Perfect Guard is the single most important combat skill in Lies of P. Press the guard button right as an enemy attack connects, and you block it with zero damage, zero chip, and zero Guard Regain loss. You also build stagger on the attacker and push closer to breaking their weapon. Miss the timing, and you eat a regular block (or a full hit). This guide covers the exact mechanics, the timing window, common mistakes, and how to train yourself into parrying on reflex.
Quick Summary
- Press guard right as the attack is about to connect with P. You get a loud metallic clank and a shower of orange sparks on success.
- The parry window is about 9 frames, tighter than Sekiro's ~12 frames. Precision matters.
- Tapping or holding the guard button both give the same window. Pick whichever feels more natural.
- Do not spam the button. Rapid presses trigger a ~30-frame lockout that kills your parry window.
- Watch the enemy's weapon, not their body. Press guard when the weapon is about to touch you.
- Fury Attacks (red glow) cannot be normal-blocked. You must Perfect Guard them or dodge out of range entirely.
Before You Start
- Controls: L1 (PlayStation) / LB (Xbox) / default guard key on PC.
- Spoiler level: Mechanics-only. No story spoilers. Boss names from the first three chapters appear for practice examples.
- Requirements: None. Perfect Guard is available from the first fight in the game.
- Recommended: Use the training dummy at Hotel Krat to drill timing before fighting bosses.
How Perfect Guard Works
Every time you press guard, the game opens a parry window in the first frames of the animation. If an attack lands during that window, you get a Perfect Guard. If the window closes before the attack connects, you get a regular block instead (reduced damage, but Guard Regain builds up and your health bar turns grey).
What happens on a successful Perfect Guard
- Zero damage taken. No health lost, no Guard Regain buildup.
- Status effects from the attack (shock, decay, disruption) are negated.
- You deal stagger damage to the attacker. Enough staggers turn the enemy's health bar white, and a Charged Heavy Attack triggers the Groggy state for a Fatal Attack.
- You chip the enemy's weapon durability. Enough Perfect Guards break the weapon, cutting their damage and attack range.
- With P-Organ upgrades, you also gain Fable charge and weapon durability recovery per parry.
The timing window
The parry window is about 9.3 frames at 60fps, or roughly 155 milliseconds. For comparison, Sekiro gives you about 12 frames. The window starts on the frame you press guard and closes before P's arm finishes rising, so you do not need to wait for the blocking animation to complete.
You can tap or hold the guard button. Both trigger the same parry window on press. Holding guard after the window closes shifts you into a regular block, which still absorbs damage (with Guard Regain) if you mistimed it.
Step-by-Step: Landing Consistent Perfect Guards
1. Watch the weapon, not the windup
Enemies have exaggerated windup animations designed to bait early presses. Ignore the arm pulling back. Ignore the shoulder twist. Focus on the weapon tip. Press guard when the weapon is about to make contact with P.
2. Do not spam the guard button
Mashing L1/LB triggers a recovery penalty of about 30 frames where the game disables your parry window. You still get a regular block, but the Perfect Guard check is gone. One clean press per incoming hit.
3. If unsure, be late rather than early
An early press opens and closes the parry window before the attack arrives. A late press at least overlaps with the hit. Being slightly late gets you a regular block or, if you time it right, a Perfect Guard on the last frames of the window. Being early gets you nothing but chip damage.
4. Treat multi-hit combos as a rhythm game
Bosses chain 3- to 7-hit combos at set tempos. Each hit in the combo has its own parry window. Learn the beat of the combo and press guard in rhythm rather than reacting to each swing independently. After a few attempts, the sequence clicks and you start parrying strings of 4+ hits in a row.
5. Learn which attacks to dodge instead
Not every attack is worth parrying. Wide sweeps, ground slams with lingering AoE, or grabs are safer to dodge or walk away from. Save your parry attempts for linear strikes and overhead slams where the timing is readable.
Fury Attacks (Red Glow)
When an enemy glows red, they are charging a Fury Attack. These attacks ignore regular blocking entirely. You take full damage if you hold guard without the Perfect Guard timing.
You have two options:
- Perfect Guard it. Same timing rules as any other attack. The Fury windup is long and telegraphed, so watch for the weapon to start moving toward you and press guard at contact.
- Get out of range. Most Fury Attacks have limited reach. Dodge backward or sprint away before the swing connects. Do not dodge through a Fury Attack with standard dodge i-frames; they will not save you.
Later in the game, a specific amulet allows dodge i-frames to work against Fury Attacks, and certain P-Organ upgrades let you regular-block them (with chip damage). But for most of the playthrough, Perfect Guard or distance are your only options.
Practice Spots
Training Dummy at Hotel Krat
The training puppet near Geppetto's workshop repeats basic attacks on a loop. Use it to burn the guard timing into muscle memory without risking Ergo or progress. Spend 5 minutes here before any boss attempt where you feel rusty.
Parade Master (Chapter 1 Boss)
The Parade Master has slow, telegraphed overhead swings and linear punches. Each attack has a clear, readable windup. This is your first real Perfect Guard test, and the attacks are forgiving enough to learn on.
Scrapped Watchman (Chapter 2 Boss)
The Scrapped Watchman adds rhythmic combo strings and faster attack chains. If you can Perfect Guard its 3-hit sequences, you have the fundamentals down for the rest of the game. This boss rewards mixing dodge (for sweeps) and Perfect Guard (for direct slams).
P-Organ Upgrades for Perfect Guard
You unlock P-Organ abilities at Geppetto's chair in Hotel Krat by spending Quartz. Four upgrades directly reward a parry-heavy playstyle.
| P-Organ Ability | Effect | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Perfect Guard Fable Charge Enhance | Generates Fable meter on each Perfect Guard | Fuels your Fable Arts (weapon skills) through defense alone. High priority. |
| Perfect Guard Cause Stiffness | Chance to interrupt the enemy's combo on parry | Breaks long attack chains and creates punish windows mid-combo. |
| Enhance Perfect Guard Destruction | Increases weapon-break damage dealt by Perfect Guard | Breaks enemy weapons faster, reducing their damage and reach permanently. |
| Perfect Guard Weapon Durability Recovery | Restores your weapon's durability on parry | Keeps your weapon sharp during long boss fights without using grindstones. |
If you commit to parrying, pick up Perfect Guard Fable Charge Enhance first. The free Fable charge turns every successful parry into offensive fuel.
The Perfection Grindstone (Auto-Parry Tool)
The Perfection Grindstone is a special grindstone that auto-parries all blocked attacks for about 15 seconds. Hold guard and face the attack; the game handles the parry timing for you.
How to get it
- Find all three Venigni Collection boxes during exploration (Incredible, Fancy, and Great Venigni Collection).
- Give all three to Pulcinella at Hotel Krat.
- Buy the Perfection Grindstone from Pulcinella's expanded shop for 1,000 Ergo.
How to use it
Equip the Perfection Grindstone to your Grinder slot at any Stargazer. In combat, activate it by using your Grinder while guarding (L1 + Grinder input). The sharpening animation can be interrupted by enemy attacks, so activate it during a safe window after a dodge or at range.
Save this for boss phases with fast multi-hit combos that overwhelm your manual timing. It is short-lived and consumable, so do not waste it on trash mobs.
Guard Regain and Stagger: The Bigger Picture
Perfect Guard plugs into two larger combat systems that reward aggressive blocking.
Guard Regain
When you regular-block an attack, a portion of your health bar turns grey. You recover that grey health by hitting the enemy. If you get hit again before attacking, the grey health is gone for good. Perfect Guard skips this cycle entirely; no grey health, no pressure to counterattack before the next hit.
Stagger and Groggy
Every Perfect Guard fills the enemy's hidden stagger meter. When the meter maxes out, the enemy's health bar flashes white. Land a Charged Heavy Attack during the white flash to put the enemy into a Groggy state, then walk up and press heavy attack for a Fatal Attack that deals massive damage.
The loop is: Perfect Guard to build stagger → watch for the white flash → Charged Heavy → Fatal Attack. Mastering this loop means bosses spend less time hitting you and more time staggered on the ground.
Common Mistakes
| Mistake | What happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Spamming the guard button | ~30-frame lockout kills your parry window | One clean press per attack. Wait for the next swing before pressing again. |
| Pressing too early | Parry window opens and closes before the hit arrives | Watch the weapon tip. Press when it is about to touch P, not when the windup starts. |
| Trying to parry every attack | Grabs, AoEs, and some sweeps punish you for standing still | Learn which attacks are parry-safe and which are dodge-safe. Mix both. |
| Panicking during Fury Attacks | Holding guard without parry timing = full damage | Either commit to Perfect Guard timing or get out of range. No middle ground. |
| Ignoring Guard Regain after failed parries | Grey health stacks up and vanishes on the next hit | Counterattack between blocked hits to recover grey health before the next combo. |
Once your parry timing is solid, pair it with the right weapon setup. See our best weapon combinations guide for top builds and handle pairings.
FAQ
Does weapon weight affect Perfect Guard timing?
The parry window itself does not change based on weapon weight. But heavier loadouts slow your dodge, making you more dependent on parrying instead of dodging. If you run heavy, you need your Perfect Guard timing to be sharp because dodging becomes less reliable as a backup plan.
Can I Perfect Guard with any weapon?
Yes. The parry window is identical across all weapons. Your weapon choice affects attack speed, range, and Fable Arts, but not the guard timing.
Is there a skill or item that makes Perfect Guard easier?
The Perfection Grindstone auto-parries for about 15 seconds. The P-Organ ability "Perfect Guard Cause Stiffness" interrupts enemy combos, giving you more breathing room. Some weapon handles have Fable Arts that perform a guard counter or parry on activation.
What happens if I Perfect Guard but I'm facing the wrong way?
The guard must face the incoming attack. If you are turned away, neither regular block nor Perfect Guard activates. Keep P facing the attacker.
Should I Perfect Guard or dodge in boss fights?
Both. Overhead slams and linear thrusts are clean parry targets. Wide sweeps, AoE ground pounds, and grabs are safer to dodge. Most boss fights ask you to mix both tools depending on the attack pattern.
Does Perfect Guard work in co-op or against all enemy types?
Perfect Guard works on every blockable attack from every enemy type, including bosses. The only exception is grab attacks, which cannot be blocked or parried at all.