There are a handful of weapons in Elden Ring that are simply better than the rest, and getting them is by no means easy. The game’s most unique and powerful armaments require you to down some of the game’s toughest bosses, making them useful and proof of your mettle. Our best weapons tier list whittles down the selections so you don’t have to.
Elden Ring Best Weapons Tier List
Elden Ring: S-Tier Weapons
Carian Regal Scepter
- Type: Glintstone Staff
- Attack: Phy-24 / Crit-100 / Sor-140
- Requires: Str-8 / Dex-10 / Int-60
Magic is a very powerful source of damage in Elden Ring. That’s why pure or hybrid mage builds can really shine, especially with Carian Regal Scepter in hand, which has a passive ability that boosts all Full Moon spells. This is a unique staff that has a special Spinning Weapon skill, which allows you to both protect yourself and hit enemies at the same time if they’re close by.
To obtain it, you’ll need to defeat Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon, who resides at the Raya Lucaria Academy. Once defeated, she’ll drop the Remembrance of The Full Moon Queen, which you need to bring to Enia at Roundtable Hold. If you want to play as a caster mage or astrologer, I highly recommend this staff as your top choice.
Hand of Malenia
- Type: Katana
- Attack: Phy-269 / Crit-100
- Requires: Str-16 / Dex-48
Fast and brutal are the two words that come to mind when speaking of Hand of Melania. This unique weapon possesses the Waterfowl Dance skill, which allows players to perform a deadly slashing combo that can be repeated several times in a quick sequence, leaving not a single enemy alive.
Hand of Melania can only be obtained after defeating Malenia, Blade of Miquella, who can be found at the Consecrated Snowfield. She will drop the Remembrance of the Rot Goddess that can be exchanged for the katana at Enia’s. You can use this powerful weapon on your tank build with some heavy armor.
Starscourge Greatsword
- Type: Colossal Sword
- Attack: Phy-129 / Mag-83 / Crit-100
- Requires: Str-38 / Dex-12 / Int-15
Elden Ring players have a few favorites when it comes to the best main sword in the game, but there’s no doubt that Starscourge Greatsword is the weapon any DPS melee build would want. Just like all unique weapons, it has its own special skill Starcaller Cry, which creates a wave that pulls all surrounding enemies in and slams them down with a powerful blow.
This weapon can be obtained after defeating Starscourge Radahn, who resides in the Redmane Castle, Caelid. He will drop the Remembrance of the Starscourge, which you need to bring to Enia at Roundtable Hold, and exchange it for this magnificent sword. Starscourge Greatsword would be the best for such classes like Vagabond, Warrior, or Hero, with medium or heavy armor.
A-Tier Weapons
Azur’s Glintstone Staff
- Type: Glintstone Staff
- Attack: Phy-24 / Crit-100 / Sor-166
- Requires: Str-10 / Int-52
Azur’s Glintstone Staff may have higher sorcery scaling and lower requirements than Carian Regal Scepter, but it consumes 50% more FP, which is why I have to put this Elden Ring weapon in Tier A.
This staff also has no passive or special abilities, which is another reason it is a little bit worse than the Carian Regal Scepter. Still, it’s one of the best mage staffs in the game, and no caster should ignore this powerful weapon. It can be found on the floor at the Raya Lucaria Academy. You need to go up to the second floor at the Church of the Cuckoo, and search for a room with crystals and Lucarian Stone Masks in the eastern side.
Dark Moon Greatsword
- Type: Greatsword
- Attack: Phy-82 / Mag-98 / Crit-100
- Requires: Str-16 / Dex-11 / Int-38
Some weapons need to be enchanted to produce a certain magical effect, but with Dark Moon Greatsword, you don’t need anything, as it already has imbued frost damage.
It also has the Moonlight Greatsword ability, which allows you to charge it up with the Dark Moon power and send crushing blasts of moonlight at your enemies. Combine this with frost magic, and you will have a rather deadly weapon in your hands. To get this excellent sword, you need to complete Renna’s quest. This NPC can be found at the Ranni’s Rise tower in the Three Sisters, Liurnia of the Lakes.
During this quest, you need to obtain the Dark Moon ring and bring it back to Renna. Afterward, go to Cathedral of Manus Celes, and you will find the Dark Moon Greatsword below it.
Bloodhound’s Fang
- Type: Curved Greatsword
- Attack: Phy-141 / Crit-100
- Requires: Str-18 / Dex-17
Here’s a weapon that can cause serious blood loss, which can be absolutely devastating when properly upgraded with the help of smithing stones. It has a unique Bloodhound’s Finesse attack combo that starts with an upward slash, continues with the backward somersault, and finishes everything off with a strong attack. This weapon can be obtained only after defeating Bloodhound Knight Darriwil, located at the Forlon Hound Evergaol in Limgrave.
B-Tier Weapons
Ruins Greatsword
- Type: Colossal Sword
- Attack: Phy-124 / Mag-37 / Crit-100
- Requires: Str-50 / Int-16
There’s a special breed of players who enjoy playing Souls games with nothing but the biggest and heaviest weapons in the game. If you care about nothing but the strength of your character, then this would be a great choice. Its Wave of Destruction ability allows you to perform a slamming AoE that can destroy or break any kind of defense that enemies might possess. It’s a true stagger enabler! Getting this weapon won’t be easy, as you will have to defeat both Crucible Knight and Misbegotten Warrior at the Redmane Castle Plaza.
Moonveil
- Type: Katana
- Attack: Phy-73 / Mag-87 / Crit-100
- Requires: Str-12 / Dex-18 / Int-23
While most players choose pure melee builds, and others choose pure magic builds, the rest of us go for hybrid builds that combine both of those elements. This katana could be a perfect companion to your magic staff as a highly precise and fast melee weapon that deals tons of damage with its Transient Moonlight ability.
Moonveil can be obtained as a drop from an optional Magma Wyrm boss, who can be found inside the Gael Tunnel at Caelid. This enemy is weak to magic, so casters will have no trouble taking him out. Such a fine weapon would be the best fit for Wretch and Prisoner classes that are most suitable for melee mage hybrid builds.
Astrologer’s Staff
- Type: Glintstone Staff
- Attack: Phy-25 / Crit-100 / Sor-166
- Requires: Str-7 / Int-16
If you’re just starting out and don’t want to use brute force, but choose to use magic in order to subdue enemies, then this is the weapon for you. Although Astrologer’s Staff is a regular weapon, its sorcery scaling is out of this world, which will allow you to perform really well in such a demanding game like Elden Ring.
Players who choose the Astrologer class at the beginning of the game will get the Astrologer’s Staff for free, but if you’ve chosen a different class and still want to try it out, then you can purchase it for 800 Runes from the Nomadic Merchant at Liurnia of the Lakes.
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That’s our Elden Ring best weapons tier list. If you want to read more on Elden Ring tips and tricks, then go to our dedicated hub page, where you can find out where to get the Sword of Night and Flame or the Blasphemous Blade.
