How to two-hand in Elden Ring Nightreign

In Elden Ring Nightreign, every bit of damage you can cause to enemies is a step closer to defeating a boss. The two-hand technique is a classic but effective method to achieve this goal.

When you hold a weapon with both hands, you might feel more vulnerable to enemies’ attacks, since you can’t use a shield. Although this is subjective, depending a lot on your playstyle (and your class), it’s fact that the faster you kill an enemy, the safer you will be.

To that end, here’s a quick explanation of how to two-hand in Elden Ring Nightreign.

How to two-hand in Elden Ring Nightreign

To two-hand in Elden Ring Nightreign, you need to hold the Triangle or Y button and press L1/LB or R1/RB.

Doing so will set the weapon in the left or right slot as your main weapon. The game indicates which weapon is currently being two-handed by making its skill appear beside it on the left corner of the screen. Pressing the same buttons makes you hold two weapons each with one hand.

When you two-hand a weapon, its skill becomes your primary one. This is important to keep in mind because, otherwise, your character will always use the skill of the weapon in the R1/RB slot. Since Nightreign lets you carry more than one weapon, knowing how to effectively swap between them (and their skills) can save you in a pinch.

The other benefit of wielding weapons with both hands is a numbers game: You deal more damage and have a higher chance of landing critical hits when two-handing weapons.

However, you need to be a little more strategic when using two-hand. Like other FromSoftware games, two-hand attacks cost you more stamina. If you don’t pay attention, you may find yourself without the energy to dodge an attack after a long sequence of strikes.

When you’re using a bow, wielding it with both hands gives you access to “Precision Aiming” mode. To shoot your arrows at enemies in this mode, you need to hold L1 or LB and move the precision sight with the right stick. When you have a clear vision of your target, use R1 or RB to shoot the arrow.

Although Precision Aiming can be useful, it’s difficult to actually use during important fights. Unless one of your teammates is capturing the boss’ attention, it’s best to avoid Precision Aiming. Your movement speed is reduced when using this mode, making it more difficult to escape attacks. Focus on using bows with two hands to set your primary skill.

For more Elden Ring Nightreign guides, here’s how to upgrade weapons, how to get legendary weapons, and our recommendations of the best rune farming locations.