Mastering Two-Handed Weaponry in Elden Ring: A Comprehensive Guide
This guide delves into the mechanics and strategic advantages of two-handing weapons in Elden Ring, helping you optimize your combat effectiveness. We'll cover the how-to, the benefits, potential drawbacks, and ideal weapon choices.
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How to Two-Hand Weapons in Elden Ring | Why Two-Hand in Elden Ring | Drawbacks of Two-Handing | Best Weapons for Two-Handing
How to Two-Hand Weapons in Elden Ring
To wield weapons with both hands in Elden Ring, press and hold E on PC, Triangle on PlayStation, or Y on Xbox, then activate your attack. This applies to either your left or right-hand weapon, depending on your preference. Remember to check your control settings if you've customized them. This functionality also works while mounted, enabling seamless weapon switching between melee and magic, or different weapon types. However, note that weapons requiring two hands due to Strength requirements must be two-handed before mounting your steed.
Why Two-Hand Weapons in Elden Ring?
There are compelling reasons to adopt a two-handed fighting style:
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Increased Damage: Two-handing boosts your Strength by 50%, significantly amplifying the damage output of Strength-scaling weapons.
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Altered Movesets: Some weapons gain unique attack properties and damage types when wielded in two hands.
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Access to Heavier Weapons: This technique allows you to utilize weapons normally beyond your Strength capabilities, optimizing stat allocation.
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Ash of War Accessibility: Using a shield often defaults weapon skills to the shield. Two-handing your weapon grants direct access to its Ash of War, providing tactical flexibility.
Drawbacks of Two-Handed Weaponry
While beneficial for Strength builds, two-handing isn't without its downsides:
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Modified Attack Patterns: Two-handing alters attack animations. Familiarize yourself with these changes to adapt your combat strategy.
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Reduced Defensive Capabilities: You lose the protection of a shield, increasing vulnerability.
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Stat Dependency: The technique is most effective for Strength builds; other builds might find it less advantageous.
Best Weapons for Two-Handed Combat
Generally, large Strength-scaling weapons are optimal for two-handed use. Since the Shadow of the Erdtree update, the Two-Handed Sword Talisman provides a damage boost to two-handed swords. Excellent choices include Greatswords, Colossal Swords, Great Hammers, and Colossal Weapons. Specifically, the Greatsword, Zweihander, Fire Knight's Greatsword, and Giant-Crusher are strong contenders.
Elden Ring is available on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.
Update: This article was updated on 1/27/25 by Liam Nolan to provide more insight into two-handed weapon combat in Elden Ring.
