As far as challenge runs in Elden Ring go, staying at level 1 is one of the toughest. This essentially means starting out as a Wretch and never touching the level-up button. In some extreme cases, players will prefer to stay maidenless by ignoring Melina like a true chad; after all, she's the one who keeps pressuring players to raise their social status and their levels.

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Since they're not accepting Melina's help in spending hard-earned Runes, then players will have to be self-sufficient with their weapons. Truth be told, weapon choice as a level 1 character in Elden Ring is quite limited. Some weapons requirements are too picky. Thankfully, a handful of weapons are low-maintenance and don't mind being in the hands of a naked, maidenless Wretch.

Updated Feb 2, 2024 by Erik Petrovich: When going for an Elden Ring level 1 run weapons can be incredibly important to one's success. Your choices are limited, but with the right stat improving-talismans and gear, some of the best weapons Elden Ring has to offer become available for use. But aside from worrying about which weapons are better than others, Rune level 1 weapons can also be dangerous to get in the first place. Some of the best level 1 Elden Ring weapons can be purchased from vendors, like the Zweihander or Claymore, while some, like Reduvia, the Serpent-Hunter, or the Uchigatana, require players to beat tough bosses or traverse dungeons that aren't easy for level 1 characters. This guide has been updated to give some instructions on where to locate each of the best level 1 Elden Ring weapons, as well as more details on the stats of each weapon being recommended.

12 Zweihander

The Zweihander might not be the monster it once was when compared to its Dark Souls counterpart, but this Quality weapon at least finds its spot in Level 1 builds. It's one of the best alternatives to the hefty and demanding Greatsword. The Zweihander does come with its own high requirements for Strength, but that's easily fixed with a couple of talismans.

Rune Level 1 Players would want this since it's one of the best weapons to pair with the Lion's Claw Ash of War. This combo makes even a Level 1 run more than manageable. Players can use it to stunlock bosses from a relatively safe melee distance thanks to the Zweihander's range. Since it's also a colossal weapon, the Zweihander functions well as a shield.

How To Get Zweihander

To get the Zweihander in Elden Ring, head to the Weeping Peninsula, and continue to its furthest west beach. You should see a shack near where the sand begins – talk to the Isolated Merchant inside to purchase a Zweihander for 3500 Runes.

11 Demi-Human Queen's Staff

Most level 1 builds or runs in Elden Ring cater to melee players since they're easier to pilot. However, even magic builds can still have fun with the help of the Demi-Human Queen's Staff. It's one of the best staves in the game for those who have low Intelligence, such as level 1 builds. There are certain limitations to this staff.

For one, players can't infuse it with a weapon skill, so they're stuck with Sorceries. However, the Demi-Human Queen's Staff is thankfully impressive enough in buffing Glintstone Sorceries. Such a setup is definitely more challenging compared to a full melee build in a level 1 run, but it's still a good magic alternative.

How To Get Demi-Human Queen's Staff

To get the Demi-Human Queen's Staff, go to the Demi-Human Forest Ruins just to the west of the road heading to Castle Morne, and defeat the open-world boss Demi-Human Queen within.

10 Banished Knight's Halberd

Halberds are some of the most reliable weapons in Elden Ring due to their range and the powerful Ashes of War options for their weapon class. Most halberds in Elden Ring are heavy or have high requirements though, except for the Banished Knight's Halberd. Players can use this weapon with just a Radagon's Soreseal.

After that, they're free to pick from their halberd Ash of War of choice. There's quite a good number of powerful ones, but skills like Phantom Slash excel in dealing high damage with a fair amount of stagger or poise break. Players can even go around spamming that Ash of War until the late game.

How To Get Banished Knight's Halberd

The Banished Knight Halberd can be found in Stormveil Castle or as a drop from Edgar the Revenger. It can drop from slain Banished Knights, but an upgraded +8 version will drop from Edgar the Revenger. Edgar can be slaim in either Castle Morne, before finishing his quest, or in the Revenger's Shack in western Liurnia at the conclusion of his story.

9 Great Stars

For those who want a bit of everything that's busted when it comes to melee, Great Stars is a great start to a lot of fruitful kills. This huge morning star weapon in Elden Ring has innate Bleed damage buildup. Though don't expect it to rack up the Bleed meter in just a few strikes; it's a slow weapon.

However, it's also a heavy weapon, meaning it deals a dependable amount of stagger and works well even against larger enemies. Players can also customize the Ash of War or weapon skill to their liking. Strong options such as Lion's Claw would also fit in well here. The only problem is the Strength requirement but that's not too hard to fix with just a couple of talismans and a helmet.

How To Get Great Stars

The Great Stars location is on a Carriage, in the Altus Plateau just to the southwest of the Road of Iniquity Site of Lost Grace. Hit one of the giants pulling the Carriage, jump onto its back, and open the chest to get this weapon. It also drops from the "new" NPC Magnus the Beast Claw, found in a shack further north in the Altus Plateau.

8 Dragon Communion Seal

Even Faith builds that dip into Arcane can be viable in a level 1 run thanks to seals such as the Dragon Communion Seal. One incantation comes to mind when putting this seal together with a level 1 build and that's the Rot Breath spell. It's one of the most potent damage dealers in the game.

One breath and players can retreat to safety while their enemies die from the damage-over-time effect. The developers were even kind enough to set the Faith and Arcane requirement to just 10, which is the baseline state for the Wretch or the level 1 build template. Players only have to worry about adjusting their play style.

How To Get Dragon Communion Seal

The Dragon Communion Seal is located in the Fringefolk Hero's Grave, behind the Stonesword Key door near the beginning of Elden Ring. Look for a room with a Banished Knight inside, which will drop the Seal on defeat.

7 Club

Sure enough, one can't expect a great hammer if their arms are too frail. A simple Club is just about the best bludgeoning weapon available for a level 1 run. The Wretch's base stat barely meets the Club's base requirement of 10 Strength. That's good since there are no raising stats via leveling on a level 1 run.

Since it also deals bludgeoning damage, the Club is great for stunning or staggering enemies. It works particularly well against human-sized enemies, including bosses. The best part about the Club, however, is its flexible Ash of War slot.

How To Get Club

The basic Club is the starting weapon for the Wretch class, but it can also be dropped by any Demi-Human enemy in the game. If your luck is bad, and you didn't start as a Wretch, you can buy one from the Nomadic Merchant near the Coastal Cave (beneath the cliffs at spawn) for 600 Runes.

6 Serpent-Hunter

Players ought to thank Rykard. Because despite the gimmicky boss fight, his existence led to the creation of the Serpent-Hunter. It's one of the few heavy weapons available for level 1 Wretches. It's thanks to the Serpent-Hunter's nonexistent stat requirement. Even a scrawny mage who wears a Burger King helmet can wield it.

When fully upgraded, the Serpent-Hunter is quite decent. Scaling doesn't matter much here since players remain at base level 1 stats anyway. But the Serpent-Hunter's decent weapon skill is quite useful for stunning targets from a considerable distance. Besides, this weapon will wreck the entirety of Volcano Manor.

How To Get Serpent-Hunter

The Serpent-Hunter is found in Rykard's boss room, and is practically given to players for free. Upon entering his lair, look to the left on your way to the boss to find the Serpent-Hunter on the ground. Your character will even do a special animation to pull it out of the ground. This is practically required to defeat Rykard.

5 Misericorde

Yes, the Misericorde has a Dexterity requirement of 12, which automatically makes it too strong for a level 1 Wretch. However, there are ways to boost one's stat in Elden Ring. The Prosthesis-Wearer Heirloom, for example, will boost Dextery by five points. There are also Soreseals and Scarseals to help.

In any case, Misericorde is an awesome one-two-punch weapon. For maximum efficiency, players will have to slot in the Flames of the Redmane Ash of War in their Misericorde. That Ash of War can stun most enemies (even bosses) in just two casts. After that, players will have to go in for the critical hit while the targets are reeling. Misericorde's increased Critical Damage creates a good synergy here.

How To Get Misericorde

Misericorde is found in Stormveil Castle, behind a Stonesword Key room in the room with the giant Godfrey painting. There is a Banished Knight in the room, but you can pick it up off the ground without fighting it and run away.

4 Reduvia

Picking Reduvia imposes the same challenge as Misericorde. Players will have to find ways through Talismans or gear pieces to raise their stats to meet the requirements. It's worth it for this dagger, though, as it's one of the most versatile weapons in the game.

Reduvia has a non-customizable weapon skill, but it's usually all that the players will need for ranged damage. Both the ranged attack and the regular attacks for Reduvia inflict Bleed build-up, which can result in a big chunk of damage once it's full.

How To Get Reduvia

To get Reduvia, head to the chasm that leads north from Lake Agheel (towards Murkwater Cave). An enemy called Bloody Finger Nerijus will invade, and begin to attack. A few seconds after he appears, Yura, Bloody Finger Hunter will appear by your side and fight with you. Nerijus drops Reduvia on defeat whether Yura spawns or not.

3 Broadsword

The Broadsword is the more elegant option in case players want to forego the caveman aesthetics of the Club. Its stat requirements fall in line with what the Wretch has at level 1 so that frees up some talisman slots for something else.

Sure enough, players might need something like the Shard of Alexander for this, since the Broadsword's strength lies in its default Ash of War, Square Off. This weapon skill is an underrated gem that can stagger targets. It also deals decent damage.

How To Get Broadsword

The Broadsword is the starting weapon for the Confessor class, but it can also be purchased from the Nomadic Merchant for 1800 Runes, who is right outside the Coastal Cave. Coastal Cave is found below the cliffs to the west of the spawn location.

2 Scavenger's Curved Sword

The Scavenger's Curved Sword is a key component for one of the most impressive Bleed builds for Elden Ring's endgame. As a testament to the power of Bleed in Elden Ring, the Scavenger's Curved Sword can also prove to be a viable weapon for a level 1 run.

This weapon has one of the highest Bleed applications in the game. If infused with a Bleed prefix, then it becomes even more viable for the endgame despite having a level 1 wielder. Problems do arise against enemies who don't bleed, but thankfully, it's easy to change weapon prefixes.

How To Get Scavenger's Curved Sword

The Scavenger's Curved Sword can be found in Mt Gelmir, as you head north from the First Mt Gelmir Site of Lost Grace. Cross the bridge, and look on a corpse behind a Grafted Scion on this ledge to find the Scavenger's Curved Sword.

1 Uchigatana

The Uchigatana, despite being a starter weapon for the Samurai class, scales well into the late game. It's one of the few rare weapons that players can use from beginning to end without much compromise. The Uchigatana owes much of its reputation to the Bleed build-up and its Unsheathe default Ash of War.

However, it can also be more versatile than that. Players can infuse it with cold damage so that it also triggers Frostbite on top of Bleed. In any case, it's one of the weapons that community legends such as Let Me Solo Her prefer to use against Malenia.

How To Get Uchigatana

The Uchigatana is starting equipment for the Samurai class, but it can also be found in the Deathtouched Catacombs in northern Limgrave. Open the locked door, head back to the entrance to face the boss, and look for a corpse leaning over a ledge to pick up the Uchigatana.