Parrying

Parrying is used to completely block melee blows or archery shots from opponents. In usual practise you must equip a Shield in order to parry - Which type doesn't make a difference (unless the item has an additionally listed Defense Chance Increase bonus).

If you fail to parry, a shield offers no protection aside from any Item Properties it might have displayed (such as Resistances).

As a character gains in Parry as well as Bushido, the system changes somewhat: Your chance to block with a shield falls, and instead you gain the ability to parry with a sword. An additional bonus is granted if the weapon is double handed.

This skill also counts towards your ability to perform Special Moves.

Training

Put on a suit of armor to get 70 physical resistance. Player made GM spined armor will work. Get several shields of any type (high durability is good) and find some sheep. Possible locations are the Yew farms or outside Moonglow city. Get 9 sheep to attack you and tab out to prevent yourself from hitting back. Healing may be necessary if your Hit Point Regeneration is not high enough.

If you are able to heal yourself steadily for a prolonged period of time you might consider wearing no armor (as the sheep will quickly erode it's Durability). For this reason you should also be sure to bring an adequate supply of shields.

Over time the sheep's combat abilities will improve as they strike you. Although tedious, because of this it's fastest to train parry in a single session rather then leaving and coming back to fresher (and hence slower) sheep.

See Also

• Shields
• Bushido
• Defense Chance Increase
• http://guide.uo.com/skill_5.html - Parrying page on UO.com