Editing Mnemon Explains Solar Combat (section)

====Perfect Defences====

These are some of the most potent charms Solars have - defences that can stop any attack, no matter how powerful. However, they're the charms you'll want to use least, owing to their expense.

Perfect Defences, in as much as they have a definition, are defences that are not rolled against the number of successes on the attack (in the case of Solar defences, not rolled at all, they just work), and that are capable of defending against Perfect Attacks.

Seven Shadow Evasion's main advantage is that it only costs motes, so if you've got plenty of motes and not much willpower, it's an excellent choice. It's also useful in that it doesn't require a weapon (or Melee charms), and unlike Heavenly Guardian Defence, doesn't result in a broken weapon if you're using a mortal blade and you're attacked with overwhelming force. However, it's vulnerable to undodgeable attacks (though your ST might rule it works against certain attacks that are undodgeable because of their area of effect), and crucially, must be activated before the attack roll. It's likely to cost you a lot of motes (since you need to use it before you know how bad the attack is), but it's required for Flow Like Blood, and it's a lot better than NOT having a perfect defence when you need one. If your GM houserules the dodge charms, it becomes a lot more useful, especially if WP is in short supply.

Heavenly Guardian Defence is one of the best charms in the game. It costs WP, making it difficult to use often, but will defend against unblockable attacks without problem, and can be used AFTER a full dodge or Flow Like Blood fails. It still involves contact between weapon and attack, however, so try stunting the use of an improvised weapon against truly powerful attacks if you're using a normal weapon you don't want to break. This charm's main disadvantage is that it requires the atrocious Bulwark Stance.

Adamant Skin Technique is the worst of the three perfects. It costs motes, WP and a Health Level, and must be used before the attack! It also only protects against damage, so if you're hit by an attack that has an additional effect, you're out of luck (whereas the above two charms could avoid it entirely). On the other hand, it DOES save you from non-attack damage, like falling - and honestly, I can only recommend it if you're planning to leap on your enemies from an airship or somesuch. IF, however, your GM houserules Adamant Skin Technique to be useable AFTER the attack roll, it actually becomes very useful to those with persistent defences, since you can use it to save your gleaming golden hide when you just got a poor roll on Fivefold Bulwark and/or Flow Like Blood and your opportunities to use the other perfects have already passed.