Elden Ring’s Stance Break mechanic is an underexplained system that’s difficult to build around, but these items should at least help.
Unlike other ‘builds’ in Elden Ring that are easy to understand and can tear apart some of the more difficult Bosses, such as a Rivers of Blood build or a one-shot build, a Stance Break build is a bit more obtuse, since there’s not really a centralized ‘Stance Break’ build to rely on.
This is simply because, other than abusing very specific attack combinations or item synergies, there aren’t many Gear Sets, Talismans, or Spells/Incantations tailored around Stance Breaking. But, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible, and there is plenty of Equipment in Elden Ring that is meant for one thing but has a side effect of helping with Stance Breaking.
Updated October 28th, 2023 by Jacob Buchalter: While it feels like Soulslike games from other developers are getting closer and closer to being on par with From Software games (with Lies of P being a great example), Elden Ring is still just a few steps ahead of them. This game seems to take all the best aspects from every other From Software ‘souls’ game and blend it all into one, including Sekiro’s Posture system, in a way. In Elden Ring, players have the option of absolutely overwhelming their opponents with such heavy weapons or with so much damage at once that their opponents have their Stance broken. And, as it turns out, there are actually ways for players to focus their entire build around this playstyle. Armor Recommendations
Sadly, there’s not much in the way of Armor that really ‘buffs’ Stance Bar damage. But, there is plenty of Gear with Special Effects that can help a player do more damage with their highest Stance Bar damaging attacks or let them unleash more moves uninterrupted. Essentially, instead of helping players deal more Stance Damage, these pieces of Gear should instead help them use the same old Stance Damaging moves with less risk or to a greater effect.
Appearance
Armor Name
Effect
Reasoning
Bull-Goat Set
Helm = 15 Poise, Armor = 47 Poise, Gauntlets = 10 Poise, & Greaves = 28 Poise which = 100 Poise Total
More Poise = more heavy swings without being interrupted.
Raptor’s Black Feathers
Chest Piece which buffs the damage of Jump Attacks by 10 Percent.
Jump Attacks are one of the higher Stance-Damaging moves in the game.
Omensmirk Mask
Strength +2
The mask used by the Omenkillers in-game. It’s very basic reasoning but more Strength = more Damage.
Fanged Imp Head
Strength +2
It’s very basic but more Strength = more Damage.
Crucible Axe Set
Each Piece of the Crucible Axe Set gives +4 Percent damage to Aspects of the Crucible Incantations, totaling at a +17 Percent buff altogether.
Apsect of the Crucible Incantations are some of the hardest-hitting Incantations in terms of Stance Bar Damage. Talisman Recommendations
Talismans, on the other hand, have a lot more versatility depending on what the player is using for their weapon (with new weapons still being discovered by fans even this far past the game’s release) or what their favorite Stance Break-focused Attack is. A lot of these recommendations might seem basic, but as long as players tailor their Talisman choices to the weapon and playstyle of choice, each and every recommendation should help players Stagger enemies more often.
Appearance
Talisman Name
Effect
Reasoning
Claw Talisman
+15 Percent Jump Attack Damage
Stacks with Raptor’s Black Feathers Armor.
Axe Talisman
+10 Percent Charged Attack Damage
Fully-Charged Heavy Attacks are incredible for Stance Bar Damage.
Curved Sword Talisman
+20 Percent Guard Counter Damage
Alongside Charged Heavies and Jumping Attacks, Guard Counters are the third incredible Stance Damage attack option.
Hammer Talisman
+40 Percent Stamina Damage Against Blocking Enemies
Very situational, but great for actually managing to Stance Break Crucible Knights.
Twinblade Talisman
+45 Percent Damage to Final Hit in Attack Chain
Heavier Weapons and Colossal-type Weapons especially, have fewer attacks in their combo, meaning this triggers more often on Stance Break builds than one would expect.
Dagger Talisman
+17 Percent Critical Damage
A bit hard to find, but Stance Breaks lead to Critical Hits, so this effect will trigger often.
