The Greatsword category has tended to be one of the most powerful choices in all the Souls games, and Elden Ring is no exception. Since they normally boast exceptional range and huge damage output, most Greatswords are viable against every major boss, and devastatingly effectively in PvP as well. While they were typically solely paired with Strength-based builds in previous Souls games, there are a number of Greatswords that can be paired with magic-focused caster builds in Elden Ring.
As well as their relative flexibility in terms of builds, Greatswords are also one of the deepest classes of weapons, boasting over 20 different choices. When compared with basic Swords in Elden Ring, Greatswords tend to be heavier and slower, but like their lighter counterparts, often come paired with some of the best unique weapon skills in the game.
S-Tier
- Sacred Relic Sword: Arguably the most well-known weapon in the game purely for its late-game farming potential. Its special ability, Wave of Gold, fires a massive wave that can hit a ton of enemies. A must-have for players looking to grind levels, but also a formidable weapon in any PvE situation.
- Blasphemous Blade: The Blasphemous Blade is so powerful that it feels like a nerf has to be right around the corner for this weapon. It makes a joke of the majority of encounters, pairs well with the Flame, Grant Me Strength incantation, and heals the user for a portion of its damage dealt.
- Banished Knight's Greatsword: A very basic but super effective choice. It can be upgraded with regular Smithing Stones and has one of the nicest movesets in the entire game. It might not have the ridiculous build potential of the Blasphemous Blade, but it's one of the best basic weapons in all of Elden Ring.
- Knight's Greatsword: Unsurprisingly, the Knight's Greatsword is basically identical to the Banished Knight's Greatsword, for that reason they both are the top choices for basic Greatswords.
- Claymore: A classic Souls weapon. It was among the best weapons in Dark Souls 3, and it's still high ranking in Elden Ring. It sits in the S-tier solely for its thrust attack which other Greatswords lack.
A-Tier
- Golden Order Greatsword: An interesting choice for a Faith-based build. The Golden Order Greatsword benefited significantly from the recent patch and now has its unique ability's casting time nearly halved. It boasts solid AoE damage and decent scaling.
- Bastard Sword: Since the Bastard Sword is relatively light and has incredible scaling, it's one of the best choices for a Strength-based build. The only aspect holding back the Bastard Sword and its peers from S-tier is its moveset, which doesn't quite stack up to the Claymore or the Banished Knight's Greatsword.
- Lordsworn's Greatsword: Since it's more or less a copy of the Bastard Sword, the Lordsworn's Greatsword falls to A-tier for the same reasons. It still has excellent reach and could be viable for an entire run through the game.
- Forked Greatsword: As good or better than any option above it, except that it tends to be more difficult to actually get. If players come across it, they might as well use it, but there are better options that are more readily available.
- Flamberge: Another great basic option. It suffers from not having the best moveset, but it does apply Bleed which is one of the most useful status effects in Elden Ring.
- Inseparable Sword: A Faith-based option in the same class as the Golden Order Greatsword. It previously had a much faster casting time on its Ash of War than the Golden Order Greatsword, but with the recent patch, they're more or less interchangeable.
B-Tier
- Gargoyle's Greatsword: The Gargoyle's Greatsword takes advantage of excellent Strength scaling, but its special ability is fairly lackluster and predictable in Elden Ring's PvP scenarios. It's best to save Smithing Stones for the options listed above.
- Sword of Milos: Not a great weapon in and of itself, but an excellent off-hand choice. Since it helps players to recover FP after each kill, it pairs well with weapons that have devastating FP-heavy weapon skills like the Rivers of Blood katana or the aforementioned Blasphemous Blade.
- Gargoyle's Blackblade: This weapon is best saved for Strength builds with very little investment into Faith. It hits about as hard — at base — as any weapon in the game, but its Ash of War is disappointing.
- Ordovis's Greatsword: A surprisingly similar option to the Gargoyle's Blackblade. At a higher Strength level, it will hit just a bit harder and has a more useful Ash of War, but the investment required to get there just isn't worth it.
- Death's Poker: An extremely unique weapon. Its unique ability is basically three spells rolled into one, depending on the player's next attack. It applies Frostbite, which is one of the most overlooked status effects in the game.
- Alabaster Lord's Sword: It has an Ash of War that is basically an upgraded Gravitas. It's decent, and the recent patch has helped out with its cumbersome animation, but its short range holds it back from being truly great.
- Marais Executioner's Sword: While its Ash of War also benefited from a recent buff, it's too predictable to be of any use outside of PvE combat. Still, it's now capable of dishing out massive damage and isn't hampered by a slow casting time.
- Dark Moon Greatsword: It should be an excellent option since it comes at the end of Ranni's questline, but even after its recent buffs it still falls short of being totally viable. An extremely nice stylistic option, though.
C-Tier
- Helphen's Steeple: A decent candidate to power stance with another weapon, but ultimately held back by poor scaling. Its weight also means that it's ultimately difficult to pair well with the Strength and Intelligence build that would be required to use it effectively.
- Iron Greatsword: It's not significantly worse than the other basic options available, but the Iron Greatsword comes late in the game and can be tricky to obtain. There's no point in grinding for it since it's outshone by its peers.
Elden Ring is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.