This Elden Ring weapon tier list is the one I actually use after running through the base game four times and Shadow of the Erdtree twice with different builds. The meta shifted hard after the DLC dropped, then shifted again with the balance patches, so a lot of older lists you’ll find online are straight up wrong now.
Here’s what I’m covering in 2026:
- Every notable weapon ranked from S to D for PvE
- How Shadow of the Erdtree reshuffled the top of the list
- Best picks for Strength, Dex, Quality, Faith, and Int builds
- Why Rivers of Blood isn’t a one-shot machine anymore
- FAQs based on what people are actually asking on Reddit
Quick disclaimer: I lean toward PvE since that’s where most players spend their time. I’ll call out where PvP changes the math, but if you’re a min-maxing arena duelist, your list will look slightly different.
Table of Contents
How I Built This Weapon Tier List After 600+ Hours
I’m ranking these based on a few things, and honestly the boss fight performance is the biggest one. How does the weapon do against the major bosses, especially the late-game DLC fights? How easy is it to power up? Does it require a specific stat spread or a niche build to actually work?
I’m also factoring in how the weapon feels to use, because if you have to wait 4 seconds to recover from a swing, it doesn’t matter how much damage it does on paper. The Colossal weapon swing speed nerf in the late patches absolutely matters here.
I’m assuming a level 150 to 200 character with a reasonable stat spread, NG+ enabled, all DLC content unlocked, and a willingness to spend Smithing Stones on the weapon you actually want to main. Not everything works at low levels and not everything scales the same way.
S-Tier: The Weapons I Keep Coming Back To
These are my desert island picks. Each one carries a run, scales hard, and doesn’t fall off in the late DLC.
| Weapon | Class | Best For | Why It’s Here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rellana’s Twin Blades | Light Greatsword | Dex/Faith | Insane moveset and weapon art shreds DLC bosses |
| Smithscript Cirque | Backhand Blade | Arcane/Bleed | Fastest bleed proc in the game right now |
| Milady | Light Greatsword | Dex | Smooth moveset, great range, solid damage |
| Dragon Hunter’s Great Katana | Great Katana | Quality | Massive poise damage, brutal stagger |
| Bloodfiend’s Arm | Greataxe | Strength/Bleed | Hyperarmor swings plus passive bleed |
| Greatsword | Colossal | Strength | Lion’s Claw still ends careers |
| Blasphemous Blade | Greatsword | Faith/Str | Taker’s Flames healing ability is broken |
| Moonveil | Katana | Int/Dex | The R2 spam meme exists for a reason |
| Bloodhound’s Fang | Curved Greatsword | Dex | Free win button for early to mid game |
| Star-Lined Sword | Curved Greatsword | Strength/Faith | DLC sleeper that one-shots most enemies |
Rellana’s Twin Blades earned the top spot for me. The split fire and magic damage hits almost everything for solid damage, the moveset is fast and forgiving, and the weapon art combo melts late-game bosses. I beat the DLC final boss with this thing in three tries on my second run.
The Smithscript Cirque deserves the hype. Pair it with the Lord of Blood’s Exultation talisman, the White Mask, and a Bleed Affinity, and you proc bleed faster than I can describe. I learned the hard way that you need to actually upgrade it though. I tried it at +5 against Messmer and got cooked because the damage just wasn’t there yet.
Blasphemous Blade and Moonveil are both still in S-tier despite being in the game since launch. FromSoft has nerfed Moonveil’s R2 a few times, but it’s still one of the safest options in the game. Blasphemous Blade’s heal-on-kill ability is the reason I made it through Malenia on my first run.
A-Tier: My Reliable Damage Dealers
These are weapons I’d happily run a whole playthrough with. They’re not quite as broken as the S-tier picks, but they’re strong, satisfying, and they don’t ask you to build around them in weird ways.
| Weapon | Class | Best For | Why It’s Here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sword of Night and Flame | Straight Sword | Quality/Int/Faith | Both spell beams still hit like a truck |
| Rivers of Blood | Katana | Arcane/Dex | Corpse Piler nerfed but still excellent |
| Mohgwyn’s Sacred Spear | Spear | Arcane/Faith | Bloodboon Ritual is a panic button |
| Maliketh’s Black Blade | Curved Greatsword | Faith/Str | Destined Death procs are huge |
| Dark Moon Greatsword | Greatsword | Int | Iconic for a reason, still scales hard |
| Eleonora’s Poleblade | Twinblade | Arcane/Dex | Built-in bleed with great range |
| Nagakiba | Katana | Dex | Slap Bloody Slash on this and forget about boss HP |
| Beast Claws | Beast Claw | Strength/Faith | DLC star, fast hyperarmor with poise damage |
| Black Steel Greathammer | Great Hammer | Strength | Best Strength weapon for stagger in DLC |
| Putrescence Cleaver | Curved Greatsword | Faith/Dex | DLC gem with great moveset and reach |
| Wing of Astel | Curved Sword | Int | Best magic curved sword, still S-tier in PvP |
| Marais Executioner’s Sword | Greatsword | Str/Arc | Eochaid’s Dancing Blade goes brrr |
| Death Knight’s Twin Axes | DLC Twinblade Axes | Str/Faith | Fire and frost combo on attacks |
| Vyke’s War Spear | Great Spear | Faith/Dex | Madness buildup procs are nasty in PvE |
Sword of Night and Flame is the OG broken weapon and somehow it’s still in A-tier years later. The fire spell beam is fine but the comet azur beam is the one that breaks bosses. I keep one in my inventory just for emergencies.
Rivers of Blood used to be S-tier no question. The Corpse Piler nerf was real, but the weapon is still excellent and bleed builds still cook with it. If you used it back in 2026, you’ll be fine using it now.
I want to spend a second on Beast Claws. They came out in the DLC and are basically Wolverine claws. The hyperarmor on the running attack lets you trade with bosses in a way most weapons can’t, and the poise damage is sneakily insane. Underrated pick for a Strength/Faith run.
B-Tier: Good Weapons With a Catch
These are perfectly usable, and a few of them are top-tier picks for specific builds. They just have something holding them back from a higher placement, whether it’s stat requirements, slow scaling, or a moveset that doesn’t shine until late.
| Weapon | Class | Best For | Why It’s Here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hand of Malenia | Katana | Dex | Waterfowl Dance is amazing, scaling is mid |
| Sacred Relic Sword | Greatsword | Faith/Str | Wave of Gold is a farming god, mid in fights |
| Ruins Greatsword | Colossal | Quality/Int | Wave of Destruction crushes mobs |
| Banished Knight’s Halberd | Halberd | Quality | Solid Quality halberd, mostly outclassed |
| Reduvia | Dagger | Arcane | Best dagger in PvE, but it’s still a dagger |
| Carian Knight’s Sword | Straight Sword | Int | Cleanest Int straight sword option |
| Treespear | Great Spear | Faith | Holy damage matters for some bosses |
| Halo Scythe | Reaper | Faith | Miquella’s Ring-Bound builds love it |
| Eclipse Shotel | Curved Sword | Faith | Death blight buildup is a gimmick |
| Antspur Rapier | Thrusting Sword | Quality | Scarlet Rot procs in PvP |
| Lordsworn’s Greatsword | Greatsword | Quality | Ash of War flexibility is its main draw |
| Uchigatana | Katana | Dex | Default Samurai weapon, just gets outclassed |
| Spear of the Impaler | Spear | DLC | Niche pick, fun but not optimal |
| Greataxe | Greataxe | Strength | Solid baseline weapon, nothing flashy |
Hand of Malenia is one of those weapons that looks broken because of Waterfowl Dance, but the actual scaling on the weapon is hilariously bad for how late you get it. I’d rather use a +25 Nagakiba honestly.
I have a soft spot for Halo Scythe. The bonus Sacred damage, the unique weapon art, and the way it pairs with Black Knife Tiche makes for a fun Faith run. Doesn’t carry on its own, but it’s a great supporting weapon.
C-Tier: Niche But Fun
Weapons in this tier work, but only if you’re playing a specific build or you just like the vibe. I wouldn’t pick any of these for a competitive Deity-equivalent challenge run.
| Weapon | Class | Best For | Why It’s Here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Longsword | Straight Sword | Beginners | Reliable but boring, gets outclassed fast |
| Battle Axe | Axe | Quality | Default option, nothing special |
| Mace | Hammer | Strength | Holy Ground used to be broken, now mid |
| Twinblade | Twinblade | Quality | The base one, not Eleonora’s |
| Claymore | Greatsword | Quality | Beginner’s pick, gets dunked late game |
| Halberd | Halberd | Quality | Slow base halberd, no unique weapon art |
| Whips (most of them) | Whip | Dex/Faith | Style points only, damage is rough |
| Flail | Flail | Strength | Awkward moveset, weak unique entries |
| Curved Club | Club | Strength | Just exists, frankly |
| Iron Greatsword | Colossal | Strength | Outshone by Greatsword and Watchdog’s Staff |
| Rotten Crystal weapons | Various | Arcane | Rot buildup is cool until it isn’t |
| Most Reapers | Reaper | Mixed | Halo Scythe is the only one worth running |
The Longsword discourse is funny because it’s a perfectly fine weapon at +25 with a Heavy or Keen Affinity, but you’d never pick it over something like Milady or Bloodhound’s Fang once you have access to either. It’s a holdover from when Dark Souls vets started the game.
I’ll be real, I tried to make a whip build work for an entire playthrough and it was rough. The Hoslow’s Petal Whip is the best of the bunch, and even that one feels weak compared to a Blood Nagakiba.
D-Tier: Skip These Unless You’re Cosplaying
These are the weapons I genuinely don’t recommend running unless you’re doing some kind of meme run or you really love the design.
| Weapon | Class | Best For | Why It’s Here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fingerprint Stone Shield | Greatshield | Strength | Tank build only, useless offensively |
| Coded Sword | Straight Sword | Faith | No upgrades, no scaling, late-game falloff |
| Devourer’s Scepter | Great Hammer | Quality | Niche FP gain mechanic, weak otherwise |
| Most basic torches | Torch | Cosplay | Beast-Repellent Torch is the only useful one |
| Iron Cleaver | Greataxe | Strength | Outclassed by every other Greataxe |
| Most Crossbows (in melee) | Ranged | Ranged only | Off-hand only, not a primary weapon |
| Magma Wyrm’s Scalesword | Curved Greatsword | Faith | Worse Bloodhound’s Fang |
| Marionette Soldier weapons | Various | Memes | Fun for one boss, then never again |
Coded Sword hurt to put here because the weapon design is amazing, but it can’t be upgraded and the holy damage scaling is permanently fixed at a level that doesn’t keep up past the Capital. Fun for a tribute, not for a full run.
Best Weapon by Build in 2026
If you came here just to find the best weapon for your build, here you go:
- Strength: Greatsword (Colossal) with Lion’s Claw, Bloodfiend’s Arm, Black Steel Greathammer, Beast Claws
- Dexterity: Rellana’s Twin Blades, Milady, Bloodhound’s Fang, Nagakiba
- Quality: Dragon Hunter’s Great Katana, Lordsworn’s Greatsword, Banished Knight’s Halberd
- Intelligence: Moonveil, Dark Moon Greatsword, Wing of Astel, Carian Knight’s Sword
- Faith: Blasphemous Blade, Maliketh’s Black Blade, Halo Scythe, Treespear
- Arcane (Bleed): Smithscript Cirque, Eleonora’s Poleblade, Mohgwyn’s Sacred Spear, Rivers of Blood
- Hybrid (Faith/Int): Sword of Night and Flame, Death Knight’s Twin Axes, Star-Lined Sword
If you’re new to the game and just want a weapon that won’t let you down, grab a Bloodhound’s Fang from the Forlorn Hound Evergaol. You can get it at the start of the game and it carries you through Limgrave, Liurnia, Caelid, and a chunk of the Mountaintops without ever needing a second weapon.
How Shadow of the Erdtree Changed the Top of This List
The DLC dropped a wrecking ball on the established meta. Before 2026, the top of every weapon tier list was Moonveil, Rivers of Blood, Blasphemous Blade, and maybe Bloodhound’s Fang. Now half the S-tier list is DLC weapons.
The new weapon types, especially Light Greatswords, Backhand Blades, Beast Claws, and Great Katanas, are genuinely better designed than most of the base game options. They have more moveset variety, better hyperarmor frames, and weapon arts that scale well into NG+ runs.
The base game weapons that survived the shuffle are mostly the ones with broken weapon arts (Blasphemous Blade’s Taker’s Flames) or universal damage profiles (Sword of Night and Flame). Pure stat-stick weapons fell hard because the new stuff just outscales them.
Scadutree Fragments matter way more than people give them credit for. Your weapon tier in the DLC zone is partially decided by how many fragments you’ve collected. I learned this the hard way trying to fight the second to last boss at Scadutree level 12. Don’t be me.
PvE vs PvP Picks Aren’t the Same
This list is PvE-focused. If you’re a PvP player, your priorities flip:
- Best in PvP: Antspur Rapier (Scarlet Rot), Eclipse Shotel (Death Blight), Wing of Astel, Reduvia (parry punish), Backhand Blades
- Worst in PvP: Most colossal weapons (too easy to roll), most thrusting greatswords (hyperarmor abuse is dead), Dark Moon Greatsword (slow projectile)
PvP rewards quick weapon arts, status buildup, and counter-hit potential. PvE rewards damage per swing, poise damage, and survivability. The two metas barely overlap.
FAQ
What’s the best Elden Ring weapon overall in 2026?
For a single weapon I’d recommend to anyone starting fresh, I’m going with Rellana’s Twin Blades. Versatile damage types, fast moveset, brutal weapon art, and it scales with two of the most useful stats in the game. Bloodhound’s Fang is the best pick if you don’t have the DLC.
Did Rivers of Blood get nerfed again?
Yes, but not as badly as people think. Corpse Piler still does great damage, the bleed buildup is still strong, and the weapon is still A-tier easily. The nerfs hit the multi-hit damage scaling, not the bleed mechanic itself.
What’s the best DLC weapon for Strength builds?
Bloodfiend’s Arm is my pick. Black Steel Greathammer is right there if you prefer Great Hammers, but the Bloodfiend’s Arm passive bleed plus the hyperarmor on big swings makes it the cleanest Strength option in the DLC.
Are colossal swords still good after the swing speed nerf?
Sort of. The Greatsword (the colossal one) with Lion’s Claw is still S-tier. Most other colossal swords took a real hit though, and you’ll see them in mid-tiers now. Ruins Greatsword is the second-best colossal in the game and that’s about it.
What’s the best katana in Elden Ring right now?
It depends on your build. Moonveil for Int, Rivers of Blood for Arcane bleed, Hand of Malenia if you can pull off Waterfowl Dance consistently, and Nagakiba for pure Dex. The Dragon Hunter’s Great Katana is technically not a katana but it sits above all of these for poise damage builds.
Is there a weapon that lets me one-shot bosses?
Not anymore. The “one-shot Mohg with Mohgwyn’s Spear and Bloodboon” trick still works for some specific encounters, but the days of one-shot builds dying to mid-fight phase transitions are largely behind us. Comet Azur with the right buffs can still nuke certain bosses, but that’s a spell more than a weapon.
Should I respec for a DLC weapon?
If you’re locked into a Strength build and you want to use Smithscript Cirque, yes, respec. The Larval Tears for respec are way easier to come by now, and the DLC weapon options are good enough to justify it. I’ve respecced three times across two characters in the DLC zone alone.
Final Thoughts on My Elden Ring Weapon Tier List
If you skim back over this Elden Ring weapon tier list, the headline is that the DLC and the patches that followed turned the meta upside down. Rellana’s Twin Blades, Backhand Blades, and Beast Claws are the new top picks, and the old guard like Moonveil and Blasphemous Blade are still hanging in there only because their weapon arts are too good to nerf.
The honest take is that almost any weapon in S, A, or B tier will get you through the game just fine. Elden Ring is a forgiving game when it comes to weapon choice. The reason these tiers matter is the DLC, where the difficulty curve is much less forgiving and a B-tier weapon will start to feel weak by the time you reach the back half of the Land of Shadow.
If you’ve got a different take on any of these placements, I want to hear it. I keep getting yelled at for putting Hand of Malenia in B-tier. I stand by it. Fight me.