Numerous new weapons are introduced in Elden Ring’s DLC. But in addition to the new weapons in the game, you might be considering whether it makes sense to upgrade any of them or alter your build. The greatest weapons in the Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC are listed below after we thoroughly examined the whole list of weaponry included in the pack.
Here’s a summary of the top weapons for various builds, including dexterity, bleed-damage, and quick martial arts builds, based on attributes and damage kinds.
- Black Steel Greathammer
- Greatsword of Solitude
- Star-Lined Sword
- Spear of the Impaler
- Lightning Perfume Bottle
- Dryleaf Arts
- Great Katana
Black Steel Greathammer :
The Black Steel Greathammer is a notable weapon introduced in the “Shadow of the Erdtree” DLC for “Elden Ring”.
A weapon of 25 strength and 17 faith, the Black Steel Greathammer can be found very early in the DLC. The weapon may be found at the Gravesite Plain, within the Church of Consolidation, from a Black Knight.
Here’s some detailed information about it:
- Skill:
- Crushing Darkness – Engulfs the hammer in dark energy, allowing for a powerful overhead slam that creates a shockwave of dark magic.
- Scaling:
- Primarily scales with Strength and Intelligence, making it suitable for hybrid physical and magical builds.
- Damage Type:
- Primarily physical with significant dark magic damage.
- Special Effects:
- Can stagger enemies effectively due to its heavy impact.
- Inflicts additional dark magic damage, which is effective against certain enemy types resistant to physical damage.
Characteristics
- High Base Damage:
- The Black Steel Greathammer boasts high base physical damage, making it formidable in melee combat.
- Dark Magic Enhancement:
- The dark magic aspect of the weapon makes it versatile, allowing players to deal significant damage to enemies weak to magic.
- Skill – Crushing Darkness:
- The skill not only deals substantial damage but also has a wide area of effect, making it effective against groups of enemies.
- The dark shockwave can knock back or stagger smaller foes, providing a strategic advantage in battles.
- Scaling:
- The weapon’s scaling with Strength and Intelligence makes it an excellent choice for characters focusing on a mix of brute strength and magical prowess.
- Investing in both attributes maximizes the weapon’s damage output.
- Usage:
- Ideal for players who prefer a slower but more devastating combat style.
- Effective in both PvE and PvP scenarios due to its high damage and staggering capability.
The Black Steel Greathammer is a powerful addition to any arsenal in the “Shadow of the Erdtree” DLC, offering a unique blend of physical might and magical potency.
Greatsword of Solitude:
In the first section of the game, the Gravesite Plain, the player must battle the Blackgaol Knight in the Western Nameless Mausoleum to gain the Greatsword of Solitude. After being struck by it during the boss fight in the tomb, you have undoubtedly experienced the power of one of the strongest strength-focused swords in the game to yet.
Here’s some detailed information about it:
- Skill:
- Silent Desolation – A unique skill that envelops the blade in a shroud of silence, releasing a powerful, quiet slash that can stagger and deal significant damage to enemies.
- Scaling:
- Primarily scales with Strength and Dexterity, making it suitable for quality builds.
- Damage Type:
- High physical damage with an additional silence effect.
- Special Effects:
- Can mute enemy spellcasting and special abilities for a short duration.
- High stagger potential against most enemies.
Characteristics
- High Base Damage:
- The Greatsword of Solitude offers substantial base physical damage, making it a powerful weapon in melee combat.
- Silence Effect:
- The silence effect is unique, preventing enemies from using magic or special abilities temporarily, providing a strategic edge in battles.
- Skill – Silent Desolation:
- This skill not only deals massive damage but also silences foes, making it particularly effective against magic-using enemies.
- The skill’s quiet nature makes it harder for enemies to predict and dodge, giving players an advantage in both PvE and PvP encounters.
- Scaling:
- With strong scaling in Strength and Dexterity, this weapon is ideal for players who invest in these attributes, ensuring maximum damage output.
- Versatile scaling allows for flexible build options, catering to various playstyles.
- Usage:
- Suitable for players who prefer a blend of heavy hitting and tactical combat.
- Effective in disrupting enemy spellcasters and ability users, providing control over the battlefield.
The Greatsword of Solitude is a versatile and powerful weapon in the “Shadow of the Erdtree” DLC, offering a unique blend of high physical damage and strategic silence capabilities.
Star-Lined Sword:
Currently ranked among the game’s strongest katanas is the Star-Lined Sword. Its skill is incredibly powerful; it summons multiple magic-based swings with a great range and rising damage with each strike. It has the capacity to deal massive damage to lone targets as well as control opposing groupings of foes.
Here’s some detailed information about it:
- Type:
- Straight Sword
- Skill:
- Celestial Arc – Unleashes a sweeping arc of starlight that deals both physical and magic damage.
- Scaling:
- Scales primarily with Strength, Dexterity, and Intelligence, making it ideal for hybrid physical and magical builds.
- Damage Type:
- Combination of physical and magic damage.
- Special Effects:
- Increased damage to enemies vulnerable to magic.
- Enhanced critical hit damage when used during nighttime or in low-light environments.
Characteristics
- Balanced Damage Output:
- The Starlined Sword offers a well-rounded mix of physical and magic damage, making it effective against a wide variety of enemies.
- Skill – Celestial Arc:
- This unique skill creates a wide arc of starlight, capable of hitting multiple enemies at once.
- The combination of physical and magic damage from the arc makes it particularly potent against magic-vulnerable foes.
- Scaling:
- With scaling in Strength, Dexterity, and Intelligence, this weapon is versatile and can fit into various hybrid builds.
- Investing in these attributes maximizes the weapon’s overall damage potential.
- Special Effects:
- Increased damage against magic-vulnerable enemies provides a strategic advantage in combat.
- Enhanced critical hit damage during nighttime or in low-light environments adds an extra layer of tactical depth.
- Usage:
- Ideal for players who enjoy a balanced playstyle, utilizing both melee and magical attacks.
- Effective in both PvE and PvP scenarios due to its versatile damage output and wide-reaching skill.
The Star-lined Sword is a versatile and powerful weapon in the “Shadow of the Erdtree” DLC, offering a unique combination of physical and magical damage that can be adapted to a variety of combat situations.
Spear of the Impaler:
A strong 18 faith stat and a high 35 dexterity stat are needed to wield the weapon. It works well for a combined faith and dexterity build.
Here’s some detailed information about it:
- Type:
- Spear
- Skill:
- Impaling Thrust – A powerful thrust attack that penetrates enemy defences, dealing high damage and applying a bleed effect.
- Scaling:
- Primarily scales with Dexterity and Arcane, making it suitable for builds focused on agility and bleed damage.
- Damage Type:
- Physical damage with bleed effect.
- Special Effects:
- Causes significant bleed buildup on hit.
- Increased damage against enemies with high poise.
Characteristics
- High Physical Damage:
- The Spear of the Impaler offers substantial base physical damage, making it a strong weapon for thrust attacks.
- Bleed Effect:
- The weapon applies a bleed effect, causing additional damage over time as the bleed meter fills up. This is particularly effective against enemies with high health pools.
- Skill – Impaling Thrust:
- This skill delivers a powerful, penetrating thrust that can bypass enemy shields and defenses.
- The bleed buildup from the skill can quickly inflict the bleed status on enemies, dealing a large burst of damage.
- Scaling:
- With scaling in Dexterity and Arcane, the weapon is ideal for players who focus on quick, agile combat and status effects.
- High Dexterity increases the weapon’s physical damage, while Arcane enhances the bleed effect.
- Special Effects:
- The bleed buildup is particularly useful in both PvE and PvP, as it can quickly reduce enemy health.
- Increased damage against enemies with high poise allows players to effectively combat heavily armored foes.
- Usage:
- Suitable for players who prefer a quick and aggressive playstyle, focusing on dealing consistent damage and applying status effects.
- Effective in both close-range and mid-range combat due to the spear’s reach and thrusting attacks.
The Spear of the Impaler is a powerful and versatile weapon in the “Shadow of the Erdtree” DLC, offering a combination of high physical damage and bleed effect that can quickly overwhelm enemies.
Lightning Perfume Bottle:
A brand-new weapon type in the DLC is the perfume bottles. These are magical weapons that are ranged and use scented powder to shower lightning throughout a target region. In the northeast of the Cerulean Coast, Lightning Bottles are among the first to be earned.
Here’s some detailed information about it:
- Effect:
- Releases a burst of concentrated lightning upon impact, dealing high lightning damage to enemies within its blast radius.
- Crafting Requirements:
- Requires specific materials such as Lightningbloom Flowers and Bottled Essence, which can be found throughout the DLC area.
- Usage:
- Can be used both in and out of combat to deal significant lightning damage.
- Effective against groups of enemies due to its area-of-effect nature.
Characteristics
- High Lightning Damage:
- The Lightning Perfume Bottle deals substantial lightning damage, making it effective against enemies weak to lightning.
- The damage is instant upon impact, providing a quick burst of power.
- Area-of-Effect Attack:
- Upon breaking, the bottle releases lightning in an area, making it useful for dealing with multiple enemies at once.
- The area-of-effect nature makes it a strategic tool in crowd control situations.
- Crafting and Availability:
- The item can be crafted using materials found in the “Shadow of the Erdtree” DLC, encouraging exploration and resource management.
- Players need to collect specific ingredients such as Lightning bloom Flowers and Bottled Essence to craft this item.
- Strategic Use:
- Ideal for softening up groups of enemies before engaging in melee combat.
- Can be thrown from a distance, allowing players to safely damage enemies before closing in.
- Effectiveness in Various Scenarios:
- Effective in both PvE and PvP due to its high damage and area-of-effect properties.
- Useful in boss fights where positioning and timing can maximize its impact.
The Lightning Perfume Bottle adds a versatile and powerful tool to the player’s arsenal in the “Shadow of the Erdtree” DLC, offering a unique way to deal with groups of enemies and take advantage of lightning weaknesses.
Dryleaf Arts:
Hand-to-hand fighting is another new weapon type included in the DLC. Because they don’t use weapons, these are essentially martial arts. The Dryleaf Arts, when levelled with strength and dexterity, may be one of the strongest weapons in the game when used with your fists.
Here’s some detailed information about it:
- Type:
- Combat Skills
- Availability:
- Can be acquired through various means such as finding specific items, defeating certain enemies, or completing quests within the DLC.
- Effect:
- These arts involve manipulating dry, brittle leaves imbued with magical properties to perform a variety of attacks and defensive maneuvers.
Characteristics
- Versatility:
- Dryleaf Arts offer a mix of offensive and defensive capabilities, allowing players to adapt to various combat situations.
- The skills can be used in combination to create powerful strategies and maximize damage output.
- Scaling and Effectiveness:
- The effectiveness of Dryleaf Arts scales with attributes such as Intelligence and Dexterity, making them suitable for hybrid builds.
- Investing in these attributes enhances the power and duration of the abilities.
- Resource Management:
- Using Dryleaf Arts consumes Focus Points (FP), requiring players to manage their resources effectively.
- Players may need to balance their use of Dryleaf Arts with other abilities and spells.
- Acquisition:
- Players can acquire these arts by exploring the DLC area, completing specific quests, or defeating key enemies.
- Some arts may be hidden or require solving puzzles to obtain.
Dryleaf Arts add a unique and tactical layer to combat in the “Shadow of the Erdtree” DLC, providing players with new ways to approach battles and enhance their playstyle.
Great Katana:
The Great Katana is a further new weapon type included in the DLC. With the nerf to Bloodfiend’s Arm, this is the best bleed weapon in the DLC. It is very adaptable due to its high scalability, strength, dexterity, and arcane abilities.
Here’s some detailed information about it:
- Skill:
- Tempest Slash – A powerful skill that unleashes a series of rapid, sweeping slashes imbued with wind, dealing high physical and wind damage.
- Scaling:
- Primarily scales with Dexterity and Strength, with secondary scaling in Intelligence for the wind effect.
- Damage Type:
- Physical damage with added wind elemental damage.
- Special Effects:
- Increased damage to enemies vulnerable to wind attacks.
- Enhanced critical hit damage, particularly when attacking from behind or after a successful parry.
Characteristics
- High Dexterity Scaling:
- The Great Katana excels with high Dexterity scaling, making it an ideal weapon for fast, agile combatants who prefer quick strikes and evasive maneuvers.
- Skill – Tempest Slash:
- This unique skill delivers a flurry of rapid slashes, creating a tempest of wind around the player.
- The wind damage can stagger enemies and disrupt their attacks, providing a tactical advantage.
- Versatility:
- The Great Katana’s combination of physical and wind damage makes it effective against a variety of enemy types, including those resistant to pure physical attacks.
- The weapon’s speed and range allow for both offensive and defensive combat strategies.
- Enhanced Critical Damage:
- The Great Katana has an increased critical hit multiplier, making it especially deadly when performing backstabs or ripostes after parrying.
- Scaling and Build Compatibility:
- With primary scaling in Dexterity and Strength, and secondary scaling in Intelligence, the Great Katana is versatile and can fit into multiple build types.
- Players focusing on Dexterity and Intelligence can maximize the weapon’s damage potential, particularly the wind element.
- Usage:
- Ideal for players who enjoy a fast-paced, aggressive playstyle with a focus on quick, successive attacks.
- Effective in both PvE and PvP scenarios due to its speed, range, and elemental damage.
The Great Katana is a versatile and powerful weapon in the “Shadow of the Erdtree” DLC, offering a unique blend of speed, power, and elemental damage that can adapt to a variety of combat situations.