Elden Ring Boss Poise & Stagger: Stance Break Math, Weapon Tiers & Decay Guide
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Every boss possesses a hidden poise meter. Malenia has 80 poise; Morgott has 80 poise; Starscourge Radahn has 120 poise; Consort Radahn has 120 poise; and Elden Beast has 150 poise. When cumulative poise damage equals this value, the boss enters the stagger state.
Light attacks (R1) deal minimal poise damage (approx. 5-11 poise). Two-handed Jumping Heavy attacks (Jumping R2) deal 26-33 poise damage; fully charged Heavy attacks deal 36-45 poise damage; and Guard Counters deal 33-36 poise damage. Colossal Weapons inflict the highest poise damage in the game.
Boss poise does not slowly tick down continuously. Instead, a 6.0-second inactivity timer begins after every hit. If 6 full seconds elapse without receiving damage, the boss regenerates poise at ~10-15 points/second. Tossing a Throwing Dagger or Kukri instantly refreshes the 6-second clock!
Equip the Stonebarb Cracked Tear in your Flask of Wondrous Physick (+30% poise damage for 30s) and apply Cragblade (+10% weapon poise damage). With this combination, two Jumping Heavies from a Colossal Sword break Malenia's stance in under 5 seconds.
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Yes, almost every boss including Malenia, Radagon, Godfrey, and Promised Consort Radahn can be stance-broken. Only a tiny handful of gimmick encounters (like Rykard outside serpent-hunter stun) exhibit stagger resistance.
When you hear a distinct glass-shattering or metallic boom sound cue, the boss's stance has officially broken. The boss will drop to one knee with an orange glowing critical point exposed, allowing you to perform a critical riposte.