Guard

Guarding is a recurring mechanic in the series.
==Appearances==
*Shin Megami Tensei
*Shin Megami Tensei II
*Shin Megami Tensei: if...
*Shin Megami Tensei NINE
*Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey / Redux
*Shin Megami Tensei V
*Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner
*Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers
*Megami Ibunroku Persona
*Persona 2: Innocent Sin
*Persona 2: Eternal Punishment
*Persona 3 Portable / Reload
*Persona 4 / Golden
*Persona 4 Arena / Ultimax
*Persona 5 / Royal
*Persona 5 Tactica
*Devil Survivor / Overclocked
*Devil Survivor 2 / Record Breaker
==Overview==
Guarding is an option available in the battle menu. If used, the user will not do anything, but during that turn they will have their defense increased against other attacks. In some games in the series, defending characters will be protected from being Downed against elemental weaknesses.
===Shin Megami Tensei NINE===
Reinforcements will guard if they have no healing or support moves available.
===Shin Megami Tensei V===
Guarding is a command option available for both the protagonist and demon allies. The user needs to Guard at their last turn for it to have an effect: guarding beforehand has no effect.
Guarding lowers the damage taken by roughly 20%, similarly to a single buff of Rakukaja. It stacks via multiplication. It does not stack with resistances.
Guarding protects against Critical hits from both regular attacks, and unlike with resistances, it also protects from Omagatoki: Critical. It also prevents their weaknesses from being exploited, in which case, users weak to Light and Dark cannot be killed by instant-death when guarding.
===Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers===
Defense Kuzushi and Defense Yaburi deal more damage to guarding targets.
===Soul Hackers 2===
Guarding will halve the damage the user takes for the turn, and reduces the odds of being afflicted with ailments. It does not affect the damage taken from ailments.
===Megami Ibunroku Persona===
Both party members and enemies can guard. While there are enemies in later games capable of doing this, such as Shadow Yosuke from Persona 4, they are exceptions rather than the norm, and as such the first Persona remains the only entry in the series where all enemies and bosses are capable of guarding.
===Persona 2: Eternal Punishment===
The enemy-exclusive skill Guard Punish deals high Almighty damage to all party members and will ignore damage reduction from defending targets. Instead, it will do double damage to guarding targets.
===Persona 3 Portable===
The "Wait" command in battle from Persona 3 and FES has been replaced with the "Defense" command.
===Persona 4 / Golden===
Guarding reduces the damage a party member will take while they are in a guarding stance. A hit from an enemy will knock the party member out of their guarding stance, with subsequent attacks to the same party member during that turn being able to hit for full damage. Guarding does not prevent skills such as Counter from activating. If Counter is activated, the guarding character maintains their guard status.
===Persona 5 / Royal===
If the user guards, the damage they would take will be subtracted by x0.4 although their evasion is negated. Guarding also prevents the user from being knocked down, afflicted with ailments and killed by Insta-Kill attacks. The user guards until they take a turn, receive a Baton Pass, and immediately after they have been taken damage from an attack. In Royal only, the party automatically guards when they are ambushed by the Shadows.
Guarding does not reduce the effects of Life Leech although the guarding stance is still broken if hit by one. If the user has Burn, the damage inflicted by the ailment is not reduced by guarding and it does not break the guarding stance.
===Persona 5 Tactica===
When a combatant stands next to a Cover at the end of their turn, that combatant gains Guard status. Guarding combatants become resistant to Physical and Gun attacks, and they cannot be knocked down. They lose the Guard status after hit with a Skill or a melee attack.
Erina's upgraded Voltage skill "Flag of Freedom" can grant Guard status to all allies within its range.
In Repainting Your Heart DLC, combatants standing on squares painted with their team's color are considered guarding. On the other hand, standing on squares painted in enemy's color makes them vulnerable even while in Cover.
==Gallery==
===Soul Hackers 2===
Guard Ringo.png|Ringo guarding
Guard Arrow.png|Arrow guarding
===Persona 3===
Defend MC.png|The male protagonist defending.
===Persona 5===
Guard Protagonist.png|The protagonist guarding.
Guard Morgana.png|Morgana guarding.
Guard Ryuji.png|Ryuji guarding.
Guard Ann.png|Ann guarding.
Guard Makoto.png|Makoto guarding.
Guard Haru.png|Haru guarding.
Guard Akechi.png|Akechi guarding.
Category:Mechanics