Assassin's Creed Shadows guide: how to parry and deflect
Learn how to parry, deflect, and counter as Naoe or Yasuke
How do you parry and deflect enemies in Assassin's Creed Shadows? As much as you'd like to sneak around in Assassin's Creed Shadows, you'll still be spending a lot of time facing enemies head on. The best way to survive these encounters is having a strong defense. While Yasuke might be the stronger combat character than Naoe, both can parry or deflect attacks to their advantage.
While there are a few minor differences how they can defend against attacks, the core principles are similar, which are helpfully highlighted with primary-colored indicators. This guide will go over the basics of how to successfully parry and deflect in Assassin's Creed Shadows.
How to parry and deflect in Assassin's Creed Shadows
Both Naoe and Yasuke have similar ways to block attacks, but they have different names and work slightly differently. Yasuke's block is called a parry, while Naoe's block is called a deflect.
As Yasuke, you can parry an attack by tapping LB to guard just as an enemy is about to attack. Yasuke can technically guard indefinitely if you keep the input held down, though his defense is a lot less elegant like this and he may even be pushed back by the enemy despite blocking it. Time your block just before the attack, however, and Yasuke will parry, giving up no ground and bouncing the enemy back.
As Naoe, you can deflect by tapping LB just to guard just before an enemy attacks - much like Yasuke's parry. The difference is that Naoe only raises her weapon for a moment before lowering it again, so she can't hold the block indefinitely like Yasuke can. In other words - the timing is a bit more difficult with Naoe.
For both characters, the best way to defend is to parry/deflect at the moment an enemy is about to attack. If you time it perfectly, then it will be a "perfect parry" or "perfect deflect", rendering the enemy vulnerable (see more below).
Parries and deflects can work against both ranged and melee attacks. These include flurry attacks - indicated by the enemy's weapon flashing blue - where they will come at you with a successive string of attacks. Think of it as this game's version of Sekiro's deflections.
However, you cannot parry or deflect an attack where the enemy's weapon is flashing red. These are unblockable attacks, and the only way to avoid damage is to dodge out of the way by tapping B instead.
How to counter vulnerable enemies in Assassin's Creed Shadows
To really turn the tables on your opponents, timing a parry or deflect at exactly the right moment will count as a "perfect parry" or "perfect deflect", which leaves the enemy in a vulnerable state, wide open for punishing attacks. You can tell if an enemy is vulnerable because their body will temporarily glow yellow.
Enemies can be left vulnerable from normal attacks as well as flurry attacks, though the latter requires getting a perfect parry or perfect deflect on the last attack of the enemy's combo. If an enemy comes at you with an unblockable red attack, they can also be left vulnerable from a perfectly timed dodge.
There is also one additional counter each character can perform, both of which are unlocked after you finish the assassination questline, "The Twisted Tree". After this point, Yasuke can perform a Riposte with a long katana; instead of tapping to guard at the right time, you perform after holding and then releasing block immediately after you have blocked the attack.
Likewise, Naoe can also unlock a skill where she follows a deflect with a Counter Attack. This is done by performing a perfect deflect while wielding a katana. The skill can be unlocked once your Knowledge is at Rank 2 and you have completed "The Twisted Tree".
That's it for our guide on parrying and deflecting in Assassin's Creed Shadows. For more on important features in Assassin's Creed Shadows, be sure to peruse our guides on how to change characters, the differences between Naoe and Yasuke, and how to parry and deflect. If you'd rather dig into locations, see our guide on all Kuji-kiri in Izumi Settsu, which will help you get started on the first steps of this expansive adventure across 1579 Japan.