Power stancing returns in Elden Ring. Here’s how to use it

While Dark Souls 2 is often considered the worst Soulslike from FromSoftware, it did introduce one mechanic that players universally loved: power stancing. This allowed players to unlock a unique damage-boosting moveset when dual-wielding two of the same type of weapon, which was a viable alternative to having a shield in your offhand or regular two-handed attacks. Power stancing often required having a crazy high maximum equip load, but in many scenarios, the increased damage output made it worth it.

Power stancing didn’t return in Bloodborne or Dark Souls 3, but it has returned in Elden Ring. And while the way it works is slightly different now, it is once again an incredibly strong way to approach Elden Ring melee combat. Here’s a quick guide that goes over everything you need to know about power stancing in Elden Ring.

How to Power Stance in Elden Ring

Power stancing in Elden Ring works almost exactly like it did in Dark Souls 2. To power stance, all you need to do is equip identical weapons in each of your character’s hands. For example, in the screenshot of my Equipment screen above, I’ve equipped a Falchion in each hand. Unlike how Dark Souls 2 allowed the player to switch between standard and power stance movesets when dual-wielding two of the same weapon, Elden Ring automatically switches over to a power stance moveset when you do this.

Note that to use power stance moves, you need to press L1 (the left bumper on your controller). Using the standard light and heavy attack buttons (R1 and R2, respectively) will result in standard attacks that don’t take advantage of the weapon in your offhand.

Power stance moves result in incredibly high damage since you’re hitting enemies with both weapons at the same time, but the drawback to this technique is that you lose the ability to defend yourself with a shield. Power stancing generally also requires some extra investment into the Endurance stat for more equip load, especially if you’re power stancing Strength weapons like greatswords or greataxes. You shouldn’t need to worry about this if you’re power stancing smaller weapons like longswords or daggers, though.

Elden Ring is finally here, and it’s available for $60 on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and PC. It’s one of the best Xbox games you can play right now if you’re a fan of challenging RPGs, and we strongly recommend it.