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The few who strive to prove their might with even the most basic weapons may have finally succeeded after forty or fifty attempts, though most players just ran around the menacing encounter only to return later with greater gear and skills. There are plenty of weapons available to the Tarnished that can greatly aid in their quest, and some weapons can scale high enough to make even late-game bosses a breeze.

Updated January 16, 2023, by Aldous Foster: With Elden Ring being crowned 2022’s Game of the Year and the release of the Colosseum Update, many players may be returning to the Lands Between. After a series of patches, however, they may find that some weapons have become much more powerful. With these buffs, previously underwhelming items are now able to tear through enemy health bars in a matter of seconds. Players looking for the absolute best of the best when it comes to killing bosses should read on to find out the stat requirements, scaling, and locations of these incredibly powerful weapons.

13 Dark Moon Greatsword

Stat Requirements: Strength 16, Dexterity 11, Intelligence 38 Base Scaling: Strength D, Dexterity D, Intelligence C Weapon Skill: Moonlight Greatsword

Fans of FromSoftware’s previous titles will recognize this blade immediately, as it’s appeared in almost every game that the developer has made in some form or another. The Dark Moon Greatsword scales primarily with Intelligence and its built-in ash of war is one of the best in the game for spell sword builds, granting bonus magic damage and frost buildup.

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Players can obtain this sword after they’ve completed the entire Ranni The Witch side quest line, which is one of the longest side stories in the game. It can then be found under the Cathedral of Manus Celes. Ranni definitely makes it worth the effort, though, as the Dark Moon Greatsword is an excellent tool for shredding down bosses without getting too close.

12 Scavenger’s Curved Sword

Stat Requirements: Strength 9, Dexterity 14 Base Scaling: Strength D, Dexterity D Weapon Skill: Spinning Slash

This short serrated blade is an excellent first option for bleed builds, as curved swords have some of the fastest attack patterns in the game. With bleed heavily relying on multiple attacks landed in succession, this weapon can become devastating quickly, especially when dual-wielding curved swords.

The sword can be found on a corpse northwest of the First Mt Gellmir Campsite Site of Grace. Players must visit this location again during a second playthrough if they want to obtain another Scavenger’s Curved Sword. If both swords are then imbued with the Seppuku ash of war, players are looking at insane bleed potential that will have most bosses shaking in their oversized boots.

11 Wing of Astel

Stat Requirements: Strength 7, Dexterity 17, Intelligence 20 Base Scaling: Strength (E), Dexterity (D), Intelligence (D) Weapon Skill: Nebula

The Wing of Astel is a beautiful curved sword based on Astel, Naturalborn of the Void. It deals decent physical and magic damage and scales well with Intelligence but what makes this weapon so powerful is its intrinsic weapon skill which cannot be replaced with an Ash of War. This skill, called Nebula, creates a burst of magic around the caster, which can massively drain enemy health bars. The strong attack is also very powerful as it is a ranged magic attack that costs no FP.

The blade can be found in a chest at the top of southern Uhl Palace Ruins, east of Nokstella, Eternal City Site of Grace. For players who have invested in Intelligence and are willing to make the journey to obtain it, the Wing of Astel is one of the best weapons in the game.

10 Executioner’s Greataxe

Stat Requirements: Strength 34, Dexterity 8 Base Scaling: Strength (C), Dexterity (E) Weapon Skill: War Cry

This great axe is not easy to come by, as players will be forced to spend a fair amount of time farming undead enemies at The Church of Irith Graveyard. Once the axe is finally dropped, however, players can begin to enjoy its high AR and even higher critical hit potential.

With a high Strength investment and the right ash of war, this axe can become the best of its weapon class. Pairing the Executioner’s Greataxe with the Lightning Slash ash of war essentially creates the Dragonslayer’s Greataxe from Dark Souls 3. This combination in particular is fantastic for taking down those pesky draconic tree sentinels.

9 Eleonora’s Poleblade

Stat Requirements: Strength 12, Dexterity 21, Arcane 19 Base Scaling: Strength (E), Dexterity (D), Arcane (D) Weapon Skill: Bloodblade Dance

The go-to option for those looking to cosplay Darth Maul in-game, Eleonora’s Poleblade is a gorgeous weapon, with an even more gorgeous ash of war attached to it. Scaling mainly with Dexterity and Arcane, this pole blade deals both physical and fire damage, and has innate bleed build-up. It can be found in the Second Church of Marika after defeating Eleanora, Violet Bloody Finger.

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Its Bloodblade Dance ash of war is one of the most visually impressive in Elden Ring, and watching the Tarnished leap forward only to twist and flip back again never gets old. This attack can be difficult to get used to, and can easily put the player in danger if timed incorrectly. Though, just a few successful casts of this ash of war will leave most bosses begging for mercy.

8 Reduvia

Stat Requirements: Strength 5, Dexterity 13, Arcane 13 Base Scaling: Strength (E), Dexterity (D), Arcane (D) Weapon Skill: Reduvia Blood Blade

Bleed builds can trivialize certain boss fights, removing massive chunks from enemy health bars in seconds. With patches 1.07 and 1.08, Reduvia became one of the best weapons for bleed builds. The buffs gave Reduvia’s weapon skill increased attack power and improved the speed and range of daggers, meaning that Reduvia can stack Blood Loss buildup incredibly quickly.

After obtaining the dagger from Bloody Finger Nerijus and investing in Dexterity and Arcane, players will be capable of some of the fastest burst damage in the game. Obtaining a second Reduvia in a second playthrough and Power Stancing them is optional but recommended if players really need to get revenge on a certain boss.

7 Godslayer’s Greatsword

Stat Requirements: Strength 20, Dexterity 22, Faith 20 Base Scaling: Strength (D), Dexterity (D), Faith (D) Weapon Skill: The Queen’s Black Flame

A visually stunning Colossal Sword with a lot to boast about, the Godslayer’s Greatsword is a terrific pick for players with midrange strength still hoping to have fun with a big chunky sword. This weapon scales off of Faith and Dexterity, with a small amount of strength scaling too. This separates it from the majority of other colossal swords, as does its devastating ash of war, The Queen’s Black Flame.

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Tarnished can pick this sword up after defeating the Godskin Apostle at the Divine Tower Of Caelid. The Queen’s Black Flame ash of war attached to it is arguably the best among the colossal swords. It drowns the sword in black flame and delivers two massive, sweeping attacks in front of the Tarnished. The black flame will then continue to damage the target for a while, making it a great tool to have in the heat of battle.

6 Mohgwyn’s Sacred Spear

Stat Requirements: Strength 24, Dexterity 14, Arcane 27 Base Scaling: Strength (D), Dexterity (E), Arcane (D) Weapon Skill: Bloodboon Ritual

Players can grab this nightmare weapon after they defeat Mohg, Lord of Blood. Mohg is a complicated guy, to say the least. He’s able to commune with an outer god from a dimension beyond The Lands Between, and his Sacred Spear is one way he can do this.

The ash of war attached to Mohgwyn’s Sacred Spear creates a massive AOE around the player that continuously damages all enemies caught within it. The player thrusts the spear upward, spreading accursed blood across the battlefield, as well as coating the spear in the blood, buffing it for a short period.

5 Giant Crusher

Stat Requirements: Strength 60 Base Scaling: Strength (C) Weapon Skill: Endure

The most premium bonking stick available to the Tarnished is the Giant Crusher. Those relentlessly dumping points into strength will need to pick this colossal weapon up if they haven’t already. This boulder on a stick will one-shot just about any smaller enemies in the game, and, with the right build, just a few jump attacks will have bosses reduced to dust.

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The Giant Crusher can be found on the back of a carriage south of the Outer Wall Phantom Tree site of grace. At max strength, the Giant Crusher boasts the highest non-split AR in the game. Naturally, it’s also extremely heavy, so timing those giant swings is essential to avoid being stuck in combo range.

4 Moonveil

Stat Requirements: Strength 12, Dexterity 18, Intelligence 23 Base Scaling: Strength (E), Dexterity (D), Intelligence (C) Weapon Skill: Transient Moonlight

As one of the most popular picks in Elden Ring, Moonveil has a lot to offer. This katana scales from strength, dexterity, and intelligence, and it comes equipped with one of the best ashes of war in the game. The user will sheath Moonveil, allowing for rapid slashes that release waves of light. Transient Moonlight also has very low FP consumption, so it can be spammed with no worries.

On top of all that, Moonveil also has a bleed effect, allowing for massive damage from creative combos. If dashing through dungeons like a vengeance-seeking anime protagonist sounds interesting, players can pick up the Moonveil katana after defeating the Magma Wyrm in Gael Tunnel.

3 Rivers Of Blood

Stat Requirements: Strength 12, Dexterity 18, Arcane 20 Base Scaling: Strength (E), Dexterity (D), Arcane (D) Weapon Skill: Corpse Piler

Hands down, the most ridiculously powerful bleed weapon in Elden Ring, Rivers of Blood can cut bosses to shreds with very little brain power needed. Simply walking near the target and spamming the left trigger will leave them lying at the Tarnished’s feet.

Bleed build-up happens fast, and there’s little anything can do to get out of the way of these wide arching blood slashes. It won’t be the most competitive boss fight, but victory will be achieved if Rivers of Blood is equipped. The blade can be obtained by defeating Bloody Finger Okina in the Church of Repose.

2 Greatsword

Stat Requirements: Strength 31, Dexterity 12 Base Scaling: Strength (C), Dexterity (E) Weapon Skill: Stamp (Upward Cut)

While this Colossal Sword may have one of the most unremarkable names and designs in the game, this is only because its sheer damage potential speaks for itself. Recent patches have also improved it with increased attack speed. With a good amount of Strength and proper timing, the Greatsword almost seems to bully bosses as it tears through health and poise alike.

This weapon can also be infused with an Ash of War, making it much more adaptable. Players can infuse it with Waves of Darkness or Gravitas for some area of effect damage or Lion’s Claw for great damage. To get their hands on it, players will have to find a carriage northwest of the Caelem Ruins Site of Grace.

1 Blasphemous Blade

Stat Requirements: Strength 22, Dexterity 15, Faith 21 Base Scaling: Strength (D), Dexterity (D), Faith (D) Weapon Skill: Taker’s Flame

A fantastic non-bleed option and arguably the most well-designed blade in Elden Ring, the Blasphemous Blade has had the hearts of fans since the game launched. Scaling with Faith, Dexterity, and Strength, this greatsword can be obtained after trading in the Remembrance of the Blasphemous at Roundtable Hold.

The Taker’s Flames ash of war is easily one of the strongest available to players. The ash of war coats the sword in flames before it is slammed into the ground, sending a wave of flames in front of the player. The flames also steal HP from the affected enemies. Built-in life steal against bosses with giant health bars is always a good thing, and the Blasphemous Blade is the best item in the toolkit for that.

Elden Ring is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

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