In Monster Hunter World, the Guard Up skill allows hunters to block certain otherwise unblockable attacks. Unlike in Rise where the skill has three levels, World's Guard Up is a single-level skill that when active, lets you block all blockable special attacks with no additional chip damage penalty.

However, it's important to note that not every attack can be blocked, even with Guard Up. Some attacks are truly unblockable and must be avoided entirely. Additionally, while Guard Up allows you to block special moves, your shield's natural blocking power (affected by the Guard skill) still determines how much stamina you lose and knockback you receive.

For weapons with shields, understanding what can and cannot be blocked with Guard Up is crucial for effective defensive play. This knowledge helps you decide when to invest in Guard Up (through decorations or armor) and when to focus on positioning and evasion instead.

Acidic Glavenus

no special guard requirements

Alatreon

guard up unblockable

requires guard up:

• fire/ice cone spray when on ground
• fire/ice spray when in the air
• flamethrower sweep when grounded

cannot be blocked:

• escation judgement can't be blocked, you need to pass the elemental check to be able to survive it

Ancient Leshen

guard up unblockable

requires guard up:

• pin attack

cannot be blocked:

• super aoe move where the camera zooms out can't be blocked, just sheathe and flash it

Anjanath

guard up

requires guard up:

• pin attack

Azure Rathalos

guard up

requires guard up:

• pin attack

Banbaro

no special guard requirements

Barioth

no special guard requirements

Barroth

no special guard requirements

Bazelgeuse

no special guard requirements

Behemoth

guard up unblockable

requires guard up:

• all lightning attacks
• fire pillars
• belly flop

cannot be blocked:

• ecliptic meteor can't be blocked, you need to hide behind a comet to survive it
• gore quick bite where he grabs you afterwards can't be blocked

Beotodus

no special guard requirements

Black Diablos

guard up

requires guard up:

• small roar into rush attack

Blackveil Vaal Hazak

guard up

requires guard up:

• all 3 miasma laser attacks
• miasma downwards spray

Brachydios

no special guard requirements

Brute Tigrex

no special guard requirements

Coral Pukei-Pukei

no special guard requirements

Deviljho

guard up

requires guard up:

• pin attack

Diablos

no special guard requirements

Dodogama

no special guard requirements

Ebony Odogaron

no special guard requirements

Fatalis

guard up unblockable

requires guard up:

• all fireball attacks
• side to side spray
• 360 fire spray
• fire spray from above

cannot be blocked:

• the pin attack in third phase can't be blocked
• phase transitions can't be blocked, need to hide to survive them

Frostfang Barioth

unblockable

cannot be blocked:

• all attacks that leave ice on the ground can't be blocked
• can't walk through the ice

Fulgur Anjanath

no special guard requirements

Furious Rajang

guard up

requires guard up:

• beam attack
• wall beam

Glavenus

no special guard requirements

Gold Rathian

no special guard requirements

Great Girros

no special guard requirements

Great Jagras

no special guard requirements

Jyuratodus

no special guard requirements

Kirin

guard up

requires guard up:

• attack where multiple lightning lines form on the ground

Kulu-Ya-Ku

no special guard requirements

Kulve Taroth

guard up

requires guard up:

• fire spray hits

Kushala Daora

guard up

requires guard up:

• charged wind blast when on the ground

Lavasioth

no special guard requirements

Legiana

no special guard requirements

Leshen

guard up unblockable

requires guard up:

• pin attack

cannot be blocked:

• super aoe move where the camera zooms out can't be blocked, just sheathe and flash it

Lunastra

guard up unblockable

requires guard up:

• all attacks that detonate the fire on the ground

cannot be blocked:

• you can only block the wind pressure of the nova with guard up, you will still take damage over time

Namielle

guard up unblockable

requires guard up:

• wave attack, but does a lot of chip

cannot be blocked:

• the pull that trips the hunter can't be blocked

Nargacuga

no special guard requirements

Nergigante

no special guard requirements

Nightshade Paolumu

no special guard requirements

Odogaron

no special guard requirements

Paolumu

no special guard requirements

Pink Rathian

no special guard requirements

Pukei-Pukei

no special guard requirements

Radobaan

guard up

requires guard up:

• the sleep gas

Raging Brachydios

guard up

requires guard up:

• the move in last phase where he explodes all slime on the ground

Rajang

guard up

requires guard up:

• beam attack

Rathalos

guard up

requires guard up:

• pin attack

Rathian

no special guard requirements

Ruiner Nergigante

no special guard requirements

Safi Jiiva

guard up unblockable

requires guard up:

• all lasers

cannot be blocked:

• the nova, just hide behind the rocks

Savage Deviljho

guard up unblockable

requires guard up:

• dragon element explosion attack

cannot be blocked:

• pin attack can't be blocked
• attack where he sprays down dragon element can't be blocked

Scarred Yian Garuga

no special guard requirements

Seething Bazelgeuse

guard up

requires guard up:

• special nuke attack

Shara Ishvalda

guard up unblockable

requires guard up:

• all wind laser attacks, the big beam will most likely chip you to death

cannot be blocked:

• The big energy ball move can't be blocked, just run to the side of the arena

Shrieking Legiana

no special guard requirements

Silver Rathalos

guard up

requires guard up:

• pin attack

Stygian Zinogre

guard up

requires guard up:

• pin attack

Teostra

guard up

requires guard up:

• super nova
• flame shower

Tigrex

no special guard requirements

Tobi-Kadachi

no special guard requirements

Tzitzi-Ya-Ku

no special guard requirements

Uragaan

guard up

requires guard up:

• all gas attacks

Vaal Hazak

guard up

requires guard up:

• miasma laser
• miasma downwards spray

Velkhana

guard up unblockable

requires guard up:

• all 4 ice beams

cannot be blocked:

• the freeze breath that leaves a circle on the ground can't be blocked
• the AT velkhana's 360 nova beam can't be blocked

Viper Tobi-Kadachi

no special guard requirements

Xeno Jiiva

guard up

requires guard up:

• all energy beams
• all ground explosion

Yian Garuga

no special guard requirements

Zinogre

unblockable

cannot be blocked:

• pin attack is true unblockable

Zorah Magdaros

no special guard requirements