How to guard counter in Elden Ring

sportskeeda.com:

Elden Ring continues FromSoftware's legacy of a challenging, yet rewarding combat system. There is always room for improvement, and the game encourages this. However, like the players who enjoy the games, FromSoftware isn’t above improving combat altogether.

For example, Sekiro had the Posture technique, while Bloodborne had Visceral Attacks. Both combat mechanics were unique to those titles.

With Elden Ring, a new technique has been introduced: guard counters. And it is not unlike Sekiro’s deflection mechanic. Should you master the guard counter, it can prove to be a devastating attack against your target.

Guard counters can be game-changing, considering that a successful one breaks your target’s stance and leaves them open for an attack. Naturally, that means dealing extra damage. As expected, however, there is a high level of risk and reward with guard counters.

To perform a guard counter, you first have to successfully block an attack. Of course, that means you will need a shield and ample stamina. Should your stamina bar deplete from attempting a block, the guard counter will fail and you will take damage.

After you have successfully blocked an attack with your shield, attack immediately. You will know you carried out a guard counter successfully if you see a small light emanate from your character and hear a shimmering sound effect. Both the visual and audio cues are quite subtle.

Not only does guard countering break your opponent’s stance and deal extra damage, it also negates the damage you would otherwise have received. However, not all foes are created equally, and many will require more than one guard counter before their stance is broken, like Elden Ring bosses.

This is why it is important to assess the situation