When creating a new character inElden Ring, the sheer number of decisions on where to go or what to find first can be overwhelming. If a player has a certain goal in mind, such as wanting to play with a Strength build, then they might already know they want to use a Greatsword. However, finding a specific item inElden Ringcan be near impossible if one doesn’t know where to look.
With how upgrading armaments works inElden Ring, it’s important to find a weapon to stick with for as long as possible. The weapons on this list can be wielded by the Tarnished incredibly early into a new playthrough,given their low stat requirements and locations. Strong and versatile Talismans are quite sparse at the beginning ofElden Ring, but with only two Talisman slots before defeating two Demigods, that is not a big concern.
10Claw Talisman
Easy Jump Attack Damage
TheClaw Talismanboosts the damage of all jump attacks by 15%, making it a wonderful item to equipafter acquiring the second Talisman Pouch from Margit, The Fell Omen. The Claw Talisman is a great buff to have for Stormveil Castle, as there are many enemies that can be easily staggered with jump attacks. Use this on Godrick The Grafted paired with a Strength weapon to open him up easily for critical hits.
It can be a little confusing how to get to its location, as it is off the beaten path.
This Talisman can be found in Stormveil Castlejust after unlocking the Rampart Tower Site of Grace. After walking outside, turn right and sprint jump off of the ledge in order to reach the roof below. Climb up the broken pillar and around the edge of the building until there is a ladder to climb up. At the top of this ladder will be a chest that contains the Claw Talisman.
9Green Turtle Talisman
The Cure for Low Endurance
TheGreen Turtle Talismanenhances Stamina Recovery, a phenomenal passive to acquire this early in the game. Increased Stamina Regeneration means thatthe player will be able to make attacks more frequently, regardless of the build that this Talisman is implemented in, as all attacks cost Stamina. This Talisman can hold its weight all the way until the Land of Shadow, where theTwo-Headed Turtle Talismancan be found.
TheGreen Turtle Talisman is found in Summonwater Village, where the Tarnished first encounters D, Hunter of the Dead.It is located on the eastern edge of the village, blocked by an Imp Seal. Using a Stonesword Key on the Seal will open the barrier, allowing the player to claim the Green Turtle Talisman.
8Zweihander
Lowest Stat Colossal Sword
TheZweihanderColossal Sword isone of the best Colossal Swords in PVPand a perfect option for Strength builds at the beginning of a run. It only requires a Strength Stat of 19 to wield in one hand, meaning it can be two-handed by characters with merely 10 Strength, as two-handing a weapon doubles the Strength Stat of the player. This weapon can be found on thesouthwestern side of the Weeping Peninsula, sold by a Wandering Merchant west of a Wandering Mausoleum.
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Starscourge Greatsword
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The wonderful thing about the Zweihander is how versatile it is, no matter the build it is slotted into. There are plenty of Ashes of War that can bolster the effectiveness of the Zweihander,especially with its large range. For example,Waves of Darknessis a great Ash of War for an Intelligence build that uses this Colossal Sword.
7Bloodhound’s Fang
The Perfect Starter Weapon
TheBloodhound’s FangCurved Greatsword is an excellent early-game weapon with low Stat requirements, at only 18 Strength and 17 Dexterity. Despite being a weapon upgraded with Somber Smithing Stones,this weapon can be buffed by Spells and Greasessuch as Electrify Armament and Magic Grease. The uniqueBloodhound’s Finesse Skill, can dodge through enemy attacks while also dealing excellent physical and poise damage.
The invincibility frames granted by the Bloodhound’s Finesse Skill can make or break a battle.
The Bloodhound’s Fang can be acquired by defeating Bloodhound Knight Darriwil,an optional boss in Limgrave, who is trapped in the Forlorn Hound’s Evergaol on the southern tip of the region. If the Tarnished has visited the Mistwood Ruins at night and talked to Blaidd,he will be available to summon as an allyfor the fight against Darriwil. This Curved Greatsword can hold its own for the entire game, which is impressive considering how early it is found.
6Uchigatana
The First Katana
TheUchigatanais the first Katana the Tarnished will find on a new playthrough, as it is located in one of the first Dungeons in Limgrave. It is a perfect weapon for all Dexterity builds, at least until theNagakiba Katanais found on the Altus Plateau. It comes with the defaultUnsheathe Skill, a Stance Ash of War thatdeals very high Poise damage.
This Katana is found in the Deathtouched Catacombs,after pulling the lever at the end of the dungeon. While making their way back to the entrance, the Tarnished should veer left of the stairs and enter a narrow alcove that leads to the Uchigatana. The Katana movement is quite strong inElden Ring, so this weapon should greatly help new players against tougher enemies.
5Meteorite Staff
Highest Base Damage Intelligence Staff
TheMeteorite Staffis the best pickup for an early-game Sorcerer, as it has thehighest base damage of all the Glintstone Staffs. Mostendgame Glintstone Staffsare strong because of how well they scale with a high Intelligence Stat. However, without enough levels and upgrades, these Staffs cannot compete with the Meteorite Staff’s base damage.
Looted from a chest in War-Dead Catacombs in Caelid
Dropped from an Alabaster Lord in Raya Lucaria Academy
Rock Sling
Found in a chest in an underground cellar on the north side of the Street of Sages Ruins
Dropped from an Onyx Lord in the Royal Grave Evergaol
Meteorite of Astel
Reward for defeating Astel, Stars of Darkness in Yelough Anix Tunnel
Blades of Stone
Trade Remembrance of the Wild Boar Rider with Finger Reader Enia
Gravitational Missile
Dropped by the Fallingstar Beast north of the Finger Ruins of Dheo
Gravity Sorceries like Rock Sling are quite strong in a new playthrough as they deal high Poise damage, so the 30% buff to Gravity Magic that the Meteorite Staff grants is an amazing boon. However, the Meteorite Staff has one major drawback.It cannot be upgraded with smithing stones, so it will lose its value upon reaching about +15 in another Glintstone Staff. However, this means it can be used for a large portion of the game while stocking up on smithing stones.
4Golden Halberd
Best Early Game Faith/Strength Weapon
TheGolden Halberdcan be acquired in the first 10 minutes of the game,but will be a challenge for new and prospective players. The purpose of the first Tree Sentinel at the beginning of the game is to teach players to leave and get stronger when confronted by a boss that is too challenging. However, for returning players, this boss should be fairly easy to defeat when starting a new character, as theTree Sentinel appears several timesthroughout the game.
The Golden Halberd is a phenomenal Strength/Faith weapon that comes with the uniqueGolden Vow Skill, which has a Spell variant that otherwise wouldn’t be accessible until the player reaches Mt. Gelmir, about halfway through the base game. The Golden Halberd also boasts incredible Physical damage, asit is one of the highest Strength scaling Halberds. On my first playthrough of Elden Ring, I used the Golden Halberd for a long time until I found something I enjoyed more.
3Claymore
A Versatile Option For The Whole Game
TheClaymoreGreatsword is my personal first choice now when starting a new character, thanks to its fantastic moveset and versatility. Its incredibly low Stat requirements means it can be used as soon as it is acquired, and can be infused with a huge variety of Ashes of War.It has relatively equal Strength and Dexterity scaling, albeit Strength is marginally higher, so it can reliably slot into any build.
The Claymore comes with theLion’s Claw Skillby default, which is one of the best skills in the game.
The Claymore can be found inCastle Morne on the southern end of the Weeping Peninsula, after taking the first elevator up at the beginning of the area. Head past the group of Misbegotten and hang right until you find an open door that the chest containing the Claymore lies beyond. Ashes of War likeLion’s Claw, Flaming Strike, and Lightning Slashare perfect for the Claymore.
2Moonveil
The Best Intelligence Weapon
TheMoonveilKatana is infamous for being one of the best weapons in the game, and thanks toPatch 1.14 which buffed Rellana’s Cameo, it seeks to reclaim that title. Despite being a Katana,this weapon primarily scales with intelligencein order to boost its uniqueTransient Moonlight Skill. The Moonveil is an excellent sidearm for Sorcerer builds, as its unique skill can fire off incredibly fast.
The Moonveil Katana can be found in Gael Tunnel in Caelid, which is quite close to the edge of Limgrave. This dungeon might be a bit of a challenge upon first starting the game, asCaelid has higher damage scaling than Limgrave. Not to mention, the Magma Wyrm boss Moonveil drops from takes up a large portion of the arena, making it difficult to dodge. However, there are no bosses besides theMagma Wyrm in Caelidthat block it from the player, so it can still be obtained right when starting a new character.
1Greatsword
The Best Strength Weapon
TheGreatswordis actually a Colossal Sword, contrary to its name. This weapon has been a fan favorite as it wasinspired by Guts' Dragon Slayer Sword, a character from the Berserk Manga. FromSoftware knows this and has consistently kept it as one of the strongest weapons in the game ever sinceElden Ringwas released. While it requires 31 Strength to wield with one hand, with the nature of two-handing, this means it only requires 16 Strength,which is the same as the Claymore. The Greatsword is also one of the highest scaling Strength weapons in the game, with a variety of excellent Ashes of War it can make use of.
Some notable early-game items that didn’t make the list include the Godslayer’s Seal, the Dragon Communion Seal, the Sword of Night and Flame, and Lusat’s Glintstone Staff. While these armaments can be acquired early,they require higher level characters to become truly strong options. In any case, the items detailed on this list should be more than enough to get any new characters through the first half of game, and in some cases, the entirety ofElden Ring.
