Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree has a not-so-secret new item that lets you mimic the parrying style that's core to Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice's gameplay.
You'll get the Reflection Hard tier pretty early on in the DLC, right from the spawn point. Defeating the Eldtree Forge Golem Shadow, which you encounter early in the DLC, will reward you with the game-changing Crystal tier, which will massively boost your guarding abilities and guard counters, giving you a distinctly Sekiro-like edge in combat.
If you've played Sekiro, you'll know that the combat system is built around the parry system, where guarding the moment an enemy attack hits not only allows you to block the attack perfectly, but also fills up the enemy's stagger bar. Using Deflecting Hard Tear achieves a very similar effect, guarding you from taking damage after a perfect block and boosting your guard counter attack in the process. Essentially, you put Deflecting Hard Tear in your Physick Flask, take a drink, and turn Elden Ring into Sekiro for the next five minutes.
In this Reddit post, you can see in action how players successfully dodge Marenia's “Waterfowl Dance,” a move that would normally deal devastating damage.
Dodge the waterfowl with DLC items from r/Eldenring
The Reflection Hard tier is especially important given Shadow of the Erdtree's unforgiving difficulty, with new players and returning veterans alike learning the true meaning of humility in the DLC's boss fight. Bandai Namco, the game's publisher, has offered up some unique hints to make Tarnished feel just a little extra filthy, but we wholeheartedly recommend picking up this all-important new Crystal tier if you haven't already.
Here's how to defeat Ladahn the Promised Consort, the final boss of Shadow of the Eld Tree.