FromSoftware.inc never stays behind when it comes to testing extraordinary features in their games. For example, Bloodborne and the Souls series were the first to introduce optional two-handed attacks in an open-world game. People had even more expectations for freedom from Elden Ring.
Fortunately, the developers lived up to the mark by offering even more mechanics, combos, and animations for various fighting styles. For instance, you can adjust the sword grip and character’s stance according to your attacks. One such thing is two-hand sword combat which comes with many benefits. So, how to two-hand in Elden Ring? This article offers a complete guide for all PlayStation, Xbox, and PC players.
Table of Contents
What is the Benefit of Two-Hand Combat?
Elden Ring offers more than enough types of swords and weapons for all players. Be it the mighty Samurai class or the iron fist Knight class, you can always find a number of weapons that match your style. Some of these weapons are heavy and require higher character stats. Fortunately, you can still wield the higher-level weapons by two-handing them. In other words, if you somehow acquire the Moonveil Katana early on in the game but don’t have the character level to wield it. You can still enjoy the immense power of this weapon by wielding it in two hands.
Similarly, there are many other benefits of two-handing any weapon. For instance, you can unlock more combos and land critical strikes on your enemies. Moreover, two-handed attacks with Greatswords deal far more damage than dual-wielding or single-handed attacks. However, there are certain disadvantages of two-handing a weapon as well. Firstly, the two-handed sword attacks are significantly slower than dual-wielding or even single-handed attacks. Secondly, the only way to dodge your enemy’s heavy attacks is by moving around and rolling from time to time. So, make sure you are well aware of the rolling dodge mechanics before you try two-handing your favorite weapons.
How to Two-hand in Elden Ring?
Elden Ring’s fighting mechanics offer more freedom than any previous game by FromSoftware.inc. However, this freedom comes at the cost of simplicity. For instance, Souls/Borne games allowed the players to two-hand any weapon by holding the special attack button. On the contrary, Elden Ring has several types of jumps and rolling attacks in the mechanics, so they had to adjust the game controls to keep up with the complexity. Here’s how to two-hand weapons in Elden Ring on various platforms:
For PC users:
- Press and hold down the Special Action button, which is ‘E’ by default. But, if you remapped the buttons to your liking, then use the appropriate key.
- Press the Right mouse button while holding the special action key to wield the sword with two hands in the Right stance.
- Alternatively, you can also Press the Left mouse button while holding the special action key to wield the sword with two hands in the Left stance.
For PlayStation users:
- The mechanics for two-handing a weapon are the same for PlayStation users.
- All you need to do is to press and hold the special action button, which is usually the Triangle key.
- Press the R1 or L1 button to hold the sword in the corresponding stance.
For Xbox users:
- Similarly, you can still two-hand your favorite weapons if you are playing Elden Ring on your beloved Xbox.
- Press and hold the special action button, ‘Y’ in most cases.
- Press the appropriate attack key RB or LB to hold the sword in the corresponding sword stance.
How to reverse Two-hand in Elden Ring?
Some people think that once you go two-hand in Elden Ring, there’s no going back. It is true to some extent, as most players who try out the two-hand stance never think about going back. However, if you some reason, you want to wield a shield with your sword, you can always go back to the conventional stance.
Going back is easy for all platforms; simply press the combination of buttons you used to go two-hand in the first place. In other words, if you are only a PC, press the Right/Left mouse button while holding E. Similarly, for Xbox and PlayStation users, press R1/RB or L1/LB while holding the Y/Triangle button to cancel the two-hand stance.
FAQs
What is the best two-hand weapon in Elden Ring?
While most games settle for only a single powerful weapon, Elden Ring has one almighty weapon for each class. For example, if you are a fan of Greatswords, you should try holding the Starscourge Greatsword in two hands. Similarly, if you are a fan of Katanas, I strongly suggest that you try wielding the Moonveil or Rivers of Blood Katana in two hands.
What is the best AXE to two-hand in Elden Ring?
Elden Ring has some of the strongest swords and axes in all open-world games. However, if you are only looking for the best of the best, then you should settle for nothing less than the Executioner’s Greataxe. If you enjoyed chopping your enemies using this powerful sword, I suggest that you try wielding it in two hands.
How to revert to Single-hand from two-hand?
Most players never think about going back to conventional methods once they try the two-hand stance. However, in some cases, you need the extra protection of a shield or dual-wield your favorite Katana. In that case, you can always revert to single-hand from two-hand by pressing the same button combination, i.e., Primary/Secondary attack button, while holding the special action button.
Conclusion
Elden Ring offers numerous weapons, combos, and stances for all fighting styles. Some of these combos depend on the weapon type and the way you wield it. For example, the Executioner’s Greataxe has some powerful attacks when you hold it in one hand. Still, the attacks are even more critical if you wield it two-handed. So, how to two-hand in Elden Ring? This article explains everything that you need to know about this topic.
