The best all-round weapon in Elden Ring is still the Blasphemous Blade: its skill heals you on every kill, which quietly removes the flask pressure that makes hard bosses hard. For raw bleed damage Rivers of Blood is the benchmark, Moonveil is the go-to for Intelligence builds, and Shadow of the Erdtree added new S-tier picks in the Backhand Blades and Milady. Pick the weapon that matches your stats and you can clear the whole game with it.
Below is the weapon tier list for the 2026 post-DLC meta (patch 1.17 era), ranked S to B with each weapon’s type, the build it wants and why it lands where it does. Rankings lean toward PvE; a few weapons rise or fall in PvP, noted where it matters.
The Elden Ring weapon tier list
Ranked for the 2026 post-DLC meta. “Build” is the stat the weapon scales best with; DLC marks weapons from Shadow of the Erdtree.
| Weapon | Tier | Type | Build | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blasphemous Blade | S | Greatsword | Faith | Heals on kill; the best all-round PvE weapon |
| Rivers of Blood | S | Katana | Arcane / Dex | The benchmark bleed weapon with a lethal skill |
| Moonveil | S | Katana | Intelligence | Best pure-Int weapon; ranged magic slashes |
| Backhand Blades | S | Twinblade (DLC) | Dexterity | DLC standout with fast, evasive combos |
| Milady | S | Light Greatsword (DLC) | Dexterity | Clean, versatile DLC moveset for any Dex build |
| Giant-Crusher | S | Colossal Weapon | Strength | Highest raw damage with S-tier Str scaling |
| Dark Moon Greatsword | S | Greatsword | Intelligence | Elite Int greatsword with frost and magic burst |
| Rellana’s Twin Blades | A | Twinblade (DLC) | Dex / Int | Hybrid caster-melee with dual-element skill |
| Blood Fiend’s Arm | A | Hammer (DLC) | Strength / Arcane | Innate bleed on a hard-hitting hammer |
| Star Fist | A | Fist | Quality | Fast bleed build-up, brutal up close |
| Wing of Astel | A | Curved Sword | Intelligence | Ranged magic bursts on a nimble weapon |
| Bloodhound’s Fang | A | Curved Greatsword | Str / Dex | Early-game powerhouse that stays strong |
| Sword of Night and Flame | A | Straight Sword | Int / Faith | Two devastating skills for hybrid casters |
| Golden Order Greatsword | A | Greatsword | Faith / Int | Best-in-slot for holy-focused builds |
| Nagakiba | B | Katana | Dexterity | Long reach; a strong bleed base to infuse |
| Uchigatana | B | Katana | Dexterity | Free early-game bleed katana, always viable |
| Marais Executioner’s Sword | B | Greatsword | Arcane | AoE skill; niche but powerful with Arcane |
| Grafted Blade Greatsword | B | Colossal Sword | Strength | Big raw damage and a stat-buff skill |
The S-tier weapons explained
These carry most runs. Match one to your stat spread and infuse the right Ash of War.
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Elden Ring sits at the top of its genre — see where it lands on our best Soulslike games ranking. Like every FromSoftware game, weapon choice matters less than learning the fight, but the right weapon shortens the curve dramatically.
Best weapon for each build
Straight to the strongest pick for your primary stat.
| Build | Best weapon |
|---|---|
| Strength | Giant-Crusher |
| Dexterity | Rivers of Blood (or Backhand Blades) |
| Intelligence | Moonveil |
| Faith | Blasphemous Blade |
| Arcane / bleed | Rivers of Blood |
| Quality (Str/Dex) | Bloodhound’s Fang |
| Best early game | Uchigatana or Bloodhound’s Fang |
Elden Ring is one of the best-selling games of the decade, as our best-selling video games of all time ranking shows, and it remains a staple pick on our best free PC games in 2026 readers’ wishlists. Balance patches shift the meta, so re-check the tier list after any major update.
