Mastering the Parry in Bloodborne: A Hunter’s Guide to Riposting Your Way to Victory
So, you think you are a Hunter in Bloodborne? You learned that dodging only helps so much. Sometimes aggression needs deflection. Parrying transforms you from prey to predator. A well-timed button press is key. Parrying is your ultimate counter in a Soulsborne game.
Parry Mechanics: The Nitty-Gritty
Let’s discuss parry mechanics in Bloodborne. Timing matters, and knowing the rules is crucial. You cannot parry everything. Wouldn’t that be nice?
General Parry Rules: What Can You Deflect?
- Humanoid enemies are prime. Big beasts? Not usually. Parrying a Cleric Beast would squash you.
- Weapon attacks are prime targets. Wide, telegraphed swings are ideal for this. Picture deflecting a Kirkhammer swing – pure Hunter style.
- Parry physical attacks. Magic or elemental attacks are usually off the menu.
Unparriable Attacks and Foes: Know Your Limits
- No flails, whips, shields, or perfume bottles. Yes, even perfume bottles are off limits.
- Most bosses? Nope. Don’t try to parry Ebrietas or you will end up dead.
Game Rant confirms that bosses do not easily fall to parrying.
Parrying Tools: Your Deflection Arsenal
- Good news. Small and medium shields can parry. Most shields are your pals in parrying.
- Many left-handed weapons can parry too. No need for a shield when your weapon can deflect.
- Gauntlet-type weapons can parry. Go bare-handed and victory is yours.
- Weapons include Hunter Pistols, Evelyn, Wooden Shield, Bone Shield, and Threaded Cane.
Parry Techniques: Honing Your Deflection Skills
- Timing is critical. Press the button as the attack lands. Too early or late means damage. Practice makes perfect, Hunter.
- Auto-Parrying is real! If you nail the first parry, you might parry later blows automatically. This is known as parry chaining.
- Yes, fist weapons can be parried! Rapid punches are parryable but tricky. Block first hits and buffer a parry.
- Perfect Parry requires frame-perfect timing. Get it right for instant recovery or guaranteed punishments. This is the difference between a good and a *spectacular* parry. While
Elden Ring refined it, Bloodborne’s system honed its gothic edge, as shown in the Elden Ring Wiki on Parrying.
Keeper of the Old Lords: Parry the Pyromaniac
Now, let’s discuss enemies to practice your parries on. The Keeper of the Old Lords is first on the list. Found in the Chalice Dungeons, this fiery foe is excellent for practice.
Location and Variants: Where to Find Her
- Chalice Dungeons are your hunting ground. Look for depth 3 to 5 dungeons. Sometimes this Keeper guards treasure chests.
Parry Strategy: Bait the Backstep
- Trigger her dual attack into a backstep. Tap her with a shot or quick hit. This often triggers her dual blade attack, followed by a backstep – your golden parry moment.
- The Reiterpallasch trick. Use two transformed Reiterpallasch hits and then follow with a transformed R2 shot. She’ll attack after the second hit. This applies even when she buffs her weapon with fire.
Weaknesses and Resistances: Exploiting Her Flaws
- Arcane damage is her weakness. Use arcane weapons to hit her.
- She also hates poison. Poison knives or Bone Ash Hunter Tools work well.
- Successful parries lead to visceral attacks. She sets you up for these after a good parry.
- Fire and Bolt resistance? She has it. Don’t use fire or bolt attacks – they are ineffective.
Watchdog of the Old Lords: Taming the Burning Beast
Next, meet the Watchdog of the Old Lords. This canine from the Chalice Dungeons uses brute force. But parrying still works on this fiery foe.
General Information: Meet the Fiery Fido
- The Watchdog lurks in Chalice Dungeons. He’s an optional boss in those dungeons.
- Large burning canine creature. Think of Cerberus but fiery. Check IGN’s Watchdog of the Old Lords guide for details.
Weaknesses and Resistances: Playing with Fire (and Serration)
- Ranged attacks are effective. Use Simon’s Bowblade or Blacksky Eye to pelt him safely from a distance.
- Saw weapons are excellent choices. The Watchdog is weak to serrated attacks. Bring Saw Cleaver or Saw Spear.
- Fire resistance is critical. His attacks are fired-based. Equip armor for fire resistance.
Strategy: Head Games and Dodging Flames
- Stay near his head. Dodge his bites and barks carefully. Watch for stomps and charge attacks to avoid damage.
- Break his head armor first. Attack that head until the armor cracks, then let off a charged combo for damage.
Parry: Deflecting the Canine Chaos
- His attacks are telegraphed. Parry time! Those large fiery swipes are fairly easy to parry. Stay alert!
Pthumerian Descendant: Parry the Dervish
Lastly, we discuss the Pthumerian Descendant. This enemy from Chalice Dungeons is swift and deadly with his spinning blades. Even agile foes can be parried.
General Information: Arcane and Fire Vulnerability
- Weak to Arcane and Fire damage. This appears again from Chalice Dungeon bosses. Use these elements to your advantage.
Parry Strategy: Bait and Deflect
- Certain attack patterns can be parried. His hesitant swings are ripe for deflection.
- Back off to bait his attacks. Give him some space for those parry-friendly moves you need.
Chalice Dungeons: Your Grinding and Looting Playground
The Chalice Dungeons offer numerous rewards. They feature loot, bosses, and secrets. They play an important role for trophy hunters too.
General Information: Rituals and Rewards
- Create dungeons using Chalice Rituals. Go to a Ritual Altar, spend Blood Echoes, and start dungeon diving.
- Optional yet rewarding experiences await. Two trophies require completion of Chalice Dungeons. You know what you have to do, completionists.
- No scaling NG+ difficulty. The difficulty remains constant from playthrough to playthrough. This makes it easier or consistently challenging depending on your run.
- Farming Blood Echoes? These dungeons excel at it! Grind for echoes and level up efficiently in these areas.
- Capped Insight is a bonus in Chalice Dungeons. Generate Insight until you have plenty to use strategically or hoard like true veterans do.
Materials: Ritual Blood is Key
- You need Ritual Blood for Chalice Rituals. No Ritual Blood means no entry into the dungeons.
- You can buy Ritual Blood later. After clearing higher-tier dungeons, purchase Ritual Blood for convenience.
Specific Dungeons: Defiled and Lower Pthumeru
- The Defiled Chalice holds a challenge. Defeat the Bloodletting Beast in Lower Pthumeru Layer 4. It will test your skills. Prepare well.
- The Lower Pthumeru Chalice waits for brave hunters.
- Found in the Lower Pthumeru area. Access the Lower Pthumeru Chalice Dungeon. It’s dungeon inception!
- Cursed and Defiled Root Chalice? Watchdog of the Old Lords in Pthumerian Defilement Layer 2. Defeat the fiery pup for this spicy chalice.
Bonus Bosses and Parry Tips: A Quick Roundup
Before we wrap up, here’s a quick round of bosses and parry tips:
- Bloodletting Beast: Fire and Serration work best. Very beastly. Vulnerable to fire and those jagged edges.
- Queen Yharnam: Parry her. Very easy to parry. Time your deflections.
- Gehrman, the First Hunter: Parry King. Watch for charged scythe attacks. Visceral attacks incoming!
- Radagon of the Golden Order (Elden Ring): Fire and Striking. Good info for Elden Ring. Use fire and blunt force.
- Soul of Cinder (Dark Souls 3): Unparryable and no criticals. Not all bosses are parryable. Some are immune.
- Grave Warden Duelist (Elden Ring): Parry melee attacks. A good target to practice on. All melee attacks are parryable.
- Traitor Lord (Hollow Knight): Use nail strikes. Another game to consider! Fast boss requires precise nail hits.
So there you have it, Hunters. A guide to parrying in Bloodborne, focusing on tough Chalice Dungeon enemies. Now go practice those parries. Show those beasts who’s the apex predator. Remember, a Hunter is not alone, especially with parries.
