That’s a lot of damage

Unlike most of the softies out there, we Dark Souls veterans would rather two-hand a weapon than cower behind a shield. In previous FromSoftware games, activating two-hand mode on a weapon was as easy as pressing a single button — literally — but in Elden Ring, there’s a truckload of new and never before seen content, so the button inputs have had some reordering.

If you’ve also been bamboozled by the restructuring of the controller layout, then that’s not a problem. This “how to two-hand weapons in Elden Ring” guide will teach you exactly what you should do if you’re caught up in that predicament, as well as a lot more.

How To Two-hand In Elden Ring

In order to two-hand any weapon in Elden Ring, first you need to hold down the Y Button/Triangle Button, and then press either the right or left bumper of your controller. The bumpers will be marked R1/L1 on a PlayStation controller, whereas RB/LB on an Xbox controller.

Let’s say your character has a sword in its left hand, and an ax in its right hand. If you want to wield the ax in a two-hand stance, then you’ll hold down the Y Button/Triangle Button, and then press your right bumper. It’s the other way around for utilizing your sword in a two-hand stance.

And while we’re on the subject of melee combat, this list of best Elden Ring weapons contains some great options to use two-handed.

Why Should You Two-hand In Elden Ring

It may have been tricky figuring out how to two-hand in Elden Ring, but I’m sure most players will have a vague idea of the benefits of two-handing a weapon. The more damage buff is easy to guess, but let me break down all the advantages for you.

Two-handing a weapon primarily impacts your strength attribute. It basically increases your current strength level by a multiplier of 1.5x, allowing you to inflict more damage onto enemies while simultaneously meeting the wielding requirements for weapons you previously couldn’t equip due to lower stats.

If you currently have 20 strength but the weapon you want to use needs at least 30 strength to wield, then by two-handing it, your strength will increase to 30 due to the 1.5x multiplier, and you’ll be able to wield that weapon now. The only obvious downside to opting for the two-hand stance is that you won’t be able to defend yourself with a shield or even parry for that matter, so always watch your six.

Many Tarnished warriors who pick up Elden Ring for the first time tend to realize halfway through the story that they would’ve liked a strength build instead. That may also be the situation you’re facing now after seeing how overpowered strength builds can be, so if you’d like to reallocate your attribute points, you can refer to this Elden Ring respec guide.