Guard Impact (ガードインパクト?) is a universal parry that is available to every character, present in every game in the Soul series. A successful Guard Impact usually causes the attacker to stagger, allowing the defender to counter them. However, while the attacker is unable to attack whilst staggering, they are able to Reverse Impact, or to Guard Impact any oncoming attack themselves. In most games, it is executed by pushing forward or backwards on the joystick while pressing the Guard button as an opponent's attack connects.
Soul Edge[]
In the first version of Soul Edge, Guard Impacts were performed by simply guarding just before an attack lands. Successfully doing a Guard Impact allows the player to instantly act as the opponent staggers back. However, similar to what happens when you block an attack, successfully performing a Guard Impact will still take away a portion of your Weapon Gauge.
In Soul Edge Ver.II, Guard Impacts were changed so that they were now executed by pressing 
. Doing a Guard Impact no longer takes away a portion of your Weapon Gauge, although you can't act instantly as you could before. Reverse Impacts were also possible; an opponent who got repelled could do a Guard Impact in response.
In both versions of the game, you could not Guard Impact unblockable attacks, jumping attacks, throws, kicks, and punches.
Soulcalibur[]
In Soulcalibur, there are four versions of Guard Impacts:
- Two Repels (
for High and Mid attacks, for Low and Mid attacks) that causes the opponent to stagger backwards. - Two Parries ( for High and Mid attacks, for Low and Mid attacks) that causes the opponent to stagger fowards, to the side of the defender.
All attacks (including Throws), except for Unblockable attacks, could be Guard Impacted. Repels could be Reverse Impacted, but parries could not.
Soulcalibur II[]
In Soulcalibur II, there are only two versions of Guard Impacts:
- A Repel () that causes the opponent to stagger backwards. Only works against High attacks, Mid attacks, and Throws.
- A Parry () that causes the opponent to stagger forwards, to the side of the defender. Only works against Low and Mid attacks.
Guard Breaks could also be Guard Impacted. Just as with previous games, Unblockable attacks could not be Guard Impacted, but moves that become unblockable from Soul Charging can still be Guard Impacted (for example, you can Guard Impact Astaroth's Soul Charged 
but not his 
).
Soulcalibur III[]
Soulcalibur III uses a similar Guard Impact system that's present in Soulcalibur: there are four different versions of Guard Impacts:
- Two Repels ( for High and Mid attacks, for Low and Mid attacks) that causes the opponent to stagger backwards.
- Two Parries ( for High and Mid attacks, for Low and Mid attacks) that causes the opponent to stagger fowards, to the side of the defender.
As with previous games, all attacks (aside from Unblockable ones) are able to be Guard Impacted. This includes Throws and Guard Breaks.
Just Impacts ( for High and Mid attacks, 
for Low and Mid attacks) were also introduced in Soulcalibur III. Just Impacts work against Unblockables, causes the opponent to stagger for a bit longer and also causes the follow-up attack to be a Counter Hit.
Soulcalibur IV[]
Soulcalibur IV uses a similar system to Soulcalibur III. A successful Guard Impact is indicated by a sharp clashing metal sound as well as a dazzling flash of colored light. During a parry, the opponent is thrown to the ground on the side of the player with blue flash of light. In general, counters are used when the player seeks an opening to attack, and parries are used when the player wants to retreat from the opponent.
- Two Repels ( for High and Mid attacks, for Low and Mid attacks) that causes the opponent to stagger backwards.
- Two Parries ( for High and Mid attacks, for Low and Mid attacks) that causes the opponent to stagger forwards onto the ground, to the side of the defender.
However, there are some changes to it.
- Successfully Guard Impacting an attack will cause the attacker to suffer a loss to their Soul Gauge while the defender gains some in return.
- Throws can no longer be Guard Impacted.
- Successful Parries will now throw the attack down onto the ground. If they're near a wall, it will cause them to Wall Splat.
Just Impacts return. Throws can be Just Impacted, a successful Just Impact causes the stagger to last longer, and it causes more damage to the attacker's Soul Gauge.
Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny[]
Repelling an aerial attack will cause the attacker to tumble in the air.
Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny has a similar system to Soulcalibur IV's except that doing a Repel against an opponent who is attacking while they're in the air (such as a jumping attack or Siegfried's Drop Kick (
) will cause them to spin around in the air. In other games, Guard Impacting an opponent who's in the air is no different to Guard Impacting them while they're on the ground.
Soulcalibur V[]
In Soulcalibur V, Guard Impacts can no longer be executed by pressing guard+direction but have a single input (
++). The properties have been changed so that Guard Impacts now repel high, mid, and low attacks and connect during a longer window of frames. Additionally, each Guard Impact drains 25% of Critical Gauge. However, it is no longer possible to parry attacks. Guard Impacts do not work against Throws, Critical Edges or Unblockable attacks. Just Impacts do not return in this game, essentially being replaced by Just Guard, which can guard against any attack (including Unblockables, but not Throws) and give the defender frame advantage.
Some characters (such as Z.W.E.I. and Pyrrha Ω) have moves that function like Guard Impacts. These moves do not drain Soul Gauge like normal Guard Impacts.
Just like in Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny, doing a Guard Impact against an opponent doing an aerial attack will cause them to spin around in the air.
Soulcalibur VI[]
In Soulcalibur VI, the Guard Impact system is changed once again. Guard Impacts, which are done by pressing , repels all moves except for Break Attacks and Unblockable attacks. Guard Impacts costs 10% of Guard Stamina to use, but you recover 12% of it upon performing a successful Guard Impact. If you manage to do a parry within the first 4 frames of Guard Impact's parry window (frames 2-5) then you will gain 1/6th of Soul Gauge. As with other games, a player who has been parried is able to do a Reverse Impact. However, in addition to that, they can now also do a Reversal Edge as well.
Unique to Soulcalibur VI are the levels. There are three levels of Guard Impacts, which ever Guard Impact level you get depends on the type of attack the attacker uses.
A Level 1 Guard Impact occurs when a large attack is repelled. With a frame advantage of +8, the defender is able to move first, but will most likely be unable to attack the opponent quickly enough before they recover. You can tell when it's a Level 1 Guard Impact by the way the opponent twists their upper body to the side.
A Level 1 Guard Impact.
A Level 2 Guard Impact occurs when a medium attack is repelled. With a frame advantage of +16, the opponent is exposed long enough for the defender to be able to hit them with a quick attack. You can tell when it's a Level 2 Guard Impact when the opponent leans their upper body backwards.
A Level 2 Guard Impact.
A Level 3 Guard Impact occurs when a weak attack is repelled. With a frame advantage of +28, the opponent is exposed long enough for the defender to be able to initiate a combo. You can tell when it's a Level 3 Guard Impact when the opponent falls down onto the ground. Furthermore, there is a 3 frame delay when trying to do the fastest possible Reverse Impact or Reverse-Reversal Edge (for the other two levels, the opponent is able to do either of this the moment they are able to move after getting parried).
A Level 3 Guard Impact.
Guard Impacts are active from frames 2-11. The recovery lasts for 35 frames after the end of that parry window. This means that there are a total of 46 frames for a Guard Impact animation. For Reverse Impacts, the parry window is active from frames 4-18, and there are 30 frames of recovery after the end of that parry window. This means that total number of animation frames for a Reverse Impact is 49. Each characters' Guard Impacts are all the same in terms of animation frames and frame advantage.
Resist Impacts[]
Update Ver.2.00 would also add in a new type of Guard Impact: Resist Impacts (レジストインパクト?), which are done by pressing +. It is similar to Guard Impact except for a few differences:
- Resist Impacts can parry Break Attacks and Unblockable attacks.
- Instead of costing 10% of Guard Stamina, Resist Impacts cost 1/2 a bar of Soul Gauge to use.
When Amy has her Red Rose Perception and White Rose Perception maxed out, then any attacks with Auto Guard Impact properties all become Resist Impacts. Auto Resist Impacts does not cost any Soul Gauge.
Haohmaru's Blade Catch is also a Resist Impact. However, it only works against highs and mids, and it doesn't work against kicks.
Auto Guard Impacts[]
Some characters have moves which automatically function as a Guard Impact if he is struck during the execution for the attack. The character's weapon glows purple or green (depending on the game) for a moment when one of these moves is executed. The Guard Impact occurs automatically if the opponent strikes the weapon when it is purple (which may only be for a fraction of a second). Some moves with Guard Impact effects feature extra attacks performed automatically only when the Guard Impact is successful (i.e. Raphael's 4A+B). Unlike other characters' Special Guard Impact, Tira will take damages from some of hers in Gloomy stance.
Just Impacts[]
"Counter" Guard Impacts, if executed with precise timing, become Just Impacts (sometimes called Red Impacts). Just Impacts, which are extremely difficult to perform, deal significantly more damage to the opponent's Soul Gauge. The metal-on-metal sound is changed to a stronger screeching sound, and the flash of light is red instead of green. Also, unlike regular "counter" Guard Impacts, the opponent is entirely disabled after a Just Impact has been performed. A follow-up attack initiated after a Just Impact has been performed cannot be halted or guarded against by any means. If a "parry" Guard Impact is performed with the same precision, it remains a parry, and does not gain extra benefits or powers.
Just Impacts are nearly impossible to do at will due to their strict timing, and usually occur in a battle as a stroke of luck when one performs a Guard Impact.
Further Notes[]
- They are also the only maneuver capable of deflecting Algol's bubble projectiles, which, unlike other attacks, do not dissipate, but instead fly back at him (where he, using another Guard Impact, can bat them back at the opponent).
- Some weapon special abilities in Soulcalibur IV have the effect of automatically (albeit rarely) performing a Guard Impact or Just Impact on an incoming attack.
Gallery[]
