A Beginner’s Guide to Poise in Elden Ring

Elden Ring features a unique combat system that relies on various base stats, which play a crucial role in determining your character’s abilities and ability to face formidable enemies. Among these base stats is “poise.” In this comprehensive guide, we will explain what poise is and how you can increase it to enhance your combat prowess.

Understanding Poise

Poise refers to the base stat of your character, primarily influenced by the armor you equip. Each armor piece possesses a specific poise value, also known as Poise HP. This value represents your character’s resistance to being staggered by enemy attacks.

The significance of poise becomes evident during battles. If your armor has a higher Poise HP than your enemy’s poise, you will remain resistant to staggering, granting you an advantage in combat. However, if your character has low Poise HP, you will be vulnerable to staggering, making fights more challenging. Consequently, poise has a substantial impact on your overall combat experience.

How to Check Poise HP

To view your character’s Poise HP, simply navigate to the same menu where you access your character’s stats. Open the in-game menu and go to the Status tab to find the Poise HP section.

It’s worth noting that changing your armor will affect your poise value. If you prefer an aggressive playstyle without being staggered by enemies, it is essential to wear armor with higher Poise HP.

Staggering

Staggering occurs based on the poise points of both you and your enemies. If the damage inflicted by enemies surpasses your poise points, you will experience staggering. Higher poise points provide greater resistance against staggering. The same principle applies to enemies; dealing sufficient poise damage to them will stagger them, allowing you to unleash critical damage.

To replenish your poise HP after taking damage from enemies, avoid sustaining any damage for 30 seconds. This will gradually refill your poise and restore your resistance.

Types of Staggering

In Elden Ring, there are three types of staggering, depending on the weapon used by the enemy:

• Weak Stagger: Getting hit causes a brief half-second immobility. Standard weapons typically cause this stagger.
• Heavy Stagger: Getting hit results in one-second immobility. Great weapons often cause this stagger.
• Knock-down: Getting hit knocks you off your feet, preventing any actions until the recovery animation completes. Colossal weapons commonly cause this stagger.

How to Increase Poise

To enhance your poise, focus on improving the Poise HP of your armor. Several items in the game can help you achieve this:

• Bull-Goat’s Talisman: Increases poise by 33%.
• Baldachin’s Blessing: A consumable item that boosts poise by 52%.
• Stonebarb Cracked Tear: Raises poise by 25%.

For dealing maximum poise damage to enemies, utilize the Colossal Sword, as it inflicts the most significant poise damage. When it comes to breaking stances, the Flame of Redmane is the recommended ash of war, dealing 29 poise damage by default. When paired with the Crystal Tear buff, it increases the poise damage to 38.

By understanding the mechanics of poise and implementing strategies to increase it effectively, you can gain an advantage in combat and overcome formidable challenges in the vast world of Elden Ring.