The option to dual-wield weapons in Elden Ring can be a great way to improve your damage output and look stylish in combat. Whether it’s a quick rogue with dual daggers or a mighty warrior with paired colossal swords, two weapons definitely make a statement.
The dual-wielding mechanic was known as power stance in Dark Souls 2, and a similar, slightly easier version of this mechanic is found in Elden Ring. There are no specific stat requirements for power stancing now, but you should keep the requirements for both weapons in mind.
To use the power stance moveset, simply press your guard/left-hand attack button (Default Controller L1/Mouse Right Click). Some weapons will only have one swing per button press, while others will launch a flurry. The exact combo varies between three to five swings/flurries depending on the weapon. In addition to the standing combo, you also have special dual-wielding attacks if you press L1 while jumping, sprinting, or crouching. The dual-wield jumping attack is especially devastating for staggering enemies.
Note that your R1 light attack and R2 heavy attack will still only use your right-hand weapon. Ashes of War will also default to the right-hand weapon, with the exception of Parry.
Dual wielding in Elden Ring requires both weapons to be of the same category (e.g. you can dual wield two greatswords, but not a greatsword and a dagger). You can use mismatched weapons in two hands, but the left-hand weapon will perform a normal light attack combo as its L1. There is one exception to this rule – the Wakizashi dagger will power stance when held in the left hand with a katana-type weapon in the right hand, but a Wakizashi in the right hand will not power stance with a katana in the left hand.
Paired weapons, which also appeared in Dark Souls 3, use a different type of dual wielding. Rather than using two separate weapons, paired weapons count as one weapon that is dual-wielded when you two-hand it. Unlike the power stance, these weapons attack with R1 and can guard like a shield using L1.
Dual wielding is best done when both weapons scale with the same stats. Having an Intelligence weapon in one hand and a Faith one in the other can lead to spreading your points too thin. Arcane requirements for Bleed weapons are more forgiving – unless you’re doing a dedicated Arcane build, just get enough to be able to wield the weapon. Also, keep in mind that you will have to carry the weight of both weapons plus your armor, so extra Endurance is always welcome.
The combination of Bleed and Frost effects is extremely powerful in Elden Ring. Each status effect deals significant damage, and having both go off at the same time is devastating. LetMeSoloHer’s signature weapons in his quest to defeat Malenia a thousand times were a Rivers of Blood katana in one hand and a Frost-imbued Uchigatana in the other.
Poison and Scarlet Rot deal damage over time, so inflict both on an opponent and sit back to watch their HP melt. Scarlet Rot is only inflicted by a handful of unique weapons or the Rot Grease item, though. The Antspur Rapier is a fast weapon with good Scarlet Rot buildup to combine with a Poison-imbued thrusting sword in your other hand.
Use two twinblades to overwhelm your enemies with a four-blade flurry! The jumping attack lands multiple hits quickly, so it combines well with status effect builds. The Godskin Peeler is a good choice as one of the weapons, as it has a powerful default Weapon Art but can also be imbued to fit other builds.
Combining Frost and Fire may not seem intuitive, but Fire damage has the interesting property of removing the Frostbite debuff once it has activated, allowing you to build it up again for more damage. Note that Fire does not interfere with the buildup of Frostbite, so you can be hitting with both weapons the whole time!
Dual wielding in Elden Ring can be a lot of fun, and is a core component of many builds. Try it out and see what combinations of weapons you can bring to bear in the Lands Between!