How to Two-Hand Weapons in Elden Ring

Dominating your foes in Elden Ring often hinges on wielding your weapons effectively. Two-handing weapons is a powerful technique that significantly boosts your damage output and opens up strategic possibilities. This guide will break down how to two-hand weapons, the advantages and disadvantages, and which weapons are best suited for this combat style.

How to Two-Hand Weapons in Elden Ring

To two-hand a weapon, simply hold down E on PC, Triangle on PlayStation, or Y on Xbox, then press your attack button. This will activate the selected weapon (left or right hand) in a two-handed stance. Remember to check your control settings if you've customized them. This technique also works while mounted, allowing for seamless weapon switching between melee and magic, but note that weapons requiring two-handing due to Strength requirements must be wielded in two hands before mounting.

Why You Should Two-Hand in Elden Ring

Two-handing offers several key advantages:

• Increased Damage: Your Strength stat receives a 50% boost when two-handing, significantly amplifying the damage of Strength-scaling weapons.
• Altered Movesets: Many weapons gain new attack animations and potentially damage types when wielded with two hands.
• Weapon Accessibility: Two-handing allows you to use weapons that would otherwise be too heavy for your Strength stat.
• Ash of War Access: When using a sword and shield, your weapon skill defaults to the shield. Two-handing your right-hand weapon grants access to its Ash of War, providing tactical flexibility.

The Downsides of Using a Weapon in Two-Hands

While effective, two-handing has drawbacks:

• Altered Attack Patterns: Two-handing changes attack animations, requiring adaptation and strategic consideration of your environment.
• Build Dependency: The benefits are most pronounced for Strength builds; other builds may find less benefit.

Best Weapons to Two-Hand in Elden Ring

Generally, large, Strength-scaling weapons are ideal for two-handing. Greatswords, Colossal Swords, Great Hammers, and Colossal Weapons all excel in this style. Consider the Two-Handed Sword Talisman (available in *Shadow of the Erdtree*) for further damage boosts when using swords. Popular choices include the Greatsword, Zweihander, Fire Knight's Greatsword, and the Giant-Crusher.

Ultimately, the best weapon is the one that best suits your playstyle and build.

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 how to two-hand weapons in Elden Ring.