As the DLC gets closer and closer, so does the desire to start a new game of Elden Ring. But in a game so massive and full of possibilities, where to start?
This guide will cover items that can be Obtained within two to three hours of starting a new character, depending on your build and skill level.. Some of them are a bit More commitment than others, but all can be found within or very close to the game's starting area, Limgrave. Let's start.
The best early game weapons in Elden Ring, by build
Strength โ Great Ax
This weapon can be found. in the caravan pulled by two trolls in Limgrave. You will need to stop the caravan by attacking, but not necessarily killing, the two big ones dragging it. Of course, you'll also have to dispatch some of the mob in order to open the chest unmolested, but it shouldn't be too difficult if you use hit-and-run tactics. I would suggest getting Torrent first by talking to Melina at Grace's Gatefront site to give yourself a little more mobility. Check out the caravan route below:
The Great Axe's (heh) strength lies in its ability to easily stagger enemies using jumping attacks. Staggers open up opportunities for massive damage, as well as self-buffs and healing. His normal moves are also enough to stun most normal enemies. And as always, both hands reduce Strength requirement by 50%which is useful if you're in a hurry to use it as soon as possible.
Dexterity โ Flail of the Nightrider
This nasty looking flail can be found a little south in the Weeping Peninsula and is dropped by a Night Cavalry miniboss.. Once again, we highly recommend using Torrent for this fight, as hit-and-run tactics make the Night Cavalry much more manageable. The boss only appears at nightso be sure to spend some time at nearby Castle Morne Rampart:
You'll start to notice a pattern in this list: many of these weapons will cause To bleed. Bleed builds up over time through consecutive hits to an enemy, and once an invisible threshold is reached, it will ruin their health and deal quite a bit of additional damage. While most of these builds don't focus on causing bleed, a properly scaled weapon and the ability to inflict it is a very nice perk early on.
Quality โ Blood Hound Fang
Next on our list, we have a weapon that combines the stats of the previous two. This fan-favorite curved sword can be found after defeating Darriwil Hound Knight in it Evergoal abandoned dog in Limgrave:
If you have problems with Darriwil, try summoning Blaidd within the Evergoal (His summoning sign is golden in appearance.) Dispatching the boss will grant you the weapon immediately.
The Blood Hound's Fang not only inflicts bleeding, but it also has a fantastic weapon art: Hound's Finesse. This attack creates some distance between you and your enemy and can be followed by a Hound Step in the same move. If you plan to play a quality build (equally leveled strength and dexterity) throughout the game, this weapon is a solid choice for an entire match.
Faith โ Winged Scythe
Found just west of the Nightrider's Flail within the Tombsward Ruins, the winged scythe Its use requires a bit of stat investment, but it pays dividends with its range and, as you may have guessed, its ability to cause blood loss. You'll need a whopping 24 Faith, but using any of the weapons listed above should get you where you need to go until you've leveled up enough to use them.
Arcane โ Reduce
Oh look. More bleeding weapons. Reduce is available practically the moment you enter Limgrave, and is an excellent (if slightly more difficult to use) option for Arcane Build Focused on Bleeding. It scales with Arcane and Dexterity and is one of the few Arcane scaling bleed weapons you can find this early in the game.
You will only need to defeat Nerijus bloody finger in the ravine in the northeastern part of Lake Agheel, but you don't have to do it alone. Talk to Bloody Finger Hunter Yura before following the path and he will automatically be summoned to help you in battle. You can even let him take care of things if you want to play as a referee.
Reduvia's true strength lies in its Reduvia Blood Blade Weapon Art, which sends blood projectiles that cause further blood pooling in enemies. Stack a few FP flasks and the small blade reach won't be much of a problem.
Magic โ Moon Veil
I didn't even remember that moon veil It caused bleeding until I made this list, I promise. I really chose it because it has the most bananas Weapon Art of anything on this page: Transient Moonlight. Despite some post-release nerfs, this weapon deals blood loss, incredible damage, and has an excellent moveset that is good until the end of the game.
The capture? It's the hardest to get here. You will need to defeat the magma vermis in it Gael Tunnel in Caelid. Yes, we'll be leaving Limgrave for this one, but it's worth it, I promise. If you play in a Magic setting, you are lucky to have ranged attacks on your side. I would suggest keeping some distance between you and the Wyrm when possible because the arena is quite small and its hitbox takes up most of it when it decides to start charging.
Once you've defeated the Magma Wyrm, you'll have Moonveil in your hands: one of the most powerful and divisive weapons in the entire game. His weapon art costs almost nothing, deals incredible damage, and has incredible range and fast recovery. Due to the almost exploitative nature of his weapon art, he has gained a reputation as something of a crutch within the fanbase. But you won't be able to hear them because your incredible magic katana destroys all the bosses with ease.
When you're ready for an upgrade, check out our Elden Ring Weapon Tier List for your next step.
