FASA Games, Inc.

What am I missing?

From reading and rereading these two talents Parry seems way more power fuller than Avoid Blow and as and added befit of reposting damage back at the attacker.

Avoid Blow: Rank + Dex against Attackers Attack Test
Parry: Rank + Dex + Item Size against Attackers Attack Test

This makes Parry better as you get extra steps to your roll, or even if its a size added to the roll, its still at an advantage.

So why have Avoid Blow when you can have Parry?

Parry requires a melee weapon (or a Good success with no weapon), and it only works against close combat attacks (without a knack).

Parry doesn't reflect damage back to the attacker, only Riposte does. Riposte does not get the size benefit to the Test either.
Avoid Blow is the only way to avoid ranged attacks at low levels, so still very important. Parry is much better in close combat. The attacker could always try to disarm the weapon and remove its benefit from parry or destroy the shield that is blocking to lessen the opponent's Parry benefit. Or Go inside the shield to remove its benefit.

in a "normal" situation (that is one that isnt using special maneouvers, like disarm, going inside the shield etc) parry owns avoid blow.
in a more tactical way, parry and avoid blow have both their sense.
anyway, i love to have both on my warrior, you cant know what will happen

I have to say you tend to have both as a warrior, I like the OP prefer parry (even though avoid blow works against missles).

Combine with a big 2H Sword and it is great. Trouble is warriors get avoid blow as a discipline talent so that can even out most shields and 1H weapons size if you add karma (and will work against missles).

On the other hand Swordmasters get parry as a discipline talent but dont use big 2H weapons as they get second weapons as a disciple talents. Decisions, decisions

So from what has been said in reply to my questions is that Parry is way better than Avoid blow, and I wasn't misreading there descriptions.

Yeah, OK Avoid Blow can be used against missile weapons, parry needs a good result without a weapon, but that's it.

Parry using weapon size as a bonus totally outweighs the slight befit with missile weapons that avoid blow has.

As I'm an Onsidiman Horror Stalker I get both as optional talents, and will now be getting Parry next circle up.

Check out my campaign if your interested, if you haven't used Obsidian Portal I'd strongly recommend it

Yeah read that, but who's saying were moving to the new edition, or even when/if we do we'll not treat that as an optional rule, although our GM does think Parry is way to powerful, so will most likely start to adapt that ruling even before the new editions come out, and will probably do it just as I get Parry, he's like that