History Main / DefendCommand

* ''VideoGame/AVeryLongRopeToTheTopOfTheSky'': It has a defend command.

** It should be noted that [[LimitBreak damaging Z-Moves]] are so strong that they will bypass these {{Defend Command}}s, but only deal 25% of the damage they would have dealt.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}'', the Defense command not only reduces the amount of damage you take, but also nullifies {{Critical Hit}}s and [[ElementalRockPaperScissors elemental weaknesses]] while preventing the character from receiving [[StandardStatusEffects status conditions]] during the turn. This makes it surprisingly useful to the point that not using it is sometimes outright suicidal. In fact, it's so useful that the game's first major boss fight is basically just a glorified tutorial on guarding.
** ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}} Portable'' adopted the same mechanic, which has contributed to some people complaining that they reduced the difficulty. However, the new [[HarderThanHard Maniac]] difficulty [[FanDumb more than makes up for it]].
** ''VideoGame/{{Persona 5}}'' has the same effect for the Defend command and makes you learn to use it by pitting you against an Archangel with Charge and [[HerdHittingAttack Vajra Blast]]. Failure to heed the tutorial will lead to a {{T|otalPartyKill}}PK.

The DefendCommand is a common battle command in {{RPG}}s, where the character assumes a defensive stance that reduces damage received from enemies (usually by half), usually at the expense of not being able to take any other action in that stance. Hence, this command is [[TheLawOfDiminishingDefensiveEffort regarded as useless]] (especially in turn-based environments where all actions require a full turn), although it can vary from game to game. Occasionally, however, a boss will have a charged-up super move which is best survived by defending on the turn it fires, leaving players used to ignoring the command clueless as to how to survive.

More recent games, recognizing how {{u|selessUsefulSpell}}nused defend traditionally was have attempted to bring back its usefulness by allowing the defend command to have other tactical advantages beyond negating half of incoming damage. For instance a more useful variation may cause a defending character to becomes the target for ''all'' enemy attacks, i.e. shielding other party members from taking the hits, which comes in handy if used by a character who can CounterAttack.

* The ''VideoGame/{{MOTHER}}'' games feature the DefendCommand. In ''VideoGame/{{MOTHER 3}}'', using Defend also reduces the rate at which the character's rolling HP meter ticks down. This comes in handy during the final battle with the Masked Man, where, due to plot reasons, there's not much you can do besides defend yourself and do your best to survive.

-->--'''[[http://magiccards.info/nph/en/34.html Defensive Stance]]''', ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering''

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' 3rd edition has "Fight Defensively" (-4 to attack rolls, but +2 dodge bonus to Armor Class) and "Total Defense" (+4 dodge bonus to AC, but requires a standard action to use (thus preventing the character from attacking), as well as preventing them from making Attacks of Opportunity)

A second common approach to expanding the use of the defend command is to cause defending characters to also regenerate resources when used. For instance defend may regenerate a percentage of health or mana each time it is used. Alternatively it may regenerate stamina or technique points used for preforming more powerful attacks. While this approach will keep defend from being {{useless|UsefulSpell}} it can go to the alternate extreme of having a party spending as much or more time defending as attacking, either to generate enough mana to heal or build up stamina to preform more powerful attacks. This can, in turn, [[PaddedSumoGameplay draw out battles]], even otherwise easy RandomEncounters, with excessive defending. Whether this is preferable or more strategic then the usual [[RocketTagGameplay quick all-out attack]] strategy of most RPG is [[BrokenBase dependent on who you ask]].

* Shields in ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'' can be held up to reduce incoming damage, but reduce the player to a crawling speed.

* In ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' games, Defend generally halves physical damage only, providing no protection against magic. In games with ATB, the character will defend indefinitely until they are issued a different command, giving it some use as a way to keep one character on standby. The series is also replete with examples of the 'defender becomes target of enemy attacks' variation, and it's frequently a job requirement of the Knight and/or Paladin classes.

Outside of RPGs, other genre games (notably action games) have their own dedicated "blocking" button. {{Fighting Game}}s may either have one, or (in 2D fighters) have the player simply holding the "back" button (i.e the opposite direction of where the character is facing). For fighting games especially, some games may have both standard blocking and an advanced form of blocking that is more useful but either harder to do or requiring some resource.

* Shield in ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'' can be held up to reduce incoming damage, but reduce the player to a crawling speed.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}'', the Defense command not only reduces the amount of damage you take, but also nullifies {{Critical Hit}}s and [[ElementalRockPaperScissors elemental weaknesses]] while preventing the character from receiving [[StandardStatusEffects status conditions]] during the turn. This makes it surprisingly useful to the point that not using it is sometimes outright suicidal. In fact, its so useful that the game's first major boss fight is basically just a glorified tutorial on guarding.

* ''Videogame/SuperMarioRPG'' has both the vanilla Defend command a variant based on the "Timed Hits" system. The "Timed Hits" version allows Mario and his partymates to reduce damage by pressing B at a specific point during an enemy's attack animation [[TrialAndErrorGameplay (which sometimes takes some guesswork)]]; particularly well timed hits will actually reduce the damage to 0 and can even prevent instant death attacks. True to the trope, the "regular" Defend command is almost completely useless, even moreso than most other [=RPGs=] because a) It's more efficient to just attempt the Timed Hits version - which does not require spending a turn on the player's part - and b) It doesn't protect against magic attacks.

--->'''[[http://magiccards.info/nph/en/34.html Defensive Stance]]''', MagicTheGathering

->'''It isn't for fighting. It's for when the fighting's gone bad.''

* ''Franchise/DragonQuest'':

* The ''Franchise/TalesSeries'' makes guarding a practical option by including skills that provide benefits like HP/TP restoration for guarding attacks at the last moment, allowing you to turn any arte into an InvulnerableAttack if performed immediately after blocking a hit, and also simply allowing you to cancel some attacks early for combo or safety purposes.

* ''VideoGame/BarkleyShutUpAndJamGaiden'' gives each party member unique defend commands. Barkley's simply reduces incoming damage, Balthios' makes him {{counter attack}}s, Vinceborg's restores his [[HitPoints VP]] and [[ManaPoints BP]] while Hoopz' defend command gives him a 100% evasion rate.

** ''VideoGame/PokemonGO'' allows you to reduce an incoming attack's damage by a whopping '''''75 percent''''', by waiting for the yellow "flash" (the timing of this appearing varies depending on the attack, but each has one) then quickly swiping left or right to "Dodge" out of the way. This greatly reduces the effectiveness of a Gym-defending Pokemon's otherwise devastating attacks such as Hyper Beam, and allows for more thoughtful battles than simply AttackAttackAttack as well as imperfect [[ElementalRockPaperScissors type matchups]] still being viable.

More recent games, recognizing how {{u|selessUsefulSpell}}nused defend traditionally was have attempted to bring back it's usefulness by allowing the defend command to have other tactical advantages beyond negating half incoming damage. For instance a more useful variation may cause a defending character to becomes the target for ''all'' enemy attacks, i.e. shielding other party members from taking the hits, which comes in handy if used by a character who can CounterAttack.

More recent games, recognizing how [[UselessUsefulSpell unused]] defend traditionally was have attempted to bring back it's usefulness by allowing the defend command to have other tactical advantages beyond negating half incoming damage. For instance a more useful variation may cause a defending character to becomes the target for ''all'' enemy attacks, i.e. shielding other party members from taking the hits, which comes in handy if used by a character who can CounterAttack.

A second common approach to expanding the use of the defend command is to cause defending characters to also regenerate resources when used. For instance defend may regenerate a percentage of health or mana each time it is used. Alternatively it may regenerate stamina or technique points used for preforming more powerful attacks. While this approach will keep defend from being [[UselessUsefulSpell useless]] it can go to the alternate extreme of having a party spending as much or more time defending as attacking, either to generate enough mana to heal or build up stamina to preform more powerful attacks. This can, in turn, [[PaddedSumoGameplay draw out battles]], even otherwise easy RandomEncounters, with excessive defending. Whether this is preferable or more strategic then the usual [[RocketTagGameplay quick all-out attack]] strategy of most RPG is [[BrokenBase dependent on who you ask]].

* Swords in ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'' let you do this.

* Three classes from ''Videogame/DarkestDungeon'' have variations on this skill. [[StoneWall The Man-at-Arms]] can take the hit for another party member while buffing his protection, and has a separate skill where he counterattacks anyone that hits him. Paired together he can cover the weaker party members while damaging the enemies that try to ShootTheMedicFirst. [[FragileSpeedster The Houndmaster]] does the same but lacks the counter and buffs his dodge chance instead. [[SupportPartyMember The Antiquarian]] forces someone else to guard for her but gives them a buff to protection ''and'' dodging.

* The ''LegendOfTheFiveRings'' RPG has the Full Defense stance, in which the character cannot attack and has their movement reduced, but is harder to hit. How much of a benefit the stance gives varies depending on the character's Defense skill and which edition you are playing.
* {{GURPS}} has the All-Out Defense maneuver, which allows the character to attempt two different defenses against each attack--or alternately, to focus on a single defense type (parry, dodge or block) for a +2 to that defense. In GURPS, characters suffer a shock penalty to attacks on the turn after they've been injured, so an All-Out Defense [[NotCompletelyUseless can actually be useful]] for a character to get their bearings after a painful wound.

* In ''DCUniverseOnline'', blocking reduces most damage to about 1/4, but the player cannot attack while blocking; some player special attacks backfire if the target used block. For some boss special attacks, block may or may not reduce damage, but they usually have the added bonus of neglecting special effects.

* The ''PaperMario'' series has a real-time equivalent: pressing A just before an attack hits Mario or his partner will reduce the damage taken by 1 and protect from any side effects the attack would have had (such as poisoning).
** ''PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor'' adds a more conventional "Defend" command, which increases defense by 1 for the turn in addition to the reaction guard, as well as a Superguard that blocks all damage and counters physical attacks but has stricter timing requirements.

* ''RogueGalaxy'''s Defend command was very much similar to ''Dark Cloud 2'' (block or reduce incoming damage, prevent knockdown, pick up and throw enemies). But all party members had action meters that periodically needed recharging; successfully blocking an attack during this time would recharge the meter immediately.
* ''LordsOfMagic'' has a "defend self" command, where the unit will stand still and not attack, but gains extra defense. This one was actually useful vs. the AI in the game.

* ''The7thSaga'' increases your attack strength for the turn after you defend as well as the usual defence increase.

* It's often actually useful in the ''EpicBattleFantasy'' series, especially in the higher difficulties, where you can't always end your turns at full health and enemies can do most of your health bar in damage. Also, one of the characters can sometimes absorb MP from defended damage taken and in the later games you almost always possess the ability to counterattack and/or spells that are randomly cast for you at the start of the turn.

* Episodes 3 & 4 of ''PennyArcadeAdventures'' have a well-balanced Defend command: damage taken is slightly reduced and the character will receive their next turn more quickly than normal, which is useful since characters gain a magic point every turn. There are also some abilities that reward further bonuses for defending.

* Videogame/SuperMarioRPG has both the vanilla Defend command a variant based on the "Timed Hits" system. The "Timed Hits" version allows Mario and his partymates to reduce damage by pressing B at a specific point during an enemy's attack animation [[TrialAndErrorGameplay (which sometimes takes some guesswork)]]; particularly well timed hits will actually reduce the damage to 0 and can even prevent instant death attacks. True to the trope, the "regular" Defend command is almost completely useless, even moreso than most other [=RPGs=] because a) It's more efficient to just attempt the Timed Hits version - which does not require spending a turn on the player's part - and b) It doesn't protect against magic attacks.

* Swords in {{Minecraft}} let you do this.