Breaking posture in Elden Ring is a key part of mastering the combat system, especially when facing heavily armoured foes or agile human-sized enemies. Posture damage, often called stance damage, allows players to interrupt or stagger opponents, creating a brief opening for a critical hit. This guide explains how posture works and how to break it efficiently using various weapon types, tactics, and Ashes of War.
What Is Posture in Elden Ring?
Posture is a hidden stat that governs an enemy’s resistance to stagger. Once an enemy’s posture is broken, they fall into a vulnerable state, allowing for a devastating critical attack (usually a visceral stab or backstab, depending on position). Not all enemies can be staggered in the same way, and some bosses have multiple posture thresholds.
While posture regenerates over time, successive hits can outpace that recovery and lead to a break. Certain attacks, particularly heavy or charged ones, deal more posture damage than others.
The Best Ways to Break Posture
1. Jumping Attacks
Jumping heavy attacks are one of the most reliable ways to deal significant posture damage. Two-handed jumping attacks with colossal or great weapons are particularly effective. Against humanoid enemies, just two or three well-placed jumping heavies can be enough to trigger a stagger.
2. Guard Counters
Guard counters, performed by blocking an enemy attack and immediately following up with a strong attack (R2/RT), are excellent for targeting posture. This technique works well with medium to large shields and is especially useful in melee duels. Be cautious, though, as timing is critical and a mistimed counter leaves you open.
3. Charged Heavy Attacks
Holding down the heavy attack button unleashes a slower, stronger blow that builds more posture damage than standard attacks. These are best used either before combat starts or immediately after dodging an enemy’s attack to ensure a clean hit.
4. Dual Wielding (Power Stance)
Power-stancing weapons of the same class (e.g. two curved swords) unlocks a special dual wield moveset. The L1/LB combo chains are rapid and can shred through posture quickly, especially if they land in full. Fast weapons benefit most from this, as repeated pressure keeps the enemy’s posture from recovering.
5. Ashes of War with High Poise Damage
Some Ashes of War are designed to batter enemies’ stance. Flaming Strike, Lion’s Claw, Cragblade, and Flaming Slam are a few examples that stagger reliably. Experiment with different Ashes depending on your weapon and build, and look for moves that include leaping, spinning, or plunging attacks.
Key Weapons and Tools for Posture Damage
- Greatswords, Colossal Weapons, and Hammers are best for posture breaking. Even single swings can visibly stagger some enemies.
- Katanas and Curved Greatswords offer a mix of speed and posture damage, especially with jumping attacks.
- Fists and Claws rely more on quick succession rather than single-hit posture damage, but power-stanced variants can still overwhelm smaller foes.
Enemy Poise Matters
Every enemy has a poise value, which determines how many hits they can take before being staggered. Heavily armoured enemies have higher poise and require stronger or more sustained attacks. Bosses like Crucible Knights, Black Knife Assassins, and the Misbegotten Warriors all have varied poise thresholds, and some can reset their poise quickly if left unpressured.
Tips to Maximise Posture Breaks
- Mix Light and Heavy Attacks to keep pressure consistent while still building posture damage.
- Time your hits during enemy recovery windows for safer posture-building.
- Use Spirit Ashes to draw aggro while you prepare heavy or charged attacks.
- Avoid giving enemies too much space, as their posture will recover rapidly when not under pressure.
The Seven Swords Takeaway
Understanding and exploiting posture is essential in Elden Ring, especially for strength or dexterity builds. Whether you’re facing regular knights or field bosses, breaking posture can dramatically shift the pace of a fight in your favour. Focus on timing, positioning, and weapon selection to make the most of this system. With practice, you’ll turn the most dangerous duels into clean victories.
