The combat in Forspoken allows you go on the offense, while using parkour skills to avoid enemy hits. But, if ever things go awry, you do have some defensive capabilities, too. Here’s our Forspoken guide to help you learn about the Cuff Counter or counter attack mechanic.
Note: For more information, check out our Forspoken guides and features hub.
Forspoken combat guide: How to use the Cuff Counter or counter attack
The Cuff Counter or counter attack in Forspoken is a defensive maneuver that can save you in a bind. Basically, Cuff, your own sentient armband, is able to automatically block enemy hits. This, however, can only occur at intervals. Moreover, the damage is only partially mitigated, which means your character will still lose a bit of HP.
As for counters, all you need to do is wait for an enemy to attempt a strike, which would get blocked by Cuff. You should see a golden shield flash around your character. You should see a prompt appear in the lower-left corner of your screen, so press the “F” key when you spot it. This will cause your character to do a Cuff Counter, which causes an area-of-effect (AoE) blast that hits multiple targets near you.
Screenshot by PC Invasion
Be forewarned that the Cuff Counter or a counter attack isn’t always advisable or usable. Here are the situations that you’ll want to be wary of:
- Strong attacks – When an enemy has a red cross/flash, that means they’re readying for a powerful ability. This can’t be blocked, which also means it can’t be countered. Moreover, regular parkour dodges won’t work, so you’ll have to sprint away if need be.
- Attacks when your guard is broken – Assuming Cuff already blocked a few hits, you’ll notice that the golden shield that appears around your character has been broken. This is a guard break, which means subsequent damage won’t be mitigated.
- Ranged attacks/spells – Generally speaking, you don’t really want to get smacked around by ranged projectiles or spells. At best, you’ll use your parkour dodge to avoid any mishaps.
- Auto-Evasion – If you go to Gameplay Balance and enable Auto-Evasion, then counter attacks in Forspoken would be moot. The option allows Frey to instantly dodge all normal attacks from opponents, and you only need to worry about stronger/red flash abilities.
- Last-Chance Block – Forspoken also has a mechanic where Cuff will save you from a fatal blow. This Last-Chance Block doesn’t lead to a counter, as your guard is broken for a prolonged period and you should avoid getting hit as much as possible. This will replenish over time (i.e., a gauge on the lower-left corner of your screen), and a Killing Blow will refresh its internal cooldown, too.
Screenshot by PC Invasion
Forspoken is available via Steam.
