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Perfect Block
April 14, 2026 at 09:31 PM
Initial article
Perfect Block (also called parry) is the timing-based defensive mechanic in Windrose's Soulslite combat system. Timing a block right before an enemy attack lands triggers a Perfect Block, which depletes the enemy's guard/poise instead of yours and creates a window for counterattack.
Both the player and enemies have a guard meter represented by shield icons (also called poise or guard stance tokens). Most enemies have 2 to 3 poise points. Blocking attacks normally drains YOUR guard. A Perfect Block, triggered by pressing block (Right Mouse Button hold) just as an enemy attack lands, flips this interaction:
Action | Normal Block | Perfect Block |
|---|---|---|
Player poise | Consumed 1 per hit | Preserved for most weapon types |
Enemy poise | Unchanged | Depletes 1 per successful parry |
Enemy state after | Continues attacking | Staggered; open to counterattack |
When an enemy's poise fully depletes, humans stumble and animals fall to the ground, creating large openings for combo or heavy attacks. Because most enemies only have 2 to 3 poise, a chain of 2-3 Perfect Blocks can disable them entirely for a punish window.
Different weapons have different Perfect Block characteristics:
Cutlass - preserves poise on Perfect Block (community-recommended for beginners)
Rapier - loses poise on Perfect Block (unlike other weapons; a community-noted quirk). Pierce builds may prefer the cutlass for defensive play.
Greatswords with Retaliation - Captain's Greatsword gains +15% melee damage per Perfect Block, stacking 3 times for +45% plus 10% HP recovery
Rapier of a Thousand Cuts has B-grade Precision scaling but loses poise on parry, so it rewards offensive timing more than defensive
Talent | Branch | Effect |
|---|---|---|
Perfect Counter | Fencer Tier 2 | +5-12% crit for 12 seconds after a successful block |
Flawless Defence | Toughguy Tier 2 | 15-35% reduction in block posture cost |
Always lock on (T key) so your block faces the correct direction
Watch for the enemy's attack windup animation, not the impact frame; attempting a Perfect Block on the impact frame is too late
Red-glow attacks are unblockable; dodge them with CTRL instead
Parrying an entire combo creates a massive opening; practice on Savage Boars whose 4-hit combos telegraph clearly
Stamina regenerates faster when your block is lowered, so do not hold block constantly; time it
Combat - combat mechanics
Soulslite Combat - Soulslite system
Stamina Management - stamina system
Retaliation - weapon effect
