In this Elden Ring Combat Guide, we will guide you on how you can get the most out of combat in Elden Ring. Elden Ring is a tough game and combat plays a vital role in the game. It is vital that you know all of the ins and outs of combat and master it quickly in the game. This guide will share some tips and tricks that will help you get better in combat in Elden Ring no matter your skill level.
Combat Guide – Elden Ring
This Elden Ring Combat Guide will share some tips and tricks for you to help you get a better hold of combat in the game.
Use Guard Counter to Your Advantage
Nearly every Souls title has had some sort of a powerful counterattack that you could use to your advantage in the past. Elden Ring is no different as it comes with the powerful move Guard Counter that you can master and use to deal massive damage to your enemies. Landing this attack sounds easy but you have to time it perfectly. Wait for an incoming attack, block the attack and then quickly press the heavy attack to land a Guard Counter.
This counterattack deals massive damage to your enemies which often stumbles them or stuns some of the smaller enemies giving you an attack window after the main attack as well. One thing to keep in mind while landing a Guard Counter is that some of the enemies and bosses in the game land combo attacks so if you try to land this move after their initial attack, your attack might get overwhelmed by an incoming attack so make sure that you use Guard Counter on a confirmed last move in a combo to make it most effective.
Summon Spirit Ashes
FromSoftware is known for its weird online mechanics and Elden Ring is no different. Apart from summoning your friends to help you out in combat, you can also summon NPCs called Spirit Ashes that help you during boss battles. Specific boss battles have rebirth monuments before them where you can summon these Spirit Ashes for help during the upcoming boss battles.
An icon on the left-bottom of your screen indicates when you are in a rebirth monument zone. Summon Spirit Ashes and they will distract bosses during boss battles and attack them as well. However, they can die in boss battles and if they die, you cannot use them again in that boss battle again. You can level up these Spirit Ashes to make them more powerful and the more you level them up, the more helpful they become in combat scenarios. However, you can only summon them where the game will allow you to summon them.
Use Stealth to Your Advantage
While completely useless for boss encounters, you can use stealth to take out normal enemies and some of the tougher normal enemies as well without making things too difficult for yourself. Stealth plays a vital part in combat, and I will suggest that you stick to stealth if you see a group of enemies. Elden Ring takes stealth to another level by making it more realistic according to the time of the day in the game as well.
Stealth in Elden Ring is more effective if you are using it during the night time since it is dark. Enemies who might spot you easily during the daytime will have a hard time spotting you during the night time since you will be well hidden in the dark. You can use this to your advantage and take out enemies much easier during the night time. You can sneak past groups of enemies and take them out one by one by using this to your advantage.
Fight One Enemy at a Time
While you may be tempted to take on a horde of enemies and feel like an absolute badass, never engage more than one enemy in the game if you can. Agro one enemy by going just enough near to enemies and then take them out before getting the attention of more enemies. Some of the weaker enemies in the game can make the game absolute hell for you if they surround you. Never get yourself surrounded in the game and make sure that you only bite what you can chew in the game because the game is known for overfeeding you very easily.
Horseback Combat is Helpful in Certain Situations
Torrent is really helpful in Elden Ring, and you can also engage enemies from the back of your trusty horse. If you get stuck between enemies, Torrent can get you out quickly as well however if you decide to fight from horseback, it is a completely different story. If there is one or two enemies around, you can engage one enemy at a time from the horseback but if more than one enemy starts attacking you, immediately get off your horse.
This is important because your horse will throw you off after a few hits and you will be stunned on the ground for a long time during which the enemies will continue to hack away at your health. Death is certain at this point so you must always engage groups of enemies from solid ground. If you find a lonely enemy, only then engage it from the horseback.
Retreat From Tougher Enemies
Sometimes running away from a tough fight is always a good choice especially if you have collected a large number of Runes. While this may not be the case with boss encounters, you can always run away from normal enemies. If you are unable to escape on foot, summon Torrent and use its speed and agility to outrun your foes and find safety. Once you are safe, return to the area better prepared and then take out the enemies. A little bit of recon always helps in difficult situations.
Stick to Magic if Melee is Not Working for You
If you are a Pro souls titles, chances are that you will already know which class to pick if you are starting to Elden Ring however if you are new to the title, you might be looking at how you pick your class and if you picked melee and are having a tough time, you can try switching to a magic-wielding class since it offers ranged combat and you can fight enemies from a safe distance.
You will know quite early in the game whether you have made the right decision or not so switch early and use magic to survive longer in the game. After you have mastered the basics of the game and want to switch to melee, you can always do so with a new or your first character in the game. Melee does offer more satisfaction than magic factions but it all boils down to your personal preferences in the game and you want to play the game.
For more help with Elden Ring, check out the guides linked below:
This concludes our Elden Ring Combat Guide. If you have some combat tips for us, fire them away in the comments section below.
