Beginner combat guide: parry, dodge and stagger

Read attacks before swinging

GameSpew describes yellow attacks as the key parry opportunities. A successful parry immediately puts many enemies into stagger, while red attacks should be dodged rather than blocked.

Attacking a full guard is inefficient. Create an opening first, then use normal Blade strings, a charged dagger critical or a finisher instead of trading hits.

Use the whole kit

The grapnel can pull enemies toward Sophia, helping break formations or isolate an archer. Skills expand damage, control and survival, while Charms provide permanent passive buffs.

For trophies, practice consistent parry timing: PowerPyx identifies six consecutive parries for Untouchable as the hardest individual trophy, though it can be cleaned up with checkpoint restart.

Read the warning, then choose one response

Yellow-marked attacks are the parry opportunity described by GameSpew, while red attacks call for a dodge. Neutral strings still require spacing and timing; unlimited offensive pressure is not safe simply because Sophia is a more experienced fighter than the earlier protagonists.

Use grapnel pulls and environmental drops to reduce groups, then commit to finishers after stagger. Charms add permanent passive bonuses, but they support these fundamentals rather than replacing the need to read attack color and recovery windows.

When a group attempt fails, restart by removing the most mobile enemy first and keep the camera aimed toward the remaining attackers. A shorter, controlled exchange is safer than extending a combo into an unseen red warning.