Tears of Metal Block, Parry & Armored Enemies Guide

Block, parry, armor and health are different

Read the current combat UI first

A repeatable Block-pressure loop

1. 1

   Find the increased Block-damage icon

   Inspect the current Hero's Combos and attacks. Version 0.11 added the icon specifically to make stronger Block pressure visible.
2. 2

   Pressure the Block bar

   Use the marked action when the target is guarding. Read the live bar rather than counting hits from another patch, difficulty or party size.
3. 3

   React to the enemy cue

   Parry or move based on the current animation and your confirmed binding. Boss block-breaking attacks can be parried under the current official rule, but an unlearned cue is not a safe timing recommendation.
4. 4

   Convert the opening

   When the defensive state breaks, use the safe damage window your current Hero and run can actually support.
5. 5

   Recheck after every patch

   Version 0.11 changed Act 2 Captain Health and Block. Fixed hit counts from older recordings are not stable benchmarks.

Use the verified game-data wiki to check dated combat changes before retesting a timing from an older build. The Tears of Metal roadmap tracks future balance and gameplay plans without presenting them as live mechanics.

Parry or dodge: a simple decision rule

1. 1

   Identify the exact animation

   Do not react only to the words block-breaking. Confirm which Captain or boss move is starting and whether the cue is still readable in the current effects and camera state.
2. 2

   Parry a cue you have already learned

   The official rule allows boss block-breaking attacks to be parried. Use that option when you can reproduce the cue, not because a guide invents one universal frame count.
3. 3

   Use movement while learning

   If the cue, latency or crowd makes the timing uncertain, preserve the run with the movement option your current Hero and arena support.
4. 4

   Return to Block pressure after the defense

   Once safe, resume marked increased Block-damage actions instead of confusing a successful parry with a complete guard break.

Block-breaking does not mean unparryable

The most important official correction is simple: version 0.8 made boss block-breaking attacks parryable. The patch does not publish a universal frame window, input delay allowance or complete boss-move list.

For that reason, this guide separates two questions:

• Can the attack be parried? Boss block-breaking attacks can under the current official rule.
• When should this exact animation be parried? That requires a current cue capture for the boss, Hero, device and gameplay state.

Use the Controls guide to confirm the live defensive bind, then the Gilles guide or Banshee guide for encounter context.

Armored and evading targets

Ruadh's official reveal says his hammer can smash through shields and shatter armor. That supports his broad role, but it does not establish that Block and armor are the same bar or that every hammer move applies equal pressure.

Version 0.8 separately states that enemies are no longer invulnerable while evading. You may continue to land an attack during an evade, but the patch note does not guarantee that every slow attack will track or connect.

Version 0.14.58630 is the current numbered normal-branch baseline verified for this page. Its notes focus on multiplayer synchronization and do not replace the version 0.11 Block UI or version 0.8 boss-parry rules. Players on the Crossplay Beta branch should verify the displayed build before comparing a timing or fixed break count.

Sources

• Paper Cult's current version 0.14.58630 announcement
• Paper Cult's version 0.11.57863 announcement
• Paper Cult's version 0.8.57278 announcement
• Official Ruadh reveal hosted by IGN