Breaking Bad: A Tarnished’s Guide to Stance Breaking in Elden Ring
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So, you want to break some stances in the Lands Between, eh? Well, grab your heaviest weapon, summon your spirit ashes, and listen up, because we’re about to delve deep into the art of stance breaking in Elden Ring. Breaking an enemy’s stance is achieved by inflicting enough Stance damage to exceed their hidden Poise stat. When this happens, they become Staggered, leaving them vulnerable to a devastating Critical Hit. You’ll know it’s worked when you see a golden glow highlighting a weak point – that’s your cue to unleash hell! Now, let’s get into the nitty-gritty details of how to make this happen.
Understanding Stance Damage and Poise
Think of Stance damage as a hidden meter filling up with each attack. Different attacks, weapons, and skills inflict varying amounts of stance damage. Poise, on the other hand, is like an enemy’s resistance to having that meter filled. Enemies with high Poise are harder to stagger, while those with low Poise are practically begging for a critical hit.
The Tools of the Trade: Weapons and Ashes of War
Choosing the right weapon is paramount for breaking stances. Heavier weapons, particularly Colossal Swords and Greathammers, excel at this. They deal massive Stance damage with each swing, making them ideal for quickly overwhelming enemies. However, they are slower and require more stamina.
Here’s a breakdown of useful tools:
- Colossal Weapons: These are the kings (and queens) of Stance breaking. Their sheer size and power deliver the highest Stance damage per hit. Examples include the Giant-Crusher and Greatsword.
- Great Hammers: A close second to Colossal weapons, Great Hammers offer a good balance of Stance damage and attack speed. The Great Club is a solid early-game option.
- Hammers: While not as potent as their larger counterparts, Hammers can still be effective, especially against enemies with lower Poise.
- Ashes of War: These are game-changers. Some Ashes of War, like Cragblade, significantly boost Stance damage output for a short period. Others, such as Hoarah Loux’s Earthshaker, deal massive Stance damage in a single, powerful attack. Consider these key options:
- Cragblade: Temporarily increases Stance damage dealt by your weapon.
- Hoarah Loux’s Earthshaker: Creates a powerful shockwave that deals high Stance damage.
- Square Off: A versatile skill that allows for quick, powerful attacks that can break stances.
- Ice Spear: Effective at range and can stagger enemies from a distance.
- Skills: Some weapons come with unique skills that are specifically designed for Stance breaking. The Gavel of Haima sorcery is a prime example, unleashing a powerful hammer blow that can stagger even tough opponents.
Tactics and Strategies
Beyond simply swinging a big weapon, there are tactical approaches to maximize your Stance breaking potential:
- Charged Heavy Attacks: These attacks deal significantly more Stance damage than regular attacks. Learn the timing and use them strategically, especially against slower enemies.
- Jump Attacks: Jumping attacks also deal increased Stance damage, and they can be a safer option against certain enemy attacks.
- Guard Counters: After successfully blocking an attack with a shield, immediately follow up with a heavy attack to perform a Guard Counter. This deals a significant amount of Stance damage.
- Exploiting Weaknesses: Some enemies are particularly vulnerable to certain types of damage, including Stance damage. Experiment to find what works best for each enemy.
- Multi-Hit Attacks: Attacks that hit multiple times in quick succession, even if each hit deals less individual damage, can still be effective at staggering enemies.
- Utilizing Spirit Ashes: Summoning spirit ashes can distract enemies and create openings for you to unleash Stance-breaking attacks. Spirit Ashes that inflict high stance damage on their own, can add to the overall stance damage quickly.
- Focus Fire: Coordinate with your summons or other players to focus your attacks on a single enemy, overwhelming their Poise and quickly breaking their stance.
Mastering the Critical Hit
Once you’ve broken an enemy’s stance, a golden glow will appear on their body, indicating the spot where you can deliver a Critical Hit (also known as a Riposte). Move to this spot and press the light attack button to unleash a devastating attack that deals massive damage. The animation will show your character plunging the weapon into the foe’s highlighted area.
The Importance of Timing and Positioning
Stance breaking isn’t just about brute force; it’s about timing and positioning. Learning enemy attack patterns and identifying openings for charged heavy attacks or jump attacks is crucial. Also, remember that you’re vulnerable while performing these attacks, so choose your moments carefully.
Examples in Practice
- Godfrey, First Elden Lord: As the article mentions, Godfrey is particularly susceptible to Stance damage, especially from Guard Counters. Use a shield with high guard boost to block his attacks and then punish him with a Guard Counter to stagger him repeatedly.
- Radagon of the Golden Order: Radagon is also vulnerable to Poise breaks. Use charged heavy attacks and weapon skills that deal high Stance damage to stagger him multiple times during the fight.
- Elden Beast: The article notes that you can break Elden Beast’s stance by stacking damage on him before he reaches half health, then use a high-damage weapon, or art repeatedly to break his stance. Colossal weapons and some weapon arts such as Square Off, deal high stance damage.
Breaking stances in Elden Ring is a rewarding and effective strategy that can turn the tide of battle against even the toughest opponents. By understanding the mechanics, choosing the right tools, and mastering the tactics, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a Stance-breaking master in the Lands Between. Remember that you can also learn more about the educational aspect of games like Elden Ring through the Games Learning Society at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are 15 frequently asked questions about stance breaking in Elden Ring:
1. Can players be stance broken in Elden Ring PvP?
Yes, players can absolutely be stance broken in PvP. However, player Poise is generally much higher than that of most enemies, making it more difficult to achieve. Builds focused on dealing high stance damage can be very effective in PvP.
2. What is Power Stance in Elden Ring?
Power Stance is achieved by equipping two weapons of the same type in each hand. This unlocks a unique moveset with L1/LB. This doesn’t necessarily directly increase stance damage, but it can allow for faster and more frequent attacks, indirectly leading to stance breaks.
3. How does Poise work in Elden Ring?
Poise is a hidden stat that determines how resistant an enemy (or player) is to being staggered. Higher Poise means it takes more Stance damage to break their stance.
4. Does bleed build-up break stance?
No, Bleed build-up does not directly break stance. However, the burst of damage caused by Bleed can contribute to overall damage and stagger enemies.
5. What is the best way to increase my own Poise?
Equipping heavier armor increases your Poise stat, making you less susceptible to being staggered by enemy attacks. Some talismans, such as the Bull-Goat’s Talisman, also significantly increase Poise.
6. Are some enemies immune to stance breaking?
Yes, some bosses and specific enemies have extremely high Poise or are immune to being staggered entirely. Experimentation is key to finding out which enemies can be stance broken.
7. Does the type of damage (e.g., Standard, Strike, Pierce) affect Stance damage?
While the type of physical damage doesn’t directly affect stance damage, Strike damage is generally more effective against armored enemies, which can indirectly lead to quicker stance breaks if they’re taking more overall damage.
8. How can I tell how much Stance damage an attack deals?
Unfortunately, there’s no in-game indicator of Stance damage. You’ll need to rely on experimentation and observation to determine which attacks are most effective at staggering enemies.
9. Is it better to focus on Stance breaking or raw damage output?
The best approach depends on your playstyle and the enemy you’re facing. Stance breaking can be highly effective against certain bosses, while raw damage output may be more efficient against others. A balanced approach is often the most versatile.
10. Does two-handing a weapon increase Stance damage?
Yes, two-handing a weapon typically increases both its damage output and its Stance damage. This is a good way to maximize your Stance breaking potential.
11. What role do Spirit Ashes play in breaking stance?
Summoning Spirit Ashes will divide the enemies’ attention and create openings for you to inflict stance damage on them, especially if you and your Spirit Ashes all focus on attacking the same enemy. This can quickly break their stance.
12. How do Guard Counters impact stance breaking?
Guard Counters are highly effective at inflicting stance damage. After successfully blocking an attack, immediately following up with a heavy attack to perform a Guard Counter is a reliable way to stagger enemies.
13. Are there any talismans that directly boost Stance damage?
No, there aren’t any talismans that directly boost Stance damage. However, talismans that increase attack power, like the Ritual Sword Talisman, can indirectly contribute to stance breaks by increasing your overall damage output.
14. Can horseback combat be used for stance breaking?
Yes, combat on Torrent can be effective for stance breaking. Many weapons have unique attacks when used on horseback, and some of these attacks can deal significant Stance damage.
15. What is the Offhand Stance Swap Glitch?
The Offhand Stance Swap Glitch is a technical trick used for stance breaking, where you can equip your stance Art/Ash weapon in your left hand and power stance it (two-handing). Then get close to a ledge, press Quick Attack and buffer Weapon Skill at the end of the Quick Attack animation. Quickly swap your left hand weapon for the Devourer’s Scepter and move forward after the weapon is swapped.