Poise in Elden Ring is one of the game’s central defense mechanics, but unlike some of the other stats, it’s not well explained. It also tends to change with every patch and matters more to PvP players than it does anyone else. There’s a lot of math behind the system, but at its core, poise determines how big a hit you can take before staggering, and there are specific breakpoints that determine what weapon attacks — or attack strengths — will send you reeling. Our guide includes every major Elden Ring Poise breakpoint as of Patch 1.09.1.
Every Major Poise Breakpoint in Elden Ring (Patch 1.09.1)
Here’s a quick look at every major Poise breakpoint in Elden Ring since the release of patch 1.09.1. This could change in future updates, so we’ll be keeping this updated. I go into further detail about specific attacks below.
- 58
- 69
- 76
- 83
- >100
- <=133
Elden Ring has had its Poise values altered over several patches, with the latest, 1.09.1, updating them yet again. And while there are hundreds of individual Poise values based on weapon type, whether it’s being two-handed or not, and several other specific factors, it’s possible to condense that laundry list into something more manageable. I’ve collected all the major poise breakpoints in the table below. If you want a rundown of the full dataset, check out this community spreadsheet.
Most Important Poise Breakpoints in Elden Ring
| Poise Breakpoint | Attacks Withstood | Weakest Attack to Break |
|---|---|---|
| 58 | – Most Dagger attacks. – Light one-handed Claw attacks. – Most Small Thrusting Sword (STS) attacks. | – One-handed Jumping Dagger / STS R1. – Straight Sword (SS) / Curved Sword (CS) / Katana / Spear / Axe / Twinblade Powerstance L1 |
| 69 | – All above. – All one-handed Whip attacks. – One-handed standard Fist attacks. – One-handed jumping STS R1. – One-handed Jumping Dagger/STS R1. – (SS)/(CS)/Katana/Spear/Axe/Twinblade Powerstance L1 attacks. – Heavy Thrusting Sword Standard R1. – Twinblade Two-handed R1. | – Two-handed Dagger jumping R1. – Powerstance Fist R1. – Two-handed (SS) / (CS) / Katana / Spear / Axe R1. |
| 76 | – All above. – Powerstance Heavy Thrusting Sword R1. – Powerstand Whip R1. | – Fist Powerstance L1. – Two-handed Heavy Thrusting Sword R1. |
| 83 | – All above. – Two-handed Heavy Thrusting Sword R1. – Two-handed Fist R1. – Dagger One-handed Uncharged R2 | – Fist one-handed jumping R1. – STS one-handed running R2. |
| >100 | – Most small weapon attacks save for charged R2 and jumping attacks. | -STS / SS/ CS / Katana / Spear / Axe / Twinblade One-handed jumping R1. |
| <=133 | – Many remaining STS / SS / CS / Katana / Spear / Axe / Twinblade attacks save charged R2 and jumping. -Heavy Thrusting Sword One-handed R2 (uncharged). – Halberd and Reaper basic R1 attacks. | – Dagger one-handed R2 charged attack. – STS / SS / CS / Katana / Spear / Axe / Twinblade one-handed charged R2. – Hammer one-handed running R2. |
There are a lot of individual details I’ve left out here, but in service of keeping the table somewhat readable, you get the basic idea. I’ve also left out anything that requires more than 133 Poise to withstand, which includes almost all Greatswords, Greathammers, Greatspears, Colossal weapons, and heavy, two-handed attacks, regardless of weapon class.
In short, while it’s possible to stack Poise in Elden Ring for the smaller, weaker attacks, don’t expect to tank even a dagger if the enemy is holding it with two hands or — heaven forbid — they press the jump button. Anything, I beg, but the jump button.
It’s also possible to use many types of armor up to the 83 breakpoints, so your fashion game won’t be completely ruined for taking heavier attacks. Getting to 83 will require heavier armor and likely the Bull-Goat Talisman, but you can still look pretty good. If you don’t mind being a little more vulnerable, lower Poise values open up way more options for your look.
That’s what you need to know about the major Poise breakpoints in Elden Ring in patch 1.09.1. If you want more info on the many facets of the Lands Between, we’ve covered the best fire damage weapons in the game, how to find all the Legendary Armaments, and more in our Elden Ring guides hub.
