Hardening | Mortal Shell Wiki

Hardening
Can be used to prevent damage dealt by any incoming attack.
Type	Stat

Hardening is a Stat and Ability in Mortal Shell. Hardening can be used to prevent damage dealt by any incoming attack.

Hardening Information

• Hardening is a key mechanic in Mortal Shell. It allows you to harden, preventing all damage dealt by any incoming attack. When you get hit, you will also get a small window where damage is prevented. If an enemy were to hit you while you are hardened, he will be staggered for a short period of time.
• The Hardening Ability can be used at any given time (Including Attack Animation, Dodge, after a missed Parry and even while in the air). And you will remain static as long as the button is held or until an enemy breaks it. Once it does, the animation will resume. This can be used to take advantage of many situations, like performing a slow swing and then harden when its about to strike. When you get hit, the hardening will break and you'll immediately hit your opponent.
• Once the Hardening breaks you will have to wait a small cooldown before using it again.
• The Hardening Ability can be used by all Shells and even with the Foundling form.
• Harros is the best shell to take advantage of the Hardening ability, since most of his abilities boost the hardening.

How to acquired Hardening:

• Hardening is acquired during the Tutorial.

Notes and Tips:

• When Hardening breaks, you are invincible to all attacks for a short duration, so with careful timing and positioning, Hardening can be used to avoid damage from multiple opponents.
• Basic enemies striking you while Hardened will have their attacks bounce off, stun them momentarily and interrupt their combo. Bosses and midbosses do not suffer from this and will likely continue their attack string against you. The Grisha in particular has an unparriable attack string designed to break your Harden then perform a grab and bite attack while you are helpless. Noctesepters performing their grab attack against you will simply bounce off you, but will not be stunned. 
• Hardening does not prevent damage from poison or fire (fire damage can be prevented by dodging repeatedly for invincibility frames) 
• Hadern will also use the Harden ability during his boss fights (Hadern's name is also an anagram of Harden). Unlike the Foundling, he will not (or cannot) use this ability indefinitely. 
• In New Game+ Harden will no longer prevent all damage and you will take a certain amount of chip damage from enemy attacks (certain attacks like crossbow bolts will still do no damage and not break Harden). This chip damage increases per NG+ cycle.
• As of the most recent patch, the Foundling does not take chip damage in New Game+. 
• As mentioned in the Molten Spike lore and elsewhere, the reason behind the Foundling's ability to Harden is likely tied to his connection to Vatra, the fourth revered who is elementally identified with mud and stone. Harros choosing to worship the goddess and Hadern's link with the Foundling (mentioned in Twin-Sister's dialogue in The Virtuous Cycle) may be the reason behind their respective affinities for Hardening.