Summary
- Elden Ring players should be mindful of carry weight when selecting weapons to avoid hindering their creativity.
- Guardian's Swordspear offers distance and versatility with thrusting damage, which is ideal for various builds in Elden Ring.
- Cipher Pata is weightless and faith-scaled, providing a unique playstyle alternative while preserving FP in Elden Ring.
One of the most appealing aspects of Elden Ring for many players is the build variety. Players can embrace the Berserk-inspired setting and plow through the Lands Between with nothing but an oversized greatsword, or they can become bizarre tricksters who wield every type of magic available.
Elden Ring: The Best Shields
No matter what build you choose in Elden Ring, it will be useful to have a shield at your side. These are the best shields in Elden Ring.
However, there are some limiting factors that players should keep in mind. With so many different stats that need points allocated into them, carry weight can fall by the wayside. In such situations, Elden Ring players might be interested in finding out which weapons won't weigh them down too much, letting their creativity go unimpeded.
10 Guardian's Swordspear
Weight: 9.0
- Halberd.
- Dropped by Erdtree Guardians.
- Scales primarily with Dexterity.
Dropped by enemies that can be found regularly in different regions throughout the game, the 
Guardian's Swordspear makes use of thrusting damage to allow the player to keep their distance from an enemy.
While this weapon is certainly on the heavier end of the spectrum compared to what else is available, its simple moveset is versatile enough to fit in with a variety of builds - especially when players consider implementing a keen infusion for extra Dexterity scaling.
9 Bloody Helice
Weight 8.0
- Heavy Thrusting Sword.
- Found in Writheblood Ruins.
- Scales primarily with Dexterity and Arcane.
While the category of weapon the 
Bloody Helice finds itself in might have players thinking otherwise, this piercing weapon is a great addition for those looking to keep their equip load low.
The heaviness in question mostly pertains to the style of attacks - meaning that, while the weapon isn't heavy, the impact of the strikes on enemies can cause staggering. This, combined with the range of thrusting attacks, can help players maintain breathing room in stressful situations.
8 Godskin Peeler
Weight: 8.0
- Twinblade.
- Dropped by Godskin Apostle in Windmill Village.
- Scales primarily with Dexterity.
Twinblades make a welcome return in Elden Ring after being largely absent in the Souls series since Dark Souls 2. Of those, the lightness of the 
Godskin Peeler might be particularly appealing to players, matched by its rapid attack speed.
Souls-like Games With The Darkest Lore
The layer of tragedy and brutality in the lore of games like Dark Souls and Bloodborne is why so many players love these titles in the first place.
Its standard Ash of War - Blackflame Tornado - is bound to appeal to many gamers due to the extravagance of its appearance as well as the damage it causes. This weapon can also be outfitted with many different options, leading to a versatility of play styles.
7 Godskin Stitcher
Weight: 7.0
- Heavy Thrusting Sword.
- Dropped by Godskin Noble in Volcano Manor.
- Scales with Strength and Dexterity.
The range and efficacy of the 
Godskin Stitcher will be on full display when players are fighting the 
Godskin Noble (Solo) who drops it. The difficulty of this fight might speak to the power of the weapon, but some players may wonder how well this blade will suit their current build.
This is a quality weapon - which means that it scales with both Strength and Dexterity. While there are options like a keen infusion to put it more in one direction than the other, putting points into both stats could see this weapon come into its own.
6 Great Epee
Weight: 6.5
- Heavy Thrusting Sword.
- East of Agheel Lake South.
- Scales with Strength and Dexterity.
Right away, players might notice that this weapon is similar to the Godskin Stitcher in a number of ways. As such, some will likely wonder what the superior option is when so many of their qualities are that similar.
As always, that depends on the build in question. For players who are prioritizing the Strength stat above all else, the 
Great Épée will likely be of greater interest to them than the Stitcher. In addition to this, the Epee is also slightly lighter, which can allow players to put more effort into their armor.
5 Eleonora's Poleblade
Weight: 6.0
- Twinblade.
- Dropped by Eleonora, Violet Bloody Finger at the Second Church of Marika.
- Scales with Dexterity and Arcane.
If players familiar with Dark Souls 2 are hoping to lean into the twinblade options when starting Elden Ring, 
Eleonora's Poleblade might be their best option. While it does require a greater commitment into Arcane than the Godskin Peeler, that could be worth it.
Elden Ring: 10 Best Unique Weapon Skills, Ranked
Players can't go wrong with the following unique weapon skills in Elden Ring.
After all, while Arcane as a stat can help to improve scaling with weapons like this one, it can also increase the amount of damage done with conditions like bleed. Bleed itself is notorious for how effective it can be in Elden Ring, making this a good option for players looking to make things easier for themselves.
4 Shamshir
Weight: 3.5
- Curved Sword
- Found in Highroad Cave.
- Scales with Strength and Dexterity.
Once in the territory of truly light weapons, players might be tempted by options like the 
Shamshir, a curved sword that is capable of outputting a lot of damage once enough points are put into the relevant stats.
If the famously powerful Bloodhound Fang is a weapon with a moveset that players are drawn to, this will be comfortably familiar. The difficulty, however, might come from not initially having the same Ash of War - something that players can remedy.
3 Antspur Rapier
Weight: 3.0
- Thrusting Sword.
- Dropped by Maleigh Marais, Shaded Castle Castellan near the Shaded Castle.
- Scales with Strength and Dexterity.
Anyone who has played Elden Ring will know how infuriatingly deadly Scarlet Rot can be. Therefore, the opportunity to wield a weapon that gives players a chance to inflict this same condition with every strike will be an interesting prospect.
Due to the Scarlet Rot build up being a natural effect of the weapon, players can equip the 
Antspur Rapier with Ashes of War that inflict other conditions like Blood Loss, stacking them on top of each other for a brutally efficient weapon.
2 Wing Of Astel
Weight: 2.5
- Curved Sword.
- Found in Uhl Palace Ruins.
- Scales primarily with Dexterity and Intelligence.
The Intelligence scaling that this weapon requires might make it slightly more niche than other melee weapons in Elden Ring, but when the abilities that come with it include launching magical projectiles with heavy attacks, players might be inclined to gravitate towards it.
The Best Arcane Weapons In Elden Ring
For players that want to experiment with the dark arts of Arcane builds, you'll need a useful weapon. These are the best Arcane weapons in Elden Ring.
Throughout the game, players might also encounter enemies that utilize gravity magic - such as the soldiers of Radahn. Some of these enemies find themselves especially susceptible to the attacks of the 
Wing of Astel.
1 Cipher Pata
Weight: 0
- Fist.
- Found in Roundtable Hold.
- Scales with Faith.
When players are trying to think of weapons that won't add too much to their equip load, the 
Cipher Pata is likely what they'll think of first. However, while the lack of weight is impressive, players might be wondering if the damage is equally as enticing.
While the Cipher Pata might require a slightly different playstyle to what some players are used to, it could ultimately provide a shift that allows them to fully explore Elden Ring's combat options. Even if gamers find themselves primarily leaning on incantations, the Cipher Pata can be an effective way of preserving FP.
Elden Ring
- Released
- February 25, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- From Software
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
