In Game of Thrones: Kingsroad, you can weave together basic attacks and heavy strikes to unleash a surprisingly versatile array of combos. Each class weapon features four distinct combos, serving essential roles like resource generation and triggering unique job-specific effects.

However, let's be honest: some of these combos suffer from sluggish animations that drag down the combat tempo, leaving you feeling a bit frustrated. Thankfully, there is a combat trick to bypass this annoyance. Enter the 'Guard Cancel'.

How to execute a Guard Cancel

You will need a combo that features a lengthy recovery animation after the final strike. The Assassin's Rapier combo 1 is a prime candidate; while the overall attack duration is short, the post-swing recovery is notably clunky. The Mercenary's two-handed axe combo 1 is another solid choice for this technique.

The method itself is quite simple. Immediately after the final hit of the combo lands, tap and release your guard key. This cancels the post-attack recovery, forces your character into a guard stance for a split second, and snaps you back to neutral, allowing you to chain your next attack instantly.

The impact of Guard Cancelling

I tested the damage output and DPS over a 10-second window. To ensure a fair trial, I stripped away all weapon specialisations, attack trait trees, and combo masteries. You can watch the experimental results in the clip below.

With Guard Cancel, I managed 8 full combos in 10 seconds, compared to just 7 without it—a 12.5% increase in total damage. While the efficiency might dip in the late game as you rely more on skills than combos, it is certainly a margin you shouldn't ignore.

One final note: Guard Cancel offers a cheeky secondary benefit—parrying. Because you are frequently tapping the guard key, you will naturally find yourself parrying incoming basic attacks. It is, therefore, a brilliant tactic to employ against elite enemies and bosses.