Fastest Weapons In Elden Ring

Summary

Quality Builds in Elden Ring surpass the damage cap by combining Strength and Dexterity.
Fast weapon types in Elden Ring include Twinblades, Heavy Thrusting Swords, and Straight Swords.
Claws, Daggers, and Hand-to-Hand weapons provide high attack speed and unique combat styles.

One of the things that Elden Ring does well is giving players a lot of options when it comes to weapons and equipment to use in combat. With the addition of Shadow of the Erdtree, there are now 40 categories of weapons in the game, and each category has several individual weapons to choose from to suit a player's build.

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By Chad Thesen

Big, heavy-hitting builds have always been popular in FromSoftware games, but sometimes players want to be fast, nimble, and able to attack and disengage quickly. This still leaves players with several options to choose from, and identifying the fastest weapon isn't always as obvious as it seems. These are the fastest weapon types in Elden Ring, and the best weapons to use for each type.

The attack speed of a weapon in Elden Ring is determined by its weapon category. Some unique weapons within categories have their own combos and differences in animations, but one-handed light attacks from a weapon of the same category will mostly be the same speed. With that in mind, this topic covers the fastest categories of weapons, with recommendations for individual weapons based on players' stats.

12 Twinblade

Two Blades Are Better Than One

Best Weapons in Category:

The Twinblades appear a little lower on this list than some might expect, due to the fact that a normal one-handed R1 combo is relatively slow. However, Twinblades are best when two-handed, and the light attacks in this case hit multiple times.

This increases the attacks per minute of the weapon significantly and, due to the high base status build-up of the Twinblade category of weapons, makes them one of the best weapon types for applying status buildup quickly.

11 Heavy Thrusting Sword

Surprisingly Fast For Its Size

elden ring shadow of the erdtree player using sword lance

Best Weapons in Category:

Despite the name, heavy-thrusting swords are shockingly fast for the size of the weapon. This category is for swords that essentially work like large rapiers, such as the Bloody Helice. The thrusting R1 combos of these weapons are quick, almost equaling a normal short sword, despite much greater reach and damage on average. In addition, these weapons can be given lunging stabs that hit multiple times with the right ashes of war.

10 Straight Sword

The Sword And Board Staple

Best Weapons in Category:

Sometimes the most familiar options are the best, and a standard straight sword can take players a long way in Elden Ring. They sit right at the "good, not great" end of weapon attack speed, but they're not slow, and the R1 attack has a short start-up and recovery that makes getting off one hit before dodging away viable in most situations.

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By Jeff Drake

In terms of attack speed, sticking with one-handed R1 attacks outputs the most attacks per minute, compared with dual-wielding or two-handing a straight sword.

9 Katana

Nippon Steel

Best Weapons in Category:

Katanas are an interesting weapon in terms of attack speed. The standard one-handed R1 combos are just a little faster than the average straight sword. Heavy attacks and special attacks, though, often come with a long start-up time, but fast execution and recovery.

This plays into the anime aesthetics of katanas in Elden Ring, echoing fabled sword masters who hold their swords in their sheath until the last moment, only to unleash a strike too fast for the eye to see.

8 Curved Sword

Flashing Falchions

Best Weapons in Category:

Curved swords are a step up in attack speed from their straight sword counterparts. Many of Elden Ring's curved swords don't trade off significant damage for the speed increase, either. Base game options like the Grossmesser or Bandit's Curved Sword will give the player as much damage as a straight sword, with faster attacks and more maneuverability as well. The Dancing Blades from the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC have an ash of war that allows the player to deliver flowing, consecutive attacks, too.

7 Axe

Quick Combos

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Best Weapons in Category:

Axes come a little higher on this list than many Elden Ring players will expect. Anyone who's used a one-handed axe in the game knows that the first R1 attack has a noticeable start-up time to it. However, R1 combos actually chain together faster than many other weapon types, giving axes a relatively high number of attacks per minute when chaining together R1 attacks.

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By Joe Grantham

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6 Thrusting Sword

Piercing Strike

Best Weapons in Category:

Fencing fans will be pleased to know that rapiers, or thrusting swords as they're termed in Elden Ring, are still one of the fastest weapon categories in the game. Repeated R1 attacks come out quickly and are easy to chain.

This category of weapon also comes with feints and lunges on certain attacks, which increases the players' mobility in combat. The Antspur Rapier is a popular option for building up status effects quickly, as it has inherent scarlet rot build-up and can be infused with other status effects.

5 Backhand Blades

Whirling Blades

Elden Ring player standing with Backhand Blades in the Land of Shadow

Best Weapons in Category:

The backhand blades are a new category of weapon added in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. Even though there are only three weapons in this category, they're worth checking out for their flowing combo attacks and mobility skills.

The Backhand Blades allow players to close the distance on enemies instantly with the blind spot and quick slash ashes of war. The Smithscript Cirque even allows players to throw it from range, keeping up damage when backing off in combat.

4 Hand-To-Hand Arts

Legacy Of Dane

elden ring shadow of the erdtree dryleaf arts

Best Weapons in Category:

The martial arts combos of the new hand-to-hand weapons were a much-hyped feature of the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. There are only two weapons in this category, but the flashy palm and foot combos of each one are worth experimenting with.

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By Gerardo Molina

Players have to get up close and personal to use them effectively, but the weapons both have fast R1 combos with relatively high stagger potential that lets players boss around smaller enemies.

3 Fists

Fists Of Fury

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Best Weapons in Category:

Fist weapons offer a visceral choice for damage output in Elden Ring. The attack patterns are more straightforward punches than the martial arts of hand-to-hand weapons, but they come out quickly and chain quickly too.

While most fist weapons require the player to stand in the face of enemies, the Pata from the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC offers these attacks with an added bit of reach. Weapons like the Star Fist are another popular choice for status buildup, with fast attacks, inherent bleed buildup, and the ability to infuse the weapon with other statuses on top.