Combat Counters

Elden Ring Guard Counter

The Guard Counter from Elden Ring rewards precise timing over memorization. Here's how it works and how to land it more consistently.

How it works

A quick counterattack performed by pressing the light attack button immediately after guarding a hit with a shield that has a guard counter property.

  • Only shields with a listed guard counter value can perform this, so check your equipment's stats first.
  • The timing window opens right after the guard animation absorbs the hit, so the counter needs to follow immediately.
  • Guard counters deal bonus poise damage on many enemies, making them useful for interrupting aggressive attack strings.