In the dangerous world of Elden Ring, staggering enemies can be a game-changing tactic. Whether you’re trying to interrupt a deadly boss combo, stun a charging knight, or simply create an opening to land a critical hit, staggering weapons give players a major advantage in both PvE and PvP. These weapons are all about breaking poise, shattering defenses, and overpowering your opponents before they can react. Choosing the best staggering weapon in Elden Ring means combining high poise damage, excellent scaling, and often, the right Ash of War to capitalize on enemy vulnerabilities.
What Makes a Weapon Good for Staggering?
Poise Damage and Stagger Mechanics
Staggering in Elden Ring is tied to a hidden stat known as poise damage. Every time you hit an enemy, you chip away at their poise until it breaks, stunning them and opening up a chance for a follow-up strike or critical attack. Heavy weapons tend to deal more poise damage, especially with charged or jumping attacks.
Weapon Class Matters
Greatswords, colossal weapons, and some greathammers are among the best weapon types for staggering. However, a few unique weapons in other categories also offer surprising effectiveness due to their special effects or fast poise-breaking combos.
Top Staggering Weapons in Elden Ring
Great Club
The Great Club is a returning favorite from Souls games, and it doesn’t disappoint in Elden Ring. This colossal weapon delivers massive poise damage with every hit. Its heavy R2 attacks, especially when charged, are excellent for breaking enemy posture. If you’re aiming for a pure strength build, the Great Club is among the best staggering weapons you can use.
- Scaling: Strength (A at high upgrade levels)
- Poise Damage: Extremely high, especially with jumping attacks
- Recommended Ash of War: Flaming Strike or Lion’s Claw for explosive pressure
Dragon Slayer’s Cragblade
This unique weapon combines crushing force with the added power of lightning. Despite being a heavier weapon, the Dragon Slayer’s Cragblade is surprisingly versatile thanks to its innate ability to stagger through standard attacks and its signature weapon art, which delivers devastating poise damage.
- Scaling: Strength and Dexterity hybrid
- Special Ability: Rock Slam, which deals high stagger and AoE damage
- Best Use: Close-range combat against heavy-armored enemies and bosses
Ruins Greatsword
When talking about raw stagger potential, few weapons rival the Ruins Greatsword. This colossal sword scales purely with Strength and boasts one of the highest base attack ratings in the game. It is perfect for players who want to break poise with just a couple of swings. Additionally, its wave of gravitational energy from the weapon skill makes it even more dangerous.
- Scaling: Strength (S at max level)
- Weapon Skill: Wave of Destruction
- Ideal For: Strength builds focused on heavy stagger and AoE
Prelate’s Inferno Crozier
This greathammer not only deals incredible poise damage, but it also adds fire damage to the mix. Its Ash of War, Prelate’s Charge, sends the wielder forward in a blazing charge, delivering multi-hit damage and insane stagger potential in just a few seconds. It’s one of the most aggressive options for staggering, especially effective in both PvP invasions and close-range PvE fights.
- Scaling: Strength-heavy, with fire infusion potential
- Best Trait: High stagger over time due to continuous attack skill
- Use With: Flame-Shrouding Cracked Tear for boosted fire power
Greatsword (Berserk Tribute Sword)
Often referred to as Guts’ Sword by fans of Berserk, the Greatsword is a classic stagger weapon. It’s a colossal sword that benefits from high Strength investment and delivers maximum posture-breaking capability. One or two heavy attacks from this sword are often enough to stagger most enemies and some bosses.
- Scaling: Strength (S-tier when upgraded)
- Recommended Ash of War: Lion’s Claw or Flaming Strike for added burst
- Tip: Combine with Bull-Goat Armor to trade hits and never flinch
Honorable Mentions
Brick Hammer
This seemingly simple weapon deals surprising poise damage and is easy to obtain early in the game. It doesn’t have flashy weapon skills, but it’s very effective when you’re trying to stagger mobs in tight dungeons or against medium-sized bosses.
Zweihander
A classic ultra greatsword, the Zweihander offers a good balance of weight and swing speed. While it doesn’t reach the staggering power of colossal weapons, it’s still capable of interrupting most enemies with a two-handed R2 or jumping attack.
Spiked Mace
This weapon benefits from bleed buildup and decent poise damage. If you’re running a bleed/stagger hybrid build, the Spiked Mace allows you to pressure enemies into mistakes while applying both types of damage over time.
Tips for Maximizing Stagger Efficiency
Focus on Charged and Jumping Attacks
These attack types tend to deal significantly more poise damage than standard swings. Use jumping heavy attacks (R2) or charge up your attacks when you see an opening. Against large enemies or human-sized bosses, these can quickly break their posture and allow for a critical hit.
Use Poise-Boosting Equipment
To trade blows effectively, use armor that increases your own poise. This allows you to continue your attack even if the enemy strikes first. Bull-Goat Set or Veteran’s Set are great choices for tanky builds relying on stagger and trading hits.
Apply Buffs to Increase Impact
Incantations like Flame, Grant Me Strength or Golden Vow can increase your attack power and thus indirectly improve your staggering potential. Likewise, talismans like the Claw Talisman (boosts jumping attacks) and Radagon’s Scarseal (raises Strength) further amplify your damage output.
Best Build Types for Stagger Weapons
Pure Strength Build
These builds maximize raw poise damage and allow you to wield the heaviest weapons in the game. Dump points into Strength, Endurance, and Vigor for survivability. Weapons like the Ruins Greatsword and Great Club shine under this setup.
Strength + Faith Hybrid
Combining Strength with Faith allows you to buff yourself with spells like Flame, Grant Me Strength while still delivering punishing hits. The Prelate’s Inferno Crozier fits well in this archetype.
Quality Build with Stagger Focus
A Quality build (Strength and Dexterity balanced) gives you more weapon options like the Dragon Slayer’s Cragblade and lets you experiment with different playstyles. You won’t get as much raw stagger as pure Strength, but you gain versatility and better speed.
Choosing the best staggering weapon in Elden Ring depends on your build and combat style, but heavy, poise-breaking weapons like the Ruins Greatsword, Great Club, and Prelate’s Inferno Crozier consistently rank at the top. Whether you’re flattening bosses, trading hits in PvP, or disrupting enemy combos, staggering gives you a major edge in battle. Use charged and jumping attacks to maximize impact, equip the right talismans and buffs, and embrace the weight of these colossal instruments of destruction. Mastering stagger mechanics transforms you from a cautious adventurer into an unstoppable force in the Lands Between.