The Best Quality Weapons, Ranked

In older Souls games, Quality weapons are the pinnacle of maximizing physical damage. It allowed players to leverage both Strength and Dexterity, and in turn, weapons that inherently cater to Quality builds tended to be versatile and powerful. Thankfully, Elden Ring continued this tradition for Quality builds and weapons.

They started out rather poorly back near Elden Ring‘s release date, but the numerous patches and updates have made them viable once again. Of course, some Quality weapons got the longer end of the stick when it comes to balancing. Tarnished looking to be as efficient as specialized single-stat builds will want to utilize these Quality weapons more than the others.

Updated September 22, 2024 by Erik Petrovich: When going for a Quality build, Elden Ring players usually keep an eye out for an equal balance of Strength and Dexterity scaling, but there are some other aspects of weapons to keep in mind. Two of the best Quality weapons Elden Ring players can get were introduced in the DLC: Rellana’s Twin Blades, and the Beast Claw. Though they do scale well with both STR and DEX, these new Elden Ring weapons (and many in the base game) also have great movesets, weapon skills, or affinities that can absolutely shred enemy HP bars without much effort. This guide to the best Quality build weapons Elden Ring players can get has been updated to include information on these two DLC Quality weapons and details on how to get each of them.

17 Dragon King’s Cragblade

Weapon Skill: Thundercloud Form

The Dragon King’s Cragblade might look like a pure Dex weapon, but it’s quite a popular option for Quality builds since it also scales a bit in Strength. It’s not ideal for a 50/50 Quality stat split, of course, since a good chunk of the damage is lighting and that scales with Dexterity. Still, it has one of the best weapon skills in the game.

After players close in with the Thundercloud Form Skill skill, they can go with the traditional melee poking, and this is where a good balance of Strength and Dexterity helps. Some builds also combine it with a hybrid dip into Faith so they can use lightning Incantations which are thematically fitting for the weapon.

How To Get Dragon King Cragblade

The Dragon King Cragblade can only be acquired by trading in the Remembrance of the Dragonlord with Enia, the Finger Reader at Roundtable Hold for it, after defeating Dragonlord Placidusax in Crumbling Farum Azula.

16 Rotten Greataxe

Weapon Skill: Endure (Alterable)

It’s a colossal weapon and Quality builds love their colossal bonking sticks. The Rotten Greataxe just happens to be one of the highest-damage Quality weapons in the game, provided the players actually infuse it with the Quality prefix. The double B scaling is instrumental in letting players enjoy their 50/50 Quality split.

As an added bonus, this weapon also deals some Rot damage buildup which is great in PvP as it adds more pressure to the enemy. In PvE, players will likely see less utility for the Rot passive, but it’s good enough when it triggers; every little bit of damage helps in Elden Ring, after all.

How To Get Rotten Greataxe

Guaranteed drop from the Rotten Duelist in the Consecrated Snowfield, just north of Ordina, Liturgical Town (where you go to Miquella’s Haligtree).

15 Claymore

Weapon Skill: Lion’s Claw (Alterable)

The Claymore in Elden Ring is one of the most underrated weapons in the game. That’s because it’s a greatsword that starts with the Lion’s Claw Skill Ash of War, which is one of the most busted melee skills in The Lands Between. That alone makes it worthy of at least a consideration as far as Quality weapons go.

When it comes to practicality, it’s weighty enough to stagger and poise break large enemies. It’s also faster than colossal swords, giving it an edge over those hulking steel slabs. The range does suffer a bit, along with the lower damage, but most Quality build players in Elden Ring usually live with the knowledge that it’s not the most powerful build in the game.

How To Get Claymore

The Claymore can be found in Castle Morne, in a chest found inside the building just past, and to the right, of the giant bonfire in the middle of the castle.

14 Duelist Greataxe

Weapon Skill: Endure (Alterable)

The Duelist Greataxe is the “clean” version of the Rotten Greataxe and it’s easier to obtain. It swings at around the same speed and has the same range and scaling. What gives it an advantage over its red brother is the slightly higher damage output. As far as Quality-infused weapons go, the Duelist Greataxe is the best.

It deals the highest damage (though that’s not taking the unique or boss weapons into consideration). Players can definitely consider this one as a stepping stone until they get to the region where they can farm the Rotten Greataxe, though given how capable this weapon is already, it’s good enough to not be replaced.

How To Get Duelist Greataxe

The Duelist Greataxe can drop from Duelist enemies throughout the game. These enemies can typically be found outside colosseums, particularly the one deep in Leyndell.

13 Noble’s Slender Sword

Weapon Skill: Square Off (Alterable)

It might look unintimidating or too bland, but the Noble’s Slender Sword is a good starting point for a lot of Quality builds. The default skill is the Square Off Skill, which is good enough for boss fights and even better when it comes to PvP since not many opponents expect it. As far as straight swords go though, the Noble’s Slender Sword is the best option for Quality builds.

The damage is respectably high and the weapon’s weight is low, making it ideal for players who love to min-max with their stats. For style, it’s also impeccable as the weapon has a golden hue when viewed via its in-game 3D model, making it ideal for Elden Bling playthroughs.

How To Get Noble’s Slender Sword

Arguably one of the rarest items in Elden Ring, the Noble’s Slender Sword is an extremely low drop rate item that can drop from Nobles throughout the Lands Between – the guys that cower in fear along the roadsides that wear robes.

12 Pulley Bow

Weapon Skill: Mighty Shot

It’s the composite bow equivalent of Dark Souls, but in Elden Ring and the Pulley Bow measures up well in terms of power. The scaling is a little bad as far as weapons go, but players will be hard-pressed to find a bow that scales with Strength and Dexterity that’s still manageable in terms of speed and weight.

The reason why it’s so low in the ranking is due to the fact that melee playstyles tend to be better for Quality builds because players don’t have to worry too much about ammunition. Still, for those looking for something different than melee, this bow will work well.

How To Get Pulley Bow

The Pulley Bow can be acquired in Mt. Gelmir, near the Gelmir Hero’s Grave Site of Lost Grace. Look for a tower, and climb it to find the Pulley Bow on a corpse.

11 Rellana’s Twin Blades

Weapon Skill: Moon-and-Fire Stance

Rellana’s Twin Bladess is one of the best new DLC quality weapons for a lot of reasons. For one, it only takes up one equipment slot, but can be Two Handed to equip a second Twin Blade in your offhand, enabling a Dual Wield moveset. For another, its Moon-and-Fire Stance weapon skill mimics the Sword of Night and Flame, allowing its wielder access to two extremely powerful abilities with one Ash of War.

Rellana’s Twin Blades scale equally well with both Strength and Dexterity, but also scales the same with Intelligence and Faith. If you are going for a completely equal-stats Quality build, this Elden Ring DLC weapon should be your go-to.

How To Get Rellana’s Twin Blades

To get Rellana’s Twin Blades, you must defeat Rellana, Twin Moon Knight at the end of Castle Ensis. On defeat she will drop the Remembrance of the Twin Moon Knight, which can be traded with Enia in Roundtable Hold for the Twin Blades.

10 Beast Claw

Weapon Skill: Savage Claws

The Beast Claw (Weapon) is one of the best Quality weapons Elden Ring players can find very early in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. It attacks fast, weighs almost nothing, and scales evenly with both Strength and Dexterity. Its weapon skill Ash of War: Savage Claws can be altered, as can the affinity of the weapon to add other status effects on hit.

But Savage Claws is a great weapon skill, building a large amount of Stagger on enemies hit during its full animation, during which the player will strike the target enough times to proc almost any status effect. By default, the Beast Claw deals passive Bleed buildup, which pairs well with the Frost affinity to also deal Frostbite buildup.

How To Get Beast Claw

The Beast Claw drops from Logar the Beast Claw, an open-world NPC enemy who roams the forest to the east of the DLC spawn location in the Gravesite Plain.

9 Axe Of Godrick

Weapon Skill: I Command Thee, Kneel!

It’s a bit heavy, but the Axe of Godrick is obtainable very early in the game, making it one of the most accessible unique Quality weapons in Elden Ring. It allows players to use Godrick’s signature move as a weapon skill, making it ideal for clearing multiple enemies or even staggering bosses.

As far as damage goes, this great axe ought to sate those looking for high numbers. The only problem with the weapon is the high stat investment needed in order to utilize it, but players don’t have to pump their Strength too high since they can just two-hand this weapon to save points.

How To Get Axe Of Godrick

To get the Axe of Godrick, you must defeat Godrick the Grafted and trade his Remembrance of the Grafted with Enia at Roundtable Hold for it.

8 Omen Cleaver

Weapon Skill: Spinning Slash (Alterable)

Most Curved Greatswords seem like they were made for Quality builds because they do blend the best parts of both Strength & Dexterity weapons.

The Omen Cleaver is a good example of this. It has higher damage than the Dismounter and players can change the Ash of War. Some might think that they’ll need to get to Altus Plateau first in order to unlock this weapon, but it’s actually accessible in Stormveil Castle.

How To Get Omen Cleaver ​​

Players just need to keep farming the lone Omen guarding the entrance to the Liftside Chamber Grace in Stormveil Castle.

7 Dragon Halberd

Weapon Skill: Spinning Slash

The Dragon Halberd is one of the best Quality Elden Ring weapons because of its reach, Halberd moveset, and the half-decent scaling at max upgrade. Upgraded with Somber Smithing Stones, the Dragon Halberd will eventually reach a B Strength scaling and C Dexterity scaling. When it comes to heavy weapons, few other options can compare.

But the other unique property of the Dragon Halberd is that its Ash of War: Spinning Slashis different than others of the same name. When used, the wielder of the Dragon Halberd will do the normal Spinning Slash attack but with extra Lightning damage and the ability to proc Frostbite buildup. It’s useful for a variety of builds, but especially in the best Quality builds, but getting it means going a little bit out of the way.

How To Get Dragon Halberd

The Dragon Halberd drops from the Dragonkin Soldier of Nokstella in the Siofra River Well. Despite being located closer to Nokron above than the Siofra River below, this boss can be accessed as soon as you get to the zone. After taking the elevator down from the Mistwood, head through the ruins and into the Siofra River proper. Get to the Worshipper’s Woods site of grace and look for a climbable piece of rubble with a portal on top of it.

Take the portal to travel to another location – a platform above, between the Siofra River and Nokron. The Dragonkin Soldier appears to be sleeping in a pool to the right of where you spawn in.

6 Bloodhound Claws

Weapon Skill: Bloodhound’s Step

The Bloodhound Claws apples Bleed buildup, which means it’s already a cut above the rest of the other Quality weapons. This Claw weapon also has the advantage of letting players attack fast and often, letting the Bleed stacks build even faster.

The Bloodhound Claws also inherently have Quality scaling, meaning it might give even more compared to another Claw with just a converted Quality prefix. Range is quite an issue here, however, but Bleed builds tend to disregard their personal safety too much anyway.

How To Get Bloodhound Claws

Bloodhound Claws can be found in a few locations as drops from Bloodhound Knights. There aren’t too many of these, but one can be found in the basement of Volcano Manor, and one is on the other side of the southern portal to Raya Lucaria, hiding above an item on the ground.

5 Zamor Curved Sword

Weapon Skill: Zamor Ice Storm

The Zamor Curved Sword is yet another Curved Greatsword that will surely make any Quality build fan excited. It’s one of the few heavy weapons in the game that deal Frostbite buildup, which, in some cases, is about as good as Bleed or even better against certain enemies.

Sadly, this weapon is gated by Morgott, the Omen King. At that point in the game, players might have already invested too much in another weapon to consider changing to this one but for those who have unused Somber Smithing Stones lying around, then this is a worthy investment.

How To Get Zamor Curved Sword

Players will have to journey a bit past mid-game to obtain this as it’s located in the Mountaintops of the Giants. Get to the end of the Giant-Conquering Hero’s Grave and defeat the Ancient Hero of Zamor (Giant-Conquering Hero’s Grave) to get this weapon.

4 Bolt Of Gransax

Weapon Skill: Ancient Lightning Spear

The Bolt of Gransax is one of the fanciest special weapons in the game and its requirements are high. 40 Dexterity is nothing to scoff at, but this spear is worth the points since it has one of the most destructive and satisfying weapon skills in the game.

Bolt of Gransax will fire off a lighting version of a tactical nuke should players opt to spam the weapon skill. If not, then it’s still a good Quality weapon with lightning damage. The Bolt of Gransax is also the best spear for dragon boss fights since it deals bonus damage to dragon enemies.

How To Get Bolt Of Gransax

The Bolt of Gransax can only be found in regular Leyndell, Royal Capital (not the Ashen version). From the Erdtree Sanctuary, you should be able to take an elevator down, walk outside, and see a giant Bolt embedded in the ground. Jump onto the giant Spear to find Bolt Of Gransax at its top.

3 Great Stars

Weapon Skill: Endure (Alterable)

It’s a good thing the Great Stars comes with a customizable Ash of War; otherwise, it wouldn’t have been as perfect as it is in Elden Ring. This weapon has it all. It has Bleed, it deals Bludgeoning physical damage, and it’s not as heavy as a Colossal weapon.

Of course, the best part for Quality fans is that this weapon has an inherent Quality scaling. The damage can easily go high with enough investment as the base damage for Great Stars is already stellar (no pun intended). If paired with the Ash of War: Wild Strikes, players can easily trigger Bleed.

How To Get Great Stars

Great Stars is found as the primary loot being guarded by a Carriage in the Altus Plateau. Head to the Road Of Iniquity Side Path Site of Lost Grace, and look for the Carriage and its entourage. Hit a Giant to stop the cart, grab the loot, then hop back onto Torrent before enemies get too close.

2 Uchigatana

Weapon Skill: Unsheathe

It’s no secret that Katanas in Elden Ring were sprinkled with a dash of favoritism, as most of them are overpowered or simply well-balanced compared to other weapons. The Uchigatana is no exception. In fact, it’s quite possibly the most powerful starting weapon in the game.

Any Samurai who starts out with the Uchigatana can take it well into the late game. It also helps that this is one of the most flexible weapons in the game — just about any class can use it with the right prefix. Quality builds will also find it delightful due to the inherent Quality scaling. And the most important part: it has Bleed damage.

How To Get Uchigatana

The Uchigatana can be found in the Deathtouched Catacombs in Limgrave (a fair ways up the chasm that leads north from Lake Agheel). It is also the starting weapon for the Samurai class.

1 Bloodhound’s Fang

Weapon Skill: Bloodhound’s Finesse

As powerful as the Uchigatana is, it has one glaring disadvantage: its range. Bloodhound’s Fang — a Curved Greatsword, doesn’t have the same disadvantage while still being a Bleed weapon with impressive Quality scaling. The best part is that players can obtain it very early on.

If that’s not enough, then players will find solace in the fact that this weapon can be taken all the way to the toughest boss in the game. It has a weapon skill that counts as both an offensive and defensive move which absolutely shreds bosses susceptible to Bleed. It’s even easier to use than the Uchigatana, practically trivializing the early to mid-game.

How To Get Bloodhound’s Fang

Bloodhound’s Fang is obtained by defeating Bloodhound Knight Darriwil, who is found in the Forlorn Hound Evergaol located in Southeast Limgrave, just before the Bridge of Sacrifice.