Mastering the Two-Handed Stance: Strength and Weapon Scaling in Elden Ring & Dark Souls
The burning question on every Tarnished and Chosen Undead’s mind: How much strength does a two-handed weapon have? The straightforward answer is that two-handing a weapon effectively multiplies your strength stat by 1.5. This mechanic, present in both the Dark Souls series and Elden Ring, allows players to wield armaments that would normally be beyond their reach, and significantly boosts damage output for strength-scaling weapons. It’s a crucial element in optimizing your build and dominating the battlefield.
Understanding the Two-Handing Mechanic
The beauty of the two-handing system lies in its flexibility. It doesn’t permanently alter your base strength stat. Instead, it provides a temporary virtual strength increase solely for the purpose of meeting weapon requirements and calculating damage. This is exceptionally useful in early game scenarios where you might be slightly short of the required strength to wield a powerful weapon. By two-handing, you can bypass that limitation and start reaping the rewards of a more potent armament sooner.
Furthermore, the strength multiplier has significant implications for damage scaling. Weapons that scale well with strength will see a noticeable increase in their attack power when wielded with two hands. This makes it a powerful tool for builds focused on maximizing physical damage output. While two-handing may slow down attacks with certain weapons, the increased damage output is almost always worth it.
It’s important to understand that two-handing doesn’t double your damage. It enhances the scaling benefits that strength provides to your weapon’s attack power. This increase is also affected by diminishing returns as you level your strength stat.
Strength Caps and Two-Handing: Maximizing Your Build
Knowing the strength soft caps is crucial for optimizing your character build. In Dark Souls 3, strength’s attack damage per point has soft caps at 40, 60, and a hard cap at 99. When two-handing, your effective strength is multiplied by 1.5, which impacts when those soft caps are reached. You essentially reach the first soft cap at 27 and the second soft cap at 40. 66 strength is the soft cap to maximize 2 handed damage.
In Elden Ring, the hard cap for strength is 99. While wielding a weapon with two hands at 99 strength will grant you a virtual strength of 148, the game registers 150 with the help of strength-boosting equipment.
Frequently Asked Questions About Two-Handing
Here are 15 common questions about the two-handing mechanic, to give you a more comprehensive understanding:
1. Does two-handing always increase damage?
Yes, generally. For weapons that scale with strength, two-handing will increase damage. However, the amount of increase depends on the weapon’s scaling and your current strength stat.
2. What is the strength requirement reduction when two-handing?
The strength requirement for weapons is based on one-handed use. To wield a weapon two-handed, you only need 50% of the listed strength requirement.
3. Can I meet strength requirements solely by two-handing?
Absolutely! If your strength stat is at least half of the weapon’s listed requirement, you can two-hand it and effectively meet the needed strength.
4. What happens when my strength is already at 99 and I two-hand?
At 99 strength, two-handing still applies the 1.5x multiplier. However, due to diminishing returns, the damage increase is less significant compared to lower strength levels.
5. Does two-handing affect weapon speed?
Generally, no, two-handing itself doesn’t directly change the attack speed of a weapon. However, the moveset often changes when two-handing. The speed can appear slower with some of the heavier weapons.
6. Can I still use items while two-handing?
Yes, you can still use consumables like healing items, throwing knives, or resins while two-handing a weapon.
7. Does two-handing affect weapon arts or skills?
The availability of weapon arts or skills depends on the specific weapon and the game. In Elden Ring, most weapons can use their weapon art whether wielded one-handed or two-handed.
8. Are there any weapons that are better suited for one-handing?
Yes, faster weapons or those that benefit from a shield are often better suited for one-handing. It depends on your playstyle and build.
9. How does two-handing work with shields?
You cannot use a shield while two-handing a weapon. You must switch back to a one-handed grip to use the shield’s defensive capabilities.
10. Can I parry while two-handing?
No, you cannot parry while two-handing. Parrying requires a shield or a specific weapon with a parrying skill.
11. Does two-handing affect stamina consumption?
The stamina consumption per attack can vary depending on the weapon and the specific attack performed. However, two-handing itself doesn’t directly change stamina consumption.
12. What is “Power Stance” and how is it different from two-handing?
“Power Stance,” available in Dark Souls 2 and Elden Ring, is a separate mechanic where you dual-wield two weapons of the same weapon type. It grants a unique moveset but has different stat requirements than two-handing.
13. Does the two-handing mechanic work the same in all Dark Souls games and Elden Ring?
The core mechanic of multiplying strength by 1.5 when two-handing is consistent across Dark Souls games and Elden Ring. However, specific weapon scaling, soft caps, and the availability of other mechanics like “Power Stance” may differ.
14. Besides strength, does two-handing affect other stats?
No, two-handing primarily affects your effective strength for meeting weapon requirements and calculating damage. It does not directly influence other stats like dexterity, intelligence, or faith.
15. Is two-handing always the optimal way to play a strength build?
Not necessarily. While it provides a significant damage boost, it also limits your defensive options and access to certain skills or spells. The optimal approach depends on your playstyle and the specific encounter.
Strategic Advantages of Two-Handing
The advantage of two-handing is that it allows you to wield incredibly powerful weapons earlier in the game than would otherwise be possible. The Fume Ultra Great Sword has a strength requirement of 50, but you only need 25 strength to use it with two hands. Furthermore, the increased damage is very important when fighting bosses, as it makes the encounter faster and easier to deal with.
Beyond the Stats: The Tactical Implications
While the mathematical increase in strength and damage is important, don’t overlook the tactical implications of two-handing. The changed movesets can offer different attack patterns, reach, and poise damage, allowing you to stagger enemies more effectively. For example, the Black Knight Halberd does a significantly more poise damage than other weapons in the halberd class, and hits like a truck made of death. Learning these nuances is key to mastering combat in these games.
Conclusion: Embracing the Power of Two Hands
The two-handing mechanic is a cornerstone of combat in both Elden Ring and the Dark Souls series. Understanding how it affects your strength stat, damage output, and tactical options is crucial for creating a powerful and versatile character. Experiment with different weapons, master the timing of your attacks, and embrace the power of two hands to conquer the challenges that lie ahead. Just like learning in gaming environments, the Games Learning Society explores learning in a variety of contexts. Visit GamesLearningSociety.org to learn more about game-based learning research.