Hidden Mechanics You Might Not Know About In Elden Ring

Hidden Mechanics You Might Not Know About In Elden Ring

As a seasoned Elden Ring warrior who’s spent countless hours battling against the hordes of the Lands Between, I can wholeheartedly affirm that understanding the intricacies of this game’s combat system is the key to survival and success. And let me tell you, my dear reader, there are some mechanics in Elden Ring that can truly make or break your adventure!


In Elden Ring, you won’t find a lot of hand-holding when you first launch the game. Instead, it provides a basic guide and a general path for you to follow. It then leaves you to explore and progress at your own speed, with few limitations. This open approach contributes significantly to immersion, but it can result in some players overlooking the subtler gameplay mechanics that Elden Ring offers.

Delving into various corners of the world and deciphering its secrets is certainly engaging, but uncovering the potentials for the Tarnished character might be equally captivating, if not more beneficial in the grand scheme. Mastering obscure game mechanics could provide an edge during player-versus-player battles, and add a layer of excitement to the gameplay experience.

5 Buff Stacking

Better Than Leveling Up

Hidden Mechanics You Might Not Know About In Elden Ring

  • Use one buff from each category.
  • A few buffs are better than none.

In the game, it doesn’t directly inform the player, but it seems logical to infer that multiple buffs can interact. Unfortunately, this assumption isn’t completely accurate. Not all buffs are compatible; many can be combined unintentionally, leading a novice player to waste time accidentally overwriting their buffs.

In this game, there are five distinct types of enhancements, or ‘buffs’: auras, physical attributes, equipment, regeneration, and unique abilities. Typically, the Tarnished character can only activate one buff from each category (with the exception of unique buffs, which can accumulate multiple instances of themselves). Once players have developed a regular routine for applying these buffs, the game’s challenge level will noticeably decrease.

4 Counter Attacking

Pierce Through Opportunity

Hidden Mechanics You Might Not Know About In Elden Ring
  • Players can use piercing weapons to their advantage against enemies with long wind up attacks.
  • Use the spear talisman to deal even more damage.

Beyond basic assaults, heavy strikes, specialized weapon techniques, and defensive ripostes, there are retaliatory moves in the game that aren’t particularly well-explained. When a player lands a counterattack, they inflict more harm than usual. The additional damage amplification from these counters contributes to a substantial 45% enhancement in overall damage dealt.

The damage from counterattacks stacks on top of any natural weakness an enemy has to piercing damage.

A counter-attack can only occur under two circumstances:

    3 Feinting

    Not Getting Hit is the Best Defense

    Hidden Mechanics You Might Not Know About In Elden Ring
    • Players can abandon charged heavy attacks if they overextend themselves.
    • Use this technique to confuse players in PvP who aren’t familiar with the mechanic.

    An underutilized technique in the game, feinting, is not widely recognized by many players. With certain weapons like thrusting swords, players have the ability to interrupt their charged heavy attack animations. In situations where players might overextend an attack without noticing that the opponent is preparing a counterattack, this tactic comes in handy. This technique provides an excellent response to such scenarios.

    Additionally, incorporating feints into gameplay provides an additional attack method for players, expanding their offensive potential and leaving opponents puzzled in player versus player (PvP) situations. Given that many players may not be familiar with this technique, employing feints can prove highly effective in catching others off guard.

    2 Hyper Armor

    Power Through the Pain

    Hidden Mechanics You Might Not Know About In Elden Ring
    • Trade blows and stagger the enemy.
    • Use heavy weapons for maximum hyper armor.

    A crucial factor in any construction involves determining how many attacks the Tarnished character can endure before reacting. This resilience is determined by the player’s total poise, which is calculated by summing up the poise of all armor pieces the player is currently wearing. Talismans like the can also impact this, but there’s another figure that affects the game’s decision to interrupt an attack based on this initial calculation.

    That number is the hyper armor that any given attack gives the player. Each attack that a player performs will give them a certain amount of hyper armor, additional poise on top of what their armor already gives them. This means that certain attacks will let players power through hits better than others and make trades more favorable for them, interrupting their enemy. Typically, larger weapons will have hyper armor with most attacks, while lighter ones will only have it with some of them. Charged attacks and some weapon skills, will have more hyper armor, making them the best option for trading damage with opponents in most cases.

    1 I-Frames

    Different Roads to Invincibility

    Hidden Mechanics You Might Not Know About In Elden Ring
    • Use jumping I-frames to attack enemies when they do low sweeping attacks.
    • Mount and dismount torrent for an easy way to dodge world boss attacks.

    In most games, invincibility periods (often referred to as I-frames) are what make dodges effective. During these brief moments, the player is protected from damage. Quick rolls provide more of these invulnerable frames than medium ones, making it simpler to avoid attacks. Conversely, heavy rolls offer fewer I-frames compared to medium and fast rolls, making dodging challenging when your character is heavily burdened.

    Unlocking treasure chests and doors, triggering sacred locations, dodging attacks skillfully, and executing counterattacks all grant the player invincibility frames (I-frames).

    As a seasoned Elden Ring player with countless hours spent traversing its treacherous landscapes and battling fearsome foes, I can confidently say that many players are unaware of alternative methods to acquire I-frames in this epic action RPG. One such method is by mounting and dismounting Torrent while standing, which provides the player with a brief period of invincibility. Jumping also offers an interesting twist; it not only propels you forward but also grants your lower body immunity, allowing you to evade numerous attacks with a well-timed leap. Furthermore, certain weapon skills bestow I-frames upon execution, further expanding the arsenal of techniques at your disposal for navigating Elden Ring’s challenging encounters.

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    2024-08-25 11:03