Elden Ring: The Best Weapons and Where to Find Them

Editor’s Note: Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree has been announced and will be released on June 21. Now’s the time to pick up all the best weapons in the base game to take into the game’s expansion, which you’ll need to explore its huge new area and the ten additional major bosses.

Shadow of the Erdtree will also add over 100 weapons and eight new weapon categories, including the light greatsword and martial fists, all of which can be brought back into the main game. We got to test these out in our hands-on preview of the long-awaited DLC, so check that out for our initial thoughts ahead of the expansion’s release.

As you get yourself settled in the world of Elden Ring, you’ll find there are endless weapons available. But which ones are best? There’s always good weapons to find, but some of the better ones are a bit more difficult to find, and are often designed with certain requirements to properly wield them.

The game’s recent update has made some changes to several of the weapons in the game, but there’s still an assortment to take advantage of in this. In this guide, we’re focusing on some of the best weapons in the early to mid-game of Elden Ring. Though some require you to defeat major bosses, generally you can find many of these weapons in the beginning of your journey if you’ve got the grit to find them.

If you need more help with Elden Ring, check out our other guides on finding Smithing Stones, which Ash Summon you should use and our general boss guide for some of the game’s most harrowing encounters. 

Greatsword (Colossal Sword)

This weapon is a heavy sword that takes a great deal of stamina and strength to wield. It may not be too useful for those who prefer to use magic or stay quick on their feet, but for anyone looking to deal raw damage that quickly staggers foes, this is a great pick. Interestingly enough, this weapon is also a direct nod to the late Kentaro Miura and his landmark manga series Berserk, which focused on a traveling swordsman wielding a massive sword.

This weapon is located in the Caelid region east of Limgrave. From the Warmaster’s Shack in Limgrave, you follow the road heading west, and once you see that the atmosphere has changed to a blood-red sky, you’ll know that you’re getting close. Eventually, you’ll come to a ruined caravan protected by large dogs. If you can sneak past them, you can make your way to the back of one of the wagons to find a chest that will have the Greatsword. This region is incredibly dangerous early in the game, but you can still make a beeline for this spot once you get your horse Torrent and come away unscathed if you play it safe.

Reduvia (Dagger)

Daggers in Elden Ring can be somewhat tricky to use effectively. While they are the fastest blade weapons, they tend to lack the range and attack power of other melee options. That said, daggers can still deal quick damage with the right build and land an effective backstab for big damage. One dagger, in particular, does a lot to make up for range and attack power, and that’s the Reduvia. This evil-looking dagger can inflict serious damage fast, and it’s able to spew out blood attacks that can inflict blood loss damage.

This dagger is one of the easier weapons to find, as you won’t have to go too far from the beginning of the game. The Reduvia is dropped by the red phantom Bloody Hunter Nerijus, located just outside of Murkwater Cave north of the lake in Limgrave. By following the stream connected to the lake northward, you’ll be invaded by Nerijus, and you’ll need to fight him. If you spoke with Yura, located in the ruins south of the lake, he’ll show up to help in this fight. Once you defeat Nerijus, then the Reduvia will be yours.

Twinblade (Double-sided Sword)

You can get the game’s first twinblade-type weapon in Elden Ring’s opening area, and it’s very easy to miss. The Twinblade is a double-sided sword that caters to strength and dexterity builds, resulting in fast and heavy damage that will give you a large area of effect. The quick strikes can easily overwhelm enemies, allowing you to lay in a lot of damage in multiple hits. 

To find this weapon, make your way to the Dragon Burnt Ruins in the southern part of the lake in Limgrave. While you may be aware of the chest trap, there is another weapon here that’s free for the taking. Head to the southern part of the ruins, and you’ll find a ruined building with no entryways to get into. Hop on Torrent and run to the nearby rocks to get some height. Sprint and double-jump to get into the perimeter of the building and then make your way down the stairs to find a safe chest, which houses the Twinblade.

Winged Scythe (Reaper)

Reaper weapons are blades that focus on long, sweeping strikes against enemies. They’ll keep you at a distance from your enemies, making them a great option for players who like to use magic but still want to dish out heavy melee strikes. In particular, the Winged Scythe leans into character builds that focus on magic and melee damage, and it can be found on the Weeping Peninsula, just south of Limgrave.

Located in the Tombsward Ruins, along the peninsula’s northern coast, the Winged Scythe is locked in a chest underneath the destroyed temple. Once you clear out the enemies, you can descend into the ruins to grab the weapon. Along with being great at balancing magic and melee damage, it also deals Holy Damage.

Meteorite Staff (Staff)

If you’re a magic user and want a staff that will boost your casting abilities for the early to mid-game, then the Meteorite Staff is an excellent option. While this staff can’t be upgraded or infused with Ashes of War skills, it makes up for it by offering some impressive boosts for intelligence-based characters, which will boost all magic damage for your spells. While you’ll eventually find an upgrade to surpass this weapon, the Meteorite Staff will keep you going for a while.

To find this staff, you’ll need to head into the deeper areas of Caelid. While this may seem daunting for the early game, you may find yourself there unexpectedly if you choose to open the chest in the Dragon Burnt Ruins. The chest inside the cellar will whisk you away to the Sellia Crystal Tunnel, an extremely dangerous place in central Caelid. It’s fruitless to finish the dungeon early, so just bail as soon as you can. Once outside, head further south into the swamp to find the Street of Sages Ruins, there will be a corpse that possesses the Meteorite Staff. Once you get it, make a beeline for the nearest grace site and warp back to safe harbor.

Moonveil (Katana)

Katanas are extremely fast and agile swords that can inflict blood loss damage on all types of enemies. However, there’s one katana that has quickly moved up in popularity due to its imbued magic abilities, and that’s the Moonveil. What makes this katana special is its weapon art skill called Transient Moonlight, which sends out a wave of magical energy with each slash, at the cost of FP. This ability not only gives the special katana added range, but it also gives it some serious damage that tears through an enemy’s defenses.

To find the Moonveil, you’ll once again need to head to Caelid. However, it’s recommended that you level up enough to stand a chance against some of the region’s bosses. You’ll need to defeat the Magma Wyrm in Caelid’s Gael Tunnel, a cave dungeon located just on the border of Limgrave and Caelid, directly south of Shack of the Rotting. After defeating the Magma Wyrm, the Moonveil will be acquired shortly after.

Sword of Night and Flame (Sword)

This sword has become rather notorious among the Elden Ring community, as it allows you to fire out ludicrous beams of energy or large flaming strikes against enemies. It truly caters to those who want to be melee-oriented and deal magic simultaneously. To properly wield it, you’ll need to have enough points in strength, dexterity, faith and intelligence. If you don’t satisfy the stat checks, then the weapon’s special abilities will not activate. While the recent patch has decreased the weapon’s power slightly, it’s still a useful weapon for those built the right way for it.
To get this weapon, you’ll need to make it to Caria Manor, located just north of the Liurnia of the Lakes region. This particular location is especially dangerous, as you’ll have to deal with ghost knights and a plethora of creepy hand/spider hybrid monsters that like to hide in the dirt. Once you make it to the second floor, you’ll come across a stone pathway populated by ghost soldiers. Travel to the northeastern section of this area and look for a broken wall that overlooks a roof of a small building. Jump down and head inside to find the sword in a chest. Now you have one of Elden Ring’s strongest weapons.

Death’s Poker (Greatsword)

The Death’s Poker is certainly an unusual-looking greatsword class weapon, but it totally makes up for its looks with raw power and an extremely powerful weapon skill that does some serious damage against surrounding enemies. Following the recent patch, this heavy weapon has moved up the ranks to become a fan favorite for taking out foes quickly, and with some fairly modest stat requirements, it can be easily picked up by any class. The weapon has some solid range and does frostbite damage with its strikes. The Ghostflame Ignition weapon skill is also a powerful attack that does explosive damage to surrounding enemies. If you were a Hoarfrost Stomp user, and were disappointed by the recent patch that lowered its strength, this weapon can be a nice alternate.

To find this weapon, you’ll need to have made some progress in exploring the Caelid region, just east of Limgrave. During the night, you’ll need to travel southeast from the Southern Aeonia Swamp Bank grace site in southern Caelid. It’s important that you do this during the night, as the mini-boss that has the weapon won’t spawn at any other point during the day. Once you travel southeast, you’ll face off against the Death Rite Bird, which can be tough if you’re under-leveled. The best way to beat it is to stay close to its side, make quick attacks, and immediately run away once it starts powering its special attacks. Once you beat it, then Death’s Poker is all yours.

Ghiza’s Wheel (Colossal Weapon)

Fans of Bloodborne may recognize this special buzzsaw axe, and a distant cousin of it appears in Elden Ring. Ghiza’s Wheel is a weird axe that not only does the standard slashing damage that axes do but it can also be used as a chainsaw by using its weapon skill. Given the unique nature of the weapon, you cannot give it another weapon art, which is totally OK. When used normally, this weapon can tear into enemies, but the added buzzsaw attack can really take things up a notch. It also does blood loss damage, which can quickly drain an enemy’s health.

Finding this weapon can be tricky, though. To claim it, you’ll need to head to the Volcano Manor, which is in Mt. Gelmir in the northwestern portion of the game world. You can reach this place by heading northwest from Altus Plateau and heading into the mountains. Eventually, you’ll make it to the lava lakes, guarded by a large Magma Wyrm. Once you overcome the lake and the large mini-boss, follow the trail until you reach the large castle hidden in the mountains. Once inside the manor, talk to the NPCs in the area and then head upstairs, where you’ll face a red phantom named Inquisitor Ghiza. Defeat him, and then you’ll acquire his special buzzsaw weapon.

Eleonora’s Poleblade (Double-sided sword)

The Twinblades are among the more unusual blade weapons in Elden Ring. But one that stands out among the others is Eleonora’s Poleblade. This particular Poleblade’s strikes emphasize fast strikes that build up blood damage. The weapon art for Eleonora’s Poleblade takes things further by allowing you to execute a series of spinning slash attacks that will hit enemies surrounding you and build up even more bleed damage. This weapon is primarily for Dexterity and Arcane users, but the requirements are decent enough for most players to pick up the weapon. If your character is built for bleed damage, this weapon is one of the top ones.

To find this weapon, you’ll need to head to the Second Church of Marika in the Altus Plateau region. You can find this location just north up the road from the highway junction grace site. You’ll need to have met Yura in Limgrave, the wandering samurai who helps you fight red phantoms, to trigger the encounter to gain this weapon. When you get to the church, you’ll find an encounter with a red phantom named Eleonora, Violet Bloody Finger. You’ll need to at least encounter Yura twice in his questline to start this fight. Once you defeat Eleonora, then you’ll gain their weapon.

Rivers of Blood (Katana)

Katanas are among the most powerful weapon types specializing in blood loss damage. However, one katana that’s a cut above the rest is the Rivers of Blood. The Elden Ring community has named this best weapon that deals blood loss damage, which makes it incredibly useful for PvP and general dungeon crawling gameplay. To get the most out of it, you’ll need to have Dexterity and Arcade leveled up, which will allow you to use the weapon skill that boosts blood loss damage even further.

This weapon is found in one of the later regions of Elden Ring called the Mountaintop of the Giants. This area is close to the end of the game, but it’s important to keep it in mind as it can be easy to skip over. To get the weapon, you’ll need to defeat the red phantom Bloody Finger Okina, located just outside the Church of Repose. You can find the church on the southern edge of the eastern side of the Mountaintop of the Giants, just west of the area where the Fire Giant boss fight is. The fight with Bloody Finger Okina can be tricky as he wields the Rivers of Blood and can trigger blood loss on your character. Once you beat him, you’ll gain the weapon for your arsenal.

Are these weapons still useful in the Elden Ring DLC?

It remains to be seen whether the best weapons of Elden Ring will be as effective against the enemies and bosses in the Shadow of the Erdtree — we’ll know when it comes out on June 21. It’s possible that some of the over 100 new weapons coming in the DLC will dethrone a few of them and become new player favorites. But the more exciting possibility is in the synergies we won’t discover until we play the expansion ourselves.

Many of the above weapons have their usefulness amplified by talismans, other paired weapons, spells or equipment, and we know we’re getting more of all of those in the DLC. Since we can take all the new weapons back into the base areas of Elden Ring, there are many opportunities for new builds and devastating combinations — which we’ll only know when Shadow of the Erdtree comes out.