In Elden Ring, knowing how to switch between one-handed and two-handed combat can significantly impact your playstyle and effectiveness in battle. While two-handing a weapon boosts your Strength scaling and poise damage, many new players find the control mechanics confusing, especially with platform-specific differences. This guide provides a clear, step-by-step explanation of how to two-hand weapons across PS5, Xbox, and PC. Additionally, we’ll cover why you might want to use two-handed mode, explore its benefits, and explain how different weapons react when gripped with both hands.
How to Two-Hand a Weapon in Elden Ring: Platform-Specific Controls
Two-handing your weapon in Elden Ring requires a specific button combination depending on your platform of choice. The process is straightforward but differs for controllers and keyboard setups.
When you two-hand a weapon, your character shifts their grip, boosting damage and enabling different attack animations. This change prioritizes offense but sacrifices the ability to block with a shield.
PlayStation (PS4/PS5)
On PlayStation consoles, you can switch to two-handed mode like this:
- Hold the Triangle button (△) and press R1 to two-hand the right-hand weapon.
- Hold the Triangle button (△) and press L1 to two-hand the left-hand weapon.
If the controls feel unresponsive, check if custom button mappings have altered the input settings.
Xbox (Xbox One/Series X/S)
For Xbox users, the process is similar but uses Xbox-specific button names:
- Hold the Y button and press RB to switch the right-hand weapon to two-handed.
- Hold the Y button and press LB to switch the left-hand weapon to two-handed.
This command works regardless of whether you’re using an Xbox One controller or an Xbox Series X/S controller.
PC (Keyboard & Mouse)
On PC setups, the commands change slightly based on keyboard configurations:
- Hold the E key and left-click to two-hand the right weapon.
- Hold the E key and right-click to two-hand the left weapon.
Additional Tips for PC Users
- Ensure your keybindings are set to default; many mods and third-party tools can alter these commands.
- Switch between windowed and full-screen modes if key inputs don’t register.
- Check driver updates for your controller if using a gamepad on PC.
Why Should You Two-Hand a Weapon in Elden Ring?
Switching to a two-handed grip isn’t just a cool visual effect; it directly influences your combat mechanics. When you two-hand a weapon, your character loses access to shields but gains several combat benefits.
Here’s why two-handing your weapon can be advantageous:
-
1. Boosted Strength Scaling:
When you two-hand a weapon, the game multiplies your Strength stat by 1.5x. For example, if your Strength is 20, the two-handed bonus increases its effective value to 30. This boost is particularly helpful for Strength-based weapons like Greatswords, Colossal Swords, and Greathammers. -
2. Increased Poise Damage:
Poise determines how easily enemies stagger when hit. Two-handing your weapon increases poise damage, making it easier to break the guard of shielded foes. -
3. Enhanced Attack Animations:
Certain weapons gain unique animations and abilities when two-handed. For example, Colossal Greatswords perform wide, sweeping attacks that are difficult to execute one-handed. -
4. Improved Blocking with Specific Weapons:
While two-handing disables shields, some two-handed weapons offer partial blocking capabilities. Greatswords and Greathammers provide limited defense when held with both hands. -
5. Better Reach and Impact:
Larger weapons, when two-handed, achieve greater reach and impact force. This allows you to strike enemies from safer distances and interrupt their attacks more effectively.
How Different Weapon Types React to Two-Handing
Not all weapons benefit equally from two-handed combat. Some weapons rely heavily on Strength scaling and perform better with both hands gripping the handle, while others see minimal improvement.
Weapon Behavior Breakdown
-
Greatswords & Colossal Weapons:
These weapons see the most noticeable improvement. Two-handing increases damage, poise, and attack speed reliability, making slow, heavy weapons more manageable. -
Katanas & Curved Swords:
Two-handing katanas boosts bleed build-up and attack power but sacrifices parrying ability. These weapons maintain medium-range efficiency in two-handed form. -
Greathammers & Greatclubs:
Two-handing hammers maximizes their stagger potential. Enemies with high poise become significantly easier to break and stagger when wielded with both hands. -
Spears & Halberds:
Two-handing spears increases reach and stamina efficiency during charged attacks. This technique is useful in boss fights where you need to poke from a distance. -
Daggers & Short Blades:
Daggers receive minimal benefit from two-handing due to low Strength scaling. Their strength lies in fast, one-handed attacks rather than power-focused swings.
Two-Handing Strategies for Combat
Switching to two-handed mode isn’t always the best option. Understanding when and how to use it strategically can turn the tide of battle.
1. PvE (Boss Fights & Exploration)
In PvE scenarios like boss fights and general exploration, two-handing your weapon can provide a significant advantage against high-poise enemies. When facing foes like Dragons or Erdtree Avatars, switching to a two-handed grip allows you to deliver heavier, more powerful strikes. Charging heavy attacks while two-handing increases the likelihood of breaking enemy stances. However, two-handing is less effective in crowded areas, where a shield provides better protection against surprise ambushes.
2. PvP (Player vs Player Combat)
In PvP battles, two-handing your weapon can add an element of unpredictability to your combat style. Unexpected swings with a two-handed weapon often catch opponents off guard, especially when using colossal swords. Jump attacks become more difficult to dodge in two-hand mode and deliver increased poise damage, which can break an opponent’s defenses faster. To maintain an advantage in PvP, mix light and heavy attacks to avoid becoming predictable.
3. Hybrid Strategy (Switching Mid-Combat)
A hybrid strategy involves switching between one-handed and two-handed modes depending on the situation. Starting a fight with a shield provides defensive coverage and parrying opportunities. When an enemy staggers or leaves an opening, quickly switch to two-handed mode to deliver powerful counterattacks. Practicing quick-switching helps you seamlessly adapt to combat flow and ensures you can maximize offensive damage without compromising your defense.
Troubleshooting Two-Handing Issues
Sometimes, two-handing a weapon doesn’t work as expected. This often happens due to incorrect input methods, controller issues, or incompatible weapon types.
- Reset controls to default settings in the options menu.
- Update controller drivers, especially when playing on PC.
- Check the weapon’s scaling; weapons that don’t scale with Strength will not benefit from two-handed mode.
- Verify that the Ash of War equipped on the weapon supports two-handed inputs.
- Run the game as an administrator to fix potential input recognition issues.
- Check keybinding settings to ensure modifications haven’t altered default commands.
Conclusion
Learning how to two-hand your weapon in Elden Ring is a game-changing skill. It enhances damage, improves poise damage, and enables new attack patterns. Whether you’re breaking a boss’s guard or facing skilled PvP opponents, knowing when to switch to two-handed mode helps adapt to different combat situations.
Try out different weapon types to test their performance in two-hand mode, and remember—practice makes perfect. If you’ve had interesting two-hand experiences, feel free to share them in the comments!