Mechanic · combat · role-playing game

Timed guard

A defense in a turn-based battle where a press just before an enemy's hit lands lessens or stops its damage.

stubAlso: guard, guarding, defensive action command, block (Paper Mario)Updated 2026-10-22
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A timed guard asks the defender for a press shortly before an enemy’s hit lands, instead of a held block. In Paper Mario a press in the last 3 updates1 before the hit takes 1 from Mario’s damage, unless A was also pressed in the 10 updates before those; a partner’s guard stops the damage1.

  • ReducePaper Mario (2000), Mario. A fresh press of A in the 3 updates before a hit takes 1 off it, unless A was pressed in the 10 before those.1
  • NegatePaper Mario (2000), partners. A partner's guard, read the same way, stops the hit's damage.1

See also

Games

GameYearHowNote
Paper Mario2000ReduceMario · a fresh press of A in the 3 updates before a hit takes 1 off it, unless A was pressed in the 10 before those
Paper Mario2000Negatepartners · a partner's guard, read the same way, stops the hit's damage
Every claim about this mechanic, by game (1)
Paper Mario 2000In the US version of Paper Mario, an enemy's hit on Mario is guarded when A was pressed shortly before it lands. calc_enemy_damage_target calls check_block_input(BUTTON_A) when Mario's debuff is none or one numbered at or after STATUS_KEY_POISON (so not dizzy, paralyzed, asleep, frozen, or stopped), he isn't stone, and the attack isn't DAMAGE_TYPE_UNBLOCKABLE; with the Berserker badge, rand_int(1) decides instead. The check returns false before action commands are learned and in demo battles, and returns a guard with no press in the tutorial battle while the mode is AC_MODE_TUTORIAL_BLOCK. It guards if a fresh press of A is in the last 3 entries of the battle's pressed-button buffer, which btl_update writes once per battle update (5 entries with a Dodge Master badge, when the partner isn't acting), unless A was also pressed in the 10 entries before those. A guard takes 1 from Mario's damage, plus 1 for each Damage Dodge badge equipped. A guard by the partner, checked the same way when the partner isn't stone or knocked out, sets the damage to 0.Code

References

  1. ^ abcdIn the US version of Paper Mario, an enemy's hit on Mario is guarded when A was pressed shortly before it lands. calc_enemy_damage_target calls check_block_input(BUTTON_A) when Mario's debuff is none or one numbered at or after STATUS_KEY_POISON (so not dizzy, paralyzed, asleep, frozen, or stopped), he isn't stone, and the attack isn't DAMAGE_TYPE_UNBLOCKABLE; with the Berserker badge, rand_int(1) decides instead. The check returns false before action commands are learned and in demo battles, and returns a guard with no press in the tutorial battle while the mode is AC_MODE_TUTORIAL_BLOCK. It guards if a fresh press of A is in the last 3 entries of the battle's pressed-button buffer, which btl_update writes once per battle update (5 entries with a Dodge Master badge, when the partner isn't acting), unless A was also pressed in the 10 entries before those. A guard takes 1 from Mario's damage, plus 1 for each Damage Dodge badge equipped. A guard by the partner, checked the same way when the partner isn't stone or knocked out, sets the damage to 0.Codepmret/papermariorevised
    How we know
    551    if (battleStatus->actionCommandMode == AC_MODE_TUTORIAL_BLOCK && (battleStatus->flags1 & BS_FLAGS1_TUTORIAL_BATTLE)) {
552        battleStatus->blockResult = BLOCK_RESULT_SUCCESS;
553        return true;
    src/battle/action_cmd.c lines 551–553 at 1104f1f · upstream ↗
    556    if (battleStatus->actionCommandMode == AC_MODE_NOT_LEARNED || (gGameStatusPtr->demoBattleFlags & DEMO_BTL_FLAG_ENABLED)) {
557        return false;
⋮
567    block = false;
568    blockWindow = 3;
569    mashWindow = 10;
⋮
571    if (!(gBattleStatus.flags1 & BS_FLAGS1_PARTNER_ACTING) && is_ability_active(ABILITY_DODGE_MASTER)) {
572        blockWindow = 5;
⋮
575    // Pre-window mashing check
576    bufferPos = battleStatus->inputBufferPos;
577    bufferPos -= mashWindow + blockWindow;
⋮
582    for (i = 0; i < mashWindow; i++) {
⋮
587        if (battleStatus->pushInputBuffer[bufferPos] & buttonMask) {
⋮
    src/battle/action_cmd.c lines 556–616 at 1104f1f · upstream ↗
    292    battleStatus->pushInputBuffer[battleStatus->inputBufferPos] = battleStatus->curButtonsPressed;
293    battleStatus->holdInputBuffer[battleStatus->inputBufferPos] = battleStatus->curButtonsDown;
⋮
295    battleStatus->inputBufferPos++;
    src/battle/16C8E0.c lines 292–295 at 1104f1f · upstream ↗
    231HitResult calc_enemy_damage_target(Actor* attacker) {
    src/battle/1A5830.c line 231 at 1104f1f · upstream ↗
    430    // apply damage mitigation from blocking
⋮
432    switch (actorClass) {
433        case ACTOR_CLASS_PLAYER:
⋮
435            if ((target->debuff == 0 || target->debuff >= STATUS_KEY_POISON)
436                && (target->stoneStatus == 0)
437                && !(battleStatus->curAttackElement & DAMAGE_TYPE_UNBLOCKABLE)
438            ) {
⋮
441                if (player_team_is_ability_active(target, ABILITY_BERSERKER)) {
442                    blocked = rand_int(1);
443                } else {
444                    blocked = check_block_input(BUTTON_A);
⋮
447                if (blocked) {
⋮
    src/battle/1A5830.c lines 430–466 at 1104f1f · upstream ↗
    2808    STATUS_KEY_DIZZY                = 0x00000004,
2809    STATUS_KEY_PARALYZE             = 0x00000005,
2810    STATUS_KEY_SLEEP                = 0x00000006,
2811    STATUS_KEY_FROZEN               = 0x00000007,
2812    STATUS_KEY_STOP                 = 0x00000008,
2813    STATUS_KEY_POISON               = 0x00000009,
    include/enums.h lines 2808–2813 at 1104f1f · upstream ↗
    2870s32 player_team_is_ability_active(Actor* actor, s32 ability) {
⋮
2875        case ACTOR_CLASS_PLAYER:
2876            if (!(gBattleStatus.flags2 & BS_FLAGS2_PEACH_BATTLE)) {
2877                hasAbility = is_ability_active(ability);
    src/battle/190B20.c lines 2870–2878 at 1104f1f · upstream ↗
    1881            case ABILITY_DAMAGE_DODGE:
1882                if (badgeMoveID == MOVE_DAMAGE_DODGE) {
1883                    ret++;
    src/inventory.c lines 1881–1883 at 1104f1f · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-22.

    Revised after a check by a second AI model, 2026-10-22.

    In the claim ledger

Sources

Code