Shadow of the Erdtree: How does the Deflecting Hardtear work? Elden Ring guide, walkthrough
Deflecting Hardtear is an item that has a huge impact on gameplay mechanics, and can be acquired quite early on. On this page of the guide to Shadow of the Erdtree, we've described how to get the bouncing sclera and how it works.
Last update: 09 July 2024
Deflecting Hardtear is a new crystal tear introduced in Shadow of the Erdtree. Like other tears, you can brew a Flask of Wondrous Physick with it to gain a specific, powerful buff. This particular tear expands your moveset with an additional ability that drastically changes the gameplay and can make it much easier once you get used to it. On this page, we described where to find the Deflecting Hardtear and how it works.
How to get the Deflecting Hardtear?
All of the new crystal tears introduced in the DLC are dropped by Furnace Golems encounterd in various areas. This particular tear is dropped by a golem in the Gravesite Plain, near the Scorched Ruins - this will probably be the first golem you'll encounter in the game. Before killing him, you should collect some Scadutree Fragments, which should make the fight easier.
How to use the Deflecting Hardtear?
Deflecting Hardtear's effect lasts for five minutes after drinking the potion - so it is most useful during boss fights than during exploration. The tear slightly modifies your block, increasing damage reduction, poise, and the power of counterattacks after blocking.
In practice, this means that the player gains a parry skill similar to that of Sekiro or Lies of P. Pressing the block button right before getting hit parries the attack and you will not take any damage. After parrying the attack, you can counterattack, reducing the enemy's poise faster.
With the Deflecting Hardtear, you can be more aggressive, keep up with your enemies, and find more opportunities to attack. You don't have to use a shield either, because a well-timed parry will fully block the damage you receive. This will give you more freedom in choosing your equipment.
Unfortunately, the effect of Deflecting Hardtear is not permanent. There are already unofficial modifications that give you this effect permanently, but you would have to use them at your own risk - we also advise against using them if you plan to play online, because then you may receive a ban for cheating.