Best Elden Ring weapons for early and late game
Precious, pointy weaponry.
Update: With the release of Elden Ring's new Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, there are a ton of new weapons to try. We've updated this page with new weapon suggestions, as well as reframed some of the weapons in the base game in light of recent changes.
There’s so much variety in Elden Ring, it can be tough to make sense of all the choices. But one of the most important decisions is: of the wide arsenal of gear available, what are the best weapons in Elden Ring?
On your way to crafting one of the best Elden Ring builds, you will no doubt want to pick up the optimal weapon for your preferred stat, and they're not always easy to lay hands on. And then there's Elden Ring's Legendary Armaments to consider. These aren't always the best weapons, but they're incredibly powerful and have an achievement tied to them as well.
So that you’re not underpowered as you approach the late game, we will run through both the best weapons in Elden Ring for the early game and the late game too. Many of these picks require diverse investment in lots of different stats, with a lot of the most powerful weapons seeming to need a large investment in Faith. But we've also tried to find something for everyone, regardless of your alignment.
Or if you’re more a fan of the arcane arts though, we have dedicated pages for the best staffs in Elden Ring and the best spells in Elden Ring - since the playstyle is so different from melee.
- Best weapons in Elden Ring for the early-game
- Best weapons in Elden Ring for the late-game
- Best new weapons in Elden Ring
- Best meme weapons in Elden Ring
Best weapons in Elden Ring for the early-game
Best early game sword in Elden Ring - The Uchigatana
It’s back! The samurai’s starting weapon, the Uchigatana, has long been an early game staple of FromSoftware RPGs, and with good reason. It’s dependable, upgradable, and pretty cool to boot. If you didn't pick samurai as your starting class, you'll need 11 Strength and 15 Dexterity to wield it.
The Uchigatana is an all-round excellent weapon in Elden Ring, thanks to its solid Ash of War, great moveset and innate Bleed build up, making it the ideal starting point for the best Bleed build which is considered pretty much the most powerful in the game. As you progress it can also be customised with different affinities and Ashes of War to suit your playstyle, or you can just swap it out for one of the stronger katanas you can find and already be familiar with the moveset.
If you don’t already have the Uchigatana, there’s another in the depths of the Deathtouched Catacombs in the northern part of Stormhill. Run through the skeleton warriors that animate as you make your way through the catacombs unless you’re a fan of being mobbed by rattling bones.
At the end of the main path there’s a lever you can pull which opens a side path in the room before the one you just came through. It’s on the left as you backtrack, next to the stairs.
Take a left on the other side of the passage and the Uchigatana is in front of you.
Best early game all-round weapon in Elden Ring - Bloodhound’s Fang
The Bloodhound's Fang has become iconic for its instant power, ease-of-use and incredible Ash of War. It's quite easy to get your hands on - you can even get help from a big wolf man as part of Blaidd's quest - and you could quite happily use it for the entire game, or at least until you get bored and try something else.
Really, the Bloodhound's Fang is almost like a return of the legendary Drake Sword from the original Dark Souls - only you can actually upgrade the Fang alongside your character.
The thing about most Greatswords is that a lot of them require a huge amount of Strength to wield effectively. We’re talking as much as 30-40+ Strength, which is much more than you have in the early game unless you plan on making a pure strength character.
This is why the Bloodhound’s Fang is such a… great … sword. Not only is it a fantastic bleed-damage inflicting weapon with a strong unique ability, but it just needs 18 Strength and 17 Dexterity to equip. Plus, if you didn't know, you can halve the Strength requirements of weapons in Elden Ring by two-handing them (hold Triangle/Y and press R1/RB). This means you can wield the Fang with just a small investment in Dexterity, thus giving you more versatility if you plan to use a different weapon later on.
What's more, it shouldn't go understated how OP its special ability, Bloodhound's Finesse, is. You can deal huge damage to all enemy types, including bosses, while nimbly avoiding harm yourself. You could happily slay many demi-gods with this weapon and use it for the majority of the game.
To lay your hands on it, make your way to the Forlorn Hound Evergaol, which is the grey circle on the map southeast from The First Step. You have to loop northeast around the lake to get there, but once you do, interact with the circle and face the boss you find, Bloodhound Knight Darriwil. On death, they drop the Bloodhound’s Fang.
This is probably one of the more difficult fights you've undertaken in the game so far - but play on the defensive, punish openings only when it's safe, and spam any good ashes of war you have unlocked, and you should prevail.
For a helping hand, you can also enlist the aid of Blaidd the Half Wolf by using the finger snap emote in the Mistwood Ruins to start his quest.
Best early game greatsword in Elden Ring - The Greatsword
While the Bloodhound's Fang is technically a greatsword, because of its versatility and lower strength requirement it doesn't necessarily function like one all the time. But make no mistake, there are plenty of huge swords to be found and the best one you can access immediately from the start of your adventure is simply called "Greatsword".
Again like the Bloodhound's Fang, the Greatsword is another weapon that can see you through literally the entire game, but even more so. It's hard-hitting and a lot of fun right from the outset, but picks up major upgrades as you progress, and not just from Smithing Stones.
Some further exploration of Caelid will net you the incredible Ash of War: Lion's Claw move which gives you an exceptionally powerful method of closing distance and dealing huge damage to both regular mods and big bosses.
But then, as your Strength build progresses, you can add different affinites to incorporate Ice, Fire or Lightning damage into your toolkit. Or you can just keep things Heavy to preserve the ultimate muscle experience.
Be warned however, the Greatsword is slow as molasses. Committing to wielding it is signing yourself up to a very particular cadence of combat - one where you will have to be strategic with your strikes and dodge rolls to stay safe. If you want a tactile, exciting gameplay experience, the Greatsword is the way to go!
To add the Greatsword to your arsenal, ride northeast from The First Step, through the Summonwater Village, until the landscape turns red. This is the higher-level area of Caelid.
The first Site of Grace you find should be called "Rotview Balcony". From the Rotview Balcony, continue following the main road on your left, through the crowd of zombies, until you reach two giant dogs who look like they've been affected by a Big Head mod. Move quickly around to the back of the carriage they're guarding and open the trunk. Inside is the Greatsword.
If you're fast, you should be able to pull this off whatever level you are. But if you're coming here straightaway, you won't stand a chance so just focus on grabbing the weapon!
Great bleed weapon for early game - Morning Star
There's no shortage of great Bleed weapons in Elden Ring, but when medieval fantasy calls sometimes you just need a big, spiky hunk of metal, and the Morning Star is great fun to wave around and hit enemies with. Requiring just 12 Strength and 8 Dexterity, with a D scaling for both, there are better Bleed weapons to use, but it's still a solid weapon to start with.
The weapon is easy to grab, too. Make your way to Weeping Peninsula and past the Bridge of Sacrifice. Just before Oridys's Rise, there'll be a broken carriage that you can retrieve the weapon from.
Best early game dagger in Elden Ring - Reduvia
Like the sound of inflicting bleeding damage over time, but not lugging something longer than your own body around? Then look no further than the evil-looking Reduvia dagger, which is your reward for completing a fun AI invasion.
On the northern shore of the shallow lake to the east of The First Step, there’s a bridge. Go underneath the bridge and follow the inlet north.
After a short trip, you will see a prompt telling you that you’re being invaded. Defeat the phantom by any means necessary - you don’t have to do it alone, a ronin comes to help so it’s more a tutorial for how invasions work - then you can claim their weapon, Reduvia, for your own.
You'll need 5 Strength, 13 Arcane, and 13 Dexterity to be able to equip the dagger.
Best early game Faith weapon in Elden Ring - Winged Scythe
You might have noticed that Faith weapons are quite good in Elden Ring.So for a long-reaching, less strength-intensive and more accessible option, check out the Winged Scythe.
The Winged Scythe is the best choice for starting a Faith character, since it requires 16 Strength and 16 Dexterity with a chunky 24 Faith, but can be obtained immediately as soon as you start the game. It's found underground in the Tombsward Ruins in the northwest of the Weeping Peninsula, south of where you start the game.
While you can mix in some Incantations, the Winged Scythe gives you another powerful and varied melee trick up your sleeve, as well as useful Holy damage that scales with Faith.
Best early to mid-game curved sword in Elden Ring - Magma Blade
The Magma Blade is one of Elden Ring's best swords period, curved or not. It deals heavy damage to begin with, and its unique skill slashes while spewing magma, which is enough to even make short work of bosses. The trouble is you have to grind to get it.
The Magma Blade only drops from snake warriors in Prison Town. You can find two of them by following the volcano path from Eiglay Temple's elevator, though it may take defeating them multiple times until you get what you want.
The Magma Blade requires 9 Strength, 15 Dexterity, and 16 Faith.
Best faith weapon for the early-game - Golden Halberd
To get your hands on the Golden Halberd in Elden Ring, all you need to do is defeat the Tree Sentinel in Limgrave. The weapon will then require 30 Strength, 14 Dexterity, and 12 Faith to use.
With a D scaling with both Faith and Strength, the Golden Halberd is a solid weapon to go for if you're going for a strong Faith build. The Golden Halberd's skill, Golden Vow, will provide you and any nearby allies with improved defense and attack power when used.
Best weapons in Elden Ring for the late-game
Best late game sword in Elden Ring - Sword of Night and Flame
Although it needs diverse investment, the Sword of Night and Flame is a very fun and versatile weapon which can see you through even the toughest tasks.
While its normal attacks combine physical, magic, and fire damage, the real star of the show is its dual special abilites. Here, light attack sends out a powerful magic blast in front of you and heavy attack unleashes a wide-reaching AoE wall of flame.
This comes at the cost of 12 Strength, 12 Dexterity, 24 Intelligence and 24 Faith - which you will likely have to repec for - but the unique playstyle could be worth it for you.
Despite its power, the Sword of Night and Flame is quite easy to get from Caria Manor in the northwest of Liurnia of the Lakes.
From the Manor gate, follow the path forward and around to the left to get to the house's lower level Site of Grace.
Next, go up the stairs and bear left on the walkways.
Over the side of one of the walkways, you will be able to drop down over the side and onto a nearby roof.
From the rooftop, you can descend a ladder and claim the Sword of Night and Flame from a waiting treasure chest.
Best late game greatsword in Elden Ring - Blasphemous Blade
Combining Strength and Faith in almost equal measure, the Blasphemous Blade is a hugely powerful greatsword with another stellar special ability. It can be wielded effectively with 22 Strength, 15 Dexterity, and 21 Faith.
For our money, it's part of the best Faith build in Elden Ring.
Despite being a bit slow to wind up, Taker's Flames launches a massive column of fire at your enemies, giving you a very strong distance option with surprising range.
Not only does it close distance though, but can also be deployed to mow through crowds of mobs with ease.
To add the Blasphemous Blade to your arsenal, you need to complete the events at Volcano Manor at Mt. Gelmir, then swap the soul of the last boss there with the Maiden Husk in the Two Fingers chamber.
Best late game spear in Elden Ring - Mohgwyn's Sacred Spear
Mohgwyn's Sacred Spear can only be obtained by trading Mohg, Lord of Blood's Remembrance at Roundtable Hold, but it is well worth doing. You'll need 24 Strength, 27 Arcane, and 14 Dexterity to wield it, so this weapon is best for those opting for a Strength/Arcane build.
The spear comes with the Bloodboon Ritual Skill, which coats the weapon in bloodflame; this will have the weapon dealing fire damage as well as Bleed build-up, which can both be devastating to enemies. It's also got great AoE, making it great for clearing smaller hordes of enemies when needed.
Best late game Intelligence weapon in Elden Ring - Dark Moon Greatsword
There are two weapons bidding for the top spot when it comes to the best Intelligence weapon, and the Dark Moon Greatsword is one of them (the other is the Moonveil Katana, which we mention later). The Dark Moon Greatsword requires 16 Strength, 11 Dexterity, and 38 Intelligence to use.
If you're going for an Intelligence build with a focus on full-moon sorceries or frost, the Dark Moon Greatsword is the one for you. You acquire the weapon as a reward for completing Ranni's lengthy questline, which we detail from start to finish here.
Best late game strength weapons in Elden Ring - Axe of Godrick and Grafted Greatsword
If Faith and magic are too complicated for you and you just want to hit things until they fall over, you can get two solid weapons with high strength requirements quite easily.
The giant axe used by Godrick the Grafted can be obtained from the Maiden Husk in the Two Fingers chamber by handing over Godrick's boss soul.
The Grafted Greatsword, a huge sword literally made out of other swords smelted together, is won from the Leonine Misbegotten boss in the very south of the map. You find them past Castle Morne off the southern tip of the Weeping Peninsula.
The Axe of Godrick requires 34 Strength and 22 Dexterity, while the Grafted Greatsword needs 40 Strength and 14 Dexterity.
Best colossal weapon in Elden Ring - Godslayer's Greatsword
The Godslayer's Greatsword requires 20 Strength, 22 Dexterity, and 20 Faith to use, with D scaling for all three stats. If you're aiming for a Faith build, this is one weapon you should definitely seek out. It's Skill, The Queen's Black Flame, will coat the weapon in blackflame while dealing a slashing attack. The flames will continue to damage an enemy for a short amount of time, too.
You can't infuse the weapon with any Ashes of War, but its skill is arguably cool enough to easily overlook that. To get your hands on this powerful weapon, you'll need to defeat the Godskin Apostle in the Divine Tower of Caelid and loot the chest behind him.
Best late game katana in Elden Ring - Moonveil Katana
Since the fully upgraded basic Uchigatana is so good, you're probably most interested in something a bit different to dual-wield it with.
The Intelligence-based magic Moonveil Katana is just that. With good bleed buildup and useful special ability if you wanted to use it solo, the Moonveil is good for handling both single targets, crowds, and any enemies weak to magic.
It needs 12 Strength, 18 Dexterity, and 23 Intelligence.
To grab the Moonveil Katana, you need to beat the Magma Wyrm boss in the Gael Tunnel south of the Shack of Rotting in Caelid.
From the Shack of Rotting on the western boarder of Caelid, head south a little way and there's an entrance in the base of the mountain below you.
Make your way through the mine, either defeating or avoiding the enemies.
Eventually you make it to a fog gate, but just past it you can also find another Site of Grace to respawn at should you get beaten by the boss.
When it's defeated, you get the Moonveil Katana all to yourself.
Another good late game katana, and best Dexterity weapon in Elden Ring - Rivers of Blood
The Rivers of Blood katana has proven to be quite controversial due to its power, but there's no denying that it's good fun to use, and it's perfect for a strong bleed build. The katana has rather low requirements of 12 Strength, 18 Dexterity, and 20 Arcane, and scales with all three stats too.
Perhaps the best feature of this katana is its skill, Corpse Piler. The skill can be used at quite the distance, can stagger an enemy repeatedly (if you're lucky), and inflicts some devastatin damage with Bleed buildup.
This katana can only be grabbed relatively late game, in the Mountaintops of Giants. You'll need to head to the Church of Repose in the south of the area, before you defeat the Fire Giant. It's important to do this before fighting the Fire Giant, or Bloody Finger Okina will not invade you.
All being well, Bloody Finger Okina invades you as you approach the Church of Repose, and will drop the Rivers of Blood katana on defeat.
Best new weapons in Elden Ring
Relanna's Twinblade
Rellana's Twinblade is one of the best new weapons in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, but it's reminiscent of a classic weapon from the base game: the Sword of Night and Flame. But, unlike that legendary armament, it has much more managable requirements to fit into a stronger build.
The Twinblade's Ash of War lets the Tarnished adopt a magical stance where their R1 attacks fire off a ranged magic slash and their R2 unleashes a powerful fire AoE.
Its three-way damage split lets you exploit more weaknesses, but it's the solid moveset that makes this weapon shine. Rellana's Twinblade has a great running R1 which performs a two-hit poke that's great for taking out most mobs, as well as scoring hits on bosses. It then has a follow-up that deals a really hefty amount of damage.
While there are more overpowered weapons out there, Rellana's Twinblade is fun, flashy and versatile.
Bloodfiend's Arm
There are tons of powerful boss weapons in the DLC, but the Bloodfiend's Arm is one of those regular weapons that outperforms its rarity.
Similar to the Fallingstar Beast Jaw from the base game, the Bloodfiend's Arm is a raw damage monster which deals a massive amount of Poise damage. However, because it's a generic weapon with no unique Ash of War, you can customize it and change its affinity to suit your build.
Because of its Arcane requirement, Bleed is the natural fit. Massive damage and high Bleed build-up is a difficult combination for most enemies to deal with, as the Bleed stacks overwhelm their health bar. A great option for colossal weapon fans looking for a change!
Beast Claws
I think we've all gone a bit feral with Elden Ring at some point. Maybe it was a hard boss, or just a cheaply placed regular enemy, but now you can finally let the inner animal free with the Beast Claws.
You get them from Logur, Beast Claw in the east of the Gravesite Plain and they're great at applying statuses thanks to their quick, fast strikes.
Whether it's bleed or another affinity, these Beast Claws are an underrated weapon for exploiting specific boss weaknesses.
Dryleaf Arts
But if even figertips aren't wild enough for you, then Shadow of the Erdtree allows you to fight effectively with your bare hands thanks to the Dryleaf Arts!
Like the claws, the Dryleaf Arts' quick successive strikes make them perfectly suited to applying statuses, whether that's bleed for reliable damage or cold via an Intelligence hybrid build.
Dragon Hunter's Great Katana
Dragons make up a massive proportion of the hardest enemies in Elden Ring. It's not that surprising given, y'know, they're dragons, but Shadow of the Erdtree gives you a variety of tools to take them down more efficiently.
One interesting weapon in this vein is the Dragon Hunter's Great Katana, which is part of a new weapon archetype in Elden Ring: the Great Katana.
These beefed up, hefty swinging Katanas are more similar to greatswords than anything else, boasting big damage but slow speeds.
Its Dragonwound Slash attack is a powerful swipe reminiscent of the Rivers of Blood's Corpse Piler, only considerably more effective agaist dragons thanks to its gravelstone enchantment.
Sword of Night
A reward from Swordhand of Night, Jolan's quest, the Sword of Night is a unique and powerful Dexterity weapon, which has the distinction of being a magic damage weapon which doesn't scale on Intelligence.
Instead you get a potent mix of magic damage and bleed build up with just Dexterity scaling. Since Dexterity is such a popular primary damage stat, there are a lot of builds which will already have it at 60, meaning you can easily swap to the Sword of Night without using a re-spec.
Milady
The new light greatsword weapon class gives the look of a large weapon with a more graceful and nible moveset, but Milady is both easy to get your hands on and a treat to handle.
Collected from atop the tower at the start of Castle Ensis, despite its unique name, Milady is upgraded with regular Smithing Stones and doesn't have a unique Ash of War.
That makes it a versatile weapon which fits in with a variety of playstyles, including imbuing it with elemental damage as we've done with our Lightning Milady cheese build.
Greatsword of Damnation
To finish on a bang the Greatsword of Damnation, the Faith Greatsword from Midra's Manse, is very silly, with a massive Ash of War that has PvP players shaking in their boots.
It's incredible at both closing distance and hitting AoE, so although Holy isn't the best damage type it's a lot of fun alongside the greatsword moveset.
Best meme weapons in Elden Ring
If you want to shake things up with some of Elden Ring's more ridiculous weapons, you can do that - and without even sacrificing utility. The best meme weapons are wacky and still pack a punch.
Ringed Finger location
The Ringed Finger is a deadly hammer found at the end of Gelmir Hero's Grave. It has high attack on its own and comes with the unique Finger Flick skill that swells the Finger and thrusts it out in a heavy attack. You'll need 15 Strength and 9 Dexterity for this one.
Jar Cannon location
The Jar Cannon drops from Demi-Human Queen Margot in Volcano Cave. Take a right at the fork after the Grafted Scion on the way to Volcano Manor, and you'll wind up in the cave. It's full of demi-humans, so proceed with caution lest ye be overwhelmed quickly.
The Jar Cannon is what it says on the label - a massive jar that fires explosie projectiles. It's tough to aim, but if the shots land, they'll deal heavy damage. You need 34 Strength and 12 Dexterity to wield it.
Ghiza's Wheel location
Elden Ring's pizza cutter - Ghiza's Wheel - is an invasion drop. Defeat Inqisitor Ghiza on the second floor of Volcano Manor to get it. It's a colossal weapon, but only requires 28 Strength and 18 Dexterity.
The Spinning Wheel skill lets you crank up the damage even more, and you can even walk into enemies with it to stagger them - assuming they stay alive long enough to get staggered.
Varre's Bouquet location
Varre's Bouquet is perhaps slightly less impressive than the other three, but it's no slouch when it comes to blood loss. You'll have to kill Varre by invading him in Moghwyn Dynasty Mausoleum, then speak with him until he stops talking.
Varre's Bouquet requires 8 Strength, 16 Dexterity, and 24 Arcane. Its skill Blood Tax increases the blood loss buildup, which is how you'll deal most of your damage.
Envoy's Horn location
If you've gone anywhere near Leyndell, Royal Capital, you'll have seen plenty of enemies weilding these golden horns. They blow bubbles, make a lot of noise, and they pack a punch at times.
To get Envoy's Horn, all you need to do is go about farming it from one of the enemies in Leyndell, Royal Capital, or in Haligtree. It also only requires 10 Strength, 12 Dexterity, and 16 Arcane to use.
For more on the treasures you can find in The Lands Between, here's our Elden Ring beginner's guide, as well as our guide to Elden Ring's best builds.