Elden Ring took the video game market by storm in early 2022 and had players all over the world testing their mettle against its large variety of bosses. The team over at FromSoftware did everything in their power to fill The Lands Between with as many powerful and unique boss encounters as possible. At launch, many players found themselves repeatedly pounding their heads into the game's first boss, the Tree Sentinel.

The few who strive to prove their might with even the most basic weapons may have finally succeeded after forty or fifty attempts, though most players just ran around the menacing encounter only to return later with greater gear and skills. There are plenty of weapons available to the Tarnished that can greatly aid in their quest, and some weapons can scale high enough to make even late-game bosses a breeze.

Updated January 22, 2024 by Erik Petrovich: When a boss is proving troublesome, it's a good idea to go back to the drawing board and re-assess your build. Swapping over to a build that relies on the strongest weapons Elden Ring offers can mean the difference between dying and crushing those bosses. But without knowing where these best Elden Ring weapons are, changing your build to suit a boss' weaknesses can take a long time. This guide to the strongest weapons in Elden Ring has been updated to include information on where each can be found, as well as more details on what makes each entry worth hunting down.

18 Bloodhound's Fang

ELDEN NEW

Stat Requirements

Strength 18, Dexterity 17

Base Scaling

Strength (D), Dexterity (C)

Weapons Skill

Bloodhound's Finesse

The Bloodhound's Fang is one of the better boss weapons as it can be found relatively early on. This curved greatsword scales with both Strength and Dexterity and comes with one of the most useful Ash of War in the game, Bloodhound's Finesse. Activating this ash of war does an upward strike with the sword and causes players to jump backwards a bit, putting space between them and their foe.

If players activate the skill again immediately, it will perform the Bloodhound's Step, a teleporting slash attack. This makes the weapon ideal for handling certain bosses as players can use the combo to their advantage to avoid attacks while still dishing out heavy damage.

How To Get Bloodhound's Fang

Bloodhound's Fang is obtained by defeating Bloodhound Knight Darriwil, who is found in the Forlorn Hound Evergaol located in Southeast Limgrave, just before the Bridge of Sacrifice.

17 Fallingstar Beast Jaw

fallingstar beast jaw in elden ring

Stat Requirements

Strength 34, Dexterity 12, Intelligence 20

Base Scaling

Strength (D), Dexterity (D), Intelligence (E)

Weapons Skill

Gravity Bolt

Strength builds looking for a colossal weapon with some heft behind it should consider looking into the Fallingstar Beast Jaw. This huge sickle-like object scales with Strength, Dexterity, and Intelligence and requires quite a few points in all three attributes to wield effectively. Fully upgraded to +10, the Fallingstar Beast Jaw hits hard thanks to its 320 physical and 208 magic damage. It also comes equipped with a special Ash of War called Gravity Bolt that calls down a lightning strike when used. Increasing a player's Intelligence stat will cause the magical component to hit harder and the weapon deals an additional 20 percent damage to Gravity-type enemies.

How To Get Fallingstar Beast Jaw

Unfortunately, snagging this weapon is a bit difficult as players will need to take down the Full-Grown Fallingstar Beast, located on Mt. Gelmir near the entrance to Volcano Manor. This boss is particularly challenging and will easily dispatch unprepared players.

16 Rivers Of Blood

Rivers-Of-Blood-Cropped-1

Stat Requirements

Strength 12, Dexterity 18, Arcane 20

Base Scaling

Strength (E), Dexterity (D), Arcane (D)

Weapons Skill

Corpse Piler

Hands down, one of the most ridiculously powerful bleed weapons in Elden Ring, Rivers of Blood can cut bosses to shreds with very little brain power needed. Simply walking near the target and spamming the left trigger will leave them lying at the Tarnished's feet. This one has seen a slight decline, being left in the dust as compared to various other weapon buffs, but it still more than holds its own.

Bleed build-up happens fast, and there's little anything can do to get out of the way of these wide arching blood slashes. It won't be the most competitive boss fight, but victory will be achieved if Rivers of Blood is equipped.

How To Get Rivers Of Blood

The blade can be obtained by defeating Bloody Finger Okina in the Church of Repose. This church is found deep in the Mountaintops of Giants, so don't expect to start melting any early or mid-game boss health bars (unless intentionally skipped).

15 Nightrider Glaive

nightrider glaive bing swung on grassy field in elden ring

Stat Requirements

Strength 26, Dexterity 10,

Base Scaling

Strength (C), Dexterity (E)

Weapons Skill

Spinning Slash

This intimidatingly huge Halberd is optimal for slicing and dicing enemies, and easily holds its own in many boss fights. Players who favor transport on horseback will particularly find it useful, as the movement allows the heavy weapon to keep much of its momentum and inflict ample damage.

Yet wielders will want to spend much time on the ground with this beast as well, as Spinning Slash can be triggered quickly to unleash a flurry of attacks. Not only does this move produce a damaging spin move, but it triggers one final blow once concluded. The Nightrider Glaive is a great choice for those opting for a beefy, DPS-heavy build.

How To Get Nightrider Glaive

This weapon is dropped by Night's Cavalry, which strolls along the road between East Raya Lucaria Gate and Belum Church. No other Night's Cavalry can drop this weapon, but it is a guaranteed drop.

14 Morgott's Cursed Sword

Elden Ring Morgott's Cursed Sword being swung by player

Stat Requirements

Strength 14, Dexterity 35, Arcane 17

Base Scaling

Strength (E), Dexterity (C), Arcane (D)

Weapons Skill

Cursed-Blood Slice

Players opting for a swifter, more nimble build will want to search for this rugged sword of the damned. Morgott's Cursed Sword scales nicely with Dexterity and is great for aggressive players that don't shy from melee combat. Cursed-Blood Slice will have players launch forward and strike downward.

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This inflicts lots of initial damage, but it also yields additional Blood Lost build-up. This curved greatsword is one of the better weapons that can be simply purchased, though it still requires players to overcome a major milestone.

How To Get Morgott's Cursed Sword

Specifically, players can buy it from Finger Reader Enia at the Roundtable Hold, by way of the Remembrance of the Omen King.

13 Sword Of Night And Flame

Elden Ring Sword Of Night And Flame could melt bosses

Stat Requirements

Strength 12, Dexterity 12, Intelligence 24, Faith 24

Base Scaling

Strength (E), Dexterity (E), Intelligence (D), Faith (D)

Weapons Skill

Night-and-Flame Stance

While it's lost a bit of stock thanks to a 1.09 debuff, the Sword of Night and Flame remains a strong and elegant weapon for any sorcerer-warrior. With its classic design and power, this one just feels great to use and proves quite versatile and useful in melee fights.

It possesses a distinct skill called Night-and-Flame Stance. This move begins by holding the sword level while granting the option for players to unleash a swinging slice that ignites in flames. This can be followed up (or interchanged with) the Comet Azur sorcery, which fires a large comet that wallops targets, even ominous bosses, for loads of damage.

How To Get Sword Of Night And Flame

This unique sword can be had in Caria Manor, specifically in a locked room just behind the gardens of the manor, on the east side. Climb onto the ramparts, and go all the way down a walkway on the east until you see rooftops you can jump onto. Jump down, and look for a hole to drop down to get behind this locked door and get the sword.

12 Dark Moon Greatsword

Tarnished holding Dark Moon Greatsword over shoulder

Stat Requirements

Strength 16, Dexterity 11, Intelligence 38

Base Scaling

Strength (D), Dexterity (D), Intelligence (C)

Weapons Skill

Moonlight Greatsword

Fans of FromSoftware's previous titles will recognize this blade immediately, as it's appeared in almost every game that the developer has made in some form or another. The Dark Moon Greatsword scales primarily with Intelligence and its built-in Ash of War is one of the best in the game for spell sword builds, granting bonus magic damage and frost buildup.

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Just like its versions in other FromSoftware titles, the Dark Moon Greatsword lets players shoot a beam of energy – in this case, frost magic – in front of them with its Weapon Skill. Its a supremely powerful weapon in PvP and PvE both for its frost buildup and impressive damage at max level.

How To Get Dark Moon Greatsword

Players can obtain this sword after they've completed the entire Ranni The Witch side quest line, which is one of the longest side stories in the game. It can then be found under the Cathedral of Manus Celes. Ranni definitely makes it worth the effort, though, as the Dark Moon Greatsword is an excellent tool for shredding down bosses without getting too close.

11 Scavenger's Curved Sword

scavenger curved sword build in elden ring

Stat Requirements

Strength 9, Dexterity 14

Base Scaling

Strength (D), Dexterity (D)

Weapons Skill

Spinning Slash

This short serrated blade is an excellent first option for bleed builds, as curved swords have some of the fastest attack patterns in the game. With bleed heavily relying on multiple attacks landed in succession, this weapon can become devastating quickly, especially when dual-wielding curved swords.

Dual wielding weapons of the same type unlocks the powerstance moveset for those weapons, essentially a special moveset that fully uses both equipped weapons. With two Scavenger's Curved Swords, and the powerstance moveset, Bleed procs faster than almost any other weapon combination at the mid game.

How To Get Scavenger's Curved Sword

The sword can be found on a corpse northwest of the First Mt Gellmir Campsite Site of Grace. Players must visit this location again during a second playthrough if they want to obtain another Scavenger's Curved Sword. If both swords are then imbued with the Seppuku Ash of War, players are looking at some wild bleed potential that will have most bosses shaking in their oversized boots.

10 Wing Of Astel

Wings of Astel best weapons in elden ring

Stat Requirements

Strength 7, Dexterity 17, Intelligence 20

Base Scaling

Strength (E), Dexterity (D), Intelligence (D)

Weapons Skill

Nebula

The Wing of Astel is a beautiful curved sword based on Astel, Naturalborn of the Void. It deals decent physical and magic damage and scales well with Intelligence, but what makes this weapon so powerful is its intrinsic weapon skill which cannot be replaced with an Ash of War.

This skill, called Nebula, creates a burst of magic around the caster, which can massively drain enemy health bars. The strong attack is also very powerful as it is a ranged magic attack that costs no FP.

How To Get Wing Of Astel

The blade can be found in a chest at the top of southern Uhl Palace Ruins, east of Nokstella, Eternal City Site of Grace. For players who have invested in Intelligence and are willing to make the journey to obtain it, the Wing of Astel is one of the best weapons in the game.

9 Executioner's Greataxe

Tarnished holding Executioners Greataxe over shoulder

Stat Requirements

Strength 34, Dexterity 8

Base Scaling

Strength (C), Dexterity (E)

Weapons Skill

War Cry

This rare axe is not a guaranteed drop, but it's one worth grinding for. Once the Executioner's Greataxe finally drops, however, players can begin to enjoy its high AR and even higher critical hit potential.

With a high Strength investment and the right Ash of War, this axe can become the best of its weapon class. Pairing the Executioner's Greataxe with the Lightning Slash Ash of War essentially creates the Dragonslayer's Greataxe from Dark Souls 3. This combination in particular is fantastic for taking down those pesky draconic tree sentinels.

How To Get Executioner's Greataxe

This great axe is not easy to come by, as players will be forced to spend a fair amount of time farming undead enemies at The Church of Irith Graveyard. Other undead enemies at the Sellia Graveyard and the Academy Gate Town Graveyard can also drop this weapon, but the Church of Irith is one of the easiest to get to.

8 Eleonora's Poleblade

Tarnished holding Eleonora's Poleblade with boulder backdrop

Stat Requirements

Strength 12, Dexterity 21, Arcane 19

Base Scaling

Strength (E), Dexterity (D), Arcane (D)

Weapons Skill

Bloodblade Dance

The go-to option for those looking to cosplay Darth Maul in-game, Eleonora's Poleblade is a gorgeous weapon, with an even more gorgeous Ash of War attached to it. Scaling mainly with Dexterity and Arcane, this pole blade deals both physical and fire damage and has innate bleed build-up.

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Its Bloodblade Dance Ash of War is one of the most visually impressive in Elden Ring, and watching the Tarnished leap forward only to twist and flip back again never gets old. This attack can be difficult to get used to, and can easily put the player in danger if timed incorrectly. Though, just a few successful casts of this Ash of War will leave most bosses begging for mercy.

How To Get Eleonora's Poleblade

Eleonora's Poleblade can be found in the Second Church of Marika after defeating the NPC invader Eleanora, Violet Bloody Finger.

7 Reduvia

Reduvia from Elden Ring up close

Stat Requirements

Strength 5, Dexterity 13, Arcane 13

Base Scaling

Strength (E), Dexterity (D), Arcane (D)

Weapons Skill

Reduvia Blood Blade

Bleed builds can trivialize certain boss fights, removing massive chunks from enemy health bars in seconds. With patches 1.07 and 1.08, Reduvia became one of the best weapons for bleed builds and has gotten even more potent with the 1.09 patch. The buffs gave Reduvia's weapon skill increased attack power and improved the speed and range of daggers, meaning that Reduvia can stack Blood Loss buildup incredibly quickly.

After investing in Dexterity and Arcane, players will be capable of some of the fastest burst damage in the game. Obtaining a second Reduvia in a second playthrough and Power Stancing them is optional but recommended if players really need to get revenge on a certain boss.

How To Get Reduvia

Reduvia can be found very early in Elden Ring in Limgrave. Look for the chasm that heads northward from Lake Agheel, and follow it until an NPC named Bloody Finger Nerijus spawns. Defeat him to get Reduvia.

6 Godslayer's Greatsword

Tarnished holding Godslayer's Greatsword over shoulder near tower in Elden Ring

Stat Requirements

Strength 20, Dexterity 22, Faith 20

Base Scaling

Strength (D), Dexterity (D), Faith (D)

Weapons Skill

The Queen's Black Flame

A visually stunning Colossal Sword with a lot to boast about, the Godslayer's Greatsword is a terrific pick for players with midrange strength still hoping to have fun with a big chunky sword. This weapon scales off of Faith and Dexterity, with a small amount of strength scaling too. This separates it from the majority of other colossal swords, as does its devastating Ash of War, The Queen's Black Flame.

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The Queen's Black Flame Ash of War attached to it is arguably the best among the colossal swords. It drowns the sword in black flame and delivers two massive, sweeping attacks in front of the Tarnished. The black flame will then continue to damage the target for a while, making it a great tool to have in the heat of battle.

How To Get Godslayer's Greatsword

Tarnished can pick this sword up after defeating the Godskin Apostle at the Divine Tower Of Caelid.

5 Mohgwyn's Sacred Spear

Tarnished firing Mohgwyn's Sacred Spear Bloodboon Ritual in Elden Ring

Stat Requirements

Strength 24, Dexterity 14, Arcane 27

Base Scaling

Strength (D), Dexterity (E), Arcane (D)

Weapons Skill

Bloodboon Ritual

Mohg is a complicated guy, to say the least. He's able to commune with an outer god from a dimension beyond The Lands Between, and his Sacred Spear is one way he can do this.

The Ash of War attached to Mohgwyn's Sacred Spear creates a massive AOE around the player that continuously damages all enemies caught within it. The player thrusts the spear upward, spreading accursed blood across the battlefield, as well as coating the spear in the blood, buffing it for a short period.

How To Get Mohgwyn's Sacred Spear

Players can grab this nightmare weapon after they defeat Mohg, Lord of Blood. It requires the Lord of Blood's remembrance, so only one can be earned each playthrough.

4 Giant Crusher

Tarnished holding Giant Crusher in Elden Ring

Stat Requirements

Strength 60

Base Scaling

Strength (C)

Weapons Skill

Endure

The most premium bonking stick available to the Tarnished is the Giant Crusher. Those relentlessly dumping points into strength will need to pick this colossal weapon up if they haven't already. This boulder on a stick will one-shot just about any smaller enemies in the game, and, with the right build, just a few jump attacks will have bosses reduced to dust.

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At max strength, the Giant Crusher boasts the highest non-split AR in the game. Naturally, it's also extremely heavy, so timing those giant swings is essential to avoid being stuck in combo range.

How To Get Giant Crusher

The Giant Crusher can be found on the back of a carriage south of the Outer Wall Phantom Tree Site of Grace.

3 Moonveil

Tarnished Holding Moonveil in Samurai garb in Elden Ring

Stat Requirements

Strength 12, Dexterity 18, Intelligence 23

Base Scaling

Strength (E), Dexterity (D), Intelligence (C)

Weapons Skill

Transient Moonlight

As one of the most popular picks in Elden Ring, Moonveil has a lot to offer. This katana scales from strength, dexterity, and intelligence, and it comes equipped with one of the best ashes of war in the game. The user will sheath Moonveil, allowing for rapid slashes that release waves of light.

Transient Moonlight also has very low FP consumption, so it can be spammed with no worries. On top of all that, Moonveil also has a bleed effect, allowing for massive damage from creative combos.

How To Get Moonveil

If dashing through dungeons like a vengeance-seeking anime protagonist sounds interesting, players can pick up the Moonveil katana after defeating the Magma Wyrm in Gael Tunnel.

2 Greatsword

Tarnished holding large Greatsword over shoulder in Elden Ring

Stat Requirements

Strength 31, Dexterity 12

Base Scaling

Strength (C), Dexterity (E)

Weapons Skill

Stamp (Upward Cut)

While this Colossal Sword may have one of the most unremarkable names and designs in the game, this is only because its sheer damage potential speaks for itself. Recent patches have also improved it with increased attack speed. With a good amount of Strength and proper timing, the Greatsword almost seems to bully bosses as it tears through health and poise alike.

This weapon can also be infused with an Ash of War, making it much more adaptable. Players can infuse it with Waves of Darkness or Gravitas for some area of effect damage or Lion's Claw for great damage.

How To Get A Greatsword

To get their hands on a standard Greatsword, players will have to find a carriage northwest of the Caelem Ruins Site of Grace.

1 Blasphemous Blade

Tarnished holding Blasphemous Blade over shoulder near tower in Elden Ring

Stat Requirements

Strength 22, Dexterity 15, Faith 21

Base Scaling

Strength (D), Dexterity (D), Faith (D)

Weapons Skill

Taker's Flame

A fantastic non-bleed option and arguably the strongest weapon in Elden Ring, the Blasphemous Blade has had the hearts of fans since the game launched. Scaling with Faith, Dexterity, and Strength, it also has built-in life steal, which is incredible against bosses with giant health bars. The Blasphemous Blade is the best item in the toolkit for that.

The Taker's Flames Ash of War is easily one of the strongest available to players. The Ash of War coats the sword in flames before it is slammed into the ground, sending a wave of flames in front of the player. The flames also steal HP from the affected enemies. All of these factors combined make for easily the best weapon in Elden Ring.

How To Get Blasphemous Blade

This awesome greatsword can be obtained after trading in the Remembrance of the Blasphemous at Roundtable Hold after defeating Rykard.

elden ring cover
Elden Ring

Platform(s)
PS5 , Xbox One , PS4 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , PC
Released
February 25, 2022
Developer(s)
From Software
ESRB
M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence