Best Weapons In Elden Ring

TL;DR

  • Weapon selection directly impacts build effectiveness and progression speed throughout your journey
  • Strategic stat allocation and respec timing enable weapon flexibility without sacrificing power
  • Early acquisition weapons like Bloodhound’s Fang provide immediate power spikes for smoother progression
  • Advanced Ashes of War can dramatically alter combat effectiveness and boss encounter outcomes
  • Proper upgrade paths and infusion choices maximize weapon potential for specific playstyles

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Armaments in Elden Ring serve as the cornerstone of virtually every character configuration, whether you prioritize delivering devastating blows with heavy weaponry or excel at rapid assaults using paired light blades. These tools become essential for adventurers navigating the treacherous Lands Between while minimizing fatalities, though their capabilities vary significantly. While accessible weaponry depends on attribute point distribution, players gain respec capability after overcoming Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon. For those seeking either a permanent armament solution or experimental combat approaches, we’ve curated a definitive collection of premier Elden Ring weapons. This compilation organizes armaments by classification, with each category featuring one or two exceptional examples. Not all available weapon classifications within the game receive coverage here.

We’ve additionally factored in the progression stage when adventurers can obtain these implements. As an illustration, the Sacred Relic Sword represents an outstanding armament but remains inaccessible until after the concluding boss encounter. Players avoiding Journey 2 in New Game Plus cannot utilize that particular weapon during their initial playthrough. The armaments featured here become available at various points preceding the final confrontation.

Sword of Night and Flame

Although this armament received balancing adjustments from From Software developers, it maintains substantial potency for Strength/Dexterity hybrid configurations or Intelligence/Faith combinations. The Sword of Night and Flame’s exceptional effectiveness stems primarily from its integrated Ash of War, Night-and-Flame Stance. This combat art can eliminate surrounding adversaries in a single devastating maneuver. Users additionally benefit from delivering three distinct damage varieties through the straight sword: physical impact, magical energy, and fiery destruction. While the Sword of Night and Flame’s raw power doesn’t match its launch-era dominance, it remains worthwhile for experimentation. Adventurers can locate this straight sword within Carian Manor by accessing the Manor Upper Level Site of Grace and descending to a ground-level chamber.

Pro Tip: Combine this weapon with the Carian Filigreed Crest talisman to reduce FP consumption by 25%, allowing more frequent Ash of War activation during extended engagements. The weapon truly shines in Intelligence/Faith builds where both damage types scale simultaneously.

Moonveil

This katana revolutionized community combat approaches during Elden Ring’s initial release phase. Players rapidly identified the Moonveil katana as potentially the most effective hemorrhage-inducing weapon available. Beyond featuring the blood-loss passive attribute, the Moonveil incorporates the devastating Transient Moonlight Ash of War. This technique projects luminous energy streams following light or heavy attack executions. These energy projections can subsequently stagger opponents and shatter their poise with individual impacts. The Moonveil katana additionally inflicts both physical and magical damage, creating dual-threat capacity for multiple build types. Adventurers can acquire the Moonveil by defeating the Magma Wyrm located in Caelid’s Gael Tunnel.

Advanced Technique: Against agile bosses like Malenia, use the heavy attack variant of Transient Moonlight for its superior poise damage and range, often creating openings for critical strikes. The weapon’s magic damage bypasses many physical resistances, making it effective against heavily armored foes.

Rivers of Blood

While certain players advocate for Hand of Malenia as the superior katana alternative, we’ve selected Rivers of Blood for several strategic reasons. Primarily, Rivers of Blood avoids the extreme Dexterity prerequisite that Hand of Malenia demands (48 points). Alternatively, adventurers require merely 12 Strength, 18 Dexterity, and 20 Arcane. Furthermore, Rivers of Blood possesses arguably superior comprehensive scaling and integrated Ash of War through Corpse Piler. This technique imposes massive hemorrhage accumulation on enemies while delivering substantial damage throughout the process. Players must overcome Bloody Finger Okina at the Church of Repose within the Mountaintops of the Giants to obtain Rivers of Blood.

Common Mistake: Many players underestimate the importance of Arcane scaling – at 50 Arcane, Corpse Piler’s blood loss buildup increases by 45%, dramatically improving its effectiveness against high-health targets.

Dark Moon Greatswords

Another renowned Elden Ring armament, the Dark Moon Greatsword stands as potentially the premier Intelligence-based weapon throughout the Lands Between. Players might assume a magical staff would claim that distinction, but the Dark Moon Greatsword can inflict enormous magical damage quantities. This capability derives principally from the Intelligence scaling incorporated into the blade. The Dark Moon Greatsword includes one of the most effective Ashes of War, Moonlight Greatsword, which enhances magical assault power and envelops the sword in frost to deliver damage when adventurers strike enemies with charged attacks. This specific Greatsword necessitates 38 Intelligence for utilization, therefore some players might require attribute redistribution to employ it effectively. Adventurers can acquire the Dark Moon Greatsword upon concluding Ranni’s extensive questline.

Quest Optimization: Complete Ranni’s questline before reaching Mountaintops of the Giants to ensure you have this powerful weapon for the game’s most challenging segments.

Blasphemous Blade

The Blasphemous Blade doesn’t approach the Dark Moon Greatsword’s raw power but similarly avoids that weapon’s demanding statistical prerequisites. Adventurers require merely 22 Strength, 15 Dexterity, and 21 Faith to wield this implement. This greatsword delivers supplementary fire damage while simultaneously restoring the player 4% of maximum HP plus an extra 40 HP following each adversary defeat. The blade’s Ash of War, Taker’s Flames, amplifies this healing enhancement while inflicting fire damage. Players can obtain the Blasphemous Blade through Finger Reader Enia after vanquishing Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy, and securing his Remembrance.

Sustain Strategy: Combine with the Taker’s Cameo talisman for additional 3% HP restoration per enemy defeat, creating exceptional survivability in mob-dense areas like the Consecrated Snowfield.

Bloodhound's Fang

Bloodhound’s Fang represents arguably the optimal early-game armament throughout Elden Ring. Adventurers can acquire it within several hours of gameplay, presuming adequate skill, and it possesses the capacity to remain the weapon players wield when confronting the concluding boss. It scales exceptionally with Strength and Dexterity while avoiding any unreasonable statistical demands. If players allocate attributes appropriately, they can surpass 600 damage per strike from the Fang. Additionally, the sword’s Ash of War, Bloodhound’s Finesse, enables players to attack twice while maneuvering agilely around opponents. The Bloodhound Fang earns recognition as the premier Curved Greatsword selection due to its minimal requirements, acquisition timing, and comprehensive scaling. Adventurers can obtain Bloodhound’s Fang by defeating Bloodhound Knight Darriwil at the Forlorn Hound Evergaol in Limgrave.

Upgrade Priority: This weapon deserves immediate Somber Smithing Stone investment, as its +10 version can carry players through the entire game with proper build support.

Grafted Blade Greatsword

The Grafted Blade Greatsword constitutes an immensely powerful Strength-focused armament featuring a substantial statistical prerequisite of 40. However, should adventurers achieve this threshold, they gain the capability to obliterate enemies within one to two impacts. This colossal sword possesses elevated physical damage that scales excellently with Strength and a devastating Ash of War, Oath of Vengeance. This technique enhances all player Attributes for 30 seconds while augmenting poise. For demanding boss encounters, there’s arguably no superior weapon selection if players possess 40 Strength points. Adventurers can acquire the Grafted Blade Greatsword after overcoming Leonine Misbegotten at Castle Morne within Weeping Peninsula.

Endurance Management: This weapon’s weight requires careful load management – aim for at least 25 Endurance to maintain medium roll capacity while wielding it with standard armor.

Beyond individual weapon selection, mastering Elden Ring’s combat requires understanding advanced optimization principles. Weapon upgrade paths should align with your primary damage stats – Heavy infusion for Strength builds, Keen for Dexterity, or Magic/Cold for Intelligence-focused configurations. The strategic allocation of Smithing Stones dramatically impacts your damage output throughout the game.

Stat Distribution Formula: For optimal performance, allocate points primarily to your weapon’s scaling attributes while maintaining sufficient Vigor (40-60) and Endurance (25-40) for survivability. Respec opportunities after defeating Rennala enable experimental approaches without permanent commitment.

Ash of War Combos: Many players overlook weapon skill combinations – for example, using Bloodhound’s Finesse to create distance followed by a charged heavy attack can catch aggressive enemies off-guard.

Transitioning between early, mid, and late-game weapons requires planning. Weapons like Bloodhound’s Fang provide immediate power, while later acquisitions like Dark Moon Greatsword require stat reallocation. Plan your weapon progression to maintain combat effectiveness throughout your journey. Understanding these advanced combat mechanics separates competent players from true masters of the Lands Between.

Action Checklist

  • Acquire Bloodhound’s Fang early by defeating Bloodhound Knight Darriwil at Forlorn Hound Evergaol
  • Progress through Ranni’s questline to obtain Dark Moon Greatsword
  • Defeat Rennala to unlock respec capability for build flexibility
  • Allocate Smithing Stones strategically, prioritizing weapons matching your build focus
  • Experiment with Ash of War combinations against different enemy types

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