Elden Ring once again plunges you into a world of knights, dragons, and magic. The great Elden Ring has been shattered, so you must travel the lands as a Tarnished, searching for its shards. Like all RPGs before and now, combat is the key to advancing in any Elden Ring mod.
Successful combat skills are needed to defeat NPCs and basses alike. Mastering these skills will also make your game time more exciting and fulfilling. We have gathered some of the recommended skills that will assist you in combat!
Deflect Attacks with Good Parry Skills!
In some cases, you may be able to parry an attack by timing your parry right at the moment when it is being thrown. When you parry an attack, you will mitigate the damage and stagger your opponent, leaving them vulnerable to attacks in the future. It is important to keep in mind that not all enemies can be parried, and some enemies will need multiple parries. A good example of an enemy requiring multiple parries is Malenia, Blade of Miquella, who needs to be parried about three times before she is staggered and vulnerable as a result.
You will need to know the exact timing of the parry window for the shield you are using. To execute a successful parry, watch the opponent’s hand not their weapon!
Due to the smaller size of the shield, the parry window is typically faster, which makes it easier to use them. However, not all physical attacks can be parried. Despite the fact that the enemy may be using a large weapon, watch the hand holding the weapon. The parry should be thrown out as soon as the hand moves forward.
It is best to practice this with small shields, since their parry window is a little more forgiving. It is also possible to check a shield’s parry timing by walking up to a wall and using parry against it. Sparks that appear on the shield when it is about to parry are an indication of the timing of the parry.
Master the Art of Two-Handed Combat!
It is possible to use two-handed weapons and shields based on the platform you are using with Elden Ring. As soon as you hold the button that shows your quickslot menu, you will be able to tap the hand slot you want to two-hand with.
The Attack Power of a weapon or shield is increased when it is used two-handed, but the stamina required per strike is slightly higher when it is used two-handed. Also, two-handed weapons allow you to access another set of moves, especially if they are larger. The most important thing to keep in mind, however, is that if you use Two-Handed, you will be unable to use a shield’s defense, which will force you to rely heavily on dodging to protect yourself.
- Two-Handed Controls/Platform
- PC (Hold) E + Left Click / Right Click
- Hold E + Left Click or Right Click
- PlayStation (Hold) ▲ + L1 / R1
- Hold the UP Button + L1 or R1
- Xbox (Hold) Y + LB / RB
- Hold Y + LB or RB
Elden Ring‘s Guard Counter Move!
A Guard Counter is a way to counterattack after blocking an attack. As a result, you are able to counterattack immediately after guarding an enemy attack. Using Guard Counter, the enemy’s stance can be broken, allowing a critical strike to be made against them.
Guard countering during an enemy’s combo will leave you vulnerable to damage. Make sure your opponent won’t follow up with another attack before using the guard counter.
In order to stop an enemy attack, it is first necessary to block it with L1 / LB. Afterwards, press R2 / RT on your keyboard to perform the Guard Counter and unleash your powerful attack on the enemy. Guard Counters are easier to time than parries, which is why they are one of the most important techniques to master in Elden Ring combat.
Using Power Stance (Dual Welding Weapons)!
Power stance or dual welding is when you equip the same weapon type in each hand. Then pressing the L1 (default button) allows you to use both weapons simultaneously. Besides being able to break through defenses and deal more damage, this also makes stat-inflicting weapons more effective since both effects are applied simultaneously.
To enter Power Stance mode, simply have your character hold two weapons of the same type (one in each hand). As soon as that occurs you will enter a Power Stance. Then press L1 (default button) to swing both weapons simultaneously for added damage!
Learn to Backstab in Elden Ring!
You can perform backstabs as a critical attack against humanoid enemies that are around your same height. If you want to perform a backstab, you should align yourself directly behind the enemy. As soon as you are directly behind them, hold down R1. If this move is done correctly, a different animation than a basic attack will display. It will either kill or down the enemy.
When you have a weapon equipped to your left hand, you will not be able to perform backstabs. It is best to use the backstab when your enemies are separated from each other, so that you can pick them off one by one.
Learn these “Hidden” Combat Mechanics in Elden Ring!
Elden Ring has a number of hidden combat mechanics that are not explicitly stated or taught. Learning these will assist you during combat. We have listed a few of them below.
- Sneaking Increases Damage
Even if you have not successfully backstabbed an enemy, you will deal increased damage to them if they do not notice you. There are a number of ways to accomplish this, including sneaking behind your enemies. - Enemies have a Hidden Poise Meter Also!
In spite of the fact that Poise is not shown, all characters have Poise, even bosses have it. An enemy’s Poise is determined by their size. Their Poise meter will fill up when you attack them. When powerful attacks are made with heavy weapons, they fill up faster. The act of removing an enemy’s Poise leaves them vulnerable to critical attacks. - Enemies Have Status Effect Meters! Too!
All enemies and bosses have a hidden Status Effect meter that fills up when you use attacks or spells that inflict Status Effects on them. To trigger these effects, however, you must continuously attack them, as stopping will cause the meter to slowly decrease as it ceases to function. However, enemies may be immune to certain effects. - Use Two-Handing Shields!
Shields can be held in two hands at the same time. You can use this to give yourself more stability while blocking, and you can also use it to attack if you wish. Also, this works with Guard Counters as well! - Learn Horseback Mechanics!
To deal more damage, you can double-hand your weapon before mounting Torrent to deal more damage. There is no change to the animations when attacking with a two-handed weapon, but the damage is clearly different as well. - Benefit from Partial-Parries!
Whenever you parry early and are in the recovery animation, or if you parry an attack that cannot be parried, you will experience partial parries. Despite the fact that you do not mitigate the damage, you do take less damage than you should have done, and you avoid being stunned or staggered as a result. - Learn How to Flip!
Using Curved Sword weapons, you will be able to perform a flip by tapping the dodge button while charging a Strong Attack. In order to perform a special flip back, you need to press the button before the attack animation begins. - Wait for better Weather Conditions!
There are some attacks that are actually affected by current weather conditions. When raining, you will deal less fire damage. When sunny, you will be able to deal more lightning damage. It is also possible for lightning attacks in water to cause additional damage. - Yes, you can Attack Through Walls!
As a rule, when you attack a wall, your weapon will bounce off of it, but if you jump while attacking, your weapon will pass through it. It is especially useful when you are attempting to hit an enemy on the other side of the wall. - Mashing Buttons Will End Grabs Early!
If you want to break an enemy’s grab early on, you can press any number of buttons rapidly in order to do so. You may be able to avoid being knocked down or staggered in some cases.