10 Best New Weapons in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

Patrick_Yu · July 10

Elden Ring's latest expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree, introduces a host of new weapons that cater to various playstyles and build preferences. With eight new weapon categories, players have more options than ever to tailor their combat experience. From the deadly Spear of the Impaler to the versatile Rellana's Twin Blades, these weapons offer unique abilities and powerful attacks that can turn the tide of battle. To get the most out of these weapons, we recommend upgrading them to +25 using Smithing Stones or +10 using Somber Smithing Stones and ensuring you meet the stat requirements so they reach their full potential.

In this article, we highlight the top 10 new weapons in the DLC, providing details on their requirements, locations, and special features.

Whether a seasoned tarnished or a new maidenless beginner to the Lands Between and Land of Shadow, these weapons will enhance your journey and help you slay countless foes.

Note: This article has been updated to reflect the changes of Patch 1.15.

1. Spear of the Impaler

Messmer and The Spear of the Impaler.jpg

Requirement:

Str 14
Dex 35
Fai 18

Where to find:

Trade Remembrance of the Impaler at Enia for this weapon.

“Those stripped of the Grace of Gold shall all meet death, In the embrace of Messmer's flame.”

Starting off the list is Spear of the Impaler, which stands out as a powerful weapon due to its combination of high damage output and versatile combat capabilities. This weapon is wielded by Mesmer the Impaler, one of the game’s main antagonists. After defeating Messmer, the players have the chance to use the same weapon to burn and poke your foes.

The spear excels in both physical and fire damage, scaling effectively with Faith and Dexterity. Its Ash of War delivers multiple powerful flaming hits, culminating in a devastating final slam that inflicts a lot of damage. Although the Ash of War can be interrupted, completing its full animation results in significant damage.

The spear's charge attack adds another layer of versatility by allowing the player to throw it, leaving fire on the ground and dealing substantial damage from a distance. This makes the weapon effective in both close-range and ranged combat scenarios. While the throwing attack is powerful, it does require a considerable amount of stamina, which can limit its repeated use.

The Spear of the Impaler also excels in controlling groups of enemies, with sweeping attacks and the ability to throw the spear, making it effective against multiple foes at once. Additionally, it proves particularly effective against certain enemies, such as the Divine Beast Dancing Lion and Scadutree Avatar, due to their vulnerability to fire damage.

The weapon allows for a variety of build options, focusing on Faith and Dexterity, and can be enhanced with specific talismans and buffs to maximize its effectiveness. Beyond its practical performance, the spear's striking design also adds to its appeal, making it a favorite among players. Overall, the Spear of the Impaler is a top choice in Shadow of the Erdtree, offering a balanced and powerful weapon for diverse combat situations.

2. Ancient Meteoric Ore Greatsword

Requirement:

Str 35
Dex 10
Arc 19

Where to find:

This can be found in the altar of the Ruined Forge Starfall Past.

The Ancient Meteoric Ore Greatsword in Shadow of the Erdtree is a must include due to its unique combination of high attack power and versatile combat capabilities. Found early in the DLC at the Rune Forge Starfall, this sword is accessible without having to defeat a boss, making it easy to obtain. The weapon scales predominantly with Strength and Arcane, offering both physical and magic damage—a rare combination in Elden Ring. This makes it a valuable addition to any player's arsenal, particularly for those focusing on a Strength-Arcane build.

One of the standout features of the Ancient Meteoric Ore Greatsword is its White Light Charge weapon skill, which allows players to charge forward and deliver a thrusting attack, followed by a powerful AOE detonation. This skill is an excellent gap closer and deals significant stance damage, making it effective for breaking the stance of bosses and regular enemies alike. The weapon also boasts high guard boost, allowing players to block and counter effectively. Despite its weight, which requires careful management of the equip load to avoid fat rolling, the sword's combination of high damage, effective weapon skill, and dual scaling makes it an indispensable weapon in Shadow of the Erdtree.

3. Curseblade's Cirque

Requirement:

Str 9
Dex 22

Where to find:

Drops from Curseblade enemies wielding it (see image).

The Curseblade Cirque is a must-get weapon in Shadow of the Erdtree for several reasons. First and foremost, it is accessible early in the DLC, making it an excellent choice for players seeking a powerful weapon from the outset. The Curseblade Cirque features the unique Deadly Dance Ash of War, which allows players to perform a visually impressive and highly effective spinning attack followed by a dropkick. This move, combined with the weapon’s native blood lust build-up, enables players to inflict significant bleed damage on enemies quickly. Among early-game backhand blades, the Curseblade Cirque stands out with its high base damage, offering superior offensive capabilities.

Additionally, the weapon’s quick attack speed and multi-hit guard counter enhance both offensive and defensive strategies, providing versatile combat options. The Curseblade Cirque synergizes well with various buffs and talismans, such as Millicent’s Prosthesis and Rotten Winged Insignia, which further amplify its performance based on successive hits and blood loss. Overall, its combination of early accessibility, unique abilities, high damage output, and compatibility with buffs make the Curseblade Cirque an invaluable asset for any Elden Ring player.

4. Devonia’s Hammer

Requirement:

Str 30
Dex 13
Fai 19

Where to find:

Defeat Devonia, Crucible Knight, near Rauh Ancient Ruins, East Grace

Strength chads rejoice, for divine justice is upon us! Devonia's Hammer is a colossal weapon that delivers both physical and holy damage, making it an amazing choice for players who prioritize strength and want to 'unga bunga' everything in the Land of Shadow to death.

The hammer's unique weapon skill, Devonia's Vortex, costs 16 FP and allows for powerful charged attacks. Its special attack allows for a potent slam that increases the damage the longer it is charged, making it ideal for dealing massive aoe damage in critical moments.

To make things even sweeter, Patch 1.14 buffed Devonia's Vortex, allowing it to deal increased damage, extend the attack range of the Great Hammer's spin, and increased poise value and poise generation speed.

The hammer should be paired with talismans, like Shard of Alexander or Claw Talisman, to further boost its effectiveness, allowing players to tailor their playstyle to maximize the weapon's potential.

Moreover, acquiring this weapon also rewards players with the Crucible Hammer Helm, which boosts the potency of Crucible incantations. Overall, Devonia's Hammer is a stand out choice for players looking to dominate their foes with sheer strength and holy might.

5. Milady (with Wing Stance Ash of War)

Requirement:

Str 12
Dex 17

Where to find:

Find the Milady Light Greatsword in a chest at the top of a watchtower in Castle Ensis.

Milday, the light greatsword, a new weapon class introduced in the DLC, is an exceptional weapon combining speed, power, and versatility, making it a top choice for players. It scales well with dexterity and offers a rapid attack pattern that allows for significant damage build-up. Acquired early in the game, it is accessible and immediately impactful. Milday's strong and fluid attacks make it ideal for exploiting talismans and effects that boost damage with quick successive hits, and its ability to stun enemies repeatedly gives players a strategic advantage in combat.

Pairing Milday with the Wing Stance Ash of War unlocks its full potential. The Wing Stance provides two distinct attack options: a rapid three-slash combo for continuous pressure and a powerful jumping thrust for closing gaps and staggering enemies. This combination enhances the weapon's natural strengths, making it versatile and adaptable to various combat situations. The synergy between Milday's speed and the strategic flexibility of the Wing Stance ensures that players can maintain control of the battlefield, making this pairing a formidable choice for both regular encounters and challenging boss fights.

6. Greatsword of Solitude

Requirement:

Str 27
Dex 13

Where to find:

Defeat the Blackgaol Knight in the Western Nameless Mausoleum to obtain this item.

The Greatsword of Solitude is a top-tier weapon choice for both PvP and PvE due to its exceptional strength scaling and versatile capabilities. This sword features an impressive A scaling in strength when fully upgraded, making it ideal for pure strength builds. Its standard greatsword move set, while not including poke attacks, offers substantial damage and reach. The weapon's high guard boost and physical damage reduction effectively make it a viable medium shield, allowing you to block and guard counter effectively, turning defense into offense seamlessly.

One of the standout features of the Greatsword of Solitude is its Ash of War, Solitary Moon Slash. This skill combines a projectile attack with a powerful melee slash, dealing significant damage and making it difficult for enemies to dodge. This combination is particularly effective in PvE, where it can stagger and interrupt enemies, including notoriously dodgy bosses.

To maximize the effectiveness of the Greatsword of Solitude, pairing it with specific talismans and Crystal Tears is essential. Talismans like the Bull-Goat’s Talisman for high poise, Erdtree’s Favor +2 for overall stat boosts, the Great-Jar’s Arsenal for increased equip load, and the Shard of Alexander for enhanced Ash of War damage are highly recommended. For your Flask of Wondrous Physick, consider using the Deflecting Hardtear to enable perfect blocks and the Stonebarb Cracked Tear to boost poise damage. This setup allows for devastating guard counters and powerful follow-up attacks, making the Greatsword of Solitude a formidable weapon in any combat scenario.

7. Fire Knight’s Greatsword

Requirement:

Str 22
Dex 18
Fai 12

Where to find:

Farm Fire Knights in Shadow Keep, especially the one on the small bridge before the Storehouse, First Floor Site of Grace (see image).

The Fire Knight's Greatsword is an exceptional colossal sword that lets you cosplay as a badass Fire Knight. Its move set, featuring wide swings and long-reaching thrusts, allows you to hit enemies from a safe distance and consistently stagger them with high stance damage. The sword’s innate fire damage adds another layer of lethality, and its impressive reach makes it ideal for keeping foes at bay. Additionally, the ability to change the weapon's affinity to suit different builds—such as quality, flame art, or heavy scaling—enhances its effectiveness in various combat scenarios.

Accessible early in your playthrough, the Fire Knight's Greatsword allows for powerful builds right from the start. Optimize your build with spells like Golden Vow to boost damage and reduce incoming damage, and Flame Grant Me Strength to enhance both fire and physical damage. Use talismans such as the Shard of Alexander for increased skill damage, the Godfrey Icon for boosting charged spells and skills, and the Two-Handed Sword Talisman to maximize two-handed weapon damage.

Consider using Ashes of War like Flame Skewer and Flame Spear to augment your combat capabilities with fire damage and enhanced attack patterns. Equip armor like the Fire Knight Helm to boost HP, stamina, and equip load, and use seals such as the Giant Seal to amplify giant flame incantations. By combining these elements, the Fire Knight's Greatsword will make your character an unstoppable force in melee combat while providing the versatility needed to adapt to various challenges and enemy types, ensuring your dominance throughout the Land of Shadow.

8. Rellana's Twin Blades

Requirement:

Str 13
Dex 16
Int 16
Fai 16

Where to find:

Trade the Remembrance of the Twin Moon Knight with Enia at the Roundtable Hold to obtain this weapon.

Obtained via Remembrance after defeating Rellana Twin Moon Knight, aka Messmer’s number 1 fan girl, Rellana's Twin Blades is a powerful and graphically beautiful weapon that's worth using. These blades offer a unique combination of physical, magic, and fire damage, allowing you to tackle a variety of enemies effectively. The weapon's skill lets you easily switch between powerful fire and magic attacks, providing adaptability in multiple combat encounters. Just like Devonia's Hammer, the weapon skill of Rellana's Twin Blades, Moon-and-Fire Stance, received buffs to speed, damage, and poise damage in Patch 1.14.

Additionally, the Twin Blades scale well with strength, dexterity, intelligence, and faith, enabling you to customize your build according to your playstyle. Whether you focus on melee or a hybrid spellcasting approach, this weapon ensures a high damage output and flexibility, making it a valuable asset throughout your journey.

Moreover, Rellana's Twin Blades are complemented by specific armor and talismans that enhance their capabilities. Using Rellana's armor provides both aesthetic appeal and practical benefits like good protection and poise. Talismans such as the Shard of Alexander and Rellana's Cameo further boost the fire and magic weapon skills, maximizing the weapon's effectiveness. The build also accommodates essential buffs like Golden Vow and Flame Grant Me Strength, enhancing your overall performance in tough battles. With versatile flask and Great Rune options, you can tailor your strategy to meet different challenges, ensuring the Twin Blades remain a powerful and reliable weapon throughout the game.

Note: If you read the weapon description, you might shed a little tear

9. Rakshasa’s Great Katana

Requirement:

Str 12
Dex 27

Where to find:

Dropped by Rakshasa in Eastern Nameless Mausoleum.

One of the standout features of Rakshasa’s Great Katana in Shadow of the Erdtree is its straightforward and well-rounded build. While it may not be the most overpowered weapon, it offers a balanced approach to combat, making it versatile for various situations. The weapon has impressive range and fast attack speed, especially for a great katana. By investing in a full dexterity build, it achieves an impressive 850 AR, making it highly effective in dealing damage. Its numerous thrusting attacks are particularly potent, as piercing is considered one of the best damage types in the game.

Despite the Ash of War being less impactful against larger enemies and bosses due to its limited stagger potential, the weapon compensates with its high base damage and effective use of dexterity. This makes the Rakshasa’s Great Katana a reliable choice for players looking to maximize damage output without relying heavily on special moves. The build includes essential talismans and buffs, such as Flame Grant Me Strength, to enhance physical damage further. Overall, the Rakshasa’s Great Katana is a visually appealing and powerful weapon that rewards skilled play and offers a well-rounded combat experience in Shadow of the Erdtree.

10. Bloodfiend's Arm

Requirement:

Str 28
Dex 11
Arc 16

Where to find:

Dropped by Bloodfiend enemies using this weapon.
Guaranteed single drop from Bloodfiends in Prospect Town, found early game. Not farmable after the drop.
West of Taylew's Ruined Forge Site of Grace. Follow the Bloodfiends and soldiers fighting to a cave with a giant Bloodfiend. The item is next to it.

Even with the recent nerf to the Blood Fiend's Arm, this weapon still remains an effective weapon for maximizing blood loss buildup. Using specific talismans such as the Two-handed Sword Talisman and Axe Talisman boosts your damage, while the Dragon Crest Shield Talisman and Lord of Blood's Exaltation provide additional resilience and damage bonuses. For some bosses, swapping in the Ritual Sword Talisman, Ritual Shield Talisman, or Bull-Goat Talisman can offer extra protection and Poise. Combined with the right mixed wondrous physic boosts for poise and charged attack power, this build simplifies combat and allows you to boink and bleed bosses to death.

11. Euporia (Bonus Weapon)

Requirement:

Str 16
Dex 16
Fai 24

Where to find:

Found in Belurat Tower Settlement watch this video for a detailed guide.

Starting from Patch 1.13, Euphoria, a late-game weapon, has become a top-tier choice due to a significant buff that makes its luster effect easier to achieve and more powerful. The luster effect now activates after just three light attacks or one charged heavy, enhancing holy damage by 100 and lasting 30 seconds. When fully buffed and it's weapon skill, Euporia Vortex activated, the weapon transforms normal attacks into projectile attacks with considerable stance damage, both at range and point-blank. This, along with the ability to quickly stack damage and maintain buffs, makes Euphoria the best twin blade in the game, especially for two-handed builds, although its long animations and reliance on holy damage have some drawbacks.

See you later, fellow Tarnished

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree expands the world of Elden Ring with new lore and weapons that cater to every combat style. By upgrading these weapons to their maximum potential, you can fully experience the rich and challenging gameplay that FromSoftware has crafted.

To fully enjoy the stunning graphics and immersive experience of Elden Ring, we recommend gaming laptops equipped with at least an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti GPU. The Acer Predator series is a perfect choice, offering powerful performance and high-quality visuals. You can purchase these gaming laptops from the Acer online store. Equip yourself with the right weapons to kill a God and his promised consort.