Stance | Elden Ring Wiki (2024)

Stance Basics

Every attack that hits an enemy deals a certain amount of stance damage. How much stance damage is dealt per hit is hidden from players, and isn't always closely related to the amount of HP the attack removes from the enemy. Once an enemy'stotal stance damage is higher than their Stance stat, they becomestance-broken. This usually renders the enemy vulnerable to a critical hit, making a golden glow appear at a spot on their bodies, where you should stand to deliver the critical hit.Otherenemies don't provide a critical hit opportunity and instead have a stance-break animation that will interrupt any attacks they're doing and provide you a chance to get in some free attacks.

Aftersome timetaking no damage, an enemy's Stance will begin to recover. Different enemies take varying amounts of time to start recovering, but once they do they all recover their stance damage very quickly.If you're trying to break an enemy's Stance be sure to keep the pressure on. Projectiles likeThrowing Daggerscan help preserve your damage if the enemy retreats.

Although parriesgenerally have the same effect as breaking an enemy's Stance, they have a separate counter and don't actually do any stance damage. Parrying an enemy won't reset its stance damage meter, and stance-breaking an enemy won't reset its parry counter.

Stance DamageFrom Skills

Skillsthat deal damage will also deal stance damage. Below are some skills thatinflict particularly large amounts of stance damage:

• Nebula(Wing of Astel):
  • 13 per explosion; typically hits 3-4 times resulting in 39-52 stance damage
• Thundercloud Form:
  • 6 per tick inside cloud (ticks once uncharged, ticks 6 times fully charged)
  • 11 (final hit), 33 (final hit when charged)
  • Maximum of 17 stance damage uncharged, 69 stance damage fully charged
• Impaling Thrust:
  • 30 (w/ Straight Swords, Katanas, Twinblades, Spears, and Halberds)
  • 33 (w/ Greatswords, Heavy Thrusting Swords, and Great Spears)
• Square Off: 40 (heavy attack), 30 (light attack)
• Hoarah Loux's Earthshaker: 15 (initial roar), 20 (each successive slam)
• Glintblade Phalanx: 10 per blade, 40 total
• Carian Grandeur: 20, 30 (charged once), 45 (fully charged)
• Stamp (Upward Cut):
  • 30 (w/ Axes)
  • 33 (w/ Greatswords, Curved Greatswords, Heavy Thrusting Swords, and Greataxes)
  • 36 (w/ Flails, Colossal Weapons (non-Hammers), and Colossal Swords)
  • 39 (w/ Hammers)
  • 42 (w/ Great Hammers)
  • 45 (w/ Colossal Weapons (Hammers))
• Lion's Claw:
  • 30 (w/ Straight Swords, Curved Swords, Katanas, Twinblades, and Axes)
  • 33(w/ Greatswords, Curved Greatswords, and Greataxes)
  • 36 (w/ Flails, Colossal Weapons (non-Hammers), and Colossal Swords)
  • 39 (w/ Hammers)
  • 42 (w/ Great Hammers)
  • 45 (w/ Colossal Weapons (Hammers))
• Unsheathe: 30 (heavy attack)
• Unblockable Blade: 30
• Troll's Roar: 40 (initial roar), 33-45 (follow-up, varies on weapon class)
  • 33 w/ Greatswords, Greataxes
  • 36 w/ Colossal Swords, Colossal Weapons(non-Hammers)
  • 42 w/ Great Hammers
  • 45 w/ Colossal Weapons (Hammers)

Since stance damage doesn't depend on your character's stats at all, and Skills don't have any stat requirements beyond those of the weapon they're attached to, they're one of the most effective ways to stance-break enemies.

Stance Damage in Melee

Heavier melee weapons usually inflict more stance damage, and different types of attacks with a given weapon deal different amounts of stance damage. The precise details vary from weapon to weapon (see below for a full table), but in general:

• Fully charged heavy attacks and guard counters deal the most stance damage.
• Jumping heavy attacks deal a very large amount of stance damage.
• Uncharged heavy attacks deal a large amount of stance damage.
• Light attacks deal the least stance damage.

Running attacks typically deal the same stance damage as their corresponding standing attack. However, the running heavy attacks onGreatswords, Great Spears, Greataxes, and Great Hammers will deal less stance damage than their standard heavy attack.

Stance DamageFrom Magic

Any spell that deals damage also inflicts stance damage, and some are particularly effective at it:

• The flame of frenzy: 56
• Dragonmaw: 45
• Aspects of the Crucible: Tail: 13 (first swing), 39 (second swing); 52 total
• Aspects of the Crucible: Horns: 17 (uncharged), 30 (charged)
• Dragonclaw: 30
• Rock Sling: ~10 per rock, 29 total
• Gavel of Haima: 23

Stance Modifiers

• Enemies who haven't noticed you take 20% more stance damage.
• Wielding a weapon with both hands generally increases stance damage by 30% for light attacks and 10% for heavy attacks and guard counters. This does not apply to skills.
  • The charged heavy attacks on the Duelist/Rotten Greataxe, Dragon Greatclaw, Axe of Godfrey, and Troll's Hammer do not benefit from two-handing. This is likely a bug, since guard counters do receive this bonus.
• Certain enemies have weak points that take extra stance damage. For example,Golems' ankles take double the amount of stance damage than other parts of its body do.
• Bosses take 40% less stance damage if you summon another playeror an NPC. (Spirit Ashesdon't impose a Stance penalty.)
• Stonebarb Cracked Tear: +30% stance damage.
• Starting in NG+2, all enemies take reduced stance damage. See New Game Plus page for details.