Blocking is a melee action that allows players to negate damage at the cost of stamina.
General
Blocking is performed by holding the right mouse button (by default) while using your melee weapon. Being hit while blocking will negate the damage done by the hit at the cost of stamina. Additionally, blocking regular attacks of enemies will stagger them (excluding Monsters). Heavy enemy attacks (like the overhead strikes of Stormvermin and Chaos Warriors, and most Monsters attacks) can consume several stamina shields. If the character doesn't have enough stamina to block an attack, their block is broken (see below).
Block Broken
If the character runs out of stamina and keeps blocking, the block will be broken with the next hit. This will cause the character to be staggered, which means the player shortly loses the ability to attack or defend while the character recovers (the player can still move and dodge, albeit less effectively. Blocking while having depleted stamina will have no effect.
Parrying
Parry angle tooltip
Each weapon has a parry angle, the tooltip can be seen to the right and is visible in the right-upper corner of the statistics panel of your weapon. If the character blocks an attack within that angle, the block will consume less stamina[1]. Blocking attacks outside the parry angle might consume more stamina than it normally would, depending on the weapon you are wielding[1]. Most melee weapons have a parry angle of 90 degrees, except the following weapons:
- Kerillian's Dual Daggers and Sienna's Dagger have a parry angle of 40 degrees.
- All melee weapons with shields and Kerillian's Elven Spear have aparry angle of 180 degrees.
Additionally, some Talents and equipment properties can increase the parry angle.
Pushing
Pressing the attack button (left mouse button by default) while blocking will execute a push. A push will stagger Infantry and most specials (Gutter Runners, Globadiers, Warpfire Throwers, Lifeleeches and the Sack Rat) at a 100 degrees angle in front of the player, with a decreased effect in a 180 degrees angle. Shields have a slightly increased push range (but not push angle).
Similarly to the push angle, some Talents and equipment properties can increase the push angle.