Dark Souls 2: Dual Wielding and how to use Power Stance

One of the things I got really used to in Dark Souls was playing melee with a weapon in my right hand and a shield in my left. That shield was like a part of my character, and it became an integral part of my experience while playing the game. If you’ve selected the Swordsman class in Dark Souls 2 (like I did on my first playthrough), you won’t start off with a shield. This can be unsettling if you’re used to that style of melee play, but in some ways it’s actually far better.

For a start, players who are dual wielding are going to have to incorporate a little more skill in order to vanquish their enemies. Rolling, and general evasion, is naturally an extremely important part of the play style due to the lack of any type of block.


Power Stance

Power Stance is important when playing as a dual wield character as it enables you to incorporate your right-hand weapon when attacking with your left hand. In order to use the power stance, press and hold Triangle or Y, but bear in mind that you must be at 150% (or x1.5) of the stat prerequisites for your equipped weapons.

As a Swordsman, you start off with a Scimitar +1 in your right hand, and a Shortsword +1 in your left hand. The Scimitar +1 requires 7 Strength (STR) and 16 Dexterity (DEX). The Shortsword +1 requires 7 STR and 10 DEX. This means that to use power stance you must raise your DEX to 24 and your STR to 11.5, which is rounded down to 11. If you manage to find a couple of Longswords, you can attain power stance with 15 STR and 13 DEX.

You can use your Power Stance with most dual wielded weapons or a similar type or class, though some, like Sword and Hammer, will also work together. Experiment with what does and doesn’t work and let us know your findings!

Swordsman Character Build

You should try to aim to get your STR and DEX both up to 30, as that will allow you to use Power Stance with an extensive spread of weapons, including more or less all of the lighter weapons. It’s also worth investing in Endurance (END), Vigor (VGR), and Vitality (VIT). VGR will increase your maximum Equip Weight, allowing you to wear better armour for when you take a hit. As far as the rest of your stats go beyond that is entirely up to you.

Always keep your Equip Weight below 70%, unconditionally! If you go over that amount your rolling speed will slow significantly to what is accurately described as a fat roll, and that’s very bad news indeed when you need to be light on your feet.

If you enjoyed this, take a look at our other Dark Souls 2 hints tips and guides! 

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See also:

Dark Souls 2 Magic Guide - Hexes, Miracles, Sorceries and Pyromancies
Dark Souls 2: How to earn more souls and upgrade your Estus Flask (Video Guide)
Dark Souls 2: How to summon a friend in Dark Souls 2