if the parry succeeds. Look for the enemy to be disrupted and, if its stance breaks, move in for a critical hit. Some enemies require more than one successful parry before their stance breaks.
On PC, check the current key bindings in the game: the official guide lists console buttons, while keyboard assignments are configurable.
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Choosing a shield and parry skill
Shield categories involve a trade-off rather than a universal ranking. Bandai Namco’s combat guide describes small shields as best suited to parrying, medium shields as all-rounders that can parry, and greatshields as better suited to blocking because of their typical damage negation and guard boost.
The skill matters, too. Official patch notes cover Parry, Buckler Parry, Storm Wall, and Thops’s Barrier, but do not provide a complete timing comparison or establish one as best in every situation. Choose based on the shield and skill you have available; do not assume that category alone determines the timing.
What changed in the latest patch
As of the latest official patch notes located here, Version 1.17, published 27 August 2026, parry skills have received adjustments. Bandai Namco says Parry performance improved, and the time before further actions can be performed after activation was reduced when Parry is used with daggers, curved swords, or small shields. Storm Wall’s performance improved and its FP cost was removed; Thops’s Barrier performance improved. The notes list PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam, with App Ver. 1.17 / Regulation Ver. 1.17. See the Version 1.17 patch notes.
Earlier changes matter when consulting older tutorials: Version 1.12, published 19 June 2024, increased hitbox generation speed for Parry, Storm Wall, and Thops’s Barrier, and reduced attack recovery after Buckler Parry. Its details are in the Version 1.12 patch notes. Because the game has adjusted parry skills, old frame-by-frame advice may no longer describe current behavior; treat exact timing claims cautiously unless they identify the relevant version and setup.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to practice
Pick a repeatable melee attack and use it to calibrate your timing. If the parry misses, adjust the input earlier or later on the next attempt. This is a practical way to learn the timing for that particular attack; it does not mean the same cue will work on every enemy.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteOfficial guides and patch notes do not provide comprehensive frame data or a complete list of attacks that can and cannot be parried. Do not assume every attack is parryable, or that a single timing rule applies to all moves.
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