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The Ins and Outs of Dual Wielding in Elden Ring

Dual wielding is a popular playstyle in Elden Ring that lets you equip two weapons at once, drastically increasing your offensive prowess. As an avid player who’s tried numerous builds over 200+ hours, I’ve learned a lot about making the most of dual wielding through trial and error. In this article, I’ll cover everything you need to know to dual wield effectively.

Benefits of Dual Wielding

  1. Increased damage output. Having two weapons instead of one means you can dish out damage twice as fast with L1 attacks.
  2. More versatile movesets. Different paired weapons like straight swords or twinblades have unique dual-wielded movesets perfect for different situations.
  3. Poise damage bonuses. Certain paired weapons inflict extra poise damage when wielded together, letting you stun enemies quicker.

So in summary – dual wielding amplifies your combat potency in both PvE and PvP. The ability to lay down hurt in a variety of ways is amazing. But as with any build, there are hurdles.

Drawbacks of Dual Wielding

  1. Costs more stats. Dual wielding efficiently demands investing more into stats like Dexterity or Strength for dual stat requirements.
  2. Less defensive options. You can’t effectively block or parry without emptying your off-hand. Rolling is your main form of defense.
  3. Specific weapon choices. Not every weapon class works well dual wielded due to moveset restrictions.

You’ll have to sacrifice shielding versatility and optimize stats more carefully. But the gains of more damage options can definitely outweigh these costs.

Best Weapon Options for Dual Wielding

After assessing weapon movesets and damage values based on my experience, here are the top picks:

Twinblades: Lightning fast L1 spam that shreds enemies. Eleonora’s Poleblade is my personal favorite.

Straight Swords: Versatile and efficient, like the Dark Moon Greatsword and Broadsword. Experiment combos like L1 into L2.

Daggers: Crazy critical damage and bleed buildup from dual Misericordes never gets old.

Claws: Fast stomps with blood loss claws are hilarious. Just watch your stamina!

Curved Swords: dual Nagakibas spin like capoeira. Scavenger’s Curved Swords are also tons of fun.

The right dual wield combo depends on your preferred playstyle. Try out some combos in Limgrave to find your faves!

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Optimal DEX/STR Levels for Paired Weapons

How high should you take your damage stats when dual wielding? Let’s break it down:

DEX weapons: Aim for 50-60 DEX if using fast hits like twinblades or claws. Their many rapid strikes scale amazingly with Dexterity.

STR weapons: 40-50 STR accommodates beefy pairs like greatswords. Their slower swings hit like trucks at these levels.

Quality: A balanced 30/30 in STR/DEX powers hybrids well. Workable for most straight swords or Thorn Whips.

Going past these soft caps gives diminishing returns, so consider reallocating points elsewhere later on. You’ll crush fools with these stats, believe me!

Ashes of War and Talismans for Dual Wielding

Spice up your dual wielding with ashes! Here are some standouts:

Seppuku: Self-bleed plus the boosted attacks vaporize enemies. I’ll totally seppuku if it means dual wielding powerups, lol.

Flame of the Redmanes: Stomping L1s that dish heavy poise damage? Sign me up!

Spinning Strikes: Great for twinblades, this fiery AoW propels you into enemies satisfyingly.

As for talismans, Shard of Alexander boosts jump attacks ideal for dual straight swords. Ritual Sword Talisman enhances corpse piler spam. Marika’s Soreseal helps stat requirements too despite damage taken.

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With the right setup, you’ll be an unstoppable flurry dealing crits left and right. Just watch your stamina and don’t get too greedy!

Dual Wielding Tips and Tactics

Here are some additional tips I’ve picked up dual wielding:

– Backstep L1 catches rolls well for safer dps. Forward step L1 is also great for closing gaps.

– Jump attacks deal crazy damage and poise damage. Jump L1s with giant crushers, oh my!

– Dual great thrusting swords like Cross-Naginatas control space excellently. Their range is absurd.

– Bleed builds shine when dual wielding statuses like twin blood daggers or whips.

– Maintain momentum by canceling weapon arts into jumping or rolling for constant offense.

– Spam L1 flurries often stagger locks enemies or players. But watch your stamina, dude!

With practice, dodging through attacks to counter with your own is incredibly satisfying. I’d say dual wielding offers the most engaging combat of any playstyle in Elden Ring. Go try it yourself – you won’t be disappointed!

Final Thoughts on Mastering Dual Wielding

Dual wielding adds a layer of complexity to combat that rewards patience and expertise. While the learning curve is steep, no other playstyle in Elden Ring matches its high-octane fluidity in my opinion. It’s endlessly entertaining to experiment with new weapon combinations and techniques.

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My advice is focus on learning one dual wield combo extremely well before branching out. Master movement cancels, optimal ranges, and damage thresholds on your chosen pair. Dual wielding at the highest level is an art form requiring finesse over brute strength. But with dedication, you too can become an unstoppable flurry dealing crits left and right like yours truly! Now go forth Tarnished, and dual wield to your heart’s content. I’m always down for jolly co-op if you need backup, homie!

Top Best Dual Wielding Weapon Combinations in Elden Ring

Weapons Strength Scaling Dexterity Scaling Notes
Bloodhound’s Fang + Urumi C/C D/C Great bleed buildup and reach.
Dual Wield Godskin Peeler D/D B/B Fast attacks and excellent bleed buildup.
Dual Uchigatanas D/D B/B Fast attacks and high critical for bleed builds.
Dual Straight Swords Varied Varied Quick attacks and great for quality builds.
Dual Greatswords Varied Varied Slow but high poise damage and critical bonuses.

FAQ

  1. What weapons can be dual wielded in Elden Ring?

    Most one-handed swords, axes, and other melee weapons can be dual wielded as long as you meet the strength requirement. Katanas, claws, fists, and some unique weapons cannot be dual wielded.

  2. What are the benefits of dual wielding?

    Dual wielding allows you to attack twice as fast with double the damage output. However, your defenses are lowered since you aren’t using a shield. It’s a high-risk, high-reward playstyle. Basically, you dish out damage like crazy but you’ll need good dodging skills to avoid hits.

  3. Which affinity is best for dual wield?

    For max potential damage, the Blood affinity works very well. The bleed build-up from dual Blood affinity weapons can shred enemies. Maybe Frost affinity could be good too since frostbite builds quickly with two weapons. At the same time, with dual weapons you’ll want to focus on strength or dexterity scaling rather than just statuses.

  1. When should I two-hand instead of dual wield?

    Against tough bosses with wide attacks, you may have better odds two-handing a weapon with better reach and poise damage. Some enemies require breaking posture instead of health, so the strong attacks from two-handing can help there. On the other hand, two-handing limits your weapon options and defenses.

  2. What armor is best for dual wielding?

    Light armor with good mobility will serve you well, since dual wielding rewards quick, aggressive play. Radahn’s set with its jump attack buff and great mobility would be fitting. For heavy armor, the Bull-Goat set lets you stay fast while maintaining awesome damage negation. Overall, prioritize mobility over defenses with dual wielding.

  3. Any tips for using dual wield effectively?

    Mix up regular attacks, strong attacks and jumping attacks to keep foes guessing. Strike first before they Windup big blows. Roll into attacks rather than away when possible. Most importantly, look for opportunities to attack without getting locked into long animation chains. Go for quick hits and back away to stay safe.

  1. What weapons are best for dual wielding?

    Curved swords like the Scavenger’s and Godskin Peeler have awesome speed and damage. Katanas like Moonveil deal strong hybrid magic damage. Colossal weapons like the Nightrider Glaive have amazing ranged attacks. Twinblades like the Estoc absolutely shred enemies with repeated dual jabs. But basically any weapons can work – use what weapons you vibe with.

In conclusion, dual wielding lets you unleash unbelievable damage quickly at the cost of defense. It’s a playstyle that rewards skill and perfect timing over outright tankiness. With good weapons and the right approach, dual wielding can shred even the toughest enemies in the Lands Between. Though I’ve never tried it myself, based on what I’ve read it seems like an amazing yet risky way to play. Kind of like two weapon martial artists – all offense and flash with no shield to lean on.

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