Key Takeaway
To dual wield in Elden Ring, equip two weapons of the same category in each hand.
When you dual wield in Elden Ring, you essentially deal two weapons’ worth of damage. Considering how tough the game can be and how durable the enemies are, this is a welcomed feature. Thankfully, using this mechanic is simple.
Everything You Need to Know About Dual Wielding in Elden Ring
Dual wield, also known as power stance, is a combat mechanic that allows you to wield two weapons at once.
To dual wield in Elden Ring, you’ll need to equip two weapons of the same category in each hand. For example, if you carry a katana on your main hand, you’ll also need to carry another katana on your off-hand.
Once you’ve dual-wielded, simply press L1 or LB to attack and you’ll make use of both your weapons in one string of combo.
Dual-wielding in Elden Ring works for every weapon category, from katanas and daggers to great hammers and colossal weapons.
You can hold a weapon with both hands by holding Triangle or Y and pressing R1 or RB to two-hand wield the weapon on your right hand, or pressing L1 or LB for the weapon on your left hand. Press the same combinations again to return to dual-wielding.
If you wield one weapon category in one hand, and another weapon category in another, pressing L1 or LB will simply make your player swing the left-hand weapon. Whereas properly dual-wielding will make use of both weapons.
Drawbacks of Dual Wielding
When you dual wield in Elden Ring, you technically deal double damage. To balance this offensive power, this combat mechanic has a few disadvantages.
For one, this restricts you from using shields. You won’t be able to block or parry attacks, which means you’ll need to fully rely on your dodging abilities. If your play style already leans towards this strategy, though, this shouldn’t be a problem.
You’ll also need to have high endurance as attacking while dual wielding drains more stamina than attacking with one hand, or two-handing a weapon. This is especially true if you’re dual-wielding heavy weapons.
Dual-wield attacks also deal less stagger damage compared to two-handed attacks.
The damage-per-second percentage that is significantly increased by dual-wielding can overpower these drawbacks. However, it ultimately depends on your preferences and priority when it comes to combat approach and whatever your melee build is.
