Claymore 2 hand vs one hand?

[spencer]

Is there really any downside to using a claymore one handed? I been using to with a shield combo and doing ok, but I been trying 2 handed style and it just doesn't seem much better. It does around 80 more damage. From 360 to 440 or so and feels a bit slower. Everything I have read says it's a 2 handed weapon but I havent seen a downside to using it one handed. I just curious if I am missing something and if it's actually alot better to 2 hand it.

[gFreak696]

Two-handing gives a strength bonus. Specifically useful for Heavy infusion.
Also more hyper armour (pretty sure).

[Vheissu]

Yeah, I think the heavy attacks get some hyper-armor

2-handing multiplies your strength bonus by 1.5. That bonus really starts to add up as you raise strength and upgrade the weapon. Doesn't make a huge difference at the start.

Sticking with a shield is also really good tho, do what works for you

[Vheissu]

Oh yeah, the 2-hand roll and crouch attacks on the claymore are special thrusts

[Cyclis]

Great-class weapons only get hyperarmor when used two handed. With basically no poise, as long as you are two handing you can keep swinging through light hits. With more than 50 poise, you can often swing through heavier hits (there are quite a few hits in the game, however, especially from larger enemies, that nothing can poise through). Colossal weapons are the only class that get hyperarmor when used one handed.

The claymore in particular also has as superior moveset when used two handed, as that gives you access to the quick roll poke that you don't get when one handed. Two handed weapons also have a bonus to stance damage, I think 30% on light attacks and 10% on heavy. While being able to block while two handing is inferior to a shield, given the lack of 100% physical resist and poor guard boost, it can still come in useful against small, fast moving and light-hitting enemies to set up a quick guard counter.

[Yal]

Twohanded attacks are faster and deal a lot more poise damage (the buildup to a stagger) - up to 7 times in the most extreme case - and they won't bounce off shields when attacking a blocking enemy. Those three things are the main contributors to your power when twohanding, not the raw damage boost.