Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree doesn't hold back when it comes to bosses. These brutal enemies will punch players down into the ground until they have learned to dodge every single attack, read a two-page dissertation on their weaknesses, and optimized their build to the max. Once they are beaten, players will be rewarded with a Remembrance, which can be exchanged for weapons, spells, or even talismans.

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The weapons acquired from these remembrances are typically the same ones that the bosses use themselves. Some of them are quite good, letting players perform almost the exact moves that the boss did, but others leave much to be desired. They're all decent weapons, but some shine brighter than the rest.

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10 Poleblade of the Bud

Underwhelming Performance

The main problem with the Poleblade of the Bud is the lack of a good Ash of War. Players were hungry for a rot-themed remembrance weapon, but the fact that its AoW has lower rot build-up than many of the rot sorceries and normal ash of wars like the poison flower blooms twice makes it extremely underwhelming. Even with a proper rot build, it is somewhat underwhelming.

Secondly, the lack of any hyper armor during the long skill animation means that the player can be interrupted by enemies extremely easily. Additionally, the lackluster damage and little rot buildup make it very disappointing.

9 Putrescence Cleaver

Freeze Fire Weapon

A hybrid STR/ARC weapon that deals magic damage and can cause frostbite, the Putrescence Cleaver gives the player a lot to love about it. It does have one of the shortest hitboxes out of all the greataxes, but the damage and frostbite scaling makes up for that.

Its AoW isn't anything to write home about, though it is quite good at punishing large recovery windows and dealing with a horde of enemies since it can be used indefinitely, or until FP/Stamina runs out. The recovery animation from the AoW is somewhat long, so use it carefully against bosses. The moveset isn't as flashy as that of the Putrescent Knight, the lack of a throwing attack is particularly noticeable.

8 Greatsword of Damnation

Decent PvP Option

The Greatsword of Damnation has a lot of things going for it. It has one of the most unique looks in the game, with twisting ribs covering the blade's body and a golden sheen to make it sparkle that extra little bit. Its ash of war is good for PvE and PvP alike, but it doesn't quite fulfill expectations like one would want it to.

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According to the description of Golden Crux, the weapon is supposed to impale foes from overhead. While it makes sense why this wouldn't work for large, inhumane enemies, the fact that it doesn't work on any small humanoids either makes it feel like a bug rather than a feature. It does work in PvP though. Additionally, the barbs that come up around the player when they miss make up for its missing skewering action.

7 Sword Lance

A Customizable Boss Weapon

The Sword Lance is a heavy thrusting sword that players get from defeating Commander Gaius. It utilizes a mix of attacks from Heavy Thrusting Swords and the Lance. It has excellent scaling and has some of the highest damage numbers from light attacks. It also has incredible buildup, the highest of its category, when infused.

The greatest strength of this weapon is that it can be customized according to the player's needs. Using it in a bleed build is surprisingly fun, though the original ash of war has a terribly bombastic moveset that's hard to pass up.

6 Shadow Sunflower Blossom

Holy Bonking Crazy

The Shadow Sunflower Blossom has one of the best ashes of war in the game. It deals incredibly high damage and scales perfectly with FAI for maximum bonking potential. It doesn't just hit the enemy once. It doesn't stop at twice, or even at three. Players can use it to deal four separate attacks. If another player gets caught in the barrage, they won't be standing for long.

The skill has decent hyper armor and deals 65 stance damage when all attacks land, meaning players will only need to use the full combo twice for most bosses. The hyper armor will let them tank enough hits to get the skill off, and the stance break will give them time to heal and get a riposte for even more damage. With an optimized build for the Shadow Sunflower Blossom, players will chew through bosses like they're nothing.

5 Greatsword of Radahn (Lord/Light)

Spectacular Light Show

The weapons of the incredibly tough final boss are as spectacular as one would expect them to be. They aren't as overwhelmingly powerful as they were in the hands of Promised Consort Radahn, but they do enough damage that players won't be too disappointed. Unfortunately, the moveset of the Greatsword of Radahn (Lord) and Greatsword of Radahn (Light) is the exact same regardless of which version players choose, and they match the moves of the Starscourge Greatsword as well.

It is somewhat disappointing that there are three Colossal Swords that look the same, have the same moves, and only differ from one another in their ash of war. The Lord version has a three-move combo that deals a lot of damage but requires a lot of maneuvering to get off properly. Meanwhile, the Light version has a powerful dashing attack that is easy to get off and looks truly spectacular.

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4 Staff of the Great Beyond

Multi-talented Magician

The Staff of the Great Beyond is a heaven-sent gift for hybrid magicians who like using both sorceries and incantations. It lets players use both at the same time, without having to cycle between different catalysts. Since it scales with both FAI and INT, it has a high sorcery scaling, letting players deal more damage compared to other catalysts with the right build.

There are other staffs in the game, such as the Prince of Death's Staff, that have a higher total scaling. However, this staff is better at lower levels, and it has the additional ability where the player can use incantations without having to swap to a sacred seal.

3 Rellana's Twin Blades

A Sword of Magic and Fire

Who doesn't want to swing around two swords, one on fire, and the other coated with powerful magic? That's exactly what Rellana's Twin Blades do. They give the player the ability to truly roleplay as Rellana Twin Moon Knight. Their attacks don't go as far, but they deal just as much damage in the right build, and they certainly look just as cool.

The normal attacks of the swords are very fun as well. Since they're light greatswords, they feel quite light and feathery, letting players weave in and out and get multiple hits off at once. The stat requirements are quite scattered though, and it's hard to reach the true damage potential of the swords without reaching a high level.

2 Spear of the Impaler

Let 'Em Rip!

Messmer the Impaler is probably the most popular boss in the DLC. He's very tough but not unfair, his attacks have a lot of flair and look incredibly, and he has a ton of lore to uncover. The fact that the weapon players get from defeating him lets them perform the most incredible-looking move is just a cherry on top. The Spear of the Impaler has a unique Strong Attack that lets players throw it and cause an explosion when charged.

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Though it isn't viable most of the time due to the high stamina cost, the ranged option is good to have. Additionally, the ash of war looks and feels epic. It gives the player enough movement that they can dodge most attacks when timed right, and it deals enough damage to be worth the FP investment. A properly done Spear of the Impaler build lets the user fly through enemies, reigning fiery stabs at them from above.

1 Gazing Finger

AoE Bonk Machine

What's better than a massive finger that buries enemies? A massive finger that buries enemies and fires off a large AoE wave that deals faith damage. The Gazing Finger is like a combination of a massive hammer, a giant finger, and the Sacred Relic Sword. Its shape and size make it particularly fun to use, and the ash of war makes it powerful against a large number of weaker enemies as well. It has a ridiculously high poise damage as well, making it great against bosses.

When using the weapon, players should keep in mind that STR and INT scale the physical and magic damage of the weapon. Meanwhile, the ash of war's damage scales with FAI. It's a bit of an everything bagel, but considering the weapon comes from an outer god's meteor child, it is an excusable stat distribution.

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Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
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Released
June 21, 2024
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
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Base Game
Elden Ring
Developer(s)
FromSoftware