Summary
With the release ofElden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, players areexperimenting now more than ever with new builds, weapon types, and Ashes of War to figure out what the unequivocal best build is in the current state of ER.
To absolutely no one’s surprise, Bleed weapons are as overpowered as they ever were in the base game, and with FromSoftware adding even more options, players are spoiled for choice. For those looking to switch things up with a different weapon for a bleed build, here are the best options the DLC has to offer.
6Barbed Staff-Spear
TheBarbed Staff-Spearcan be used in one of the most broken anti-boss builds in the entire game: the Greatshield + a Thrusting Weapon infused with a status effect. For those unaware, if wielding a Greatshield and a dedicated poke weapon like a spear or a greatspear, players can hold the shield to block in their left hand and attack using the spear from their right hand. This way, any attack from the front is blocked by the shield while the spear deals constant damage, proccing bleed frequently.
The Barbed Staff-Spear has an innate bleed buildup of 55, which is significantly better than theBloodfiend’s Fork’s meager 30, making it a very viable option in this build. Of course, something like theCross-Naginatawill have more range but the unique weapon skill Jori’s Inquisition makes a strong case for the Barbed Staff-Spear. Holding it creates a swarm of small golden arcs that work exactly like theGolden Arcs Incantionbut better because it can be held down to spawn a staggering number of arcs in one go, giving this already broken build a viable ranged option.
5Dane’s Footwork
BothDane’s Footworkand theDryleaf Artsare equally viable options for a hyper-fast bleed build that relies on getting tons of hits on an enemy at extremely close range. However, Dane’s Footwork is overall the better option as it takes full advantage of theShattered Stone Talismanto boost its base DPS to staggering amounts.
While theAsh of War: Palm Blastis quite good on its own, for a bleed build, it should be swapped out forAsh of War: Dryleaf Whirlwindwith the Blood infusion as a faster AoE option that also helps with bleed. Each hit of a Blood Infused Dane’s Footwork causes 57 blood loss buildup, which can quickly stack up to a bleed proc once every single combo. The only downside here is that hand-to-hand weapons require a lot more skill to wield than something like a simple sword or greathammer.
4Sword Lance
TheSword Lanceis one of the most overlooked weapons in the entire DLC, mainly because of its uniqueAsh of War: Spinning Gravity Thrustthat manages to steal the spotlight from the weapon itself. What players may not realize is that the weapon has insane scaling when infused with bleed, managing to inflict a ton of blood loss buildup on every hit.
Combined with the fact that stab-heavy moveset makes it very poke-heavy, the Sword Lance makes for an excellent bleed option for players who prefer staying at a safe distance when trying to stab enemies. Both theAsh of War: Blood TaxandAsh of War: Repeating Thrustare excellent options for this, though Repeating Thrust is more spammable as it uses less FP. Like the Barbed Staff-Spear, the Sword Lance can be used in a Greatshield poke build as well, increasing its value even further.
3Backhand Blades
One of the new unique weapon types introduced in theElden Ring DLCis theBackhand Blade, a set of paired curved swords with a fast-paced moveset. Naturally, the multi-hit nature of the Backhand Blades lends itself quite nicely to a bleed build where keeping a consistent output of damage is necessary for frequent procs.
Surprisingly, the strongest variant of the Backhand Blades is the standard weapon, also called the Backhand Blades. The other two choices,Smithscript CirqueandCurseblade’s Cirque, have shorter ranges and worse movesets, making the base weapon the go-to. While it might be tempting to experiment with different choices, the standardAsh of War: Blind Spotthat the blades already come with is the overall best option, allowing players to weave in and out of danger at a moment’s notice.
2Bloodfiend’s Arm
Undoubtedly the most broken weapon in the DLC at release,Bloodfiend’s Armhas since seen a nerf that has stopped the weapon’s reign of terror. That being said, it remains one of the best bleed weapon options for players who want something that can break poise just as easily.
Bloodfiend’s Arm doesn’t have innate bleed, but when infused with a blood Ash of War, each swing inflicts 120 bleed buildup per hit. And since the weapon is infusable and buffable, it has a lot of flexibility to counter specific enemies and bosses with different loadouts. Typically, players want to hold it two-handed and spawn the charged attack to both break poise and inflict bleed. While it can’t proc bleed in one hit any longer, it’s still one of the strongest bleed weapons in the game.
1Claws of Night
Lighting-fast Claws with extremely high blood loss buildup in relation to how fast their moveset is, theClaws of Nightare one of the best weapons to go for when putting together a powerful bleed build. Not only do the Claws of Night melt bosses, they are a terror in PvP, with few players having the skills and the means necessary to counter the relentless onslaught with any degree of success.
Of course, Tarnished using the Claws will need to get up-close and personal to dish out the hurt, but that’s a small price to pay for sheer damage output these weapons provide. TheAsh of War: Scattershot Throwprovides a very reliable ranged option that covers the one weakness short-range weapons have.
