My guess would be guard counters

If it's anything like the Leo Ring in Dark Souls, then thrusting attacks (and pure pierce weapons like the Lucerne) should get a noticeable damage boost when hitting an enemy that's in the middle of an attack animation. We'll have to see how the math works out this time around once people start doing testing.

With how aggressive most bosses are, that's pretty much all the time :')

It doesnt

Counter attacks are not guard counters. This only procs if an enemy is in an active attacking animation. Guard counters tend too hit after an enemy finished their attack.

You seem to be misinterpreting the talisman. Counter attacks and guard counters are two different things. Counter attacking is when you attack the enemy while they are in the middle of an attack or are recovering from an attack animation. Thrust weapons have always historically done increased damage when attacking during this opportunity in all of the previous Soul's games. This talisman increases the bonus damage thrust weapons do when attacking the enemy during these opportunities.

The cross naginata is a thrusting weapon but you must be using a thrusting motion. Even weapons that aren't thrusting weapons have thrusting motions, but I'm not sure if those apply the damage scaling as well.

It only boosts thrusting animations for weapons. Cross-Nagi has slashing animations, it says in the description. It does have thrusts too, but mostly slashes.

No, that's riposte not counterattack

obviously dumbass why would they have 2 talismans just for that

Chill it's an easy mistake to make on first glance.

tbf, if the guard counter is a thrusting attack and the enemy is in an animation again *technically* that would work. the situations aren't necessarily mutually exclusive

It does i believe if your counterattack hits say a boss in between another attack...you will get punished most likely but the damage is noticeable