Turn Elden Ring into a Sekiro playthrough with this super-strong Crystal Tear

An early game item in the new Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree expansion is letting players mimic the parrying style seen in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice⁠—basically turning the DLC into FromSoftware’s iconic shinobi title.

The item in question, the Deflecting Hard Tear, can be collected relatively early on in the DLC, right after beating the Furnace Golem that can be found stomping around the Gravesite Plains soon after the player spawns. It rewards players with a completely gamechanging mechanic many are dubbing very similar to Sekiro’s parrying system; unquestionably the 2019 release’s most famous mechanic.

Unlike Elden Ring where i-frames/invincibility-frames received by dodge rolling are king, Sekiro’s gameplay has the player focus on parrying and blocking when fighting bosses, and that’s exactly what the new Crystal Tear brings in the DLC.

The Deflecting Hard Tear dramatically buffs players’ guard ability and guard counter for five minutes. If done correctly, the player receives an extreme boost to their poise and damage reduction during the block and will also gain an empowered Guard Counter after the Spontaneous Guard. On top of that, this doesn’t require the player to use a shield to parry or have the parry Ash of War equipped; it’s just a straight-up Sekiro parry mechanic that can now easily be tied to the Flask of Wondrous Physick.

Excited players who have discovered the power of the Deflecting Hard Tear are already pouring onto Reddit, where several videos and gameplay clips are being regularly shared. One, from gamer Training_Shine118, shows the effect of the Crystal Tear in action⁠—they demonstrate a series of successful parries against Malenia’s usually devastating Waterfowl Dance.

The clutch new Elden Ring item was regularly overlooked in Erdtree‘s opening week given its confusing name and vague description, but it’s quickly becoming extremely relevant given the DLC’s unrelenting difficulty. So if you’re finding it difficult to get through the expansion, we highly recommend you pop this bad boy and give it a go.