'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The base game of Elden Ring is packed with over 300 weapons that bring hundreds of build varieties and playstyles to the table. With the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, FromSoftware has expanded upon this already huge roster with over 103 new weapons and eight brand-new weapon categories. While you can pick any weapon and clear all of the content in the game, some weapons are simply better than the rest. This could be due to their unique Ash of Wars, scalings, or speed and animations.
So, what are some of the best weapons in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree? In this list, we’ve compiled the best ten weapons in the game to help you take down those DLC bosses with ease.
Note: This list is subjective and in no particular order.
Looking for Crossword hints & solutions? Check out latest NYT Mini Crossword Answers, LA Times Crossword Answers, and USA Today Crossword Answers
What are the best weapons in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC?
1) Black Steel Greathammer
Trending
How to get: Drop from Black Knights.
Attribute requirements: 25 Strength, 11 Dexterity, 17 Faith
Base Scaling: C Strength, E Dexterity, D Faith
It is a pretty powerful weapon that you can get right after entering the Shadow Realm. This makes it a great choice if you plan on running any sort of Strength or Faith build. Its animations are similar to any other hammer weapon but its unique guard counter deals heavy Holy damage that is boosted by your Faith stats.
This weapon takes Smithing Stones to level up and if you’re in the DLC, you should have enough to level it up to +25. Once fully upgraded, it goes up to 343 points in physical damage. Combine this Greathammer with Mercy Talisman, Curved Sword Talisman, and Two-Handed Sword Talisman for a high stance-breaking strength build.
2) Backhand Blade
How to get: Blackhand Blade can be obtained from a tomb near the first site of grace in the Shadow Realm.
Attribute requirements: 10 Strength, 13 Dexterity
Base Scaling: D Strength, D Dexterity
Not to be confused with the new weapon category of the same name, these dual swords come with a fast-paced moveset and bleed effect that works especially well against the aggressive bosses of the Elden Ring DLC, especially Rellana, Twin Moon Knight.
Even though it’s a lightweight weapon, the jump attack deals good decent poise damage. Use light and jump attacks in combination with its Ash of War, Blind Spot, and you can quickly close the distance between enemies while dealing good damage and bleed buildup.
Another recommended build would be to switch Blind Spot with Seppuku Ash of War with the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia, and Lord of Blood’s Execution to abuse its bleed passive for heavy damage.
3) Rakshasa’s Great Katana
How to get: Defeat Rakshasa in Eastern Nameless Mausoleum
Attribute requirements: 12 Strength, 27 Dexterity
Base Scaling: E Strength, C Dexterity
This Great Katana offers blood loss buildup and relatively high damage output. While the raw damage from this isn’t as high as some regular Katanas, it compensates for that by bringing in more range and poise damage.
Great Katana feels great to use in legacy dungeons because of its longer range which is handy while dealing with enemy swarms. Use it with the Two-headed Turtle Talisman for fast stamina regeneration and the Lord of Blood’s Execution Talisman for bleed to make the best use of this DLC weapon in Elden Ring.
4) Dragon-Hunter’s Great Katana
How to get: Defeat Ancient Dragon-Man in Dragon’s Pit.
Attribute requirements: 15 Strength, 20 Dexterity
Base Scaling: D Strength, D Dexterity
What makes it one of the best Katana in the DLC is its unique Dragonwound Ash of War that deals extra damage to dragons-type enemies. This Ash of War is very useful considering there is a whole area dedicated to dragon bosses in the Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC.
The attack is a charged-up projectile attack that deals single-target damage. Once fully upgraded, the physical damage shoots up to 372 points which can be further enhanced with Flame, Grant Me Strength, Godfrey’s Icon, and Shard of Alexander. Its single-target nature and decent charge-up time also make it one of the best weapons to use in PvP encounters.
5) Smithscript Greathammer
How to get: Found in Taylew’s Ruined Forge
Attribute requirements: 20 Strength, 10 Dexterity, 11 Intelligence, 11 Faith
Base Scaling: D Strength, E Dexterity, E Intelligence, E Faith
If you’re looking for a strength weapon that can easily break the poise of even the final boss, the Smithscript Greathammer is the one for you. It is one of the unique Greathammer weapons in the Elden Ring that can be thrown at enemies by using heavy attack.
Once fully upgraded, it deals a base 345 physical damage, which is decent but Smithscript Greathammer is best used when infused with fire. A viable build recommendation is to combine the Greathammer with an Ash of War like Lion Claw or Savage Lion Claw, using Flame, Grant Me Strength, Golden Vow, Godfrey’s Icon, and Smithing Talisman for a boost in melee and throw damage.
5) Star-Lined Sword
How to get: Defeat Demi-Human Queen Marigga in northwest of Cerulean Coast.
Attribute requirements: 10 Strength, 23 Dexterity, 21 Intelligence
Base Scaling: E Strength, C Dexterity, D Intelligence
Star-Lined Sword scales best with Dexterity while its Ash of War scales off of the Intelligence stat to deal five consecutive slashes of magic damage. The FP cost is quite low so the skill can be spammed without the need of specifically upgrading your Mind stat.
The range you get with its Ash of War is very good and helps keep mobs of enemies in check. The physical attacks also cause bleed build-up which is enough for a couple of instances of bleed damage on bosses.
If you’re running a hybrid build of Dexterity and Intelligence, this weapon can be very powerful when combined with the Shard of Alexander, Two-Headed Turtle Talisman, and Millicent’s Prosthesis.
6) Spear of Impaler
How to get: Obtained by turning in the Remembrance of Messmer the Impaler.
Attribute requirements: 14 Strength, 35 Dexterity, 18 Faith
Base Scaling: E Strength, C Dexterity, D Faith
The first Remembrance Weapon on the list is from Messmer the Impaler. It’s a must-try weapon simply because of how fun it is to use in the game. The Ash of War Messmer’s Assault is the same plunge and stab combo move done by Messmer during his boss fight.
It’s not just a flashy Ash of War, but also deals a great amount of fire damage. The heavy attack is a throw that gives this weapon some range and physical melee attacks are decently fast and reliable.
The weapon scales well with Faith and Dexterity, but a higher Faith stat is recommended to boost its fire damage. You can use Flame, Grant Me Strength, Golden Vow incantation, Fire Scorpion Talisman, and Shard of Alexander to make the best use of this spear.
7) Rellana’s Twin Blade
How to get: Obtained by turning in the Remembrance of Rellana, Twin Moon Knight.
Attribute requirements: 13 Strength, 16 Dexterity, 18 Intelligence, 16 Faith
Base Scaling: D Strength, D Dexterity, D Faith, D Intelligence
This weapon probably scores the highest points for its look, however it is not just flashy but also very powerful. It’s a dual-wield weapon and has two stances, one is an attack that shoots projectiles that deal magic damage. The other stance deals an area of effect move that deals fire damage around your character.
The weapon scales with four stats so it might be a little difficult to get the highest damage. However, the requirements aren’t very high so most players jumping in the Elden Ring DLC should be able to at least try these swords.
To get the highest damage from this weapon, you need to invest more in Dexterity and Faith compared to Strength and Intelligence. This would allow you to buff yourself with Golden Vow and Flame, Grant Me Strength while giving you high physical melee damage. For Talismans, use Shard of Alexander, Rellana’s Cameo, and Two-Headed Turtle Talisman to use it optimally.
8) Dryleaf Arts
How to get: Defeat Dryleaf Lane at the end of his questline.
Attribute requirements: 8 Strength, 8 Dexterity
Base Scaling: D Strength, D Dexterity
Dryleaf Arts is one of the new weapon types introduced in the Elden Ring DLC that scales off with Strength and Dexterity. The low stat requirement means anyone can try its smooth and aesthetically pleasing moves.
The weapon comes with Palm Blast Ash of War, which is decent. However, it is recommended to replace it with Dryleaf Whirlwind Ash of War for higher damage and faster hits. Since it’s a fast-paced weapon type where you need to combine light, heavy, and Ash of War attacks, using Rotten Winged Sword Insignia with Shard of Alexander is great for optimally using this weapon.
10) Bloodfiend’s Arm
How to get: Dropped from Bloodfiend enemies in Prospect Town.
Attribute requirements: 28 Strength, 11 Dexterity, 16 Arcane
Base Scaling: D Strength, E Dexterity, D Arcane
Bloodfiend’s Arm in Shadow of the Erdtree is what Rivers of Blood was in the base Elden Ring. Despite the nerf in the Elden Ring patch 1.12.3, it is still one of the broken weapons in the DLC.
Using the Bloodfiend Arm for deleting bosses is pretty straightforward. Simply level up your Arcane stat to at least around 60, and equip the Royal Knight's Resolve Ash of War with bleed. On your Physick, use the Stonebarb Cracked Tear and Spiked Cracked Tear for enhanced bleed and heavy attack damage.
For Talismans, use the Axe Talisman, Lord of Blood's Exultation, Two-Handed Sword Talisman, and Dagger Talisman to maximize its damage.
Overall, it's a heavy weapon that can easily break enemy poise, inflict a large amount of bleed damage quite fast, and turn the game into easy mode. So if all you care about is the "Enemy Felled" message on your screen, this weapon is for you.
That concludes the ten best weapons to try in the Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree. The game offers a huge choice of weapons so the “best weapons” may be different for you. There are just so many options for everyone that it’s difficult to evaluate every weapon and playstyle available in the game.
Check out more Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree articles here:
How to plan your build in Elden Ring? || Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree review || Best controller settings for Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
Are you stuck on today's Wordle? Our Wordle Solver will help you find the answer.
