As soon as you enter Elden Ring, you’ll face numerous formidable foes eager to defeat you. Here, we’ve compiled a list of the 11 best weapons you can acquire early in the game, suitable for all builds. We’ll also detail their locations and the optimal builds to pair them with.
Each weapon featured below caters to various builds and playstyles, ensuring that by the conclusion of your journey, you’ll have a solid understanding of which weapons best complement your Tarnished character.
However, during the initial hours of the game, determining the best-suited weapons for your combat style can be challenging. Whether you’re a Samurai, a Knight, a Wizard, or anything in between, there’s an early-game weapon in Elden Ring to suit your playstyle.
With the release of the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, now is the perfect time to revisit Elden Ring. Below, we present what we consider the 11 best early weapons you can find in the game.
Top Early Weapons in Elden Ring
From katanas and greatswords to daggers, staffs, axes, and seals, here are 11 of the finest early weapons scattered throughout the Lands Between in Elden Ring.
Bloodhound Fang
The Bloodhound Fang is perfect for Dexterity builds.
The Bloodhound Fang is one of the top early weapons for Dexterity and bleed-focused builds. This curved Greatsword inflicts passive hemorrhage and is obtainable by defeating Bloodhound Knight Darriwil at the Forlorn Hound Evergaol.
This encounter can be tough, especially since you can’t summon co-op partners or Spirit Summons for Evergaol fights. However, you can bring Blaidd along to assist in defeating Darriwil. Meet Blaidd at the Mistwood Ruins, where he’ll inform you of his mission to hunt Darriwil. After this interaction, you can summon him for support, making the boss battle significantly easier and helping you secure the Bloodhound Fang in Elden Ring.
Demi-Human Queen’s Staff
The Demi-Human Staff is a valuable find early in Elden Ring and is excellent for spellcasters.
This staff is ideal for traditional sorcerer builds. During the game’s initial stages, players will want to harness every bit of magic they can as it’s helpful while learning the ropes of dodging, rolling, and parrying.
The Demi-Human Queen’s Staff is a basic Glintstone Staff that can be found in the Weeping Peninsula, not far from your starting point in The Lands Between. To acquire it, venture to the Demi-Human Forest Ruins located on the northern side of the Weeping Peninsula and defeat the demi-humans and their queen to acquire the weapon.
To wield it, you’ll need an Intelligence stat of 10.
The Grafted Blade Greatsword
The Grafted Blade Greatsword is located in Castle Morne.
This powerful weapon can be found in Castle Morne in the Weeping Peninsula and is perfect for strength builds. The sword resembles the Iron Throne from Game of Thrones and proves to be surprisingly robust for an early-game weapon.
When fully upgraded, it can carry you through NG+ if your build complements the sword. It’s part of Edgar’s quest, acquired by successfully defeating the Leonine Misbegotten boss at Castle Morne. An excellent and potent greatsword for strength builds.
The Sword of Night and Flame
The Sword of Night and Flame, while nerfed, is still highly effective for hybrid builds.
This sword ranks among the best in the game for magic users or players crafting hybrid battlemage builds. You’ll need to have made some progress in the game to acquire it, as the sword lies within Caria Manor. You’ll need to leap from the ramparts into a lower area and navigate through an open trapdoor to find it.
Although nerfed in a game update, it remains one of the most robust weapons for Intelligence builds. While it’s an early-game weapon, you’ll need to have defeated Rennala before you can access it, making it useful even late in your Elden Ring adventure.
Reduce
In NG+, you can discover two Reduvias and dual-wield them.
This small dagger is another excellent choice for bleed builds. The Reduvia can serve as a valuable secondary or primary weapon. It drops from the invading NPC Bloody Finger Nerijus when you defeat him. Fortunately, the Samurai Yura will join you to assist in battling Nerijus, making the dagger easier to obtain.
Nerijus will invade as you journey north of Agheel Lake after you’ve met Yura. Don’t rush into the fight—wait for Yura to arrive to help before taking on Nerijus together, unless you’re feeling particularly brave.
This weapon inflicts passive bleed damage, which can significantly expedite challenging boss encounters. You can also use it to build up bleed damage and then switch back to your primary weapon.
Getting together
If you choose the Samurai class, you can start the game equipped with the Uchigatana.
A must-have for any Dexterity build, Elden Ring’s Uchigatana is the initial weapon for Samurai characters, but it’s also worth picking up if you choose a different class. The katana can be located within the Deathtouched Catacombs in Stormveil during the early game.
It’s particularly advantageous for Dexterity and Intelligence builds looking to craft a battlemage character or those focusing on bleed damage. Indeed, when upgraded to emphasize bleed damage, this sword can be an excellent partner for the Rivers of Blood weapon found later. The Uchigatana arguably outshines Rivers of Blood; however, the latter’s sword art makes them both ideal for bleed builds, marking the Uchigatana as one of the top early weapons in Elden Ring, reminiscent of its status in Dark Souls.
Twinblade
The Gargoyle Twinblade allows dex builds to unleash their inner Sith Lord.
For gamers focused purely on dexterity, the Twinblade is an outstanding option. As a dexterity-based weapon, it can remain a staple throughout the game when upgraded with various Ashes of War scattered across Elden Ring.
You can find it in a chest at the Dragon-Burnt Ruins, but be cautious of the Flying Dragon Agheel guarding the area.
Claymore
The Claymore is an excellent choice for early strength builds.
Experienced players of Dark Souls know the Claymore as one of the most balanced and reliable mid-weight greatswords in any FromSoftware title. While it may eventually be replaced with a more potent weapon, the Claymore will serve well for a significant part of Elden Ring if you’re on the right build.
The sword synergizes with both Strength and Dexterity and can be located in the courtyard of Castle Morne near a pile of burning corpses. It also allows for infusion with various Ashes of War.
Greataxe
The Greataxe is a strong choice for strength builds.
This powerful strength weapon is available early in Elden Ring. You can find the Greataxe in a chest on the first carriage being pulled by giants near the entrance to Stormveil Castle.
To stop the caravan, distract the giants by attacking them, then sneak around to open the chest. You may engage the giants and their allies, but be wary of being outnumbered. Skilled players might be able to grab the axe without entering a fierce fight.
Just ensure the giants don’t crush the carriage containing the axe. If they do, rest at the nearby Grace site, and the entire caravan will respawn.
The Meteorite Staff
The Meteorite Staff is invaluable for caster builds during the early hours of Elden Ring.
Geared toward pure caster builds, you’ll need to venture into Caelid to find this immensely powerful staff early in the game. Even if you just grab it and leave, it’s worth the trip. The weapon can be located in the swamp near the Sellia Crystal Tunnel and deals tremendous meteor damage when upgraded.
It is an essential item for caster builds and remains useful even in NG+. While you’re in the vicinity, don’t forget to pick up the Rotten Stray Ashes.
Dragon Communion Seal
The Dragon Communion Seal allows you to wield powerful dragon Incantations.
Players favoring a Faith build and utilizing Dragon Communion incantations should acquire this Seal as soon as possible. The good news is that it can be found early in the Fringefolk Hero’s Grave. A bit of platforming is required to reach it, but it’s well worth the effort.
This Seal boosts damage for Dragon Communion spells significantly, making it immensely valuable for those utilizing such incantations. Remember, you’ll need a Sword Stone Key to access the dungeon. The Fringefolk Hero’s Grave is accessible from the game’s start, but be wary as it’s a tough area for beginners—though you can always make a quick dash to grab the Seal and retreat.
These are the best early weapons in Elden Ring. Be sure to check out our guides covering character classes and understanding stats, so you’re prepared for the challenges ahead.
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