Elden Ring Weapons

Elden Ring, the expansive action RPG from FromSoftware, has captivated players with its challenging gameplay and intricate world design. Central to this experience is the game’s vast arsenal of weapons, each offering unique abilities and playstyles. From traditional swords and spears to arcane staves and enchanted katanas, the choices are extensive, catering to the varied preferences of the Tarnished traversing the Lands Between.

The weapons in Elden Ring not only define how players engage in combat but also how they navigate through the game’s many challenges. Mastery of a weapon’s moveset and the strategic use of its specific skills can turn the tide in the hardest of battles. Furthermore, the game’s upgrade system allows for customization and optimization, enabling players to enhance their weapons in line with their character’s build and the adversaries they face.

Understanding the nuances of each weapon type is vital for success in Elden Ring. Whether it’s the swift strikes of a samurai’s blade or the crushing impact of a colossal hammer, every weapon has its place and utility. Players must weigh factors like speed, range, and damage potential when selecting their armaments—choices that can greatly influence their journey through the game’s daunting yet enticing realm.

Types of Weapons

Elden Ring offers a diverse arsenal of armaments, each with unique attributes and playstyle considerations. Players can select weapons based on personal preference, character build, and situational demands.

Melee Weapons

Melee weapons are the backbone of combat in Elden Ring. They range from swift daggers to hefty greatswords. Each category of melee weapon has distinct attack patterns and special abilities, known as weapon arts. Players must consider factors such as weight, damage type (slash, thrust, strike), and statistical requirements (strength, dexterity, etc.) when choosing the right weapon for their character.

• Straight Swords: Balanced speed and power.
• Greatswords: Slower swings, higher damage.
• Hammers: Effective against armored foes.
• Polearms: Extended reach, versatile movesets.

Ranged Weapons

Ranged weapons allow combatants to strike from a distance, potentially avoiding direct confrontations. The most common forms are bows and crossbows, with variations in range, firing rate, and ammunition type offering strategic choices for the player. Ranged weapons are influenced by the dexterity stat and often require a supplementary stock of arrows or bolts.

• Short Bows: Quick draw time, less damage.
• Long Bows: Powerful, slower shots, higher range.
• Crossbows: No draw time, can be fired without aiming.

Magic Weapons

Magic weapons infuse typical combat with elemental or arcane power, offering ways to exploit enemy weaknesses. Weapons may inherently possess magic or can be imbued via Ashes of War or sorceries. Mages and magic-focused fighters must weigh the magic scaling of these weapons against other attributes to maximize effectiveness.

• Staves: Enhance sorcery casting potency.
• Sacred Seals: Required for incantations.
• Enchanted Weapons: Deal additional magic or elemental damage.

Weapon Categories

Elden Ring features a diverse arsenal, broken down into specific categories to suit different playstyles. Each category encompasses a variety of weapons that are tailored for various combat scenarios and strategies.

Straight Swords

Straight Swords are versatile weapons that strike a balance between speed and power. They are favored for their quick, light attacks that allow for swift, consecutive strikes.

Greatswords

Greatswords are larger than Straight Swords and offer higher damage at the cost of slower attack speed. They are suitable for players who prefer raw power and have sweeping, impactful strikes.

Colossal Swords

Colossal Swords are massive, heavy weapons that deliver devastating blows. Their slow swing speed is offset by the significant damage they deal, making positioning crucial.

Polearms

Polearms include spears and halberds, offering long reach and thrusting capabilities. They excel at keeping enemies at bay while delivering precise, stabbing attacks.

Bows

Bows provide ranged combat options, allowing players to deal damage from a distance. They require arrows to use and offer various types of ammunition for different effects.

Crossbows

Crossbows are similar to bows but provide a quicker method of firing bolts. They are more straightforward to use but generally have a shorter range than bows.

Staves

Staves are the primary weapons used by sorcerers to cast spells. They enhance the potency of sorceries and are essential for magic-based builds.

Whips

Whips have long reach and can hit multiple enemies with a single swing. They offer a unique move set, different from traditional melee weapons.

Hammers

Hammers deal crushing damage and are effective against heavily armored foes. They can stagger opponents, providing players with an opening to land additional hits.

Flails

Flails have a distinctive attack pattern due to their chains and weighted ends. They are capable of bypassing shields and can be challenging to predict in combat.

Axes

Axes are powerful, mid-speed weapons that offer a good mix of slashing and chopping attacks. They excel at breaking an opponent’s guard and dealing significant damage.

Spears

Spears provide excellent range and piercing damage. They are optimal for engaging from a safe distance and can be used effectively behind a shield.

Halberds

Halberds combine the features of spears and axes. They have extended reach and versatile attack patterns that are effective for both slashing and thrusting.

Weapon Upgrades and Customization

In “Elden Ring,” players can enhance their weapons’ performance and adapt them to different playstyles through a robust upgrade and customization system.

Upgrading Weapons

Weapons in “Elden Ring” can be upgraded using Smithing Stones, which boost their damage output. Each weapon type has a unique upgrade path and maximum level, often capping at +10 or +20 depending on the weapon. Higher weapon levels require rarer Smithing Stones. A table displaying a simplified upgrade path is as follows:

Infusing Weapons

Infusion allows players to imbue their weapons with special properties using Ashes of War. This process modifies a weapon’s attributes and can even change the type of scaling it benefits from. For example, a player can infuse a sword with a “Magic” Ash of War to scale with intelligence and deal additional magic damage. Infusions can be swapped, but each weapon can only hold one Ash of War at a time.

Weapon Skills and Abilities

Weapons come with inherent skills, but these can be customized with Ashes of War. Each weapon skill provides unique abilities, like powerful attacks or defensive maneuvers, that consume Focus Points (FP). Below lists some examples of skills and their effects:

• Storm Blade: A skill that unleashes a gust of wind with sweeping attacks.
• Lifesteal Fist: Steals HP from enemies with each successful hit.

Customizing weapon skills is essential for tailoring combat to individual playstyles, and players must consider their tactical needs when selecting skills.

Acquiring Weapons

In “Elden Ring,” players have diverse methods to obtain weapons, each with unique mechanics. The main avenues include looting enemies, crafting, engaging in trade, and defeating bosses.

Looting

Players frequently find weapons by looting fallen enemies or discovering them in chests scattered throughout the game world. For instance, common soldiers might drop basic swords, while more formidable foes may yield rare armaments.

• Common Enemies: Shortsword, Club
• Elite Enemies: Bloodhound Fang, Grafted Blade Greatsword

Crafting

Crafting weapons in “Elden Ring” is possible once players acquire the necessary materials and recipes. They can forge items like whetblades, which enhance weapons with special characteristics.

• Materials Required:
  • Iron: For basic blades
  • Smithing Stones: For upgrading weapons

Trading

Players can trade with merchants or other players to acquire new weapons. Certain NPCs, such as Nomadic Merchants, sell unique weapons in exchange for Runes.

• Merchant Inventory Sample:
  • Nomadic Merchant’s Straight Sword
  • Twinblade

Boss Drops

Defeating bosses is a primary way to gain powerful and unique weapons. Bosses drop weapons that often reflect their abilities or aesthetics, such as the iconic Moonlight Greatsword obtained from a legendary sorcerer.

• Notable Boss Weapon Drops:
  • Starscourge Greatsword: From Starscourge Radahn
  • Gargoyle’s Black Axe: From Valiant Gargoyle

Stat Requirements and Scaling

In Elden Ring, each weapon has specific stat requirements for use and benefits from attribute scaling, which affects the weapon’s effectiveness based on the player’s character stats.

Attribute Scaling

Weapons in Elden Ring scale with certain attributes, which determines how much additional damage they deal based on the player’s stats. Scaling grades range from ‘S’, ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’, ‘D’, to ‘E’, with ‘S’ being the strongest. For instance, a sword with an ‘A’ scaling in Strength offers a significant damage boost for players with high Strength. This scaling can change as weapons are upgraded, often improving the existing scaling grades.

Stat Thresholds

To wield weapons effectively, players must meet minimum stat requirements. These thresholds are listed in the weapon’s description and include attributes like Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, and Faith. If a player does not meet these requirements, they’ll experience penalties such as reduced damage and slower attack animations. For example, a greatsword might require a player to have at least 20 Strength and 10 Dexterity; failing to meet these stats would hinder the weapon’s performance for that player.

Weapon Buffs and Special Effects

In Elden Ring, weapons can be enhanced with buffs and special effects, offering strategic advantages. These modifications can be elemental, inflict status ailments, or tie into a weapon’s unique capabilities.

Elemental Buffs

Elemental Buffs elevate damage output by embedding additional elemental damage types to weapons. Each element has its strengths and weaknesses against various foes and environments:

• Fire: Effective against enemies weak to flame.
• Lightning: Useful for piercing armor and shocking foes.
• Magic: Ideal against enemies with low magic resistance.
• Holy: Particularly potent on the undead and certain bosses.

Basic Elemental Buffs:

• Fire Grease
• Lightning Grease
• Magic Grease
• Holy Grease

Status Effects

Weapons can also inflict Status Effects, which degrade an opponent’s combat effectiveness or deal damage over time. Key status ailments include:

• Bleed: Deals a percentage of the enemy’s health as damage.
• Poison: Slowly depletes the target’s health pool over a period.
• Frost: Lowers enemy defense and stamina regeneration.

Status Affecting Items:

• Redrot Pellets
• Poisonbone Darts
• Freezing Pots

Weapon Arts

The Weapon Arts system endows weapons with unique abilities, often pivotal in combat. Each weapon art has specific uses, ranging from powerful area-of-effect attacks to enhancing the wielder’s defensive capabilities. Weapon arts can be activated using the FP bar. Some notable weapon arts include:

• Ash of War: Storm Stomp: Creates a shockwave that damages and knocks back enemies.
• Ash of War: Bloodhound’s Step: Enhances mobility with a swift, evasive maneuver.

Examples of Weapon Arts:

• Golden Vow
• Sacred Blade
• Unseen Form

Combat and Usage

In “Elden Ring,” understanding the combat mechanics and strategic use of weapons is vital for survival and success. Each weapon type offers unique offensive strategies, defensive maneuvers, and can be paired with others to complement various playstyles.

Offensive Strategies

Greatswords: These massive blades deliver heavy slashes and can break enemy guards. Players should use charged attacks to maximize damage and stagger opponents.

Thrusting Swords: Fast and precise, thrusting swords like rapiers are ideal for quick jabs. Utilize their speed to interrupt enemy attacks and exploit openings.

Defensive Maneuvers

Shields: Equipping a shield provides block and parry options. A successful parry disrupts enemy attacks, allowing for a riposte which deals critical damage.

Dodging: Players can utilize light armor for increased mobility, making dodging an effective defensive tactic. Timing rolls grants invincibility frames, avoiding damage entirely.

Weapon Pairing

Magic and Melee: Combining a staff with a melee weapon lets players adapt to various scenarios. Cast spells from a distance and switch to melee when enemies close in.

Quick and Heavy Weapons: Pairing a quick weapon with a heavy one allows for flexibility. Use the quick weapon to apply constant pressure and the heavy for high-damage strikes when an opportunity arises.

PvP Considerations

In Player vs. Player (PvP) encounters, knowledge of weapon matchups and counterplay strategies is critical for success.

Weapon Matchups

Each weapon in Elden Ring presents unique strengths and weaknesses in PvP scenarios. For instance, greatswords deliver powerful strikes but are typically slower, making them susceptible to faster weapons like daggers or thrusting swords. Understanding these dynamics is key.

• Greatswords: High damage but slow
  • Weak Against: Daggers, Thrusting Swords
• Daggers: Fast, with quickstep ability
  • Weak Against: Spears, Polearms
• Thrusting Swords: Precise and quick
  • Weak Against: Great Hammers, Colossal Weapons

Counterplay Strategies

Effective counterplay involves adapting one’s tactics to the opponent’s weapon choice. For instance, against a player wielding a greatsword, one might use a dagger to exploit its speed advantage, staying close and sidestepping heavy attacks.

• Versus Greatswords: Use daggers to outspeed and quickstep around attacks.
• Versus Daggers: Maintain distance with spears or polearms to leverage reach.
• Versus Thrusting Swords: Employ great hammers for staggering opponents and disrupting their rhythm.

Community and Meta

The Elden Ring community actively engages in discussions and exchanges about the most effective weaponry to use in-game. They closely monitor changes and adapt their strategies accordingly, forming a meta that evolves with their collective experience.

Popular Weapons

• Rivers of Blood: A katana that inflicts bleed; favored for its ‘Corpse Piler’ skill.
• Moonveil: A transposing katana with strong magic scaling; known for its ‘Transpiercer’ skill.
• Starscourge Greatsword: A colossal sword that can unleash gravitational attacks.

These weapons consistently appear in player discussions due to their high damage, scalability, and unique abilities that offer tactical advantages in various combat scenarios.

Emerging Trends

• Twinblades: Rapidly growing in popularity, especially ones with bleed effects.
• Colossal Weapons: Seeing increased use for their poise damage and area control.

The community keeps a close eye on new patches that can significantly influence weapon performance, thus altering the meta. Players are quick to experiment and share findings on social platforms, which contributes to the emerging trends.