Elden Ring offers players an enormous open world full of dangers and rewards for the brave Tarnished willing to explore. While the Lands Between present a formidable challenge, the game provides ample tools to overcome any obstacle – if you know where to look.
Getting your hands on a powerful weapon early on can make a world of difference, letting you breeze through content you‘d otherwise struggle with. In this guide, we‘ll showcase Elden Ring‘s 10 most potent armaments available nice and early, along with tips on where to find them and how to maximize their potential.
1. Bloodhound‘s Fang
This curved greatsword is hands-down the best early game weapon you can grab in Limgrave. It packs a hefty punch with strong base damage and innate bleed, while the Bloodhound Step weapon skill allows unparalleled mobility in combat.
To obtain it, track down the Evergaol in southern Limgrave and defeat the Bloodhound Knight boss inside. He‘s quick and aggressive, so fight defensively until you learn his moves. With some persistence, he‘ll soon fall and relinquish his mighty blade.
While Bloodhound‘s Fang lacks scaling, its high base damage means it can carry you a long way regardless. For best results, invest in Dexterity to boost damage and bleed buildup. This sword smashes through early bosses and makes exploring catacombs far less terrifying.
Location: Evergaol, southern Limgrave
Build Recommendation: Dexterity
2. Moonveil
This magical katana from Caelid proves one of the best weapons for Intelligence builds. It boasts excellent magic damage from range with its Transient Moonlight skill, bringing speedy melee strikes enhanced with magic waves.
While Caelid is higher level, you can sprint through to nab this prize early. From the Lost Grace in Dragonbarrow, head west to a scarlet rot lake and seek out the cave along its southern edge. Inside rests the Magma Wyrm guarding the Moonveil – utilize spirit summons to distract this beast while you wail on it.
At +10 upgrade, the Moonveil reaches S-rank Intelligence scaling for tremendous magic damage output. Even early on, it packs a serious punch, helped by the starting Meteorite Staff for high sorcery scaling. This weapon absolutely melts through all varieties of foes.
Location: Lake of Rot, Caelid
Build Recommendation: Intelligence
3. Winged Scythe
For those looking to conduct gruesome holy warfare with Faith builds, this sacred scythe from Weeping Peninsula is a magnificent choice. It inherently deals holy damage with every strike, supplemented by ranged holy projectiles from its skill.
Venture south beyond Castle Morne at the peninsula‘s north reach and seek out Tombsward Cave along the coast. Dash through to snatch this brutal blade – just beware of ghostly warriors guarding it! At +10 with good Faith investment, it can annihilate the undead and blasphemous abominations with ease.
The Winged Scythe also causes bleed, making it highly versatile against other foes too. It‘s on the lighter side, allowing use of a shield or spells alongside, with keen scaling for Dexterity and Faith. This holy harbinger of death will make short work of Limgrave‘s challenges.
Location: Tombsward Cave, Weeping Peninsula
Build Recommendation: Faith
4. Sword of Night and Flame
This mythical weapon from Caria Manor is ideal for "Spellsword" builds, with both Intelligence and Faith powering its sorceries and incantations respectively. Despite the high attribute requirements, Confessor class can utilize this immediately.
The Caria Manor approach proves precarious, but with care (and liberal use of spirit summons), the prize is attainable early. Advance carefully past the patrolling Hands creatures and seek out the building‘s rooftop entry point. Descend the ladder within to discover this mythic sword.
Its unique skill allows casting potent magic projectiles or fiery arcane waves, enhanced further when charged. High upgrade levels also grant immense magic and fire damage, decimating most enemies with ease. A versatile weapon like no other.
Location: Rooftop entry, Caria Manor
Build Recommendation: Intelligence/Faith
5. Lordsworn‘s Greatsword
Sometimes you just want raw physical power, and that‘s where this colossal blade shines. Boasting top-tier critical damage and excellent strength scaling, it smashes foes into oblivion with ease. Its accessibility right from the start makes this an incredible early game choice.
As the Hero class, you can wield this beast immediately. Simply sprint past the soldiers by Gatefront Ruins to snatch it from a carriage. With reasonable stat investment into Strength and some Smithing Stone upgrades, nothing early on will stand in your way.
The Lordsworn‘s moveset also allows use of a shield alongside for added defense. Its basic skill brings an upward slam to stagger enemies, or customize it with Ashes of War. However you use it, this sword brings the pain from the get-go.
Location: Carriage, Gatefront Ruins entrance
Build Recommendation: Strength
6. Reduvia
While lacking raw damage of larger weapons, this blood-slinging dagger offers extremely rapid strikes augmented by passive bleed accumulation and a ranged hemorrhaging skill. In the hands of nimble, aggressive players, few foes withstand its savage assault.
Classing as Bandit provides immediate access upon venturing forth from Agheel Lake North Site of Grace. An NPC invader will spawn nearby – let the assisting hunter tank him while you watch for an opening to sprint in grabbing the Reduvia upon his defeat.
This vicious quickblade then enables a relentless onslaught. Dual-wield with another dagger for even faster attacks. Its blood-flinging skill saps enemies constantly while avoiding counterattacks. Embrace your inner assassin – this dagger makes it possible right away.
Location: Dropped by NPC invader, Agheel Lake North
Build Recommendation: Dexterity/Arcane
7. Crescent Moon Axe
A relatively obscure choice, but no less potent, this axe‘s crest deals heavy damage alongside innate holy power to annihilate skeletons and deathly fiends. Its skill calls crashing waves of silver light, striking not with water, but holy energy.
Reaching this weapon takes some effort, but adventure beyond Stormveil‘s side gate to the forest pathways and locate Demi-Human Queen Maggie lurking in her ruins. Engage carefully while avoiding her servants, and she will fall to claim this sanctified axe of undeath destruction.
While split damage reduces its overall attack rating, the high holy output proves invaluable against ghostly and skeleton foes. Use charged skill attacks to decimate grouped weak enemies. And its holy waves stagger more formidable monsters too. A great early game option.
Location: Demi-Human Queen Maggie, Cathedral of Dragon Communion
Build Recommendation: Strength/Faith
8. Grafted Blade Greatsword
This hideous malformed weapon bears the power of multiple warriors grafted into one colossal cleaver. Wrestling slow, heavy strikes rewards players with sheer raw damage – enough to sever many boss encounters early with ease.
Castle Morne holds the closest Site of Grace, and venturing west around the coast presents the Evergaol containing this blade. While the beast within hits brutally hard, use spirit summons to draw its aggression, then relentlessly pound away to claim sweet victory and this beastly weapon.
Simply upgrading often provides enough damage for most enemies, even with only base attribute investment. It also causes blood loss for steady sapping combined with the devastating strikes. Embrace the grafted might – this greatsword gets the job done fast.
Location: Evergaol, Weeping Peninsula coast
Build Recommendation: Strength
9. Halo Scythe
Seeking a weapon that scales strongly for both Faith and Dexterity? Look no further than this angelic halo blade packed with holy energy to lay low heathen invaders. Enhanced with sacred buffs and spells, none can withstand its purifying brilliance.
Journey beyond Stormveil‘s side gate, past Church of Dragon Communion to Deeproot Depths, and locate Fia‘s Champions boss encounter. While challenging at low level, utilizing spirit summons as a distraction enables claiming this after an intense battle.
The Halo Scythe‘s unique skill emits a damaging halo that also heals the player. Combined with ranged holy projectiles and holy attribute scaling, this scythe offers strong survivability and offense simultaneously. A versatile holy weapon to carry you onwards.
Location: Fia‘s Champions, Deeproot Depths
Build Recommendation: Faith/Dexterity
10. Demi-Human Queen‘s Staff
Seeking to dominate with sorcery? This staff discovered early in Weeping Peninsula boosts potency of ancient glintstone sorceries found in Nokron – and beyond. Its powerful scaling at high upgrades will fuel new mystical discoveries.
Venture beyond Castle Morne to locate the Demi-Human Queen lurking within Cathedral of Dragon Communion. While her servants distract, engage Maggie cautiously before prevailing to snatch her arcane scepter.
This staff reaches S-rank Intelligence scaling when fully upgraded, providing a large damage bonus to Ancient Death Rancor and other ancient glintstone sorceries found later on. It may lack raw power initially, but will keep you dominating mystical foes all game long.
Location: Demi-Human Queen Maggie, Cathedral of Dragon Communion
Build Recommendation: Intelligence
Elden Ring offers no shortage of weapon varieties for players to discover. But getting your hands on one of these potent instruments of destruction early on sets you firmly on the path of might, able to conquer the next challenges ahead with confidence.
Each entry above highlights opportunities to snatch elite armaments soon after beginning the adventure. Their unique traits enable transformation into an assassin, sorcerer, cleric or walking tank almost immediately. So venture forth boldly, claim your prize, and let none stand further in your way. Glory and domination awaits the emboldened Tarnished!
