In Elden Ring, understanding weapon scaling is essential if you want to get the most out of your build. One mechanic that often gets overlooked is two-handing. When you wield a weapon with both hands, your Strength stat receives a 50% boost for the purpose of scaling, which can unlock devastating potential — especially for heavy-hitting weapons.

Whether you're a Strength-focused Tarnished or simply experimenting with mixed builds, here are 21 weapons that shine when used two-handed.

1. Greatsword (Colossal Sword)
Inspired by Berserk's iconic Dragonslayer, this weapon gains excellent scaling with Strength when two-handed. It becomes one of the game’s best boss melters in the right hands.

2. Ruins Greatsword
Naturally scales with Strength, and its gravitational Wave of Destruction skill becomes even more dangerous when wielded with both hands.

3. Dragon Slayer’s Cragblade
A heavy thrusting weapon that gains extra poise-breaking power and stagger potential when two-handed.

4. Giant-Crusher
This colossal weapon is nearly unusable one-handed unless heavily invested in Strength. Two-handing it makes it more manageable and deadly.

5. Prelate’s Inferno Crozier
Its fire scaling and heavy impact are better optimized with two-handed play, especially for PvP encounters.

6. Starscourge Greatswords (Dual wielded)
While technically a paired weapon, you can two-hand the left-hand sword for better control and improved stagger application in PvE.

7. Great Club
This traditional Souls weapon thrives on raw Strength. Two-handing helps deal with its slower attack speed and enhances scaling.

8. Brick Hammer
A deceptively powerful early-game weapon that can become formidable when two-handed with enough Strength investment.

9. Watchdog’s Greatsword
Surprisingly viable in both PvE and PvP when two-handed due to solid stagger damage and simple moveset.

10. Great Mace
Its blunt damage paired with increased Strength scaling when two-handed makes it ideal for crushing armored foes.

11. Ordovis’s Greatsword
Faith scaling aside, this weapon benefits from a hybrid build where two-handing unlocks better melee damage output.

12. Troll’s Golden Sword
A straightforward but effective Strength-scaling weapon, ideal for two-handed builds seeking clean hits.

13. Beastclaw Greathammer
Synergizes well with Strength builds, especially when two-handed to maximize both physical damage and poise.

14. Dragon Slayer’s Great Axe
Two-handing this axe dramatically increases its raw output and makes the most of its wide swings.

15. Great Stars
Its bleed and healing passive benefits from consistent hits, which become easier to land with the two-handed moveset.

16. Rusted Anchor
A strength-heavy greataxe with good motion value and balance. Two-handing improves hit registration and DPS.

17. Maliketh’s Black Blade
While known for its Faith requirements, Strength scaling becomes more effective in a two-handed stance.

18. Zamor Curved Sword
Two-handing unlocks better control over its frost-inflicting combos, making it a great option for hybrid builds.

19. Dragon Slayer’s Crescent Blade
Another powerful greathammer that’s far more usable two-handed, where timing and spacing become more manageable.

20. Spiked Mace
Its bleed bonus is easier to apply with faster two-handed combos and improved control.

21. Executioner’s Greataxe
Often overlooked, this axe becomes much more viable when two-handed, with satisfying power and stagger ability.

Two-handing is not just about more damage — it also changes movesets, stamina usage, and how weapons feel overall. For those looking to try these weapons without grinding endlessly, many players seek out the best place to buy Elden Ring Runes to quickly meet stat requirements or test different builds. Similarly, some choose to buy Elden Ring items PC to experiment with rare weapons before committing to a long-term setup.

In Elden Ring, your playstyle can shift dramatically just by changing how you wield your weapon. Try two-handing some of the above options and discover just how much power you’ve been leaving on the table.