Discover everything you need to know about Parry in Nioh 3, including how to unlock it and perfect it to get extra damage.
Parry in Nioh 3 is a perfect block executed at the right moment, which negates damage, preserves Ki, and helps charge gauges. It’s not quite like traditional parries in some other action games that stagger enemies or reduce posture. This mechanic doesn’t work on certain special attacks like red Break or Burst attacks.
Doing it successfully restores some of your Ki and also helps charge your Arts and Ninjitsu gauges. Using it at the crucial moment is vital, or else you just block the attack to absorb the damage. Unlock Parry/Deflect ability from the Samurai Style skill tree by using a Samurai point.
What is Parry in Nioh 3?
The combat in Nioh 3 features a parry mechanic, letting you deflect attacks rather than taking damage. This is basically a timing-based defensive move you can perform in Samurai style after unlocking this skill.
Make sure to unlock it from the Samurai skill tree before you can use it in combat. The parry system for Ninja Style is different from that of the Samurai. Hit the guard button just as an enemy attack is about to hit to deflect it.
You restore some of Ki and help charge combat resources like Arts gauges after successfully deflecting an attack to negate damage. Deflect doesn’t mitigate enemy posture or cause a heavy stagger.
It functions best against regular attacks when you time the guard perfectly. However, you can’t use it on special Burst or red-aura attacks. This ability is crucial to use while fighting the bosses or tougher enemies.
How To Get Parry
Parry/Deflect is only associated with Samurai Style in its skill tree in Nioh 3. Reach the Warring States area after completing the prologue and defeating Yamagata Masakage. Find a Samurai’s Lock from a corpse near the Prospect Hill shrine early in the Warring States.
Ensure you have sufficient points to spend in the Samurai Tree. Open the Martial Arts, go into the Samurai skill tree, and spend 1 Samurai point to unlock Deflect.
Go all the way to the open world Warring States period map with Honda Tadakatsu. Make your way to the top after arriving there. Keep moving down the path till you find the Prospect Hill shrine. Loot the corpse from the right side of the path to obtain Samurai’s Lock.
How To Parry
Press the Guard or Block button L1 on the controller or F on the keyboard before the enemy attack is about to hit. Doing so allows you to neglect the enemy attack to get an opening for a counterattack. You block the attack if you press too early and get hit by pressing too late. Perfect timing creates a bright flash and a sound to confirm success.
Make sure to hold the guard button while waiting for the attack timing rather than tapping the block. This allows you to absorb damage if your timing is slightly off. Learn the enemy attack pattern first before going for a parry.
Their wind-ups and animation patterns can help you a lot in this case. This indicates to you when the hit is about to land, which is the best time to parry.
Start using the parry against the weaker foes to learn attack timing without going down. Once you master this ability, you are ready to parry the attack from bosses or tough enemies. A successful parry negates damage completely to avoid losing Ki.
Burst attack can’t be parried, so try to avoid this attack with another ability. Practice is essential because the window is tight on tougher enemies and bosses. Make sure to deflect between strike chains to regain stamina and keep pressure on enemies. This allows you to stay aggressive without constantly losing stamina.
Can You Parry In Ninja Style?
The Deflect/Parry is only tied to the Samurai Style in Nioh 3. Ninja style does not have access to that Deflect skill itself. This style focuses on dodging and evasion rather than parrying attacks. It emphasizes mobility, hit-and-run tactics, and tools. Ninja has its own timing-based defensive options like Evade.
This is a perfect dodge that replenishes the Ki and Ninjutsu gauge. You can use this to avoid attacks with precise timing. This style also benefits from increased damage from behind enemies. Make sure to use skills like Opportunist, Haze, Spinning Gale, Tile Shaker, and Masterful Guard. These skills act like the regular Samurai Deflect.
