While no weapon is perfect in Elden Ring, the recently rolled-out updates to Elden Ring’s PVP mode have made some classes of weapons perform better than others. Moreover, this has breathed new life into the Colosseums, and there’s no better time than now to join in. Based off of these buffs and nerfs and after extensive testing, we’ve curated a list of the 10 best PVP weapons in Elden Ring.
However, regardless of their standing on the totem pole, every weapon listed below is viable. And while you may disagree with us, we believe every weapon to be nigh-deadly in the right hands. With that said, these are the current 10 best PVP weapons in Elden Ring!
Greatsword
- Type: Colossal Sword
- Requirements: 31 Strength, 12 Dexterity
- Base Scaling: Strength C, Dexterity E
- Damage Type: Standard
- Weapon Skill: Stamp (Upward Cut)
- Location: Greyoll’s Dragonbarrow, Caelid
The Greatsword is too big to be called a sword; it’s more like a heap of raw iron. A Colossal Sword is out of the blue in PVP, but hear us out. With the recent updates where Poise has become more relevant, this weapon can mow down opposing Tarnished without getting staggered. As such, players will try to approach you cautiously without any thought of trading blows with you.
The Greatsword, however, is a bit tricky to master since there’s the heaviness to account for. But once you get the hang of it, you can assimilate it into various Strength builds. Whether powerstancing it or infusing it with different Ashes of War, the Greatsword will do you wonders. Plus, it’s just a two minutes horse ride away in Caelid.
Giant-Crusher
- Type: Colossal Weapon
- Requirements: 60 Strength
- Base Scaling: Strength C
- Damage Type: Strike
- Weapon Skill: Endure
- Location: Inside a carriage in the southern outskirts of Lyndell
Another unlikely addition to the list is the Giant-Crusher, which has the same premise as the Greatsword. Although slow, your goal is to go balls to the walls on your opponents while trading blows. With that said, you’ll always bonk your way to victory during such bouts due to opponents’ low Poise.
Moreover, once powerstanced, the sheer raw power of two Giant-Crushers will decimate almost any foe. For PVP, you’ll also want to use jump attacks while powerstancing as it makes up for the low attack speed. To get it, you must go south of the Outer Wall Phantom Tree site of grace in Lyndell until you reach a carriage. Inside the carriage is a chest where the Giant-Crushes rests.
Vyke’s War Spear
- Type: Great Spear (Unique)
- Requirements: 16 Strength, 20 Dexterity, 18 Faith
- Base Scaling: Strength E, Dexterity C, Faith D
- Damage Type: Pierce
- Weapon Skill: Frenzyflame Thrust
- Location: Dropped by beating Festering Fingerprint Vyke in Liurnia of the Lakes
Legend has it that Vyke, with his namesake War Spear, was a Tarnished standing near the Elden Lord’s threshold before succumbing to the Frenzied Flame. Overcome with Madness, Vyke is now a ghost of his former shell awaiting a worthy Tarnished like himself to bequeath his War Spear. As such, players must beat the invader Festering Fingerprint Vyke to get the Vyke’s War Spear.
With hints of Madness imbued into it, Vyke’s War Spear is an incredible weapon for PVP. Its unique Weapon Skill thrusts the Spear into the ground, which causes a maddening explosion. And while opponents might dodge the thrust, the flames scattered with the explosions will cause Madness to build for as long as they stay in it.
Moonveil
- Type: Katana (Unique)
- Requirements: 12 Strength, 18 Dexterity, 23 Intelligence
- Base Scaling: Strength E, Dexterity D, Intelligence C
- Damage Type: Slash/Pierce
- Weapon Skill: Transient Moonlight
- Location: Dropped after beating Magma Wyrm in Gael Tunnel, Caelid
We all have fond memories of the Moonveil Katana with our initial playthrough of Elden Ring. The weapon scales off Strength, Dexterity, and Intelligence. However, the Moonveil’s rise to fame is Transient Light, one of the strongest Ashes of Wars in Elden Ring. Players looking to get the most out of it must crank up Intelligence and put limited points in the rest to properly wield it.
Transient Light fires off rapid arcs of light, causing opponents to roll panic. They’ll either take the massive hit or try to dodge it, opening space for a subsequent flurry of attacks. Since the Moonveil fits in the Katana class, those hits will also cause Bleed to build up. The best part about this weapon is that it’s obtained relatively early in Caelid by beating the Magma Wyrm in Gael Tunnel.
Reduvia
- Type: Dagger (Unique)
- Requirements: 5 Strength, 13 Dexterity, 13 Arcane
- Base Scaling: Strength E, Dexterity D, Arcane D
- Damage Type: Slash/Pierce
- Weapon Skill: Reduvia Blood Blade
- Location: Dropped after beating Bloody Finger Nerijus near Murkwater Catacombs, Limgrave
Reduvia has a very short reach as a Dagger, which is not desirable in a PVP weapon. However, you’ll currently see players dual-wielding Reduvia Daggers. These come with an intrinsic Bleed passive which is always nice to have, but the buff to Reduvia Blood Blade has made them a popular pick among players in PVP.
Players can now use the Weapon Skill to quickly send out flesh-tearing projectiles, making it hard for opponents to dodge. While the weapon is acquired very early by defeating Bloody Finger Nerijus near the Murkwater Catacombs, the invader can easily overwhelm you. Your best approach is to hold out a bit until Yuri spawns to give you an extra hand.
Wing of Astel
- Type: Curved Sword (Unique)
- Requirements: 7 Strength, 17 Dexterity, 20 Intelligence
- Base Scaling: Strength E, Dexterity D, Intelligence D
- Damage Type: Slash
- Weapon Skill: Nebula
- Location: On top of southern Uhl Palace Ruins
The Wing of Astel is among the best Curved Sword Elden Ring offers. PVP-wise, it’s a solid contender that boasts amazing DPS. While it’s tricky to get, it’s worth it and you can find it atop the ruins in southern Uhl Palace Ruins, but . And while it might not have the best reach, this weapon comes with a unique gimmick that shoots magic projectiles at the cost of Stamina only.
Moreover, its Weapon Skill, Nebula, is among the most powerful Weapon Skills. You can outplay online opponents by using it behind, and players will bait roll into the explosion, taking massive damage. Moreover, it’s a fantastic option for a spellblade build, where you can use a staff in one hand to add diversity to your playstyle.
Bolt of Gransax
- Type: Spear (Unique)
- Requirements: 20 Strength, 40 Dexterity
- Base Scaling: Strength D, Dexterity D
- Damage Type: Pierce
- Weapon Skill: Ancient Lightning Spear
- Location: lies on Gransax’s solidified bolt in Lyndel, Royal Capital
The Bolt of Gransax features a game-breaking Weapon Skill in Ancient Lightning Spear that will almost always one-shot fellow Tarnished. Players using it will harness the powers of the Ancient Dragons to throw the Spear coated in crackling red lightning at devastating range. Add in the incredible reach and dps of the Spear class, and the Bolt of Gransax is simply one of the best PVP weapons.
However, players must pump points into their Dexterity to get the most out of its Weapon Skill since it scales exceptionally well with it. To acquire it, look opposite the dragon’s head in Lyndell, and you’ll find a giant lightning bolt on which Bolt of Gransax rests. However, bear in mind that the spear will vanish once you progress beyond the Maliketh Boss fight.
Winged Scythe
- Type: Reaper (Unique)
- Requirements: 16 Strength, 16 Dexterity, 24 Faith
- Base Scaling: Strength E, Dexterity D, Faith D
- Damage Type: Slash
- Weapon Skill: Winged Blade
- Location: Tombsward Ruins, Weeping Peninsula
While Faith based weapons might not be ideal for PVE, they will always dominate the PVP meta. One such weapon is the Winged Scythe which scales exceptionally well with Faith and Dexterity. As a Reaper, the Winged Scythe boasts decent range and speed and comes with a native Bleed passive, which is always welcome in PVP.
But adding in the fact that Winged Blade prevents healing makes it a no-brainer for PVP. This puts tons of pressure on opponents as no one wants their life force to suddenly give up. Fortunately, players will also come across this weapon very early by looting the chest in Tombsward Ruins in the Weeping Peninsula.
Rivers of Blood
- Type: Katana (Unique)
- Requirements: 12 Strength, 18 Dexterity, 20 Arcane
- Base Scaling: Strength E, Dexterity D, Arcane D
- Damage Type: Slash/Pierce
- Weapon Skill: Corpse Piler
- Location: Beat Bloody Finger Okina in the Mountaintops of the Giants
Rivers of Blood is another weapon that terrorized the PVP meta long before getting hit by numerous nerfs. Regardless of those nerfs, Rivers of Blood has always stood the test of time, and when handled by capable hands, death is destined. While the Katana is unique since it offers Arcane scaling and has split damage between physical and fire, what’s worth looking at is its Weapon Skill – Corpse Piler.
While Corpse Piler lacks the punch it once had, it’s still a great Weapon Skill that causes rapid Bleed build-up. However, unlike before, you’ll now have to use your wits and devise a strategy before aimlessly spamming Corpse Piler. To acquire it, one must best its original wielder, Okina, in the Mountaintops of the Giants.
Bloodhound’s Fang
- Type: Curved Greatsword (Unique)
- Requirements: 18 Strength, 17 Dexterity,
- Base Scaling: Strength D, Dexterity C
- Damage Type: Slash
- Weapon Skill: Bloodhound’s Finesse
- Location: Beat Bloodhound Knight Darriwil in Forlorn Hound Evegail, Limgrave
Concluding our list of the best PVP weapons Elden Ring, much like the Moonveil, the Bloodhound’s Fang was a fan-favorite ever since Elden Ring came out. The Bloodhound’s Fang is also among the best Bleed weapons in Elden Ring. Similarly, you can acquire it very early by following Blaidd’s questline or simply jumping into the Forlorn Hound Evergaol in Limgrave where you have to beat Bloodhound Knight Darriwil.
To top it all off, the weapon has one of the coolest Ash of War in Bloodhound’s Finesse. In doing so, the user quickly slashes the Curved Greatsword in a backward somersault which they can follow with a lightning-fast Bloodhound Step attack to close the gap. From Strength to Dexterity and Quality builds, don’t miss out on the Bloodhound’s Fang for your PVP endeavors.
Final Thoughts
That’s all for the best PVP weapons in Elden Ring! If you’re exhausted from Elden Ring’s back-to-back boss fights, take a breather by joining in some thrilling one-on-one bouts in Elden Ring’s PVP. Take one of the above-mentioned weapons with you or any you’re used to, and dominate the PVP meta!
Which of the aforementioned weapons do you like most in Elden Ring? Do you prefer using other weapons in PVP? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
