In Elden Ring, "stance" and "poise" are key mechanics that influence combat, particularly in how you manage and withstand attacks.
Stance
"Stance" refers to the stability and guard of an enemy or player during combat. Stance is essentially a hidden value that, when broken, staggers the character or enemy, leaving them vulnerable to attacks. Stance-breaking can be accomplished by:
•Heavy attacks: These typically deal more stance damage and have a higher chance of breaking an enemy's stance.
•Jump attacks: Deliver a high amount of stance damage in a single hit.
•Weapon arts (Ashes of War): Many weapon skills do extra stance damage, especially ones like "Stamp" or "Charge."
•Parrying: When successfully parried, an enemy’s stance is broken immediately.
When an enemy’s stance is broken, you can typically follow up with a critical hit, much like a riposte in Dark Souls.
Poise
Poise is a stat that determines how resistant your character is to stagger or being stunned by enemy attacks. It’s tied to your armor and gear, and higher poise lets you absorb more hits without getting interrupted during your actions, such as attacking or casting spells.
•Higher poise: Wearing heavy armor increases your poise, allowing you to withstand more hits before being staggered. With high poise, you can continue attacking even if you’re hit.
•Lower poise: Light armor or no armor gives you less poise, meaning you’re more easily staggered by enemy hits, which can interrupt your actions.
In summary
•Breaking Stance: Deals with how you stagger enemies to leave them vulnerable.
•Poise: Relates to your own ability to avoid being staggered by enemy attacks.
Both mechanics are integral to the flow of combat, balancing offense and defense, and determining whether you're able to get off key attacks or defend effectively.
Tips & Tricks 
Here are some useful tips to make the most of stance and poise in Elden Ring to optimize your combat strategy:
Stance Tips
•Jump Attacks for Stance Breaking: Jumping heavy attacks are highly effective for breaking an enemy’s stance, especially against bosses and tough enemies. Since these attacks deal significant stance damage, they are a safe way to interrupt and stagger enemies for a critical hit.
•Charged Heavy Attacks: Charging your heavy attacks deals more stance damage. Use these when you have openings in a fight. This is especially useful against enemies with shields or tough defenses.
•Use Stance-Breaking Ashes of War: Certain weapon arts (Ashes of War) like "Stamp (Upward Cut)" or "Square Off" are excellent for breaking an enemy’s stance, especially when fighting shielded opponents or heavily armored foes.
•Ranged Stance-Breaking: You can break stances from a distance too. Large weapons like greatbows, or spells like "Glintstone Pebble," can chip away at an enemy’s stance, opening up opportunities to stagger even from afar.
•Watch Enemy Movements: Learn the tells for when an enemy is about to be staggered. Some enemies will visibly reel or slow down after taking stance damage, signaling that they’re about to be staggered.
Poise Tips
•Armor for Poise: Equip heavier armor sets to raise your poise. This is crucial for builds that favor aggressive playstyles, like strength or tank builds. The higher your poise, the more likely you can take hits without being staggered, allowing you to continue attacking even under pressure.
•Mix-and-Match Armor: If you're not running a heavy build but still want decent poise, mix pieces from different armor sets to strike a balance between weight, protection, and poise. For example, you can pair a heavy chest piece with lighter gauntlets and leggings.
•Manage Poise Breaks: If you're playing with low poise (like in a dexterity or magic build), be mindful of when and how you're attacking. Try to avoid trading hits with heavy-hitting enemies, as they will stagger you easily. Dodging and quick positioning will help you avoid these scenarios.
•Poise Buffs and Talismans: Use items like the Bull-Goat's Talisman, which increases poise, allowing you to withstand more hits. This is useful if you're planning to use weapons with slower attack animations but want to stay in the fight.
•Combat Timing and Poise: High-poise builds can excel in trades (hitting enemies while they hit you) since you can absorb more damage before being staggered. Use this to your advantage to punish enemies that try to interrupt you with lighter, faster attacks.
General Tips
•Weapon Choice Matters: Larger weapons like greatswords, colossal swords, and hammers deal more stance damage, making it easier to stagger enemies, while smaller weapons are more focused on fast attacks but do less stance damage.
•Exploit Enemy Poise: Learn which enemies have low poise. Humanoid enemies in light armor are more easily staggered, so take advantage of this with rapid attacks or light weapons. For heavier enemies, you’ll need to use heavier attacks to break their poise.
•Poise Flasks: Don't forget to use your Flask of Wondrous Physick to buff poise or stance damage. Adding specific crystals can make a big difference, especially in boss fights where poise and stance breaks are critical.
By balancing these mechanics, you can optimize your ability to pressure enemies and stay on your feet in the heat of battle.
