Dominate Elden Ring with the Top 5 Best Fist Weapons

As a hardcore gamer with over 1000 hours of playtime across the Lands Between, I‘ve tried all manners of wild character builds and wacky weapons on my quests. And I can definitively say that few things feel as satisfying as pounding towering foes into oblivion with your bare fists.

While fists may seem to lag behind colossal swords in range or daggers in speed at first glance, their agile combos and relentless FISTICUFF FURY more than make up for it. Equip a good fist weapon and you‘ll find yourself uppercutting dragons and staggering demigods in no time.

Of course, not all fist weapons are created equal. Having tested the full gamut myself, only the mightiest of these steel-knuckled sidearms can serve you well from the misty crags of Limgrave to the snowy peaks of the Mountaintops.

So I‘ve compiled this comprehensive guide to the top 5 best fist weapons for obliterating enemies with enhanced unarmed martial arts mayhem in Elden Ring. Time to get up close and personal!

1. Clinging Bone – The Life-Draining Punch

Forged from the severed forearm of a battle-hardened skeleton warrior, the Clinging Bone thirsts not for mercy, but for life essence itself.

Kicking off our list is the macabre yet deadly Clinging Bone, hewn from the very bones of fallen combatants. Though it may appear frail at first glance, this ghoulish fist packs a real punch, backed up by its vampiric weapon skill that hits like a Rotten Stray.

Stats and Requirements

Attack Power at +10:

• Physical: 196
• Magic: 58

Attribute Scaling at +10:

• Strength: E
• Dexterity: B
• Arcane: C

Weight: 2.5

Required Stats:

• Strength: 8
• Dexterity: 22
• Arcane: 16

Weapon Skill: Lifesteal Fist

Imbue fist with magical energy, then plunge it into enemy to temporarily incapacitate them and steal their life force with a bloodcurdling explosion, restoring your own HP.

A mid-weight fist weapon that demands decent Dexterity and Arcane investment, the Clinging Bone truly shines on Dexterity, Quality, and Dexterity/Arcane builds.

Upgraded fully with Somber Smithing Stones to +10, it reaches 196 Physical Attack plus solid Dexterity/Arcane scaling for substantial damage backed by life-sapping punch explosions.

Location

The Clinging Bone is obtained by defeating Ensha the Royal Remains, an Evergoal invader inside Leyndell, Royal Capital‘s Roundtable Hold. But act fast if you want it – he disappears after you burn the Erdtree!

Fighting Style & Tips

Wielded in the off-hand, the Clinging Bone excels at debilitating groups of enemies with its HP-stealing weapon skill before switching to your main weapon – like Rivers of Blood‘s Corpse Piler – to finish them off.

I like pairing it with Bows and ranged spells on Dexterity builds too. softened up foes from a distance before teleporting into the fray to restore your HP bars with the Clinging Bone‘s nefarious fists.

Against solo enemies, mix up light and strong attacks, unleashing Lifesteal Fist once you create an opening through consecutive strikes.

Scales Well With:

Dexterity Builds

Arcane Hybrids

Ranged Combat Switch-Ups

2. Star Fist – The Black Hole Bleeder

Crusted in shards of a fallen star, the mythical Star Fist turns enemies into constellations with its cosmic fists of fury.

Next on our list is the dazzling Star Fist, a pair of spiked fist weapons encrusted with star-fallen celestial crystals. Behind its glistening facade lies tremendous Bleed potential to turn would-be constellations into piles of bloody pulp.

Stats and Requirements

Attack Power at +25:

• Physical: 215
• Bleed: 82

Attribute Scaling at +25:

• Strength: C
• Dexterity: D

Weight: 3

Required Stats:

• Strength: 12
• Dexterity: 8

Passive Effect: 45 Bleed Buildup

Weapon Skill: Endure

Brace for increased poise and reduced damage at the expense of stamina. Excellent trading tool.

With modest stat demands viable for early investment, the Star Fist synergizes well with Strength, Dexterity and Quality builds alike. Infusions can further amplify its Bleed to cripple foes quickly.

Upgraded fully to +25 with Smithing Stones, it achieves 215 Physical plus 82 Hemorrhage to proc bleed faster than a swarm of lipsmen prawns!

Location

Discovered on a corpse along Castle Walls in Leyndell, Royal Capital, west of the Colosseum, overlooking Erdtree leaves. Grab this dazzling bleed-bringer before the Capital shifts to ash!

Fighting Style & Tips

The Star Fist really shines on aggressive bleed builds centered around stacking Hemorrhage quickly. Dash in with a flurry of chained punches before dodging away once Bleed procs for massive damage, then repeat.

Dual-wielding is fantastic for even faster Bleed build-up as both weapons connect simultaneously with their swift fisticuffs.

Against shielded enemies, utilize Endure to withstand blows while guard is down and punish retaliation attempts. Mix up combos and weapon skills judiciously.

Scales Well With:

Bleed Focused Builds

Aggro Boxing Styles

Dual Wielding

3. Cipher Pata – Spear of the Holy Knights

Forged from the ancient ciphers of Numen ancestry by Two Fingers themselves, the Cipher Pata serves the holy will of the Greater Will through righteous fists.

Here we have the enigmatic Cipher Pata, a sacred fist weapon made of encrypted Numen ciphers by the Two Fingers to serve their holy crusade. Angelic warriors wield this holy hand cannon to smite enemies through faith itself.

Stats and Requirements

Attack Power at +10:

• Holy: 141

Attribute Scaling at +10:

• Faith: A

Weight: 3

Required Stats:

• Faith: 30

Weapon Skill: Unblockable Blade

Imbue armament with holy light and extend its range to pierce enemies with an unblockable thrust, dealing heavy Holy damage.

This fist weapon scales purely with Faith – and rewards accordingly in the hands of a high-level caster. Fully-upgraded with Somber Smithing Stones to +10, it boasts A-rank Faith scaling to amplify Holy damage.

Location

Locate the Cipher Pata very early by visiting a hidden room deep inside Roundtable Hold, down below brother Corhyn‘s meditation spot. Expand your sacred arsenal before departure.

Fighting Style & Tips

Built solely for Faith builds, the Cipher Pata relies on repeated, high-speed combos that stack Holy damage quickly. Its unblockable weapon skill is perfect for piercing turtles.

Against strong Holy resistance however, you may want to keep a secondary armament in your back pocket – like Flames of the Redmanes.

Utilize ranged Incantations between fist combos to weaken more elusive foes so you can finish them off in glorious holy melee once openings emerge.

Scales Well With:

Dedicated Faith Builds

Angelic & Paladin Themes

Incantation Hybrids

4. Grafted Dragon – Tempest of the Dragonlord

This grotesque armament mimics Godrick‘s own grafted appendage – channeling the rage of long-dead ancient dragons through scorching, beastly fists.

Next up we have the sinister legacy of Stormveil‘s notorious lord with the Grafted Dragon, a fist weapon modeled after Godrick the Grafted‘s grafted dragon arm. This volatile vessel spews ruinous dragonflame to incinerate thy foes.

Stats and Requirements

Attack Power at +10:

• Physical: 163
• Fire: 112

Attribute Scaling at +10:

• Strength: C
• Dexterity: D
• Faith: D

Weight: 5

Required Stats:

• Strength: 20
• Dexterity: 14
• Faith: 16

Weapon Skill: Bear Witness!

Thrust arm into earth to channel subterranean flames before spewing molten magma at nearby opponents for extreme Fire damage.

A versatile boss weapon accessible very early, the Grafted Dragon functions well on Strength, Dexterity, Quality and even Faith hybrid builds. Fully-reinforced with Somber Smithing Stones to +10, it acquires C Strength scaling and amplifies its searing Dragon Communion wrath.

Location

Obtain this sizzling fist from Enia at Roundtable Hold by trading in Remembrance of the Grafted, rewarded for defeating Godrick the Grafted at Stormveil Castle.

If previously traded for boss soul, duplicate the Remembrance at a Walking Mausoleum in Weeping Peninsula or Liurnia for a second copy.

Fighting Style & Tips

Unleash barrages of dervish-like fist combos before blasting groups of foes with molten magma eruptions using Bear Witness for extreme damage.

Against guarded enemies, use punishing jump attacks with R1 or breaking guard counters with R2 to shatter their posture for visceral retribution.

Supplement melee strikes with ranged Dragon Incantations like Agheel‘s Flame or Dragonfire for even more fiery fury.

Scales Well With:

Strength & Quality Builds

Dragon Communion Hybrids

High Vigor & Endurance

5. Veteran‘s Prosthesis – Stormhammer of the Warlord

Once belonging to the venerable Commander Niall, this battle-tested prosthesis unleashes gale-force kicks to pulverize foes with the wrath of the storm itself.

And for our final entry, we have the electrifying Veteran‘s Prosthesis once worn by Castle Sol‘s Commander Niall himself. Though Niall tragically lost his limb in the War against the Giants, his prosthetic fist channels the chaos of the tempest to smite all who stand in its way.

Stats & Requirements

Attack Power at +10:

• Physical: 203
• Lightning: 129

Attribute Scaling at +10:

• Strength: C
• Dexterity: D

Weight: 4

Required Stats:

• Strength: 15
• Dexterity: 12

Weapon Skill: Storm Kick

Slam fist to the earth to generate shockwave before launching enemies skyward with explosive roundhouse kick, dealing Physical plus high Lightning damage.

With its quality-based stat demands, the Veteran‘s Prosthesis pairs nicely with both Strength and Dexterity-focused builds. Fully-upgraded to Somber +10, it unleashes 203 Physical plus 129 Lightning fury.

Location

This electrifying fist is a rare drop from Commander Niall at Castle Sol Main Gate site of grace in Mountaintops of the Giants. Defeating this notorious general grants right to claim his prosthetic fist.

Fighting Style & Tips

Spamming the powerful Storm Kick combos offers high damage & poise-break potential to bully even the toughest foes.

Be warned however that high FP consumption mandates occasional pauses to recover Mind – lest you exhaust yourself too quickly.

Supplement fist combos by speccing just enough Faith to wield basic Lightning Spear incantations to help counter shield turtles.

Scales Well With:

Strength & Dexterity Builds

Poise Breakers

Lightning Hybrids

And there you have it – the 5 best fist weapons for literally beating enemies to a bloody pulp with enhanced unarmed martial arts mayhem in Elden Ring!

No need to rely on whimsical sorceries or cumbersome greatswords when you can bring the pain with these pulverizing powerhouse pugilists. All it takes is some courage, stamina, and a high pain tolerance!

Now get out there and start punching your way to glory, brave Tarnished! Disclaimer: VeryAliGaming holds no liability for any smashed screens resulting from fist-shaking fury!