Elden Ring’s fights seem slow, intentional, and clumsy at times. However, there are deeper layers of hassle in how one can two-hand weapons to activate a whole new range of attacks.
Knowing how to two-hand weapons in Elden Ring is crucial because few weapons depend on the increased power players get from using both arms to heft things out. In Elden Ring, the precise controls needed to switch over to a two-hand weapon stance are significantly different from other Soulsborne games.
Switching over to two-handed wielding from a one-handed wielding isn’t very difficult. It’s as simple as pressing a combination of buttons. Nonetheless, From Software doesn’t do a good job communicating the same.
In order to two-hand weapons in Elden Ring, you need to press the Event Action button and select attack. Players can do it on various consoles in the following ways:
- On PC, you can two-hand by pressing E and clicking the left mouse button
- On PS4, you can two-hand by pressing Triangle and selecting R1
- On Xbox, you can two-hand by pressing Y and clicking on RB
Here’s a guide to help you two-hand weapons in Elden Ring.
1. Two-Handing Weapons in Elden Ring PS4 & Xbox
You can two-hand weapons in Elden Ring by pressing and holding Triangle on PS4 or Y on Xbox. Then, you’ve to hit R1/RB or R2/RT to shift your right-hand weapon to a two-handed killing system. Similarly, if you’re wielding the weapon in your left hand, you need to press L1/LB or L2/LT.
Additionally, it’s safer to use the bumper buttons instead of the trigger buttons because it reduces your chances of accidentally getting locked in a bumbling heavy attack.
2. Two-handing Weapons in Elden Ring PC
In Elden Ring for PC, you can two-hand weapons by holding E and pressing RMB or LMB depending on which weapon you wish to two-hand.
Nevertheless, it’s essential to remember that there’s a trade-off here. Using a weapon in the two-handed mode decreases the intensity of strength required to attack with it. Besides, it increases the amount of damage inflicted.
But, all of this comes with the cost of not being able to block attacks properly. If you’re going to use the two-hand mode in Elden Ring, you should be wary of its risks. You have to be very deliberate and prompt with your blows and dodges since you’re virtually defenseless.
There are few skills players can use only while wielding weapons in the two-handed mode.
Note: You can use shields to register attacks by wielding them in the two-handed mode.
3. Two-Handed Skills in Elden Ring
The Storm Stomp skill is an extremely helpful ability that lets players smash on the ground and release a 360-degree wind attack. This attack rebuffs and inflicts heavy damage on enemies around you.
The Storm Stomp skill is part of Ashes of War, found in Elden Ring. It’s available in the region southwest of Gatefront Ruins. Once you reach the area, you’ll notice a set of stairs leading to a room consisting of a chest.
Upon opening the chest, you’ll come across the Storm Stomp Ashes of War. Once players apply this to the desired weapon, they need to press L2 to use the skill.
Note: The Storm Stomp skill is only applicable to weapons in the two-handed mode.
4. Best Class to Two-Hand in Elden Ring
The Samurai is the best Elden Ring class for you if you wish to two-hand weapons.
The weapons in this class greatly benefit from switching over to the two-handed mode. If you’re a player who likes to run a melee build and doesn’t rely on a shield, the Samurai class combined with the two-handed feature is your calling.
Additionally, the Samurai class is a hybrid of the Vagabond and Bandit classes. It’s all about dexterity-based melee and ranged sniping. The Long Bow and the Uchigatana katana add versatility to this class while allowing you to dominate in close and long-range combat.
5. Advantages of Two-Handing Weapons in Elden Ring
Two-handing weapons is equivalent to sacrificing defensive capabilities for offensive potency. By holding a weapon with two hands, you adorn a power stance.
Players inflict more damage with two-handed attacks, rendering it a core strategy for gushing through a weaker group of enemies you’ve fought several times. So, you know their attacks and don’t bother to block them.
In addition, two-handing is an excellent method to deal with enormous enemies and bosses. In such cases, you’ll spend more time dodging and rolling away from attacks, so it’s intelligent to opt for a damage boost instead of carrying a useless item.
Fortunately, a lot of initial defensive objects in Elden Ring don’t block attacks effectively. Hence, you can choose to rely on a higher-risk strategy of two-handing. But, players can still block a particular intensity of damage by pressing the block button while two-handing.
6. About Elden Ring
Elden Ring is a major title released by FromSoftware in 2022, the developers of Demon’s Souls, Bloodborne, and the Dark Souls franchise. Set in the ‘Lands Between’, players are on a quest to repair the Elden Ring and become the new Elden Lord.
Shadow of the Erdtree is a full-fledged expansion for Elden Ring added in June 2024. It is a whole new map with new Weapons, Sorceries, Ashes, and Craftables. It is a challenging DLC and as players continue to explore the map, they find surprises and easter eggs left by the developers every day.
No Comments on Two-Handing Weapons and Shields – PC, PS4 and Xbox – Elden Ring Guide