There is no single best weapon in Elden Ring. A colossal sword can flatten a boss, then leave you swinging at empty air while something with too many legs rearranges your health bar. A fast weapon may feel brilliant until you meet an enemy who treats slashing damage as a polite suggestion.
The right weapon depends on your build, the fight and whether you enjoy a little risk with your damage. This guide gathers 50 powerful options from the base game and Shadow of the Erdtree. They are grouped by weapon type, with the build each suits and the catch to keep in mind.
This is a selection, not a strict ranking. Weapon performance changes with upgrades, attributes, Ashes of War and playstyle. The latest official notes I found are for version 1.17, which includes adjustments to several weapons and skills.
How to choose a weapon
Before you spend every Smithing Stone in sight, check three things:
- Scaling: Your weapon should make good use of the attributes you have actually levelled.
- Moveset: Reach, speed and stamina cost matter as much as the number on the status screen.
- Special effects: Bleed, frost, fire, stance damage and weapon skills can all change how a fight feels.
Some weapons can be customised with Ashes of War and affinities. Others have a fixed skill or upgrade path. A powerful weapon that clashes with your build can still work, but it may ask you to respec or accept less damage.
Colossal swords
These are for players who like their attacks deliberate and their enemies briefly airborne. They hit hard and break stances, but their weight and slower recovery demand patience.
| Weapon | Best suited to | Why try it | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greatsword | Strength | Long reach, heavy hits and a flexible Ash of War selection make it a reliable workhorse. | Slow attacks can be punished if you get greedy. |
| Ruins Greatsword | Strength and Intelligence | Its gravity skill can punish groups and large targets, while the weapon rewards a Strength-focused build. | The high requirements make it an awkward early choice. |
| Starscourge Greatswords | Strength and Intelligence | Dual-wielded attacks and a gravity skill give it strong crowd control. | The skill needs room and FP, and split scaling asks for investment in two attributes. |
| Maliketh’s Black Blade | Strength and Faith | Its skill deals a powerful burst and applies a maximum-HP reduction effect. | It is a late-game reward, and the skill has a noticeable wind-up. |
| Ancient Meteoric Ore Greatsword | Strength and Arcane | This Shadow of the Erdtree colossal sword combines heavy physical attacks with a charging skill and follow-up blast. | Its specialised requirements make it less flexible than a standard colossal sword. |
Colossal weapons
There is a certain clarity to solving a problem with a very large hammer. These weapons offer excellent impact and stance pressure, though their speed and weight can make close fights tricky.
| Weapon | Best suited to | Why try it | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Giant-Crusher | Strength | A huge single-hit weapon that can take different Ashes of War and affinities. | Its Strength requirement and weight are both enormous. |
| Prelate’s Inferno Crozier | Strength | A heavy hammer with a strong physical moveset and access to custom Ashes of War. | Its reach is shorter than some alternatives, and it is not subtle. |
| Great Club | Strength | Straightforward blunt damage, useful reach and a simple moveset that does the job. | It lacks the spectacle and specialised effects of some unique weapons. |
| Envoy’s Long Horn | Strength and Faith | Its bubble skill can deal striking damage to large targets. Yes, the bubbles are serious. | The skill is less dependable against small, quick enemies. |
| Shadow Sunflower Blossom | Strength and Faith | A Shadow of the Erdtree great hammer with holy damage and a distinctive multi-hit skill. | Holy resistance can blunt its output against some late-game enemies. |
Greatswords
Greatswords sit in a useful middle ground: enough reach and force to feel substantial, without the commitment of the largest weapons. Several are also excellent choices for hybrid builds.
| Weapon | Best suited to | Why try it | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blasphemous Blade | Strength, Dexterity and Faith | Its skill deals fire damage and restores HP when enemies die. It is forgiving as well as powerful. | Fire-resistant enemies can reduce its impact, and its skill can make fights feel a little too easy. |
| Dark Moon Greatsword | Intelligence | A weapon buff adds frost and lets charged heavy attacks fire projectiles without extra FP. | You need to activate the buff first, and its slower swings need good timing. |
| Sacred Relic Sword | Dexterity and Faith | Its wide-range skill is excellent for clearing groups and farming runes. | The skill is better for crowds than isolated, highly mobile bosses. |
| Death’s Poker | Dexterity and Intelligence | Ghostflame Ignition offers several useful attack options and can punish groups or large foes. | Its split scaling and skill take practice to use well. |
| Greatsword of Solitude | Strength | This Shadow of the Erdtree sword has a direct moveset, strong damage and a ranged slash in its skill. | Its skill is powerful but has a clear timing commitment. |
Katanas and great katanas
Katanas combine quick attacks, reach and, in many cases, innate blood loss. They are popular for good reason, though the most famous weapon skill is not automatically the best answer to every encounter.
| Weapon | Best suited to | Why try it | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uchigatana | Dexterity | Available early, easy to customise and useful throughout a full playthrough. | It has modest reach compared with longer katanas. |
| Nagakiba | Dexterity | Its exceptional reach makes it easier to tag enemies without standing quite so close. | Its length comes with higher attribute requirements and more weight. |
| Moonveil | Dexterity and Intelligence | Transient Moonlight gives it fast ranged attacks, while the standard moveset remains effective up close. | Repeated skill use drains FP, and it is a familiar sight in PvP for a reason. |
| Rivers of Blood | Dexterity and Arcane | Corpse Piler combines rapid slashes with fire damage and blood-loss pressure. | It is less effective against enemies resistant to blood loss, and its skill rewards careful spacing. |
| Great Katana | Strength and Dexterity | This Shadow of the Erdtree weapon offers strong reach and heavy katana attacks. | Its heavier swings are slower than those of standard katanas. |
Curved swords and twinblades
These weapons favour movement and repeated hits. They suit players who like to keep pressure on an enemy, though short openings and missed attacks can make stamina management important.
| Weapon | Best suited to | Why try it | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bloodhound’s Fang | Dexterity and Strength | Strong damage, innate blood loss and a skill that combines a strike with an evasive retreat. | It cannot be infused with Ashes of War, though it can still be buffed. |
| Wing of Astel | Intelligence and Dexterity | Fast attacks, ranged heavy attacks and the explosive Nebula skill give it several ways to deal damage. | Its shorter reach can put you in danger against some bosses. |
| Magma Blade | Strength, Dexterity and Faith | It deals fire damage and has a sweeping skill that works well against groups. | It is a rare drop, and fire resistance can be a problem. |
| Eleonora’s Poleblade | Dexterity and Arcane | A fast twinblade with fire damage, blood-loss buildup and a mobile skill. | The skill’s movement can carry you into trouble if you mistime it. |
| Godskin Peeler | Dexterity | Its quick twinblade moveset can build status effects rapidly and supports a range of Ashes of War. | It is less forgiving when you need to retreat quickly after a long attack chain. |
Spears and halberds
Reach is a defence of its own. Spears and halberds let you pressure enemies from a safer distance, while several weapons here offer strong skills or damage types that reward a focused build.
| Weapon | Best suited to | Why try it | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mohgwyn’s Sacred Spear | Strength and Arcane | Its skill sends out a wide blood-and-fire attack that can pressure groups and large enemies. | The skill is slow to set up and consumes a lot of FP. |
| Bolt of Gransax | Dexterity | Ancient Lightning Spear gives it a powerful long-range attack. | It is a late-game pickup and cannot be infused with an Ash of War. |
| Nightrider Glaive | Strength | Long reach, solid damage and flexible Ashes of War make it a dependable Strength choice. | Its broad attacks can be awkward in tight spaces. |
| Guardian’s Swordspear | Dexterity | Its distinctive moveset is quick for a halberd and rewards Dexterity investment. | It is a random drop, so getting one can take patience. |
| Sword Lance | Strength | This Shadow of the Erdtree heavy thrusting sword combines reach with fast piercing attacks. | Its damage benefits from good timing, especially when exploiting counter-hits. |
Daggers, claws and fists
Short reach is the price of speed. These weapons can hit repeatedly, build status effects and punish openings, but you need to stay close enough to make them work.
| Weapon | Best suited to | Why try it | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reduvia | Dexterity and Arcane | Its ranged blood blade skill gives a dagger user an answer to enemies just outside stabbing distance. | It has short reach in ordinary melee combat. |
| Miséricorde | Dexterity | It has exceptionally strong critical hits, making it a natural fit for parries and stance breaks. | Its main strength depends on creating critical-hit opportunities. |
| Star Fist | Strength | Fast charged attacks, stance damage and innate blood loss make it a formidable boss weapon. | Its range is extremely short. |
| Bloodhound Claws | Strength and Dexterity | Quick attacks and blood-loss buildup can overwhelm enemies at close range. | You need to commit to fighting within arm’s reach. |
| Dryleaf Arts | Strength and Dexterity | This Shadow of the Erdtree hand-to-hand weapon has a fast, aggressive moveset and customisable Ashes of War. | The lack of reach is a real limitation, not a footnote. |
Axes and hammers
This group brings blunt force, status effects and some unusual attack properties. A few are especially good when you build around charged attacks or exploit an enemy’s resistance.
| Weapon | Best suited to | Why try it | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Stars | Strength | A greathammer with innate blood loss that also restores a little HP on successful hits. | Its reach is shorter than a greataxe or halberd. |
| Rusted Anchor | Strength | Its piercing attacks can benefit from counter-hit damage while an enemy is attacking. | It has an unusual moveset for an anchor, and counter-hit timing matters. |
| Death Knight’s Longhaft Axe | Strength and Dexterity | This Shadow of the Erdtree greataxe pairs lightning damage with a charging skill. | The charge can be punished if used without an opening. |
| Smithscript Greathammer | Strength and Dexterity | Heavy attacks can throw the weapon, giving a hammer unusual reach. Version 1.17 increased the power of its throwing attacks. | Throwing attacks still need careful aim and timing. |
| Icerind Hatchet | Dexterity | Hoarfrost Stomp can spread frost over an area and remains useful for controlling groups. | It has limited reach, and frost-resistant enemies dull its main advantage. |
Straight swords and thrusting swords
These are versatile choices for players who value speed and control. Some work with Faith or Intelligence builds; others bring status effects or strong critical attacks.
| Weapon | Best suited to | Why try it | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sword of Night and Flame | Intelligence and Faith | It offers both a fire attack and a magic beam, giving hybrid builds useful options. | It needs investment in two attributes and has less flexibility than a standard sword. |
| Coded Sword | Faith | Its pure holy damage and shield-piercing skill can be useful against guarded enemies. | Holy damage is resisted by some of the game’s toughest foes. |
| Cleanrot Knight’s Sword | Dexterity | A long straight sword with reach and a fast thrusting heavy attack. | It is a random drop, and its damage depends on a well-developed build. |
| Antspur Rapier | Dexterity | It inflicts scarlet rot and can be customised, letting you add another status effect or skill. | Its light attacks and limited range demand close positioning. |
| Great Épée | Strength and Dexterity | A heavy thrusting sword with strong reach, useful running attacks and a solid guard counter. | It is heavier and slower than a standard rapier. |
Bows and staves
Not every useful weapon asks you to stand toe-to-toe with a boss. Bows offer ranged physical damage, while staves support Intelligence sorcery builds. Treat them as part of a loadout, not necessarily your only armament.
| Weapon | Best suited to | Why try it | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lion Greatbow | Strength and Dexterity | Its skill is designed to work with Radahn’s Spears and can deliver heavy ranged damage. | Its ammunition and stat requirements make it a specialised pick. |
| Pulley Bow | Strength and Dexterity | Excellent range makes it useful for drawing enemies out or landing shots from a distance. | Bows generally deal less damage per hit than strong melee options. |
| Black Bow | Dexterity | It combines a bow’s range with a moveset closer to a shortbow, including a useful jumping shot. | It requires more active play than simply firing from safety. |
| Carian Regal Sceptre | Intelligence | A strong general-purpose staff for high-Intelligence sorcery builds, with a bonus to full moon sorceries. | Its best returns come at high Intelligence, so it is not an early-game solution for every caster. |
| Prince of Death’s Staff | Intelligence and Faith | It rewards a rare hybrid caster build and boosts death sorceries. | Its scaling needs substantial investment in both Intelligence and Faith. |
Which weapons are strongest for your build?
A few dependable starting points:
- Strength: Greatsword, Giant-Crusher, Star Fist or Nightrider Glaive.
- Dexterity: Nagakiba, Bloodhound’s Fang, Guardian’s Swordspear or Black Bow.
- Intelligence: Dark Moon Greatsword, Moonveil, Wing of Astel or Carian Regal Sceptre.
- Faith: Blasphemous Blade, Coded Sword or Envoy’s Long Horn.
- Arcane and blood loss: Rivers of Blood, Reduvia, Eleonora’s Poleblade or Mohgwyn’s Sacred Spear.
- DLC weapons: Greatsword of Solitude, Ancient Meteoric Ore Greatsword, Sword Lance, Dryleaf Arts or Great Katana.
These are starting points rather than commandments. A weapon’s feel matters. If its reach, rhythm or skill makes you play better, that can count for more than a perfect-looking stat spread.
Takeaway
The best Elden Ring weapon is the one that makes you want to learn its timing. A popular pick may offer excellent damage, but it will not rescue a build that ignores its requirements or a player who keeps swinging through every opening.
Try a few movesets before committing your upgrade materials. Fast weapons reward pressure; heavy weapons reward patience; ranged skills reward knowing when to stop chasing. And if your first choice turns out to be a very large sword with a very large problem, the Lands Between contains 49 more options.
Further reading: Official Elden Ring version 1.17 patch notes · Elden Ring weapons guide · Mobalytics weapon guide by attribute
