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Best early weapons in Elden RingHere are the best early weapons you can pick up in the starting areas of Elden Ring
Here are the best early weapons you can pick up in the starting areas of Elden Ring
Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/FromSoftware
Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/FromSoftware
Looking for the best early weapons in Elden Ring?Whether you’re a returning player looking to start a freshElden Ringplaythrough before jumping into theShadow Of The ErdtreeDLC, or you’re new to the franchise, finding the best early weapons can set you up for success as you explore the challengingmapof the Lands Between, before moving onto tougherareas.
Join us as we go through the strongest weapons you can get within the starting areas of Limgrave, the Weeping Peninsula andLiurnia. This includes weapons forArcane,Faith,Intelligence,Strength,Dexterityand quality builds.
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Best early weapon for Dexterity builds
Rogier’s Rapier
Rogier’s Rapier comes with a plus 8 level, making it a great early Dexterity weapon choice |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/FromSoftware
If you’re looking to set up aDexterity buildin Elden Ring, there is a plethora of early-game weapons to choose from. As attested in our guide to thebest Dexterity weapons in Elden Ring, theBloodhound’s Fangis a brutal curved greatsword that can deliver successive slash attacks to enemies whilst maintaining a good measure of distance.
TheUchigatanais also a fan-favourite and for good reason. Its Unsheathe ability can deliver precise, powerful attacks which damage an enemy’s poise. Additionally, you can get the weapon straight away if you start with the Samuraiclass.
For me, the ultimate starting Dexterity weapon isRogier’s Rapierdue to its beautiful design, fantastic thrusting attacks and the fact that it alreadystarts at a plus 8without needing to invest in levelling it up yourself. Perhaps most importantly, it comes with theGlintblade PhalanxWeapon Skill.
The Glintblade Phalanx Ashes of War summons four magical swords above your head that launch towards attacking enemies. This extra firepower can help turn the tide in battle, especially if you’re up against multiple foes at once.
How to get Rogier’s Rapier
To get Rogier’s Rapier, you must firstdefeatGodrick the Grafted, then speak to Rogier at theRoundtable Hold. As it requires you to defeat two main bosses, you’ll want to stock up on a healthy amount of runes first. See our guide to thebest rune farming locationsfor the best rune farming locations both early and late game.
Best early weapon for Strength builds
Zweihander
The Zweihander is easy to obtain and a good starter sword for Strength builds |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/FromSoftware
There are quite a few early-game Strength weapons you can pick up like the Grafted Blade Greatsword, but this requires an eye-watering level of Strength to wield. We suggest going for something like theZweihander, which is both accessible and only requires Strength level 19 to wield.
The Zweihander comes with theStampWeapon Skill butcan be infusedwith other Ashes of War if you fancy a change. Stamp is essentially an uppercut heavy attack that has the chance to recoil an enemy when delivered.
For a colossal sword, the Zweihander is reliable and will see you through the early stages of Elden Ring until you have enough Strength to wield something more exciting like the Giant-Crusher or Grafted Blade Greatsword.
How to get the Zweihander
The Zweihander can be bought from theIsolated Merchantfor 3,500 runes, in the Isolated Merchant’s Shack in the Weeping Peninsula.
Best early weapon for Intelligence builds
Carian Knight’s Sword
The Carian Knight’s Sword has a powerful Carian Grandeur attack |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/FromSoftware
Intelligence builds are equipped to perform sorceries. Some weapons prioritise scaling with Intelligence and have unique Weapon Skills that consume FP. Otherwise, you can use a staff to perform a sorcery instead. There are a multitude of fantastic weapons that scale well with Intelligence and offer impressive Weapon Skills.
TheCarian Knight’s Swordis a straight sword that scales nicely with Intelligence and either Strength or Dexterity. Equipped with theCarian GrandeurWeapon Skill, the sword can summon a large magic blade that crashes down upon enemies and delivers massive damage. This skill is chargeable and cannot be parried, making it a solid strike against any foe unlucky enough to cross blades with you.
If you’re a little further on and have reached the Caria Manor in Liurnia of the Lakes, consider picking up theSword of Night and Flame. This impressive sword allows you to perform a sweeping attack and castComet Azur, a sorcery that would otherwise require 60 Intelligence to cast. The sword requires a baseline of stats in Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence and Faith but we recommend focusing on Intelligence to get the most out of the Comet Azur attack.
However, for early-game progression the Craian Knight Sword is the optimal choice as it will take you through to Caria Manor and beyond and look impressive whilst doing so.
How to get the Carian Knight’s Sword
Best early weapon for Faith builds
Winged Sythe
The Winged Sythe is one of the few weapons in Elden Ring to deal out Holy damage |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/FromSoftware
TheWinged Sytheis a reaper infused with Holy damage, making it a great option for meleeFaith builds. Even better, you can get it early within the Weeping Peninsula.
The Winged Sythecannot be infusedwith Ashes of War. Instead, it comes equipped with theAngel’s WingsWeapon Skill. This skill allows the player to make a jumping slash attack, imbued with light. The beauty of the attack is that immediately afterwards, struck enemies will not be able to use a recovery action and use their flasks. This is especially useful for any PvP or fights against certain enemies that can heal like Bloody Finger NPCs.
Additionally, thanks to patch 1.08, the attack speed of the Winged Sythe has been increased whilst the recovery time of using the Weapon Skill has been reduced.
How to get the Winged Sythe
To get the Winged Sythe for yourself you must loot it from theTombsward Ruinsin the Weeping Penninsula.
Best early weapon for Arcane builds
Reduvia
The Reduvia has a fantastic bleed buildup ability |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/FromSoftware
Arcane is a stat that determines the damage of certain spells (sorceries and incantations) and is often a secondary requirement after either Faith or Intelligence. Arcane also influences the player’s discovery rate of items.
It is rarer, but several weapons in Elden Ring will require a measure of Arcane to wield them properly. Of these, theReduviais one of the strongest to get early on in a playthrough but will also need some levels in Dexterity.
The Reduvia is well worth the investment, however, as it can perform the uniqueReduvia Blood BladeWeapon Skill. This skill essentially slashes bloodstains into the air, which causes blood loss buildup for massive damage potential. Note that the Reduviacannot be infusedwith other Ashes of War.
How to get the Reduvia
Tp get the Reduvia you mustdefeat Bloody Finger Nerijus, outside of Murkwater Cave in Limgrave. Nerijus will pack a punch but it is possible to tackle the invading NPC early on in a playthrough, especially if you let Yura do most of the work for you. Yura should spawn pretty quickly after Nerijus and is a friendly NPC with an optionalquestline. See ourBloody Finger Nerijus boss fight walkthroughfor more tips and tricks.
Best early weapon for quality builds
Great Epee
The Great Epee scales well with both Dexterity and Strength |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/FromSoftware
Traditionally, a quality build caters for players that want to invest equal points intobothStrength and Dexterity. As such, you’ll want a weapon that also caters to both stats. For an early playthrough option, theGreat Epeeis a fantastic choice.
The Great Epee is a thrusting sword, which means you can thrust attack at foes whilst guarding with a shield. The Great Epee can also pierce past an enemy’s guard, with itsImpaling ThrustWeapon Skill. This can open an enemy’s guard and leave them vulnerable to follow-up attacks.
This skill was buffed with theElden Ring 1.07 patch, increasing the attack speed and shortening the delay in which you can perform a subsequent action after performing an attack. Although youcan infusethe Great Epee with an Ashes of War if you don’t like the Impaling Thrust Weapon Skill, we think it complements the sword build well, particularly for players that like to use shields.
How to get the Great Epee
The Great Epee is relatively easy to acquire within Limgrave and doesn’t require any boss fights to get. Simply traveleast of the Agheel Lake SouthSite of Grace and loot the chest near the yellow tent.
Best early staff
Meteorite Staff
The Meteorite Staff greatly buffs gravity-based spells |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/FromSoftware
The Meteorite Staffcannot be infusedwith Ashes of War nor can it be upgraded, but the S-level Intelligence scaling and gravity magic buff is well worth your time acquiring it.
How to get the Meteorite Staff
That rounds off our guide to the best early weapons in Elden Ring based on which stat you’re building your Tarnished for. If you want moreElden Ring tips and tricks, check out our guide to thebest armorsets in the game, or see ourbest weaponsguide if you’re a little further into the game.
