And one playing style players enjoy using to beat the ill-omened creatures of Lands Between is with Arcane-powered weapons. And with the 1.03 update for Elden Ring, Arcane-type weapons received a notable buff. But, with so many to choose from, players do well in learning which ones stand above the rest.
Updated May 16, 2022 by Daniel Dilena: It seems like the Elden Ring fever will never cease as FromSoftware’s latest entry continues to gain popularity, even out-selling AAA games like Call of Duty: Vanguard. And that’s because Elden Ring is more than a challenging video game since it gives players the freedom to decide how they want to take on the ill-omened beasts of Lands Between.
Furthermore, Elden Ring has hundreds of weapons that players can use, whether they want to carry around two giant sledgehammers or a generic wooden club. But, in recent updates, FromSoftware has continued to tune the likes of Arcane weapons to the point that many of them are viable to use. That’s why we’ve decided to add a couple of more entries that’ll let players have more freedom in creating the best arcane build in Elden Ring.
15 Regalia Of Eochaid
Unique Skill:
Eochaid’s Dancing Blade
Regalia of Eochaid is perfect for players that haven’t been able to obtain Marais Executioner’s Sword since it shares similar attributes and has the same unique skill. Moreover, players can obtain this straight sword early in their playthrough since it’s located near the Third Church of Marika Site of Grace.
But, the real reason why it fits perfectly with an arcane build in Elden Ring is that it primarily scales with Arcane despite having a D grade scaling. So, players should only invest enough Dexterity and Strength points to be able to use it effectively and dump the rest into Arcane.
14 Clinging Bone
Unique Skill:
Lifesteal Fist
Undoubtedly, Fist weapons are among the least used weapons in Elden Ring because most of them are lackluster and perform poorly in PVE and PVP. Fortunately, there’s an exception with the Clinging Bone since it deals a decent amount of damage once a player has 30+ arcane.
But, of course, nearly every other arcane weapon has better damage output than this Fist-type weapon, but it is the best Fist weapon for an arcane build in Elden Ring. Players can obtain this weapon by defeating Ensha of the Royal Remains at the Roundtable Hold.
13 Albinauric Staff
Unique Skill:
No Skill
The Albinauric Staff is the only choice players have if they want to go for an arcane build in Elden Ring as a magic wielder. And that’s because the Albinauric Staff has an arcane grade scaling of C, making it the ideal choice to use with some PVP-oriented spells.
And the best part of using this Glintstone Staff is that it comes with no unique skill, which means players have complete freedom to choose among one of the many powerful staff-related Ashes of War in Elden Ring. Players can find this staff within the walls of Volcano Manor, but guarding it is the dreaded Omenkiller, so players will need to come prepared for a fight.
12 Ripple Blade
Unique Skill:
Wild Strkes
Even though the Ripple Blade is technically a common Axe since players can buy it from a Pidia in Caria Manor, it still deserves a spot among Elden Ring’s best arcane weapons. And that’s because it has an A scaling for arcane, the highest grade scaling in the game.
Any weapon grease (Poison, Bleed, Rot, or Sleep) will be significantly more powerful when applied to the Ripple Blade. Players can easily mow down most enemies with the Ripple Blade coated with grease, making it the perfect alternative to Mohgwyn’s Sacred Spear (which involves fighting one of the most challenging bosses in Elden Ring).
11 Ripple Crescent Halberd
Unique Skill:
Spinning Slash
Despite the Ripple Crescent Halberd being the weakest of the bunch (compared to other Halberds), it’s well worth being used by players going for a complete arcane build. The main reason is that the Ripple Crescent Halberd has an arcane scaling of B, which means any grease will hit like a truck.
But, of course, that means players will need to keep a steady flow of greases since the Ripple Crescent Halberd without it does pitiful damage. So, players will need to make sure they have a backup weapon if they run out of grease during a fight.
10 Reduvia
Unique Skill:
Reduvia Blood Blade
Players who enjoy backstabbing their opponents in Elden Ring, whether in PVP or PVE, will enjoy using the Reduvia as it’s a powerful Arcane-scaling weapon that causes massive Blood Loss Build Up. And despite having limited range (since it’s a dagger), its unique skill Reduvia Blood Blade sends projectiles, causing Hemorrhage.
Moreover, upgraded to +10, the Reduvia will cause a +87 Blood Loss Build Up per hit, which can melt most bosses in seconds. But, obtaining the Reduvia bleed dagger takes some skill as players will need to vanquish the NPC Invader Bloody Finger Nerijus.
9 Marais Executioner’s Sword
Unique Skill:
Eochaid’s Dancing Blade
Undoubtedly, strength-heavy weapons can deal an insane amount of damage to enemies and bosses, especially if it’s greatswords. So, players who favor strength weapons but want to try an Arcane build will love using Marais Executioner’s Sword. This Greatsword starts with a 94 Physical Damage and can go as high as 230, which is decent when talking about Greatswords.
Moreover, Eochaid’s Dancing Blade is the perfect Weapon Skill to barrage an enemy since it repeatedly spins the sword around. But, the only downside of that Weapon Skill is that it has limited maneuverability, which means players should be careful using it in large groups.
8 Varre’s Bouquet
Unique Skill:
Blood Tax
Even though Varre’s Bouquet has a low base AR (attack rating), its Blood Loss Build Up scaling makes up for it. Moreover, its Ashes of War: Blood Tax not only deals a decent amount of damage but also steals HP from the target, which is quite useful during PVP encounters.
But, coming across this Hammer-type weapon is no walk in the park since players will need to complete White-Faced Varré’s questline. And that means players will need to use Bloody Fingers to Invader other players and dab a piece of cloth in the blood of a Maiden.
7 Eleonora’s Poleblade
Unique Skill:
Bloodblade Dance
One of the few Twinblade weapons worth investing in any FromSoftware game is Eleonora’s Poleblade, which not only scales with Arcane but also Dexterity. Moreover, Eleonora’s Poleblade deals a massive amount of Blood Loss Build Up and deals Fire Damage that can be buffed with other skills.
And its Weapon Skill performs a flurry of tornado-like attacks that can stagger most enemies and bosses. And the best part is that obtaining Eleonora’s Poleblade isn’t so complicated since players will only need to start (but not finish) Bloody Finger Hunter Yura’s questline. But, getting to her will require some guidance, so players should pick up the Altus Plateau Map Fragment to make things easier.
6 Bloody Helice
Unique Skill:
Dynast’s Finesse
The Bloody Helice is the ideal poking weapon since it offers quick thrust attacks with a decent attack range. On top of that, as with other Arcane-type weapons, this Heavy Thrusting Sword deals a significant amount of Blood Loss Build Up at higher levels.
And to make it even better, the initial Weapon Skill build-up makes the player invincible, which means a well-timed use can protect a player from instant death. But, finding this impressive Arcane weapon won’t be easy as players will need to fight Sanguine Noble plus a whole pack of annoying stray dogs with a high amount of Blood Loss Build Up.
5 Mohgwyn’s Sacred Spear
Unique Skill:
Bloodboon Ritual
Before Elden Ring’s latest 1.03 patch, players could easily cheese the boss battle of Mohg, Lord of Blood in Mohgwyn Palace, but after, players quickly realized that they’d need to fight him straight on, which isn’t easy. But, players who want to wield the powerful Mohgwyn’s Sacred Spear will have to overcome their fear and face him.
This Great Spear uses Fire Damage primarily but also deals an insane amount of Blood Loss Build Up (+73) even without using Somber Smithing Stones. Moreover, its Weapon Skill coats the Great Spear with Bloodflame, which will quickly do away with an enemy or player.
4 Morgott’s Cursed Sword
Unique Skill:
Cursed-Blood Slice
One of the lightest Curved Greatswords in Elden Ring, Morgott’s Cursed Sword is a worthy weapon to use in PVP. And that’s because its Weapon Skill Cursed-Blood Slice can easily cause an enemy player to bleed out since it causes Bleeding, which will wreak havoc on players with low Vigor.
Players can acquire this Arcane-type weapon after receiving Remembrance of the Omen King after defeating Morgott, the Omen King. But, they’ll need to choose between Morgott’s Cursed Sword or Regal Omen Bairn, or they can duplicate the remembrance and get both.
3 Serpent Bow
Unique Skill:
Mighty Shot
Sadly, there are a very limited number of arcane bows in Elden Ring, but the Serpent Bow makes up for that since it has a unique ability that causes arrows to deal Poison Build Up. Moreover, using Bloodbone Arrows with the Serpent Bow will make the weapon cause Blood Loss and Poison Build Up.
But, obtaining the bow requires players to venture into Dragonbarrow, where they’ll find an Abandoned Cave (one of many hidden locations in Elden Ring). And to make matters worse, within the cave are pools of Scarlet Rot, so players should only enter when they have the proper crating equipment or Incantations to cure it.
2 Dragon Communion Seal
Unique Skill:
No Skill
The must-have Seal for a Faith and Arcane build, the Dragon Communion Seal, will make any Dragon Communion Incantations deal even more damage to enemies and players. For example, Incantations like Rotten Breath (causes Scarlet Rot) or Borealis’s Mist (causes Ice damage) scale well while using the Dragon Communion Seal.
And players can actually obtain this seal very early in the game since it’s the first Dungeon players can use their Stonesword Keys. But, venturing into Fringefolk Hero’s Grave is quite challenging, so players should learn some useful tricks before being crushed by the annoying Chariots.
1 Rivers Of Blood
Unique Skill:
Corpse Piler
Undoubtedly, the best Arcane-weapon for PVE and PVP is the Rivers of Blood Katana. And one of the reasons why most players favor this weapon is because of its powerful Weapon Skill: Corpse Piler. This skill creates large streaks of blood that cause significant damage to enemies and players from afar while dealing Blood Loss Build Up.
Moreover, since it’s a Katana, every attack can be performed in quick succession, leaving very little time for enemies or players to react. But, players that want to use this weapon will need to get it before reaching the Forge of the Giants after defeating the Fire Giant.
Elden Ring is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
More: Complete Guide To Elden Ring: Weapons, Items, Tips, Tricks, Bosses, & Builds
