Ghost of Tsushima: How to Break Enemy Guard & Shield

Developed by Sucker Punch Productions, Ghost of Tsushima is one of the most hotly anticipated video game releases of 2020, and it’s finally releasing exclusively for the PS4 this month. The game takes place in the late 13th century, and players will step into the shoes of a samurai named Jin as he resolves to protect his clan from the ongoing Mongol invasion. Here’s how to break an enemy’s guard and shield in Ghost of Tsushima.

Breaking Enemy Guard and Shield in Ghost of Tsushima

The combat system in Ghost of Tsushima is fairly nuanced in that you really have to be mindful of your stances when dealing with different types of enemies, as different stances will have varying degrees of effectiveness on them. When facing a particular type of enemy, you’ll need to use a specific stance to break their guard and attack them.

Listed below are the different stances in the game and which enemy types they’re effective against:

• Stone: effective against other swordsmen.
• Water: effective against enemies carrying shields.
• Wind: effective against spear or pole-wielding enemies.
• Moon: effective against large ‘thug’ enemy types.

To break an enemy’s guard, you’ll want to hit the triangle button while in the appropriate stance, then follow up with the square button attack to deplete their health quickly. And as mentioned above, enemies armed with shields can only have their guard broken by getting into the Water stance. Press the triangle button to break their guard, then attack.

Once you have all the stances unlocked, you can switch between them at will. To do this, press and hold the R2 button, then press the corresponding face button for whichever stance you want to use.

That’s all you need to know about how to break an enemy’s guard and shield in Ghost of Tsushima. Be sure to search for Twinfinite or check our guide wiki for more tips and information on the game.