Unleash devastating power in Elden Ring Nightreign by mastering the art of two-handing your weapon – a technique that boosts your damage output and unlocks unique skills but demands careful stamina management and a bold playstyle. Ready to wield your weapon with both hands and turn the tide of battle? Here’s how to dominate with two-handed combat on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.
When you hold a weapon with both hands, you might feel more vulnerable to enemies’ attacks, since you can’t use a shield. Although this is subjective, depending a lot on your playstyle (and your class), it’s fact that the faster you kill an enemy, the safer you will be.
To that end, here’s a quick explanation of how to two-hand in Elden Ring Nightreign.
How to two-hand in Elden Ring Nightreign
To two-hand a weapon in Elden Ring Nightreign, hold down the Triangle (PlayStation) or Y (Xbox) button and then press R1/RB for the right-hand weapon or L1/LB for the left-hand weapon. This will make the selected weapon your primary weapon wielded with both hands, increasing its damage output and improving your chances of staggering enemies. The game indicates which weapon is being two-handed by showing its skill icon on the screen. Pressing the same buttons again will revert you to one-handed wielding, allowing you to switch back to dual wielding or using a shield. Keep in mind that two-handing consumes more stamina and slows attack speed, so it suits a more aggressive, dodge-focused playstyle rather than defensive blocking.
To two-hand in Elden Ring Nightreign, you need to hold the Triangle or Y button and press L1/LB or R1/RB.
Doing so will set the weapon in the left or right slot as your main weapon. The game indicates which weapon is currently being two-handed by making its skill appear beside it on the left corner of the screen. Pressing the same buttons makes you hold two weapons each with one hand.
When you two-hand a weapon, its skill becomes your primary one. This is important to keep in mind because, otherwise, your character will always use the skill of the weapon in the R1/RB slot. Since Nightreign lets you carry more than one weapon, knowing how to effectively swap between them (and their skills) can save you in a pinch.
The other benefit of wielding weapons with both hands is a numbers game: You deal more damage and have a higher chance of landing critical hits when two-handing weapons.
However, you need to be a little more strategic when using two-hand. Like other FromSoftware games, two-hand attacks cost you more stamina. If you don’t pay attention, you may find yourself without the energy to dodge an attack after a long sequence of strikes.
When you’re using a bow, wielding it with both hands gives you access to “Precision Aiming” mode. To shoot your arrows at enemies in this mode, you need to hold L1 or LB and move the precision sight with the right stick. When you have a clear vision of your target, use R1 or RB to shoot the arrow.
Although Precision Aiming can be useful, it’s difficult to actually use during important fights. Unless one of your teammates is capturing the boss’ attention, it’s best to avoid Precision Aiming. Your movement speed is reduced when using this mode, making it more difficult to escape attacks. Focus on using bows with two hands to set your primary skill.
How can mastering two-handing in Elden Ring Nightreign boost my damage
Mastering two-handing in Elden Ring Nightreign boosts your damage primarily by increasing your effective Strength by 50%, which significantly enhances the damage output of strength-based weapons. This means every strike you land hits harder, allowing you to break enemy stances more easily and open them up for critical hits, a crucial advantage against tough bosses. Additionally, two-handing frees your off-hand, enabling you to fully utilize your weapon’s powerful Skill, which can further amplify your damage potential. However, keep in mind that two-handing consumes more stamina and slows attack speed slightly, so it requires a more aggressive, dodge-focused playstyle.
How does two-handing increase your effective strength in Nightreign
Two-handing a weapon in Elden Ring Nightreign increases your effective Strength by 1.5 times, meaning your character’s Strength stat is multiplied by 1.5 for the purpose of calculating that weapon’s damage. This boost significantly enhances the damage output of weapons that scale with Strength, making each hit more powerful. The mechanic also changes the weapon’s moveset and allows you to use the weapon’s unique Skill, further increasing your offensive potential. This is especially beneficial for heavy weapons and characters focused on Strength, as it helps break enemy poise and deal more critical damage.
