ELDEN RING guard counters and two-handed controls

Separate the post-block counterattack from a parry, then check the official default inputs for two-handed weapons.

AT A GLANCEWith the published console defaults, guard an attack and immediately press R2/RT for a guard counter. Hold Triangle/Y plus the appropriate shoulder button to change a weapon to two-handed.

Read the steps below, then compare the official source and your installed version.

Version scope

Console defaults · 2021 official guide reread 2026-10-12

Game status

Released

Platforms

PS5 · Xbox

Hub directory

ELDEN RING

Verified

2026-10-12

Updated

2026-10-17

Guard counter sequence

1. Equip a shield and use L1/LB to guard.
2. After blocking the enemy's attack, immediately press R2/RT for the counterattack.
3. Do not confuse this with parrying: the official guide describes a shield with the parry skill and L2/LT for that separate action.

Switching grip

Hold Triangle/Y and press R1/RB or R2/RT for the right-hand weapon. For the left-hand weapon, use L1/LB or L2/LT with Triangle/Y. Two-handing prevents simultaneous use of the other hand's weapon.

Check your bindings first

The official path is Menu → System → Controller Settings. These are console defaults in the 10 November 2021 guide, not a current-patch PC keyboard mapping or timing test. Custom bindings, eligible weapons and enemy-specific outcomes need their own checks; no guaranteed stagger or optimal build is claimed.

Confirm the installed version

Cross-check the title screen before relying on the lines above: the bottom-right of the title screen shows the Application Version and Regulation Version for the build you have installed, and the 27 August 2026 1.17 patch notes confirm those fields on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, and Steam. That patch also notes that the update is required for online play and fixes a reset behaviour in Keyboard/Mouse Settings. This does not prove the 2021 button mapping still applies on every platform, nor rule out later versions after 1.17; treat any specific input here as a starting point and verify on your own build.

Media correction — 14 October 2026

The earlier image pairings showed a Level Up menu, cover art and a tutorial cave beside these control instructions. Those images did not show the described inputs and have been removed from this answer. The remaining at-a-glance illustration is an original GPT Image concept diagram of guard → counter versus two-handing, not gameplay footage or a controller-settings screenshot. It is not repeated beside each step. There is no verified Controller Settings screenshot or current-build input test on this page; use the cited default controls and check your own bindings.

What patch 1.17 changes—and does not establish

The 1.17 notes describe improved Parry performance and reduced follow-up delay for Daggers, Curved Swords and Small Shields. They also say Storm Wall no longer consumes FP. These are changes to named skills; they do not rename the guard-counter action or establish a new universal keyboard shortcut for it.

PC users should also distinguish the two fixes specifically listed for keyboard/mouse: mouse camera control during NPC dialogue and settings failing to return to defaults after Reset. If your guard-counter input differs, inspect your own heavy-attack binding rather than assuming those fixes prove a particular shortcut on every build.