Quick Summary: Finding the right equip load for poise in Elden Ring is crucial for staying on your feet against tough enemies. Aim for a Medium Load below 70% equip percentage to maintain agile dodges while still wearing effective armor. This balance ensures you can evade attacks and recover quickly, improving your survivability significantly.

How to Find Your Equip Load for Poise: An Essential Guide

Ever felt like your character in Elden Ring takes one hit and then trips over their own feet? That frustrating feeling often comes down to one key stat that most beginners overlook: equip load, and its direct relationship with poise. When your equip load is too high, your dodges become slow and heavy, making you an easy target. But don’t worry, getting a handle on your equip load is simpler than it sounds. We’ll walk you through why it matters, how to check it, and what to aim for so you can stay nimble and powerful on your journey through the Lands Between.

Understanding your character’s equip load is like knowing how much weight you can comfortably carry when you’re playing baseball. Carry too much, and your swing gets sluggish; carry too little, and you might not have enough power. In Elden Ring, your equip load dictates how effectively you can dodge, which is your primary defense. We’ll break down exactly what equip load means for poise and how to find that sweet spot for your playstyle.

What is Equip Load and Why Does it Matter for Poise?

Equip load is the total weight of all the gear your character is currently wearing, from your mighty greatsword to the tiny talisman in your pocket. This includes your weapons, shields, armor pieces (helmets, chest, arms, legs), and talismans. Every item has a specific weight associated with it.

The crucial part is how this total weight affects your movement, specifically your dodge roll and guard. Elden Ring categorizes your movement into different “loads” based on your equip burden percentage:

• Light Load (Below 30%): The fastest and longest dodge rolls with the most invincibility frames. You recover very quickly.
• Medium Load (30% to 69.9%): A good balance. Your dodge rolls are still quick and effective, with a decent amount of invincibility. You recover reasonably fast. This is the target for most players.
• Heavy Load (70% to 99.9%): Slow, sluggish dodges with very few invincibility frames. Your recovery after a dodge is significantly delayed, making you vulnerable.
• Over 100%: Overburdened: You can barely move, and your dodge roll is essentially useless. Avoid this at all costs!

Now, how does this tie into poise? Poise is your character’s resistance to being staggered or interrupted when hit by an enemy attack. High poise means you can take a hit and continue your action, like swinging your weapon or casting a spell, without being knocked down or having your animation canceled. Conversely, low poise means even a light tap can send you reeling.

While armor pieces directly contribute to your poise stat, your equip load plays a vital role in maintaining that poise, or rather, your ability to act despite enemy hits. A character with high poise but a Heavy Load will still get staggered easily because their slow dodge roll can’t get them out of harm’s way quickly enough after an attack lands. The goal is to have enough poise from your armor to withstand some hits while maintaining a Medium or Light Load to effectively dodge and reposition.

Checking Your Current Equip Load

Knowing your equip load upfront is essential. Thankfully, Elden Ring makes this easy to check at any time. Here’s how:

1. Open your character menu. This is usually done by pressing the “Start” or “Options” button on your controller, or the corresponding key on your keyboard.
2. Navigate to the “Equipment” tab.
3. Look for the “Equip Load” or “Equip Burden” section. It will display your current total weight and your maximum equip load, usually as a fraction or percentage (e.g., 40.5 / 80.0 or 50.6%).

The percentage is what truly matters. It’s calculated by dividing your current total weight by your maximum equip load. For example, if your current weight is 40.5 and your maximum is 80.0, your equip load percentage is 40.5 / 80.0 = 0.506, or 50.6%. This falls into the Medium Load category.

Understanding Your Stats and How They Affect Equip Load

Several stats influence your equip load. The most direct one is Endurance. As you level up Endurance, your maximum equip load increases, allowing you to wear heavier armor and weapons without negatively impacting your rolls.

Here’s a quick look at how Endurance impacts your character:

• Endurance Benefits:
  • Increases maximum Equip Load.
  • Increases Stamina, which is vital for attacking, dodging, and blocking.
  • Increases your resistance to frostbite and overall damage negation.

The higher your Endurance, the more freedom you have in choosing your gear. This is why many players invest heavily in Endurance, especially if they want to wear bulky, poise-enhancing armor sets.

Other stats don’t directly increase your equip load, but they determine the gear you can effectively use. For example, Strength is often required to wield heavier weapons and some heavier armor pieces. Dexterity is needed for lighter weapons and some lighter armors. Vigor increases your HP, which is always beneficial.

Finding Your Ideal Equip Load Percentage

As mentioned, the sweet spot for most adventurers in the Lands Between is a Medium Load (30% to 69.9%). Here’s why and how to achieve it:

Why Medium Load is King for Most Players

• Balanced Defense: Medium Load offers a good compromise. Your dodge roll is still quick enough to evade most attacks, and you have a reasonable recovery time.
• Armor Variety: It allows you to wear a decent range of armor sets, from lighter, faster sets to more protective, poise-boosting ones, without suffering severely slow rolls.
• Stamina Management: While Light Load conserves stamina better due to faster dodges, Medium Load still allows for good stamina management with strategic rolls and attacks, especially when combined with high Endurance.

How to Achieve and Maintain a Medium Load

1. Increase Endurance: This is the most straightforward method. By leveling up your Endurance stat, you directly increase your maximum equip load. Don’t be afraid to put points into it, especially if you find yourself struggling with weight.
2. Choose Gear Wisely: Not all armor pieces are created equal in terms of weight. Lighter armor sets like the Traveler’s Set or the Vagabond Knight Set weigh much less than heavier sets like the Bull-Goat Set or the Lionel’s Set.
3. Balance Your Build: If you’re using a heavy weapon and heavy armor, you will need significantly more Endurance. If you prefer lighter weapons and armor, you can get away with less Endurance.
4. Use Talismans: Certain talismans can boost your maximum equip load. The favored talisman for this is the Great-Jar’s Arsenal, which provides a substantial increase to your equip load. Another option is the Arsenal Charm (Greatly in Elden Ring, equivalent to the base Arsenal Charm in Dark Souls).

When Light Load Might Be Better

If you are a Dexterity-focused build, or you prioritize an extremely evasive playstyle, a Light Load (below 30%) might be for you. This offers the fastest dodges and most invincibility frames, allowing you to weave through attacks with incredible speed. However, it severely limits the amount of armor you can wear, meaning you’ll have very little poise and will be easily staggered if you mistime a dodge.

When Heavy Load is a Last Resort (and why to avoid it)

Heavy Load (70%+) is generally to be avoided. The dodges are slow, sticky, and leave you vulnerable for longer. While it might allow you to wear some of the absolute heaviest armor for maximum poise, the trade-off in mobility is almost always not worth it. Trying to dodge with a Heavy Load is like trying to swing a baseball bat with a concrete slab tied to your wrist – you won’t be hitting anything effectively, and you’ll be an easy out.

Impact of Equip Load on Different Playstyles

Your chosen playstyle heavily influences what equip load you should strive for. Let’s look at a few common archetypes:

Melee-Focused Builds (Strength/Dexterity)

Goal: Medium Load (30%-69.9%)

Melee fighters rely on getting close to enemies, so dodging is paramount. A Medium Load allows them to wear decent armor for some poise and damage reduction while still having an effective dodge roll. If you’re using a colossal sword, you’ll need a lot of Endurance to keep your equip load in the Medium range. If you’re using twinblades or daggers, you might aim for Light Load to maximize your evasion and follow-up attacks.

Spellcaster Builds (Intelligence/Faith/Arcane)

Goal: Light Load (Below 30%) or Medium Load (30%-69.9%)

Casters tend to stay at a distance, but they are often frail and have longer casting animations. A Light Load can be beneficial for quickly repositioning out of danger. However, if you plan on casting spells while enemies are close or need to block occasional projectiles, a Medium Load allows for somewhat heavier armor, which can make a crucial difference in surviving a stray hit that interrupts your spell.

Hybrid Builds

Goal: Medium Load (30%-69.9%)

These builds blend melee and spellcasting. They often need to be versatile, sometimes engaging in close combat and other times casting from a distance. A Medium Load provides the best all-around mobility and defensive capability to adapt to various combat situations. You’ll need to carefully balance your weapon, armor, and talisman choices to achieve this.

Armor Sets and Their Equip Load Impact

Different armor sets in Elden Ring have vastly different weight values. This is a key consideration when trying to manage your equip load. Here’s a look at some popular armor sets and their approximate weight ranges:

Armor Set Name	Approximate Total Weight (All Pieces)	Primary Stat Focus	General Equip Load Category (Mixed Use)
Traveler’s Set	~3.0	Light Protection	Light
Vagabond Knight Set	~12.0	Balanced	Light/Medium
Raging Wolf Set	~15.0	Balanced	Medium
Cleanrot Set	~17.0	Balanced, Holy Defense	Medium
Carian Knight Set	~18.0	Magic Defense	Medium
Kaiden Set	~20.0	Physical Defense	Medium
Banished Knight Set	~25.0	High Physical Defense	Medium
Tree Sentinel Set	~30.0	High All-Around Defense	Medium/Heavy
Lionel’s Set	~35.0	Very High Defense, High Poise	Heavy
Bull-Goat Set	~40.0+	Maximum Defense, Maximum Poise	Heavy (often Overburdened without Great Jar’s Arsenal)

As you can see, heavier armor sets often come with higher poise values but significantly increase your equip load. The Great-Jar’s Arsenal talisman is almost essential if you want to wear top-tier heavy armor and still maintain a Medium Load. Without it, you’ll likely be stuck with a Heavy Load, severely hindering your mobility.

Weapons and Their Equip Load Impact

Weapons also contribute weight, and colossal weapons can be quite hefty. For example:

• Daggers and small swords might weigh 2-5 units.
• Straight swords and katanas might weigh 6-9 units.
• Greatswords and large axes might weigh 10-15 units.
• Colossal weapons and Greatswords can weigh 15-25+ units.

If you’re dual-wielding two colossal weapons, that’s already 50+ units of weight, significantly impacting your equip load before even considering armor. This is why builds centered around very large weapons often require a very high Endurance stat.

Talismans to Manage Equip Load

Talismans are key to fine-tuning your build, and some directly address equip load concerns:

• Arsenal Charm: Increases your maximum Equip Load. Found in the Roundtable Hold.
• Great-Jar’s Arsenal: A more powerful version of the Arsenal Charm. Obtained by defeating three formidable phantom warriors under the Great-Jar in Caelid. This talisman is a game-changer for heavy-armored builds.

The Great-Jar’s Arsenal provides a substantial boost to your equip load, often allowing you to equip a full heavy armor set and a large weapon while still staying within the Medium Load percentage. This can be the difference between a clunky, slow character and a powerful, tanky warrior who can still dodge effectively.

How to Optimize for Poise with Equip Load

Achieving high poise while maintaining an advantageous equip load involves a strategic balancing act. Here’s a step-by-step approach:

1. Determine Your Goal Load: For most players, this means aiming for a Medium Load (below 70%). If you’re an expert at dodging and want maximum speed, consider Light Load (below 30%).
2. Prioritize Endurance: Level up your Endurance stat to increase your maximum equip load. The amount of Endurance needed depends on your chosen weapons and armor.
3. Select Armor Pieces: Choose armor that offers good poise and defense, considering its weight. You might need to mix and match pieces from different sets to find the best balance.
4. Consider Weapons: Be mindful of your weapon’s weight. If you want to wear heavy armor, you might need to opt for a lighter weapon if your Endurance isn’t exceptionally high.
5. Utilize Talismans: Equip an Arsenal Charm or, preferably, the Great-Jar’s Arsenal if you need a significant boost to your maximum equip load.
6. Test and Adjust: After equipping your gear, check your equip load percentage. If it’s in the Heavy Load category, you’ll need to either reduce your gear weight (swap armor for lighter pieces), increase your Endurance, or use a talisman that boosts equip load.

A common mistake is to simply equip the heaviest armor for the highest poise. While high poise is great, if your equip load nudges into the Heavy category, your slow dodges will make you more vulnerable than a character with slightly less poise but a Medium Load and fluid movement. It’s always a trade-off.

Think of it like this: baseball players wear helmets and pads (armor) for protection. But if those pads are so bulky and heavy that they hinder the player’s ability to run the bases effectively (mobility/equip load), they become a detriment. You need the right balance of protection and agility.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is the most important equip load for beginners in Elden Ring?

For beginners, the most important equip load is a Medium Load (under 70%). This provides a good balance between armor protection (including poise) and the ability to dodge enemy attacks effectively. It’s less punishing than a Heavy Load and more survivable than a Light Load, which might require very little armor.

Q2: How much Endurance do I need to wear heavy armor?

The amount of Endurance needed to wear heavy armor and maintain a Medium Load varies greatly depending on the specific armor set and weapons you are using. For full, heavy sets like