Proper defense is arguably the most important aspect in Lies of P. However, timely blocking attacks in the game is extremely difficult, especially since many enemies behave unfairly and often magnetize towards the hero. To simplify your playthrough a bit, we've prepared several tips on improving your defense and perfect blocks.
Since the main inspiration for the creators was Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, winning with dodges and rolls alone won't work. The game encourages you to use blocks and their variations of parries — perfect blocks. By setting up defense, Pi will still take some damage, but you will have a few seconds to replenish health with counterattacks. A perfect block works differently: you preserve health, spending only stamina, and you can also break the enemy's weapon and more quickly bring the opponent into a stun state. This is an important point, as a stunned enemy can be hit with an incredibly strong attack and immediately remove a third of health even from bosses.
The windows for perfect blocks are very small, and most often, you will not be able to place them in time. So, what to do? There is a way.
One of the main features of Lies of P is its modular weapons. Any handle can be combined with absolutely any blade, regardless of their properties and sizes. Both parts have their own skills, which consume so-called Legend points — an analogue to local mana, which can be replenished with consumables or hits.
To block more effectively, we recommend paying attention to two handles:
The Heavy Sword of Fate Handle: is one of the starting ones and may seem too cumbersome, but nothing prevents you from attaching a blade to the handle, for example, from a saber.
The Acidic Greatsword Handle: you will find in Abbey Arche, closer to the end of the game.
The real advantage lies in the skill of these two handles «Absolute Defense». For a short time, you can block any attack, including the furious (red) one, which according to the developers' idea can only be parried with a perfect block. This opens up much greater opportunities for you in almost any fight, moreover, Pi will get a little more time on the block.
Of course, Absolute Defense consumes Legend, but only one cell, which means our second advice will be — attack with strong attacks. They do not necessarily have to be held, but thanks to such hits, you will replenish mana faster, and therefore, you will be able to activate the handle's ability again.
There's no definitive answer here; it all depends on your build. However, when combining blades with handles, the game conveniently shows which specific parameters change. Try to choose a blade that satisfies you not only with its ability but also with its damage output. The overall damage is not as important as specific types, such as fire or acid damage. If you lose a bit in physical strength but gain a significant increase from an element, such a blade is definitely worth considering.
In practice, each element is good against specific enemies. Electricity against puppets, fire against the infected, and acid against everything. Acid damage (corrosion) will bring you the most benefits.
Pi's mechanical heart is another level of upgrades. There you will gain new properties for characters that cannot be unlocked otherwise. We recommend focusing on two aspects: increasing the number of Legend cells and their various buffs, such as faster replenishment during blocks, and increasing the stun time on enemies.
The thing is, enemies do not become stunned immediately. First, their health bar starts flashing white. If you fail to deliver an enhanced heavy attack in time—the opportunity will be lost, and you won't be able to take advantage of it. While the health flashing windows are quite forgiving at first, later on, bosses will increasingly seldom allow you to do what you want. It's very important to increase the time you have to inflict stun, as well as the duration the boss remains inactive.
Also, pay attention to abilities tied to perfect blocks. If you manage to establish a synergy between replenishing Legend cells through perfect blocks, you will achieve almost infinite defense capability with the handle ability.
The stun condition can be accelerated through the use of throwable items. Cores have shown particular effectiveness. You can buy them in unlimited amounts from a merchant in the Malum area. You'll find him on the second floor of the tavern before the fight with the Rabbit Brotherhood.
Initially, you can carry no more than three consumables of one type, but rest assured, this is more than enough, as besides cores, you can stock up on something else.
The most effective for defense is the shield prosthesis. Its advantage is that it not only blocks all attacks but can also return an explosion in response. Be sure to craft the shield as soon as you can. There's a theory online that if you press block while the shield is active, you can block even a furious attack. Be sure to try it.
Whetstones are consumables that will give your weapon an elemental property, but only for a certain time. Initially, Pi will have a standard infinite whetstone that can only replenish the durability of the weapon, but as the story progresses, you will discover the perfect whetstone, and it is the best thing to use for defense. The device gives any of your blocks the property of a perfect block with all the ensuing benefits.