Elden Ring boasts a ton of variety in weapon types. Ranging from longswords to staffs, there’s just about every kind of weapon to suit your playstyle. With over 31 distinct weapon types, the game commends trial and error as you try to get a grasp of what each weapon type has to offer. However, it would be futile to rush at a boss or try out PVP without having an optimal build ready.
Getting your hands on a powerful weapon early on can significantly boost the speed at which you can mow down enemies and bosses alike. Since the game drops you into an open world right from the beginning, you are free to explore around and lay your hands on some sweet damage-dishing weapons right across the bat.
The Uchigatana: Hack and slash like an anime protagonist
The hemorrhage status ailment is quite powerful in Elden Ring. So, it’s no surprise that weapons that inflict blood loss are overpowered. The same is true for the Uchigatana, a weapon that is not only viable for the early game but it’s also capable of carrying you through the entire game if you play as a dex-based character.
If you pick the Samurai class as your starting class, your character will have this katana equipped from the start. If you selected another class or wished to dual-wield it, another Uchigatana can be found inside the Death Touched Catacombs. All you have to do to lay your hands on this weapon is pull the lever at the end of the main path and entire the narrow path around the beginning of the dungeon that opens up. Inside, you can find the weapon in all its overpowered glory.
The ‘ol reliable Longsword
A weapon that can be obtained early on in Limgrave, the Longword makes for an adept weapon for all melee classes due to its low stat requirements. It’s especially effective once you customize it with Ashes of War to scale it with your highest leveled stat. The Vagabond class comes pre-equipped with the Longsword. You can also buy it from Twin Maiden Husks at the Roundtable Hold.
Bloodhound’s Fang: Plow through the enemies with Bloodhound’s Finesse
Another weapon that inflicts blood loss, the Bloodhound’s Fang, is exceptionally powerful if you make use of its weapon skill – Bloodhound’s Finesse. Upon using this skill, the player lunges forward with an uppercut and then dodges back. This grants invulnerability frames and is an excellent move to chip away at the enemies’ health while also evading their attacks. To get it, you must defeat Bloodhound Knight Darriwil, a miniboss inside the Forlorn Hound Evergaol in the southern part of Limgrave,
Meteorite Staff: Endgame weapon stats
If you’re running a mage build, this is hands down one of the best staffs to acquire early in-game. The reason is, it has an s scaling with the intelligence stat. This makes it one of the very few weapons which are viable for absolutely melting bosses from the get-go! All you have to do is cast rock sling and watch as the opponent falls to his knees.
To get the meteorite staff early on, enter the Dragon Burnt Ruins and open the treasure chest concealing a teleporter trap. This will take you to the Sellia Crystal Tunnel in Caelid. Do not try to fight any of the enemies in this area as they can one-shot you from a distance. Once you get out of the tunnel, head to the Street of Sages Ruins, which is located west of the swamps. Once there, find the room with poison flowers. The Meteorite Staff can be looted from a corpse hanging from a ledge.
Become Guts from Berserk with the Greatsword.
The Greatsword is an excellent melee weapon with high scaling in str. It hits hard and can be equipped with Ashes of War to further enhance its attack prowess. The Greatsword is lootable in Caelid. Follow the steps mentioned above to reach the Sellia Crystal Tunnel. Get out of the tunnel and head to the Caelem Ruins in the western part of Caelid. Loot it from the caravan that is guarded by giant dogs. You do not need to defeat them to acquire the weapon. Simply approach the caravan and loot it to add it to your inventory.
There are certainly many great weapons and armor pieces to be found even early in the game, but the key here is to keep exploring and making sure not to face enemies that you are not yet ready for. If you want to find out more about Elden Ring, make sure to check our game review here, which also features our let’s-play video with early game impressions.
Photo credit: The feature image is owned by Bandai Namco and FromSoftware.
This guest article has been submitted by Caligula Gerbera. While we appreciate guest contributions, it's important to note that the views expressed by the author are not necessarily reflective of those held by TechAcute.
