Elden Ring Weapon Tier List — Patch 1.16.1
Live version is App and Regulation 1.16.1, dated 21 August 2025. Before you weigh any tier list against another, including this one, the single most useful fact about this game right now is that the last patch to actually change weapon balance was 1.14, on 10 September 2024. Everything since — 1.15, 1.16, 1.16.1 — has been bug fixes, stability and performance.
That has a consequence most published lists never state: a tier list written in mid-2024 is still broadly correct provided it already includes Shadow of the Erdtree and accounts for 1.14's PvP changes. Age alone does not make one wrong here. What makes one wrong is predating the expansion, and one of the pages currently ranking for this exact search was last modified in February 2022 — before the DLC existed. It ranks Bloodhound's Fang in the bottom tiers. Check the date on anything you read about this game, including the page you are on.
Two more things this guide does deliberately. It covers base Elden Ring and Shadow of the Erdtree, not Nightreign, which is a separate game with its own weapons. And it keeps PvE and PvP apart, because the sources do: Blasphemous Blade rules boss fights and is not the invasion meta, while Backhand Blades rule duels and are nobody's boss-killer. Any list that merges those into one letter is telling you less than it knows.
Best Weapons for PvE
Bosses, the open world and co-op. Filter by the stat the weapon is built around.
| Tier | Weapon | Class | Requirements | Why it sits there |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S | Blasphemous Blade | Greatsword | Str 22 / Dex 15 / Fai 21 | Taker's Flames is long-range multi-hit fire damage that heals you on every kill. Four years and a full expansion later it is still the weapon the consensus puts first for PvE, and the healing is why: it removes the flask pressure that makes hard bosses hard. |
| S | Bloodfiend's Arm | Colossal (SOTE) | Str 28 / Dex 11 / Arc 16 | An infusable colossal whose charged heavies throw a blood splash. On a Blood plus Cragblade setup it stacks extreme bleed and stance damage at once, which is what pushed it past the old colossal kings. |
| S | Dark Moon Greatsword | Greatsword | Str 16 / Dex 11 / Int 38 | The classic Intelligence endgame melee: a posture buff plus a frost projectile off the skill. Note the requirement is disputed — see the disagreements section below. |
| S | Mohgwyn's Sacred Spear | Great Spear | Str 24 / Dex 14 / Arc 27 | Bloodboon Ritual is a multi-cast bleed area attack with a fire buff attached. On an Arcane build it deletes bosses. |
| S / A | Star Fist | Fists | Str 12 / Dex 8 | Fast heavy attacks, high stance damage and innate bleed on almost no stat investment. Rated the top Strength weapon by Mobalytics and near the top of the PvP lists as well — one of the few weapons that is genuinely excellent in both. |
| A | Wing of Astel | Curved Sword | Int / Dex hybrid | Nebula explosions plus free-FP magic heavies. The aggressive Intelligence option when Dark Moon's pace is too slow. |
| A | Sword Lance | Heavy Thrusting (SOTE) | Strength-forward, Blood infusion | Spinning Gravity Thrust applies bleed repeatedly across a multi-hit skill. A Strength weapon that wins by status rather than by numbers. |
| A | Milady | Light Greatsword (SOTE) | Str 12 / Dex 17 | A fast unique moveset on an infusable frame. The default recommendation for a Dexterity player starting the DLC. |
| A | Spear of the Impaler | Great Spear (SOTE) | Str 14 / Dex 35 / Fai 18 | A remembrance weapon whose hybrid Dexterity and Faith skill staggers and melts. Rated for both PvE and PvP. |
| A | Fire Knight's Greatsword | Greatsword (SOTE) | Faith / Flame infusion | The post-expansion Faith answer alongside Queelign's. Fire-skewered setups are where Faith melee landed after the DLC. |
| A | Nagakiba | Katana | Dex / Arc infusion | The longest katana reach in the game with a Blood infusion. Named the top Arcane option by Mobalytics. |
| A | Moonveil | Katana | Str 12 / Dex 18 / Int 23 | Transient Moonlight is still strong after its nerfs, but it is no longer the uncontested king it was at launch. |
| A | Rivers of Blood | Katana | Str 12 / Dex 18 / Arc 20 | Corpse Piler and bleed still make it the Dexterity katana pick, though the expansion's bleed colossals took its crown. |
| A | Bloodhound's Fang | Curved Greatsword | Str 18 / Dex 17 | Obtainable in the first few hours and still relevant deep into the midgame. Bleed plus a mobility skill; the single best early investment in the game. |
| A | Death's Poker | Greatsword | Intelligence focus | Frost poke for Intelligence builds. Listed high on the 2026 meta roundups but with thinner independent corroboration than the S tier above, which is why it sits here. |
If you are picking one and never rethinking it, take the Blasphemous Blade. The healing on kill compounds across a long fight in a way raw damage does not, and it is the reason this weapon has outlasted every balance pass aimed at it.
Best Weapons for Strength, Dexterity, Faith, Intelligence and Arcane
Most people do not pick a weapon and then build for it — they have already sunk forty levels into a stat and want the best thing that scales with it. Grouped that way, using Mobalytics' best-by-stat lists and the requirements from the wiki.
Best Strength weapons
| Weapon | Requirement | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Star Fist | Str 12 / Dex 8 | Mobalytics' number one Strength pick, and it asks for almost nothing. Heavy infusion takes it to an A scaling. |
| Bloodfiend's Arm | Str 28 / Dex 11 / Arc 16 | The S-tier colossal. Technically Arcane-hybrid, but it is where heavy Strength builds end up. |
| Anvil Hammer | Str 39 / Dex 10 / Int 11 / Fai 20 | The pure-Strength colossal the expansion added. That Strength 39 is the single highest stat wall on this page. |
| Sword Lance | Strength-forward, Blood infusion | On Mobalytics' Strength list; wins through repeated bleed application rather than raw numbers. |
| Greatsword of Solitude | Str 27 / Dex 13 | Expansion greatsword, from the Blackgaol Knight duel. |
Best Dexterity weapons
| Weapon | Requirement | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Backhand Blade | Str 10 / Dex 13 | Mobalytics' top Dexterity pick and strong in both PvE and PvP — though note 1.14 cut its PvP damage. Requirements are absurdly low for the power. |
| Milady | Str 12 / Dex 17 | The default Dexterity pick for starting the expansion: fast, unique moveset, infusable. |
| Rakshasa's Great Katana | Str 12 / Dex 27 | Strong in PvE, and Mobalytics notes Weed Cutter is the better skill for PvP. |
| Sword of Night | Str 11 / Dex 20 | Gated behind Count Ymir's finger quest — see the acquisition section, the sources conflict on how you get it. |
| Bloodhound's Fang | Str 18 / Dex 17 | Not the strongest, but obtainable in hour two and good until you can meet the requirements above. |
Best Faith weapons
| Weapon | Requirement | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Blasphemous Blade | Str 22 / Dex 15 / Fai 21 | The best PvE weapon in the game happens to be a Faith weapon. Healing on kill is why. |
| Fire Knight's Greatsword and Queelign's | Faith, flame infusion | Where Faith melee landed after the expansion, per Mobalytics' Faith list. |
| Spear of the Impaler | Str 14 / Dex 35 / Fai 18 | Hybrid Dexterity and Faith; rated for both PvE and PvP. Behind one of the expansion's hardest fights. |
Best Intelligence weapons
| Weapon | Requirement | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Dark Moon Greatsword | Str 16 / Dex 11 / Int 38 | The classic Intelligence endgame melee. The requirement is disputed — Fextralife says 38, Mobalytics says 36. Check the tooltip before spending levels. |
| Wing of Astel | Intelligence and Dexterity hybrid | The aggressive option: nebula explosions and free-FP magic heavies. |
| Star-Lined Sword | Str 10 / Dex 23 / Int 21 | Expansion katana for Intelligence hybrids. |
| Death's Poker | Intelligence focus | Frost poke. Rated highly on the 2026 roundups but with thinner corroboration than the rest. |
Best Arcane weapons
| Weapon | Requirement | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Mohgwyn's Sacred Spear | Str 24 / Dex 14 / Arc 27 | Bloodboon Ritual is the Arcane boss-killer. Requires beating Mohg for the remembrance. |
| Nagakiba | Dexterity and Arcane, Blood infusion | Mobalytics' top Arcane option — the longest katana reach in the game. |
| Rivers of Blood | Str 12 / Dex 18 / Arc 20 | Corpse Piler still works; it is simply no longer the strongest bleed option. |
| Dane's Footwork and Ancient Meteoric Ore Greatsword | Expansion | Both on Mobalytics' Arcane list. |
Note how often the answer crosses stats. Bloodfiend's Arm wants Strength and Arcane, the Spear of the Impaler wants Dexterity and Faith, and the Blasphemous Blade wants three. Pure single-stat builds give up most of this list, which is the real argument for a respec before chasing any of it.
Best Weapon in Every Class
If you want to stay with a weapon class rather than switch to whatever is strongest, this is the best in each. Category picks follow GameSpot's July 2024 gallery, with post-expansion corrections noted where later sources disagree.
| Class | Best pick | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Daggers | Reduvia | Early bleed and a strong opener |
| Straight Swords | Sword of Night and Flame | The dual-magic stance; still rated highly |
| Greatswords | Blasphemous Blade · Dark Moon Greatsword | Both consensus S tier |
| Colossal Swords | Maliketh's Black Blade | Situational, strong stance help in co-op |
| Heavy Thrusting Swords | Bloody Helice | Post-expansion the sources prefer Sword Lance or Queelign's |
| Curved Swords | Wing of Astel | Agreed across sources |
| Curved Greatswords | Bloodhound's Fang | Early and lasting |
| Katanas | Rivers of Blood · Moonveil | Expansion-era lists elevate Sword of Night, Star-Lined and Nagakiba |
| Twinblades | Godskin Peeler · Eleonora's Poleblade | Skill-centric |
| Axes | Rosus' Axe | Niche summon skill |
| Greataxes | Greataxe | Blunt early damage, not an endgame pick |
| Flails | Bastard's Stars | Intelligence Nebula |
| Great Hammers | Envoy's Long Horn | Bubble Shower melts bosses |
| Colossal Weapons | Giant-Crusher · Fallingstar Beast Jaw | Superseded post-expansion by Bloodfiend's Arm, and by Anvil Hammer for pure Strength |
| Spears | Cross-Naginata | Bleed combo |
| Great Spears | Mohgwyn's Sacred Spear | Consensus |
| Halberds | Golden Halberd | Golden Vow utility on the skill |
| Fists | Star Fist | Consensus |
| Bows | Pulley Bow | Range and damage |
| Greatbows | Lion Greatbow | Radahn's Spears synergy |
| Staffs | Staff of Loss | Night Comet package — a caster tool, not melee |
| Sacred Seals | Erdtree Seal | Highest Faith scaling — caster |
Buy Elden Ring runes →Strength 39 for the Anvil Hammer, Intelligence 38 for the Dark Moon, Arcane 27 for the Mohg spear. Runes delivered so you meet the requirement instead of farming toward it.
PvP Is a Different List
The PvP list is a different list. It is also the thinner half of the evidence — there is far less dated written analysis of duels and invasions than of boss killing — so treat this section as lower confidence and check current invasion discussion before committing a build to it.
| Tier | Weapons | Note |
|---|---|---|
| S+ | Backhand Blades · Star Fist (duels) · Carian Thrusting Shield (duels) | Backhands are still called the most broken option in duels despite taking a direct PvP damage nerf in 1.14 |
| S | Star Fist (invasions) · Claws of Night setups · Cleanrot Knight's Sword | |
| A | Rakshasa's Great Katana · Poleblade of the Bud · Shamshir (duels) · Carian Thrusting Shield (invasions) | Weed Cutter's poise was nerfed in 1.14 |
| PvE-first | Blasphemous Blade · Mohgwyn's Sacred Spear | Excellent against bosses, not the invasion meta |
Also PvP-relevant: Spear of the Impaler works in both, and Thiollier's Hidden Needle is a sleep tool that exists almost entirely for duels.
What 1.14 actually did to PvP, since it is the last balance patch and therefore still the current state: Backhand Blades took a PvP damage cut, dual-wielded spears, Pata and Weed Cutter were nerfed, Great Katana and Swift Spear lost cancel timings, and heavy-attack speed went up class-wide.
Elden Ring builds service →Any of the setups above, built properly — the weapon, the infusion, the talismans and the stat spread — by someone who has run it. No questline to break.
What the Top Weapons Cost You to Get
Here is the part tier lists usually skip. Knowing the best weapon is worthless if it sits behind a questline you have already locked out or a stat wall thirty levels away.
| Weapon | How you get it | Pain | Gate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uchigatana | Samurai starting class, or Deathtouched Catacombs in Limgrave | Low | None |
| Bloodhound's Fang | Beat Bloodhound Knight Darriwil in the Limgrave evergaol | Low to medium | An early skill check |
| Reduvia | Bloody Finger Nerijus invasion on the early Liurnia path | Low to medium | NPC invasion |
| Moonveil | Magma Wyrm in Gael Tunnel, Caelid | Medium | Midgame dungeon boss |
| Star Fist | Leyndell colosseum area | Medium to high | Capital access |
| Blasphemous Blade | Trade Rykard's remembrance to Enia | High | Volcano Manor, then Rykard |
| Mohgwyn's Sacred Spear | Trade Mohg's remembrance to Enia | High to extreme | Mohgwyn Palace access, then Mohg |
| Dark Moon Greatsword | The complete Ranni questline — Radahn, Nokron, the Fingerslayer Blade, Astel, then the ring at Manus Celes | Extreme | A multi-region quest that is easy to break |
| Rivers of Blood | Bloody Finger Okina at the Church of Repose | High | Mountaintops |
| Bloodfiend's Arm | Bloodfiend group at Prospect Town, Gravesite Plain | Medium once you are in the DLC | Requires Shadow of the Erdtree |
| Backhand Blade | Coffin northeast of the Scorched Ruins | Low, inside the DLC | Requires the DLC |
| Anvil Hammer | Ruined Forge Lava Intake altar | Medium | DLC, and a Strength 39 wall |
| Rakshasa's Great Katana | Kill Rakshasa at the Eastern Nameless Mausoleum | Medium | DLC |
| Sword of Night | Finish Count Ymir's finger quest, then give Jolán the Iris of Occultation | High | DLC, and a quest branch you can miss |
| Spear of the Impaler | Messmer's remembrance, traded to Enia | Extreme | DLC, and one of its hardest fights |
| Obsidian Lamina | Ansbach's quest and the DLC endgame path | Extreme | DLC late game |
Read that column and the shape of the problem is obvious: the best weapons in this game are gated by remembrance bosses, long questlines and stat requirements, not by skill at using them. Strength 39 for the Anvil Hammer, Intelligence 38 for the Dark Moon, Arcane 27 for the Mohg spear — and a Ranni questline that breaks if you talk to the wrong NPC in the wrong order.
Best Early-Game Weapons
Before the stat requirements above are reachable:
| Weapon | Requirements | Why now |
|---|---|---|
| Uchigatana | Str 11 / Dex 15 | Free with the Samurai start or a short Limgrave catacomb run. Unsheathe plus bleed carries a long way. |
| Bloodhound's Fang | Str 18 / Dex 17 | The best early investment in the game. One evergaol boss and you have a weapon that stays relevant into the midgame. |
| Reduvia | Low dagger stats | Fast bleed, available almost immediately. |
| Greataxe | Higher Strength | Blunt early damage if you want to hit things hard and think later. |
| Backhand Blade | Str 10 / Dex 13 | If you own the DLC and start it underlevelled, the requirements here are absurdly low for the power. |
Do not chase Blasphemous Blade, the Mohg spear, Dark Moon, Rivers of Blood or anything from the DLC endgame early. They are all gated behind content you are not ready for.
Where the Sources Disagree
Four places the sources genuinely do not agree, published rather than smoothed over.
- Dark Moon Greatsword's Intelligence requirement. Fextralife says 38, Mobalytics says 36. Check the in-game tooltip before you commit levels; this guide follows Fextralife.
- How you get the Sword of Night. One source says it drops from Yura, which conflicts with Fextralife's Ymir and Jolán quest chain. Fextralife is the more likely correct one and is what is listed above.
- The best colossal. July 2024 sources still name Giant-Crusher and Fallingstar Beast Jaw; later ones crown Bloodfiend's Arm, with Anvil Hammer for pure Strength. Prefer the post-expansion answer.
- Moonveil and Rivers of Blood. Still category bests, and clearly demoted relative to the expansion's bleed colossals. Both statements are true at once.
And one source to distrust outright: a page ranking well for this keyword was last modified in February 2022, contains no DLC weapons, and puts Bloodhound's Fang near the bottom. It is not wrong because it is old, it is wrong because the game it describes no longer exists.
Sources and Methodology
Bandai Namco official patch notes — versions 1.14 (10 September 2024, the last balance pass), 1.15 (2 October 2024), 1.16 (17 October 2024) and 1.16.1 (21 August 2025). These establish that no weapon balance has changed since September 2024.
Fextralife wiki — individual weapon pages, most updated mid-2025, used for requirements and acquisition.
GameSpot (22 July 2024) — the best-in-class gallery that anchors the per-class table.
Mobalytics (30 July 2024) — post-expansion best-by-stat lists.
2026 meta roundups — used as a recency check on the S tier, and treated as corroboration rather than as a primary source.
Methodology and limits. Around 40 weapons carry a dated external placement here. This is deliberately not a full-roster ranking of all 300-plus weapons: nobody has published a current sourced list at that depth, and inventing the remainder would make the whole page untrustworthy. PvE and PvP are ranked separately because the sources rank them separately. PvP evidence is thinner and labelled as such. Where two sources conflict, both are shown and the tie is broken by patch history rather than by recency alone. This page describes patch 1.16.1 and will be revisited when a patch actually changes weapon balance.
FAQ
Custom order, 24/7 →Rykard, Mohg, Messmer, the Ranni chain — the weapons above are gated behind fights and quests, not behind skill with the weapon itself. Tell us which one and we'll handle it.