The weapons in Elden Ring not only determine your gameplay style but also your build. We will tell you which 3 weapons you can find and equip in the first hours of play. These are even meta in the endgame – especially thanks to a great strength.
Update from March 16: This article has been updated with new information.
The weapons we list in this article can all be found in the Limgrave region. Since this is the first region in the completely open world of Elden Ring, you could find these weapons directly after the tutorial dungeon without much difficulty.
However, you will find these weapons not only quickly, but you can also equip them without a significant build investment – no matter which class you chose at the start. That’s why they all appear in our ranking of all weapons in the S-tier:
These weapons are strong not only in the first hours of gameplay. Even in the endgame, all the weapons listed here are great favorites in the community for both PvE and PvP.
In particular, these weapons share one thing: they cause the bleeding effect, which is incredibly powerful in Elden Ring. We summarize for you in the spoiler box what this status effect does and why it is so good.
What is bleed damage, and why is it so good?
Weapons like the Uchigatana, Reduvia, or Bloodhound’s Fang inflict a passive blood loss with every attack. If you hit an enemy often enough within a certain time frame, the enemy suffers a massive bleed damage immediately. You can recognize successful bleed damage not only by the fact that the enemy suddenly loses a large portion of their health bar but also by a large splash of blood.
The number of hits you need and how long this time frame is depends on the resistances of the specific enemy. Most enemies in the game, even the largest and heaviest bosses like Margit, can suffer from bleed damage.
Uchigatana – The best all-purpose weapon in Elden Ring
Weapon information:
- Weapon type: Katana
- Damage type: Slash/Thrust
- Passive effects: Causes blood loss (45).
- Attribute scaling (standard):
- Strength: D
- Dexterity: D
- Required attributes:
- Strength: 11
- Dexterity: 15
- Weight: 5.5
- Weapon talent (standard): Iaido
- Talent information: You sheathe the weapon and hold it in a concentrated stance at your hip. Follow up with a normal or strong attack to execute a lightning-fast cut.
How do I get the weapon? The easiest way to get this powerful katana is through class selection. The samurai actually starts with an Uchigatana, so you can utilize this incredibly good weapon right from the first minute of gameplay – and thanks to upgrades, you can continue to use it effortlessly all the way to the end.
For this reason, we consider the samurai to be one of the best classes for beginners or people who want to have the best possible start:
Where can I find the weapon in the game world? But those who chose a different class than the samurai need not worry. You can find the Uchigatana in Limgrave, in a cave located west of the river and slightly south of the large, destroyed bridge. You can see the exact location on the map above.
The location is called Death-Touched Catacombs. However, you won’t get the weapon from the boss; it lies next to a corpse on an elevation in the tunnel itself. So if you are only after the weapon, you can sprint past the skeleton enemies and head straight for the weapon.
For this, you need to run past the large, locked door on the left and descend two staircases. Once you are past the second staircase, you should be standing under an elevation. Turn slightly to the right; there you will see an entrance. Go through this, and the katana is waiting for you.
What makes this weapon so powerful? The Uchigatana is traditionally one of the strongest and most versatile weapons in Souls games. However, in Elden Ring, the katana is even stronger because the bleeding damage is very effective in the latest FromSoftware game.
If you started as a samurai, you can even use 2 Uchigatanas simultaneously in the first playthrough and, by forgoing a shield, double the strengths of the weapon.
The Uchigatana attacks quickly, which helps you with the bleed damage. Additionally, the weapon has very versatile combos. If you wield the katana two-handed, you not only deal more damage but also swing it in a wider motion. This way, you can hit many enemies simultaneously.
With most attacks, you deal slash damage, which is strong against humanoid enemies and animals; charged heavy attacks, on the other hand, deal thrust damage, which causes heavy damage to armored enemies or enemies with scales. Therefore, the Uchigatana is only ineffective against enemies with the thickest armor or plating – for these, you ideally use blunt damage.
The weapon talent Iaido, which is standard on the Uchigatana, is also very good. With this talent, you enter a special stance from which you can launch a particularly strong attack. A light attack from this position is a quick horizontal slash that can hit many enemies simultaneously. A heavy hit delivers a likewise quick yet powerful vertical strike that works especially well against individual enemies.
Equally strong with the Uchigatana is the Ash of War: Bloody Slash, which is often referred to as OP in the community. Why this is the case and where you can acquire this Ash of War can be found here:
Bloodhound’s Fang – Uniting power and elegance with excellence
Weapon information:
- Weapon type: Great curved sword
- Damage type: Slash
- Passive effects: Causes blood loss (55).
- Attribute scaling (standard):
- Strength: D
- Dexterity: C
- Required attributes:
- Strength: 18
- Dexterity: 17
- Weight: 11.5
- Weapon talent (standard): Bloodhound’s Finesse
- Talent information: Strike upward with the Bloodhound’s Fang and use the momentum for a backflip, putting distance between you and enemies. Follow up with a strong attack to strike with the Bloodhound Step.
How do I get the weapon? You will receive this weapon after defeating the boss Darriwil. You will find him in Bloodhound’s Shack, at the southernmost end of Limgrave. You may already know this boss if you have talked with Blaidd from Ranni’s quest.
This video from Fextralife should help you if you have difficulties with the boss.
What makes this weapon so powerful? The Bloodhound’s Fang is a bulkier weapon than the Uchigatana and thus deals significantly more damage per strike. However, this weapon is also not too slow, so you are well equipped against almost any enemy in the game.
The weapon has considerable range due to its size, and the attack animations are so sweeping that you can hit even with less than optimal positioning – even many smaller enemies at once.
Particularly strong is the weapon also thanks to its bleed effect, which further enhances its already outstanding damage.
Additionally, the community raves about the weapon talent. This starts with a helpful evasive maneuver, which then ends in a massive strike with great range. With some practice, you can almost dance around your enemies with this weapon talent, dodging their attacks with a button press and punishing them brutally.
However, since the weapon is quite heavy, you may have to forgo (good) armor to remain agile. Because the total weight of your character affects how quickly you roll and how long it takes for your stamina to regenerate.
If you read the comments about the weapon on the Fextralife wiki, you will quickly notice: Fans are head over heels in love with the Bloodhound’s Fang. If you build your build focusing on strength and dexterity, you simply cannot overlook this weapon.
Reduvia – A monster as a primary and secondary weapon
- Weapon type: Dagger
- Damage type: Slash/Thrust
- Passive effects: Causes blood loss (scales with weapon level).
- Attribute scaling (standard):
- Strength: E
- Dexterity: D
- Arcane: D
- Required attributes:
- Strength: 5
- Dexterity: 13
- Arcane: 13
- Weight: 2.5
- Weapon talent (standard): Reduvia Bloodblade
- Talent information: Performs a cut with the dagger to transform its blood droplets into flying blood blades that cause bleed. The blades can be fired rapidly.
How do I get the weapon? You get this weapon after a fight against the NPC invader, Nerjius. An NPC will assist you during the fight, so you should not have any problems with some patience.
This fight takes place approximately in the middle of the river that runs through Limgrave from a lake to the sea in the north. You will be attacked by the NPC very close to the Siofra River Cave, where you can find a useful item for the fight against Margit. Your character will automatically dismount from your horse Torrent as soon as the opponent appears.
What makes this weapon so powerful? You will learn the strengths of the weapon during the fight against Nerjius. This dagger has a short range but stands out in two areas:
- This weapon causes bleed damage at an incredible speed.
- The weapon talent fires blood blades, allowing you to fight your enemies from a distance.
To get the most out of this weapon, you need to invest points in the arcane attribute, but it’s worth it. Later in the game, you will unlock other weapons and magic that combine excellently with Reduvia and also require an arcane build.
This is also the weapon’s greatest strength. You can use it perfectly in your main hand as a primary weapon, or also in combination with another weapon (just like the other 2 weapons listed here).
With its fast attacks and low weight, it pairs excellently with almost any melee build, and the weapon talent gives you an additional option for distance. This way, you can flexibly respond to almost any situation and make the most of the powerful bleed effect.
Another strong aspect of the weapon is the critical damage it inflicts. As a dagger, backstabs with this weapon are stronger than those with other weapon types. You should take advantage of this weapon’s strength as often as possible.
So much for the best weapons you can find in Elden Ring within the first hours of play. What makes these weapons even better is that they are also among the absolute best weapons you can use in the endgame without needing a particularly specific or elaborate build.
For a quick overview of all guides, tricks, and recommendations for Elden Ring that we have compiled here at MeinMMO for you, we have the following article for you:
Elden Ring: All our guides, beginner tips, and builds at a glance
