Dodge and parry tips for Stellar Blade

Much like soulsborne titles, Stellar Blade has a heavy emphasis on enemy difficulty, as well as parrying and dodging foes to survive. While the game’s tutorial does a decent job of introducing you to both dodge and parry mechanics, it is in no way extensive, with advanced moves being left for players to discover and experiment on their own.

A detailed breakdown of dodges and parries within the game can be found below, listing viable upgrades and modifications as well.

NOTE: Parts of this article are subjective and reflect the writer's opinion.

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How to dodge and parry in Stellar Blade

Dodging and parrying in Stellar Blade (image via Shift Up)

Dodging and parrying are relatively straightforward and are bound to two separate button prompts within the game.

To dodge, you will have to press the O button while simultaneously moving the left analog stick in the direction you wish to dodge. Executing a dodge at the last possible moment will trigger what is known as a Perfect Dodge, resulting in a time slowdown of sorts - much like Bayonetta’s Witch Time.

On the other hand, parrying requires you to press the Block (L1) button at the last possible moment. Parries can be triggered in succession to stagger an enemy, leaving them vulnerable to a special execution move known as Retribution.

There are also a multitude of ways to enhance your dodge and parry skills, outside of the usual Skill Tree unlocks:

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Equip the Reflex Type Exospine

The Reflex Type Exospine (Image via Shift Up)

The Reflex Type Exospine is specifically designed to aid you in executing parries and dodges. Simply equip this into one of your two Exospine slots to gain a larger window of time when dodging/parrying.

The Reflex Type Exospine also regenerates Shield faster, making it quite useful to have equipped.

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Using Tachy mode

Tachy Mode Skill Trees (Image via Shift Up)

Unlocked shortly after defeating Tachy in Stellar Blade, this particular Burst mode can be activated by holding down the L3 + R3 buttons while the Tachy meter is full. Tachy Mode is a special state in which EVE can deal uninterrupted damage to foes, while simultaneously using a set of special skills and abilities in return.

Interestingly, Tachy Mode makes Eve invulnerable to damage (except for certain finishers) and is a great way to cheese through fights. However, keep in mind that receiving damage will shorten the duration of this mode.

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Consider using Easy Mode

Easy Mode is a great way to cheese through tough situations (Image via Shift Up)

Another option is to enable Stellar Blade’s Easy Mode, which comes with a multitude of additional options to assist you during battle. The Action Assist toggle in particular is very helpful in this regard - as it quite literally pauses the game for a second or two, allowing you to execute a dodge or parry by simply following the on-screen prompts.

Easy Mode also lowers enemy aggressiveness, while simultaneously increasing dodge and parry windows making it quite tempting to have enabled.

A combination of these settings and general practice should make dodging and parrying a fair bit easier for players new to Stellar Blade’s excellent combat loop.

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Check out our other Stellar Blade guides:

• Endings explained
• All outfits
• All trophies