As the title says, by attacking while the claw knights are attacking you, you can parry and riposte them.
Don't know of any other enemies like this in the game, but thought it might be useful if anyone has problems with them.
Posted Mar 1, 2018, 1:40 PM UTC
That's not a parry, it's just a stun. Plenty of other enemies have that.
You can parry their attacks too, though.
Well it's sort of both, they do enter a ripostable state, which most things only do after a lot of consecutive hits
The definition of parrying is to avert an attack, which is what this does. In DkS terms, parrying also leaves an enemy open to a riposte which is also what this does. Even makes the parry sound.
It's not the conventional way of parrying (and seems unique in its way), but it is more than a stun.
It's a stagger. Parry in Darksouls has a specific definition, it's the weapon art of some sheilds and a couple weapons. What you're doing in game terms is a stagger, the same thing happens when when you hit ravenous crystal lizards enough near their heads.
Yes, what you're doing is a parry per the standard English definition, but that definition is overbroad in Souls terms.
A game having a certain definition does not negate the actual definition.
Lingo and jargon generally overrides standard definitions in the context of the appropriate situation. Waiving your arm around in court is technically a motion, but it's also completely appropriate to say that it's not a motion. Because the specific legal term overrides definition 1 of move.
They aren't the same. The difference is that you are specifically deflecting an attack, not just dealing enough damage to an enemy.
Parry definition as given by in-game descriptions - 'repel an attack at the right time to follow up with a critical hit'
And definition per the Souls wiki - 'A Parry, when executed at the proper time, will deflect an enemy's attack and put it in a staggered state, and as such, subject to a critical attack or Riposte.'
Both of these define the exact process that is occuring here, you deflect the attack, and then get a riposte. The stagger states for the lizards, or the crabs etc is not deflecting an attack.
I see where you're coming from, but you're still not utilizing the parry frames of a parrying tool to make the action. If you poise break and stagger a crab, RCL, or even Yorm, and time the hit so that it's during their attack frames, does that make it a parry?
So what would you call a traditional parry for these attacks? There's quite a big difference between interrupting the start up frames and parrying an attack (plus parrying is already the term used for using a non lethal move to intercept an attack's active frames). Calling both the same thing, especially when there is already a well agreed upon definition, is just going to cause confusion.
(The dark souls parry definition is actually the same definition for parrying in fighting games, too)
Dude your fashion souls is on point
This is nice to know, I usually just sprint past in a panic
Another way of dealing with these jerks. Can't tell you how many times I've been killed by them
So the easy solution to them is treat them like it's Bloodborne; hyper agression
While you're still stuck in Dark Souls speed, mm.
It's what makes it a Challenge! (TM)
perseverance when they do the flurry, guaranteed stun
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I use this when I’m farming sharp gems.
I’ll come down the ladder from the Corvian Settlement bonfire with a dagger and a CGS. I’ll get the Corvian with a BS after he drops from his perch. As he’s recovering i switch to 2H the CGS and charge an r2. Most of the time this will put the Corvian into a ripostable state. I can switch back to the dagger and kill him.
Yes! This makes them extremely easy for strength builds with hyper armor
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More proof that DS3 is designed for R1 spam
Update on my use of the term 'Parry'. Seems to have caused contention, and based on some discussions I ran some tests.
TL:DR - You MUST attack the Corvian Knight with a weapon in order to stagger it like this. Items will not stagger, neither will Armour of Thorns, but minimal damage from any equipable weapon will. The stagger is not poise breaking. I can't think of anything other than the game classing this as a parry to stagger the enemy, but would welcome other inputs.
On to the experimenting. To stagger an enemy, one of 4 things must occur; a parry, a poise break, a guard break or a kick. The kick will never open up for a critical, so it is ignored, and a guard break occurs only if the enemy is defending and out of stamina, which is also not occuring. Leaves only parry and poise break as options.
Details of tests:
Direction of attack - is hitting its weapons a requirement? Difficult to test solo, but using quickstep to get behind and attacking it will stagger. Rolling through and flick of whip also staggers. However, the claws appear to hit in a 360 degree arc, as even behind it, it still deals damage. Fairly inconclusive test without a summon.
Damage dealt - is there a damage threshold to cause it to stagger? For this, I used 2 things, the Armour of Thorns (10 damage per roll with all equipped) and a broken raw broken straight sword (3 damage per hit, 0 durability). Even with 4 rolls during one of it's flurries for 40 damage, the knight did not stagger. However using the BRBSS, one attack during its flurries staggered it. Damage is not a requirement.
Poise damage (PD) - is the stagger caused by a poise break? Armour of Thorns does 0 PD, however throwing daggers deal 5, the same as a wooden arrow. Throwing daggers (3 used in one flurry) did not stagger, but one arrow does. Firebombs and kukris at 10 PD each do not stagger, yet miracles, pyromancies and even shield bashes do. This implies it is not poise breaking that is occuring.
Conclusion - Out of all the methods of staggering the enemy, only parrying cannot be ruled out. Mechanically, the game must classify counter-attacking the Corvian Knights attack as a parry, and thus leaves it staggered and open for a riposte.
I'm more than open for other ideas of why this isn't the case, but if you could give details of other tests to back up your point, I'd be grateful.
Or you could just parry their attacks normally.
You know, get gud.
Alternatively, you could also hit them with an ultra greatsword as God intended, and not have to worry about parrying and ripostes because they die to a single charged R2.
My SL90 dex build has to farm Sharp gems sometimes.
Plunging the rapier bird by Way of White Corona with 40 Dex and a Lightning bundled Sharp Lothric UGS is so cathartic. Not an OHKO, but pretty damn close.
Don't the spoopy skeltals in the Catacombs drop sharp gems, or are the Corvian Knights just more reliable drops?
Corvians are just more reliable. Skeleton drop rate is lower.
UGS is definitely the best way for everything, but it's a lot easier to do the counter-attack consistently with the tiny little baby sword I used.
Hey now, that sounds like it would take effort. I don't like that idea.
BUT MUH R1 SPAM
Cool I didn't know that!
I know that the same thing works for giant crabs. I can't remember exactly but I think it's when they wind up for the overhead smash or their water blast. You hit them in the mouth during a windup and they will drop down for the riposte!
I think it's hitting the egg sacs underneath them directly that does that, and it's a similar thing with the hand-face ogre things as well. If you hit the eyes on their stomach when they go for a grab attack it opens them up for a riposte. Forgot about those, mainly because they're a lot more unreliable (for me at least).
Didn't know that either lol. So maybe it's easier to get with a spear or something. You might be able to hit the eggs even when they aren't reared up.
I love learning new shit about this game!
It's one of the beautiful things about the game. No matter how much I play, there's always something new to accidentally find out.
I've heard rolling into the hand things with the Armour of Thorns works really well, never tried it on myself. Might need to test that on the crabs, just in case.
Haha that would be sweet to get riposte opportunity from a roll.
One more thing on my list of stuff to try!
You can actually just roll into the monstrosity of sin to get a riposte option if you have 1 piece of thorn armor. 1 damage is all you need.
Not exactly. If they raise both claws and you are close enough, you can instantly do a riposte on them. Alternatively you can stagger them for a riposte if you hit them enough, anywhere will do.