01Unlocking the parry
Parrying is not available from the start. It comes from the Infinite Seal, which Sester Genessa hands you at Marrow Keep.
Once you have it, press Q on keyboard and mouse, or LB on controller. Your character swings an arm in front of their face; if that arm catches an incoming attack you nullify all damage and deal a large amount of break damage.
02The three seals
The first two are picked up early in the prologue. Harden is the one people underuse: it makes you completely invulnerable to one physical strike, and a perfect harden deals break damage on its own.
| Seal | Gives you | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Untarnished Seal | Guard | Standard block |
| Vatra's Seal | Harden | Body turns to stone, nullifies the next attack |
| Infinite Seal | Parry | Nullifies damage and deals heavy break damage |
03The break meter is the real system
Every enemy has a break meter. You fill it by attacking, by perfect guarding, by perfect hardening, or by parrying. Once it is full the enemy staggers and you can perform a powerful riposte.
That means all three defensive tools feed the same win condition. You are not choosing a playstyle — you are choosing the right response to each attack.
04When not to parry
A red sigil appears on the enemy during certain attack animations. When that warning shows, do not stand still waiting for a perfect parry.
Create distance, strafe behind the enemy, or dodge instead. Treating harden or parry as a panic button is the fastest way to die in this game.
Sources checked
Facts on this page are cross-checked against the sources above. Anything the community has not settled is marked TBC rather than guessed.