Video Games

How Do Blocking & Guarding Work in Lies of P?

Lies of P, P fighting the Scrapped Watchman.

It can take a little while to get used to Lies of P’s combat, particularly when it comes to blocking enemy hits. Holding down the block/guard button doesn’t guarantee you’ll remain damage free. So, if you’re wondering how blocking and guarding work in Lies of P, I’ve got the answer.

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What You Need to Know About Blocking and Guarding in Lies of P

In Lies of P, blocking and guarding are the same thing. You might think of it as blocking, but the game refers to it as guarding. Here’s how it works. If an enemy attacks you and you’re holding down guard, you will take damage. Your red health bar will change from one solid red rectangle to two rectangles that are separated by a white line.

The rectangle on the left is, as before, your health. The darker rectangle on the right is Guard Regain. If you do nothing, this rectangle will tick down until it’s all gone, leaving you with just that solid red rectangle.

However, if you attack an enemy, some of that Guard Regain will change back to normal health. How much health you get back depends on various factors, including your stats.

Another issue with guarding is that that when an enemy hits you, it takes off a chunk of your stamina. If you’re just taking hits, when your stamina runs out the enemy will break your guard.

Lies of P Blocking

If you want to avoid taking any damage at all, you have to master the art of Perfect Guarding. So, when an enemy comes at you, here are your three main choices.

  1. Guard and attack to regain some of the lost health.
  2. Perfect Guard and take no damage. But if you fail, you’ll take full damage.
  3. Dodge, but this also takes stamina.

Mastering Perfect Guard is an art, and you stand to lose more if you fail. That’s what you need to know about the different options for blocking and guarding in Lies of P.

About the author

Chris McMullen
Freelance contributor at The Escapist. I've returned to writing about games after a couple of career changes, with my recent stint lasting five-plus years. I hope, through my writing work, to settle the karmic debt I incurred by persuading my parents to buy a Mega CD. Aside from writing for The Escapist, I also cover news and more for GameSpew. I've also been published at other sites including VG247, Space, and more. My tastes run to horror, the post-apocalyptic, and beyond, though I'll tackle most things that aren't exclusively sports-based.
Chris McMullen
Freelance contributor at The Escapist. I've returned to writing about games after a couple of career changes, with my recent stint lasting five-plus years. I hope, through my writing work, to settle the karmic debt I incurred by persuading my parents to buy a Mega CD. Aside from writing for The Escapist, I also cover news and more for GameSpew. I've also been published at other sites including VG247, Space, and more. My tastes run to horror, the post-apocalyptic, and beyond, though I'll tackle most things that aren't exclusively sports-based.

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