There’s nothing more satisfying in an action game than parrying an enemy’s attack, turning their momentum into a wonderful moment of gut-stabbing action. If that’s the *Avowed* experience you’re looking for, here’s how to master the art of parrying in the game.
How to Unlock Parry in Avowed
To parry in *Avowed*, you’ll first need to unlock the ability. Start by opening the menu and navigating to the “Abilities” screen, then select the “Ranger” tab. You'll find the Parry ability in the middle column at the top. To unlock it, you must first allocate an Ability point into any of the three core trees. Once that's done, you can unlock Parry.
Parry comes in three ranks, detailed in the table below:
| Rank | Player Level Requirement | Level Description |
| 1 | N/A (1 Point Spent) | Unlocks Parry. |
| 2 | Player Level 5 | Increases Parry efficiency by 25%, dealing greater Stun when Parrying enemies. |
| 3 | Player Level 8 | Increases Parry efficiency by 50%, dealing greater Stun when parrying enemies. |
At level 10, you can unlock “Arrow Deflection,” a separate ability that allows you to block arrows and other projectiles by parrying.
How to Parry Attacks in Avowed
To execute a parry in *Avowed*, you must block just before an enemy’s attack hits you. You'll hear a distinctive metal clanking sound and see a visual indicator on the screen as the enemy reels from your parry. The timing can be tricky and varies between enemies, but with practice, you'll master it. It's not as challenging as in games like *Dark Souls* or *Elden Ring*.
Parrying Isn’t Always an Option
Keep in mind that not all attacks can be parried. If you see a red circle, you'll need to dodge those attacks instead.
Additionally, not all weapons in *Avowed* can parry. Single-handed and two-handed weapons can generally parry, provided they’re not in your off-hand. If you have a shield in your off-hand, you can parry with that as well. However, ranged weapons like guns, wands, and bows, as well as grimoires, cannot parry, so don’t take “the pen is mightier than the sword” literally.
What Parrying Does (& Why You Might Want to Do It)
Parrying in *Avowed* is a powerful technique that stuns your attacker, causing them to stagger. This gives you the opportunity to deal significant damage. It's an excellent way to avoid taking damage while increasing your chances of dishing it out.
However, the utility of parrying depends on your build. It's more suited to melee characters who engage enemies up close. If your character focuses on ranged attacks, you might not need to invest in parry. Nonetheless, it's a valuable ability for melee fighters. The good news is that respecing in *Avowed* is easy and affordable, so if you decide you don’t like Parry, you can remove it later without any hassle.
And that’s how to master parrying in *Avowed*.
*Avowed is available now.*
