How to Parry in Avowed

While Blocking is a basic ability in Avowed, Parrying is not. It's a perk you must unlock on the Ranger ability tree, and only then can you try the timed block shenanigans. As one would expect from a Parry mechanic, there is a learning curve to it, but the rewards are well worth the effort.

In general, parrying is one of the most fun parts of a bulwark playstyle, and it remains relevant throughout the game. In this beginner-friendly Avowed guide, we explain how to Parry.

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How to unlock Parry in Avowed

One Ability point and you're unbeatable (Image via Sportskeeda || Obsidian Entertainment)

The Parry skill in Avowed is unlockable at level 3, found under the Ranger ability tree. This lets you parry with all two-handed weapons, a shield, or one-handed melee weapons when you have an empty off-hand.

Something to note here is that this basic Parry perk only works against melee builds. To deflect and parry projectiles from pesky archers and backliners, you'll need the Arrow Deflection skill, which unlocks at level 10.

You can also get the Reflect skill from the Fighter Ability tree, which unlocks at level 15 and requires the Unbreakable passive. Besides parrying, this also sends projectiles back to the attacker.

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How does Parrying work in Avowed?

The ring VFX will make it obvious (Image via Sportskeeda || Obsidian Entertainment)

Once you have the Parry skill in Avowed, you can trigger it by initiating a block before an enemy melee attack is about to connect. A successful Parry has a loud clang, briefly slows down the time, and gives you a window to launch a counterattack to deal high damage. Parrying has multiple benefits over a regular block, such as:

• Parry will stagger even the largest of enemies and bosses.
• A successful parry does not cost stamina and effectively mitigates all resource damage from the parried swing.
• Parrying also gives you a brief invulnerability window from all melee damage, the extent of which is the slowdown right after it triggers.
• Together, Parry and Counterattack deal a massive amount of Stun to an enemy, comparable to a fully charged Power Attack.

There are also some Uniques that have bonus benefits to parrying. The most notable one by far is Beetle's Bulwark shield, which lets you play a summoner by chaining parries.

The right timing to hit a parry will differ based on the enemy type, since they all have various swing speeds. However, it's very easy to poke an enemy and aggro it on Normal or higher difficulty — so you will have ample opportunity to practice.

Fishing for Parry windows can be something of a jebait at times. As you further into the game, combat encounters in Avowed become more and more crowded. In these situations, playing defensive just to draw out a parry opportunity might do more harm than good, especially when you're swarmed by enemies.

Instead, Parrying has the biggest impact during bossfights. Bosses such as the Dreamscourge Bear, the Delemgan Queen, or even the final boss at the end of the game are quite vulnerable to a well-timed Parry, trivializing their high-damage attacks.

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