In the early game stages in Elden Ring, you are very vulnerable to attack. This is especially true for some of the weaker starting classes. Until you level up your stats it is recommended that you master the art of backstabbing. There is no time for morals early on, so go low! In the discussion below we will cover what backstabbing is and who to perform it. Even later in the game when you are buffed up, you will still have need of this technique on some of the more difficult NPCs. More Elden Ring.
For users new to the Soulsborne genre, backstabbing in Elden Ring is one of the most difficult techniques to master, especially in PvP (Player vs Player) mode of play.
What is Backstabbing Anyway?
Backstabbing is a type of critical attack that you can perform on NPCs. If done properly, the technique can be used on any NPC but especially those that are more aggressive and harder to take down with a frontal attack. In Elden Ring, you can backstab enemies by pressing the light attack button while standing behind them. Controllers use the right shoulder button, while PCs use the left mouse button.
Limitations
You cannot just go around and start backstabbing every enemy you encounter. You can only backstab humanoid NPCs. You can backstab with many weapons but there are some exceptions. Also, the NPC needs to be roughly the same height as you. Backstabbing a giant would be out of the question!
Backstabbing Tips
The art of backstabbing can be boiled down to the following tips:
- It is important that you align yourself directly behind your opponent when performing a backstab.
- As soon as you are behind them, press and hold the R1 key.
- Unlike normal attacks, the animation for this attack will differ from a basic attack in that it will kill the enemy outright or knock them down if done correctly.
- There can be no backstabbing with shields.
- As a side note, if you have a weapon equipped to your left hand, you cannot perform a backstab. Therefore, follow the right-hand rule when you use a weapon!
- The best time to use it is when you are facing isolated enemies, so discretion is a virtue!
- Backstabbing a large group of enemies will be much harder for you than backstabbing a smaller one. Take care of the isolated ones first.
Backstabs in PvP Mode
In this video, long-time Soulsborne player Amir discusses how FromSoftware handled backstabs in PvP (Player versus Player) and how the formula changed for Elden Ring. The tweaks made in order to make backstabs as fair as possible eliminate the ways in which a backstab animation can override the target player’s attempts to evade it.
These changes make it difficult if not impossible to perform the manuver in typical PvP encounters. This has been confirmed by several players. Player NapstarF demonstrates in this video, two players in PvP mode attempting to backstab each other for over 14 minutes!