Counterspark in Rise of the Ronin, explained

Counterspark in Rise of the Ronin is basically the parrying ability that you have access to. Acting mainly as a defensive skill to help you survive, this parry mechanic can be used to turn the tide of war against your enemies. While Rise of the Ronin isn't particularly hard compared to Team Ninja's previous ventures, having a defensive ability in an action-adventure RPG is always useful.

This ability is very practical against the various bosses and powerful enemies you will go up against in Rise of the Ronin. With this guide, you will know how to effectively use counterspark in Rise of the Ronin and turn your foe's attack against them.

NOTE: This article is subjective and reflects the writer's views.

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How to use counterspark in Rise of the Ronin

Counterspark in Rise of the Ronin can save your life against tougher foes. (Image via Team Ninja)

Counterspark in Rise of the Ronin can be initiated by pressing the Triangle button on your controller. Although pulling it off perfectly will be heavily dependent on your reaction time. If you can initiate the parry just before an enemy attack lands on you, you can open a window of opportunity to deal devastating damage.

Properly executing a counterspark in Rise of the Ronin will stagger your enemies, creating the perfect break in their defense and allowing you to unleash attacks of your own. Moreover, countersparking enemy combos will stun the enemies for a longer duration, giving you the upper hand in the fight.

Remember that the counterspark window will be less on higher difficulties. You will need to be very accurate with your timing if you wish to survive.

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How combat style and weapons impact the counterspark ability in Rise of the Ronin

Combat style and weapon determine the time frame you get to initiate counterspark. (Image via Team Ninja)

Rise of the Ronin grants three combat styles to select from, each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Your weapon of choice will determine what combat style you are choosing, which means your ability to parry and stagger enemies highly relies on it.

Different weapons will also have different animations for the counterspark in Rise of the Ronin. Using paired swords will give you more time to execute the parry while some weapons will give you less time. This is crucial as every enemy will use different weapons against you, which means you will often need to switch your own armament to take them down.

So if you want to master the counterspark ability, you will need to learn enemy attack patterns and anticipate the perfect time to hit the Triangle button to parry and stagger your adversaries.

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For more Rise of the Ronin guides check out the following articles:

Every Fugitive Location II Best beginner tips II All Hidden Bosses II How to defeat your Blade Twin II How to pass time II How to perform non-lethal takedown