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Persona 5: The Phantom X (P5X)
How to Guard and Increase Defense
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Guarding greatly reduces the damage taken until your next turn in Persona 5: The Phantom X (P5X). Learn more about how to guard, the effects of guarding, when you should guard, and ways to increase your defense here!
List of Contents
How to Guard
Select Switch and Use Guard
In order to Guard, you first have to press the Switch option at the lower right corner of the combat screen. Doing so will change your combat options, allowing you to use Guard as your action for the turn.
Beginner's Guide: How to Get Started
Guarding Effects
Greatly Reduces Damage Taken
The main effect of Guarding is to reduce the damage taken by enemy attacks until the character's next turn. Do note that this will consume the current turn of your character so make sure your timing is right.
Restores Down Points and SP
In addition to reducing damage taken, Guarding can also restore Down Points and SP which are essential to surviving in combat. Down Points are the amount of weakness attacks a character can take until they get knock down, while SP is the skill points needed to execute Persona skills.
When Should You Guard?
Focused by a Strong Attack
Certain Bosses or Shadows in the game are capable of dealing huge damage to one of your characters, which can be the perfect time to guard against it. Make sure to anticipate whether one of your characters is being highlighted by a specific Boss mechanic before you use up your turn to help them survive throughout the fight.
Out of SP
In long fights, there will be a tendancy for your character to run out of SP especially when they always execute Persona Skills every turn. We suggest guarding at this point to help you recover SP quickly and start using your Persona Skills as soon as you can.
Character is Low HP
We highly recommend guarding when your character is low HP or when you can anticipate the next attack to deal huge damage. This is important so that your character can survive throughout the fight and tank some damage until their next turn.
Keep in mind that if you have a healer in your party, make sure to heal the character with the lowest HP as soon as possible to prevent them from getting knocked out.
Ways to Increase Defense
Ally Skills and Effects
| Skill | Cost | Tags |
 Defense Master III
|
- | Passive |
|---|---|---|
| Effect: At the start of battle, increase Defense by 23.6% for 2 turns. | ||
The best way to increase Defense is by equipping a Persona Skill that can buff your character and party's defense. Some of the best defensive skills you can get in the game include Rakukaja, Snow King's Protection, and Defense Master III.
Unlock Schema Stats
Schema Stats are passive skills for Wonder that usually improves his base stats and unlock additional effects. Make sure to unlock and upgrade the Defense Up schemas to greatly improve your survivability throughout the fight.
Schema Guide: Best Skills for Wonder
Persona 5: The Phantom X (P5X) Related Guides
Game Mechanics
Combat Guides
City Life Activity Guides
| Activities Guide: How Does the Calendar Work? | Shichi-kun Quiz Answers and Rewards |
| How to Read Books | Cooking Guide: Best Food Recipes |
| Fortune Telling Guide: Effects and Schedule | - |
Minigame Guides
| Batting Cage Guide: How to Hit A Home Run | Soccer Club Guide |
| Music Club Guide | Fishing Guide |
| Tycoon Guide | - |
Currency Guides
| Battle Pass Guide: Should You Buy The Pass? | Lufel's Business Plan Guide and Rewards |
| Daily Login Guide: Events and Rewards | Money Guide: How to Get Yen Fast |
| How to Get Konpaku Gems | All Free Items |
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How to Guard and Increase Defense
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