As you make your way through the Land of Shadow, you will come across a lot of standard weapons in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree. These armaments can be paired with a variety of Ashes of War and you can even change their scaling to fit the build you are currently going for.
With close to a hundred new weapons being added with the DLC, you might be pretty confused as to which standard weapons are the best at getting the job done. Here is a list of some of the best standard weapons in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree and where you can find them.
5 amazing standard weapons in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree and how to get them
1) Beast Claws
The Beast Claws will be the best standard weapon for you if you like to go for a very aggressive playstyle. It has a great forward momentum on them which will help you close the gap on the enemy and keep the pressure on.
It’s amazing in PvP and will help you clear out most content in PvE as well. However, it can be a bit underwhelming when up against a mob of enemies. As the weapon excels at single-target damage you will tear through bosses and bigger enemies but struggle against groups.
The beast Claws scales really well with Strength and Dex and you can either go for a Keen or a Quality build on them based on the playstyle you are going for.
The Beast Claws is also one of the best weapons that you can get early in Shadow of the Erdtree. From the Gravesite Plains Site of Grace head southeast to find Logur, the Beast Claw. Beat him to obtain the weapon.
Base Stats:‘
| Base | Stats |
|---|---|
| Type | Beast Claw |
| Weight | 3.0 |
| Scaling | Str D Dex D |
| Requires | 13 Str 11 Dex |
| Attack Type | Slash |
| Can Change Skill? | Yes |
| Passive | Bleed (45) |
| Upgrade Type | Smithing Stones |
| Attack Type | 98 Physical |
2) Dryleaf Arts
Hand-to-hand combat feels amazing in Shadow of the Erdtree with Dryleaf Arts being one of the best weapons in the category. It has one of the best bleed build-ups in the game, and by putting in blood Ashes of War like “The Poison Flower Blooms Twice” you will be able to maximize its damage potential.
However, much like with the beast claws, the Dryleaf Arts can struggle against mobs. Its combat is more single-target focused and while you can melt most bosses if you build around this weapon, some portions of the PvE content can feel challenging.
The Dryleaf Arts has some of the coolest movesets in the game and can be the best pick for you if you are looking to kick and punch your way through the Land of Shadow like a Shaolin Monk.
You will get this weapon as a part of the Monk’s Missive questline, where you need to challenge and beat Dryleaf Dane.
Base Stats:
| Base | Stats |
|---|---|
| Type | Hand-to-Hand |
| Weight | 1.0 |
| Scaling | Str D Dex D |
| Requires | 8 Str 8 Dex |
| Attack Type | Slash |
| Can Change Skill? | Yes |
| Passive | – |
| Upgrade Type | Smithing Stones |
| Attack Type | 80 Physical |
3) Smithscript Cirque
The Smithscript Cirque is another amazing standard weapon that you will find in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree. You can make it heavy, Keen, or Quality, based on your build, and do a ton of damage to the enemy.
It is a great pick for both PvE and PvP content, and as it’s a Smithscript Weapon you will be able to use its heavy attacks to throw the weapon and take out enemies from a distance. It’s standard movesets are also pretty versatile and you will be able to pair it with a lot of Ashes of War.
You can customize the weapon to your liking in whichever way that you want. So there is an amazing amount of build variety that you can bring to the table with it.
You will get the Smithscript Cirque in the Ruined Forge Starfall Past. The weapon is on a corpse located by the edge of a sewage waterfall.
| Base | Stats |
|---|---|
| Type | Backhand Blaade |
| Weight | 2.0 |
| Scaling | Str D Dex D Int E Faith E |
| Requires | 13 Str 11 Dex |
| Attack Type | Slash |
| Can Change Skill? | Yes |
| Passive | – |
| Upgrade Type | Smithing Stones |
| Attack Type | 100 Physical |
4) Milady
Milady is another weapon that you will obtain very early on in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree. It’s a Light Greatsword which is a new category in the game, and the weapon boasts the reach and stagger potential of a greatsword while having the swing speed of a lighter weapon.
This makes the Milady incredibly versatile for a lot of builds and you will be able to scale it for Keen, Heavy, Quality, Arcane, and even Magic.
While traditionally you use the Wing Stance on it, which is one of the best early game Ash of War, you can switch it out for Carian sorceries.
Milady’s versatility makes it a great option for taking on both PvE and PvP content in the DLC. You will be able to get the sword from Castle Ensis, by making your way to the top of a tower with the help of some wooden ladders.
| Base | Stats |
|---|---|
| Type | Light Greatsword |
| Weight | 6.5 |
| Scaling | Str D Dex D |
| Requires | 12 Str 17 Dex |
| Attack Type | Standard/Pierce |
| Can Change Skill? | Yes |
| Passive | – |
| Upgrade Type | Smithing Stones |
| Attack Type | 116 Physical |
5) Great Katana
The Great Katana is also another amazing standard weapon you will be able to get in the Gravesite Plains in Shadow of the Erdtree. The Great Katanas are a new weapon category in Elden Ring, it has the reach and the damage of a greatsword but with the slashing movesets of a katana.
It scales extremely well with Strength and Dexterity making it one of the best weapons Quality weapons. Ashes of War like Double Slash and Sword Dance goes extremely well with the reach that it has.
It also comes with an in-built bleed and you will be able to proc Hemorrhage with it pretty often and melt through most bosses and large enemies in the game.
You will find the Great Katana to the west of the Abandoned AIling Village Site of Grace infront of a sleeping Ghostflame Dragon. Hence, you can start building around it right away, as soon as you start the DLC.
| Base | Stats |
|---|---|
| Type | Great Katana |
| Weight | 9.0 |
| Scaling | Str D Dex D |
| Requires | 14 Str 18 Dex |
| Attack Type | Slash |
| Can Change Skill? | Yes |
| Passive | Bleed (55) |
| Upgrade Type | Smithing Stones |
| Attack Type | 145 Physical |
These are some of the best standard weapons in Elden Ring SHadow of the Erdtree. We will be updating the list if FromSoftware introduces nerfs or buffs to these weapons in future updates.
