Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree: 8 Best Early Weapons

Elden Ring's Shadow of The Erdtree DLC brings with it heaps of new enemies, bosses, armor, spells, places to explore, and of course, weapons to find and try out. The downside, however, is that many of the weapons added are locked behind one or more required bosses, which can take a while to beat.

If you'd rather explore, farm specific enemies, defeat minibosses, or complete minor questlines to test out early-game weapons, that's completely valid, and you're in the right place. Without further ado, here are eight different weapons you can acquire within one to five hours of starting the DLC.

Please be wary of spoilers if you're worried about them.

8 Smithscript Dagger

Every Bit Of Damage Counts

These throwing blades aren’t that impressive when it comes to raw base damage, so don’t expect to use them as a main weapon. When imbued with certain Ashes of War and used in your off-hand, however, they can help build up status effects, like Bleed or Frostbite, from a distance.

You can find this weapon in a chest in an underground area connected to a Site of Grace called the Ruined Forge Lava Intake. If you still haven’t found this area, travel south-southeast from the Castle Front Site of Grace near Castle Ensis.

7 Cold Dryleaf Arts

Let's Make It Personal

You'll have to defeat the Rellana to complete all the steps for this weapon.

If you like the idea of swiftly punching and kicking enemies to death, much like a monk that prepares for war in times of peace, the good news is you can, so long as you’re willing to do a quick questline and participate in a duel.

To get this weapon, you’ll have to complete a few steps:

1. Pick up the Monk’s Missive, found right next to the Highroad Cross Site of Grace near Castle Ensis.
2. Equip the gesture that the Missive gives you, titled May The Best Win.
3. Travel east to the Moorth Ruins, use the gesture near Dryleaf Dane, and defeat him.

6 Horned Warrior’s Sword

Directional Area Of Effect Attacks For The Win

In the Belurat Tower Settlement, you can farm a formidable foe for the Horned Warrior Sword. You know, those heavily armored, large humanoids with horned helmets that wield two giant swords. If you don’t know where to go, one can be found very to the Small Private Altar Site of Grace.

You’ll have to work for it, but once you finally get a drop, you’ll get a weapon with decent Dexterity scaling, and more importantly, a weapon skill that can deploy an AoE attack from surprising distances.

5 Curseblade’s Cirque

It's Your Turn To Spam Slashing Attacks

While they can be a bit of a hassle to fight since they wildly slash at you constantly, if you’re looking for a fast, short-range melee weapon that can make your enemies bleed, go ahead and farm Masked Curseblades until you obtain the Curseblade’s Cirque.

Paired with talismans that boost stamina recovery, like the Two-Headed Turtle Talisman, and increased damage after performing full combos, like the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia, this weapon’s special attack becomes a dazzlingly lethal flurry of slices that’ll shred anyone or anything near it.

4 Beast Claws

A Surprising Amount Of Offensive Mobility

Although claw weapons tend to be limited to -range attacks, most likely to make up for their swiftness and inherent bleeding properties, the Beast Claws attacks are surprisingly mobile, allowing you to leap at enemies and slash them two or three times with a full combo.

With the weapon skill, you’ll briefly duck down, giving you a chance to dodge some incoming attacks, and then lunge at a target, hitting it up to five times. To obtain this weapon, head southeast from the Gravesite Plain Site of Grace, and defeat an enemy named Logur, the Beast Claw.

3 Greatsword Of Solitude

A Great Reward For The Effort

The Greatsword of Solitude is a great early-game weapon for characters that rely on Strength as their primary, damage-scaling attribute. Paired with its weapon skill, Solitary Moon Slash, which fires a ranged wave of blue energy, you’ll be off to a great start.

The only catch is, you’ll have to defeat a miniboss, the Blackgaol Knight, who switches between this weapon, and a fast-firing crossbow with flaming bolts. To find this enemy, head directly west from the Scorched Ruins Site of Grace until you reach the Western Nameless Mausoleum.

2 Milady

Satisfying Fluidity

If you’re willing to deal with, or simply run past the horde of enemies in Castle Ensis, you can find a unique, dexterity-based sword that can flow between a variety of light and heavy attacks almost seamlessly.

After running past the bridge into the castle’s main grounds, head northeast up a stone staircase, then hang a left around a stone wall until you’re facing southwest and go up a wooden staircase. Finally, look for and climb up a wood ladder, and you’ll find this weapon.

1 Bloodfiend’s Arm

An Easy Way To Build Bleed Stacks

Have you ever run into a group of Bloodfiends? You know, the big, humanoid fellas with red eyes, and a face that looks vaguely like a mole rat? Well, if you’re brave enough, you can farm them for this weapon.

While the attribute scaling isn’t very impressive, this weapon’s special attack allows you to build up bleed stacks incredibly quickly. If you have a Black Whetblade, you can choose the Blood affinity while retaining the original special attack to Hemorrhage enemies in as little as one or two hits.