Powerstancing means holding two melee weapons of the same type, one in each hand, which unlocks a special dual attack on the left-hand light attack button (L1 on consoles). It swings both weapons at once and deals more damage per second than one-handing or two-handing.
How to powerstance
Equip two weapons of the same weapon type, one in each hand. They do not need to be the same weapon. A Dagger and an Erdsteel Dagger work, as do two Greataxes. Once both hands hold matching types, the dual attack becomes available.
Why it is strong
- Each powerstance attack swings both weapons, so you hit twice.
- Overall damage per second is higher than with one-handed or two-handed attacks.
- The chain is a four-swing combo that can land up to eight hits.
- With two different weapons, you can give each one its own affinity or buff and build up more than one status effect.
Paired weapons
Paired weapons are a related but different thing. They naturally come as a set of two but take up just one equipment slot. When you two-hand one, your character holds an identical copy in the off hand instead. Paired weapons include:
- All claws
- All fists, such as the Caestus and Spiked Caestus, except the Grafted Dragon
- The Starscourge Greatsword
- The Ornamental Straight Sword
Paired weapons vs. true powerstancing
| Paired weapons (two-handed) | Powerstancing (two weapons) | |
|---|---|---|
| Light attacks | Strike with both weapons | Dual attack on L1, hitting with both weapons |
| Heavy attacks | Both weapons for fists and claws; only the right hand for the Starscourge Greatsword and Ornamental Straight Sword | – |
| Guarding | Can still guard, so guard counters work | – |
| Equipment slots | One slot, lower equip load | Two slots, two weapons’ weight |
| Buffs like greases | Applied to both at once | Applied per weapon, so you can mix |
The short version: paired weapons are lighter and simpler, and they keep your guard. True powerstancing can hit harder with its dual attacks and lets you mix affinities and buffs for more status buildup.
Tips
- Check your equip load before pairing two heavy weapons, since you carry the full weight of both.
- Each weapon still needs its own stat requirements met, as covered in Weapon Scaling.