Elden Ring Runes is in many ways a spiritual successor to the Dark Souls games, however, it has some significant differences too. One of the most notable may be the addition of the Stance system. If you hit enemies by having an attack or spell that does lots of Stance damage, they'll be put into a vulnerable state, opening them up for any critical hit or perhaps a slow, powerful ability that might be hard to land otherwise.

When Elden Ring launched, the Fallingstar Beast Jaw’s weapon skill and also the Flame from the Redmanes Ash of War were immediately great at carrying this out, because they could be spammed on the loop to help keep bosses near-permanently unlocked. However, both have since had their Stance damage nerfed into the ground. Fortunately, you may still find plenty of methods to break enemy Stances.

The Flame of Frenzy

In many circumstances, The Flame of Frenzy is really a weaker version of the similarly-named Unendurable Frenzy. Both lead you to launch arcing beams of Madness, but Unendurable Frenzy could be channeled.

But an area where The Flame of Frenzy wins out is within terms of Stance damage. You wouldn’t think magic beams would hit so difficult but cast The Flame of Frenzy several times and watch your enemies crumble.

And although the Incantation can’t chain cast, just 16 FP, you’ll have the ability to use it often in a row. It may also be acquired at the start of the game in the Callu Baptismal Church, around the Weeping Peninsula.

Envoy’s Long Horn: Bubble Shower

You wouldn’t think a shower of bubbles could be enough to interrupt enemy Stances (or do much else at all, really), however the unique Weapon Skill from the Envoy’s Long Horn, Bubble Shower, is really a great illustration of how misleading first impressions could be. The rain of Holy bubbles it makes can deal an enormous amount of damage and shred enemy Stance.

However, there is really a pretty significant caveat: they're shot inside a pretty widespread group. Against small enemies, other entries on this list are going to do a better job.

But from the giant-sized bosses, few things within the entire game can contend with Bubble Shower. The Envoy’s Long Horn drops in the Large Oracle Envoy’s that wield it in Leyndell, Royal Capital, and Miquella’s Haligtree.

Meteorite Of Astel

Despite Comet Azur’s reputation, Meteorite of Astel may be the best boss-killing Sorcery in cheap elden ring runes. It has many drawbacks, from high FP and Intelligence requirements to the fact that, because of its wide target area, you have to be standing right alongside your enemy for the meteorites to hit, as well as then, the enemy must be really big.

That said, you will find quite a few bosses where that exact scenario occurs, and slamming a lot of meteorites to their heads will deal both a substantial quantity of regular and Stance damage. And while the damage is often the more important component, smashing the boss' Stance ensures the rest of the meteorites can land.

Notably, this Sorcery isn't dropped by Astel, Naturalborn from the Void, whom you fight during Ranni’s questline, but instead the similarly named Astel, Stars of Darkness, the boss from the Yelough Anix Tunnel within the Consecrated Snowfield.

Ash Of War: Ice Spear

Ice Spear is definitely an incredible Weapon Skill for a wide variety of reasons. It’s fast, has decent range and damage, costs just 15 FP, and results in Frost buildup.

Most importantly with this list, it's impressive Stance damage, enough down many enemies inside a few hits. Given the number of things Ice Spear is nice at, its Stance-breaking abilities tend to be more of an added bonus than the usual main feature, but "being strong generally" isn't enough to help keep Ice Spear off this list.

You could possibly get it by killing the Night’s Cavalry in Liurnia from the Lakes, southeast from the Gate Town Bridge Site of Grace in Liurnia from the Lakes.

Ash of War: Hoarah Loux's Earthshaker

When using Hoarah Loux’s Earthshaker, you place away your weapon, scream in the sky, then slam the floor multiple times, creating massive shock waves. Unsurprisingly, causing literal earthquakes may have a destabilizing impact on your opponents.

You’ll need to use this Weapon Skill carefully against bosses, though. Its hyper armor causes it to be difficult for enemies to knock you out from the animation, however, you can still die within the time it takes to obtain through the full cast. Hoorah Loux’s Earthshaker is another late-game-only option, since to obtain it you have to kill Godfrey, First Elden Lord, and trade his remembrance with Enia in the Roundtable Hold.

Gavel Of Haima

If you are looking for any Sorcery to interrupt Stances, Gavel of Haima may be your best option. That probably shouldn’t be surprising, because it summons a large hammer to smack your enemy with, and could be followed up having a second strike for more power.

And unlike Meteorite of Astel, you’re unlikely to invest your entire FP bar and miss small enemies entirely. It’s not the boss-shredder that Meteorite of Astel is, but Stance-breaking is actually what it was created for.

You will find the Gavel of Haima inside a chest at the top of the Converted Fringe Tower, in Liurnia from the Lakes. To actually get inside, you’ll have to put on the Flintstone Crown and employ the Erudition gesture you receive during Thop's questline.

Ash of War: Cragblade

If you don’t like the idea of utilizing a fancy ability to interrupt enemy stances, the Cragblade Weapon Skill is exactly what you’re searching for. It coats your weapon in stone, upping your physical damage by 15 % and your Stance damage by 10 %.

Take the heaviest weapon you will find, slap Cragblade onto it and find yourself some charged heavy attacks, or use it on the fast-hitting weapon and break your enemy Stance with rapid strikes. Either way, you’ll shred through both their Stance as well as their health.

To understand this Ash of War, head just west from the Impassible Site of Grace, in Caelid, where you will find the Teardrop Scarab that drops it.

Aspect Of The Crucible: Tail

Aspect from The Crucible: Tail enables you to grow a tail and whack your enemies by using it. When charged, you are able to follow up by having a second attack that hits inside a wider range.

The majority of the Stance damage comes in the second strike, so just landing will knock down many enemies, but hitting with both can down the largest enemies inside a few casts.

Interestingly, among Aspect from The Crucible: Tail's sister Incantations, Aspect from The Crucible: Horns, also deals substantial Stance damage, creating the potential for any Crucible Knight build centered on breaking enemy Stances. The Incantation is dropped by the Crucible Knight trapped within the Stormhill Evergaol, in Stormhill.

Crucible Knights are difficult to beat even at higher levels, though, so great luck by trying to take that one down right out from the gate.

Ash of War: Lion’s Claw

The default Weapon Skill around the Claymore, the Lion’s Claw Ash of War could be obtained by killing the Lion Guardian in Fort Gael, Caelid. When used, Lion’s Claw causes your character to complete a frontflip and slam dunk your enemies into the ground, dealing high Stance damage per hit.

It’s not the least expensive Weapon Skill, costing 20 FP, however, it has a low recovery time, even though you can continue to take damage throughout the animation, it’s nearly impossible for you to obtain knocked out of when you start it. So if your FP bar is large enough, you are able to spam Lion's Claw again and again.

Just equip it on the Colossal weapon, and frontflip away.

Ash of War: Glintblade Phalanx

Glintblade Phalanx may be the name of both a Sorcery as well as an Ash of War. Despite their shared names and other alike appearance, they're very much different.

The Sorcery version creates yet another magic sword but doesn’t deal anywhere near as much Stance damage. Another Carian Sorcery, Greatblade Phalanx, has similar stance damage towards the Ash of War but costs 30 FP as well as 29 Intelligence.

Meanwhile, the Glintblade Phalanx Ash of War is 20 FP cheaper, doesn't have requirements whatsoever, and also deals a little more stance damage. Combine those bonuses using its relatively quick casting speed and also the fact that you don’t need to obtain into melee range to utilize it, and Glintblade Phalanx is probably the most efficient way to interrupt enemy stances.

It isn’t difficult to obtain, either, even though you have to go through some steps. You can remove it from Rogier’s Rapier, which Sorcerer Rogier provides you with after you’ve defeated Godrick the Grafted.