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Shadow of the Erdtree requires the Elden Ring base game. The expansion adds new weapons, equipment, weapon skills and magic, but it is not a standalone game. You can buy the expansion for an existing copy of Elden Ring, the Shadow of the Erdtree Edition containing the base game and expansion, or a Deluxe Edition that also includes a digital artbook and soundtrack.
There is no single best DLC weapon. The right choice depends on attributes, preferred moveset, damage type, skill, upgrade route, weight and how early you can reach it in the Realm of Shadow.
What the DLC adds to Elden Ring’s weapon pool
Shadow of the Erdtree broadens nearly every major combat style. Its weapons include colossal swords, bows, katanas, backhand blades, beast claws, great hammers, greatshields, twinblades, spears, knives and other equipment. New weapon categories also change how familiar builds approach spacing, stamina management and punish windows.
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The official Elden Ring description specifically identifies new weapons, equipment, weapon skills and magic. Weapon balance can change with patches, so damage impressions and rankings should be treated as version-dependent rather than permanent.
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How to choose a “best” DLC weapon
- Attributes and scaling: Match the weapon’s requirements and scaling to your current Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Faith or Arcane spread.
- Moveset and reach: A weapon with lower listed attack can still perform better for you if its attacks connect safely and cover the range you actually fight at.
- Damage type and status: Physical, elemental and bleed-oriented options suit different enemies and talisman or buff setups.
- Skill cost: Unique skills consume FP and often require a stamina commitment during the animation.
- Weight: Equip-load pressure matters as much as attack power when you want a medium roll, a shield, or several talismans.
- Upgrade route: Check whether the item uses regular or somber materials before committing scarce stones to a new build.
- Availability: A weapon obtained early can define a run; a late boss or quest reward may be stronger for an established character but less useful for progression.
Notable Shadow of the Erdtree weapons at a glance
The following values are database entry values, not independent damage tests. Only the base physical attack and weight figures shown in the cited database excerpt are reproduced here; requirements, scaling grades, skills and exact pickup details must be checked against the individual in-game item and its current guide.
| Weapon | Class | Base physical attack | Weight | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ancient Meteoric Ore Greatsword | Colossal sword | 154 | 22.0 | Strength-focused colossal-sword builds that want reach and heavy stagger potential |
| Backhand Blade | Backhand blade | 105 | 2.0 | Light, mobile melee setups built around quick repositioning |
| Beast Claw | Beast claw | 98 | 3.0 | Close-range aggression and rapid attacks |
| Black Steel Greatshield | Greatshield | 119 | 20.0 | Shield users who accept a high equip-load cost for defense |
| Bloodfiend’s Arm | Bloodfiend arm | 147 | 20.0 | Strength/Arcane experimentation and bleed-oriented heavy attacks |
| Ansbach’s Longbow | Bow | Not stated | Not stated | Dexterity or ranged builds that want a DLC bow option |
| Black Steel Greathammer | Great hammer | Not stated | Not stated | Strength builds that prefer blunt impact and poise damage |
| Black Steel Twinblade | Twinblade | Not stated | Not stated | Dexterity or status builds that value multi-hit strings |
| Bloodfiend’s Fork | Fork | Not stated | Not stated | Bleed-oriented spear users who want a different moveset |
| Bloodfiend’s Sacred Spear | Spear | Not stated | Not stated | Arcane or Faith-leaning experimentation with reach |
| Bone Bow | Bow | Not stated | Not stated | Players who want a lighter ranged tool for exploration and pulls |
| Bonny Butchering Knife | Great knife | Not stated | Not stated | Strength/Dexterity characters who like wide, chopping attacks |
| Star-Lined Sword | Katana | Not stated | Not stated | Katana users adding Intelligence or a distinctive skill pattern |
| Rakshasa’s Great Katana | Great katana | Not stated | Not stated | Dexterity builds seeking the great-katana reach and a high-risk offensive style |
Build-led recommendations
Strength and colossal-sword builds: Ancient Meteoric Ore Greatsword
The Ancient Meteoric Ore Greatsword is the clearest DLC choice for a character already investing heavily in Strength and comfortable carrying a 22.0-weight weapon. Its 154 database base-physical value gives it a substantial starting attack profile, while the colossal-sword class supplies long-reaching, commitment-heavy swings. Plan your equip load before adding a large shield or armor set, and reserve stamina for both the attack chain and the roll that follows.
Its limitation is the same reason it appeals to heavy builds: slow attacks are less forgiving against fast enemies and narrow openings. It is most effective when you can create distance, break posture or punish a committed animation.
Fast melee: Backhand Blade
At 2.0 weight and 105 listed base physical attack, the Backhand Blade is a lightweight option for players who value mobility over raw weapon mass. Its backhand moveset changes the angle from which attacks begin, making repositioning and side-step pressure central to the weapon’s identity.
It suits Dexterity or quality-style characters who want to stay close without consuming much equip-load capacity. The trade-off is reduced reach and lower single-hit presence than a great weapon, so whiff punishment and spacing matter.
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Close-range aggression: Beast Claw
Beast Claw weighs 3.0 and has 98 listed base physical attack. Its claw-style attacks favor rapid, close-range pressure and repeated openings rather than one large blow. It is a natural fit for players who enjoy attacking from unusual angles and maintaining momentum.
Because the weapon keeps you near the target, it demands better knowledge of enemy hitboxes than a long weapon. Use it with stamina discipline and a backup option for enemies that punish prolonged point-blank contact.
Shield-and-strength setups: Black Steel Greatshield and Black Steel Greathammer
The Black Steel Greatshield has 119 listed base physical attack and weighs 20.0, so it should be treated as a major equipment decision rather than a casual off-hand swap. It belongs in a setup that deliberately budgets equip load for defense and accepts slower rolls or lighter armor elsewhere.
The Black Steel Greathammer complements that approach for players who want blunt, high-commitment attacks after blocking. Pairing a greatshield with a greathammer can make stamina management the central constraint: block only when it creates a punish window, then lower the shield while recovering stamina.
Bleed experimentation: Bloodfiend’s Arm, Bloodfiend’s Fork and Bloodfiend’s Sacred Spear
Bloodfiend weapons are the DLC’s most obvious starting point for bleed-oriented experimentation. The Bloodfiend’s Arm is the heaviest example in the database excerpt at 20.0 weight and 147 listed base physical attack, making it a substantial investment for Strength/Arcane characters.
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The Bloodfiend’s Fork and Bloodfiend’s Sacred Spear give reach-focused characters alternatives to the arm’s heavy profile. Their value depends on your attribute spread, status buildup and preferred spear or fork spacing; do not assume that the highest listed physical value automatically produces the fastest bleed buildup.
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteKatana users: Star-Lined Sword and Rakshasa’s Great Katana
Star-Lined Sword and Rakshasa’s Great Katana are the headline choices for katana players. Star-Lined Sword keeps the familiar katana role while offering a distinctive weapon-skill pattern and a natural path for characters willing to add Intelligence. Rakshasa’s Great Katana trades the compact katana profile for the reach and commitment of the great-katana class, making it attractive to Dexterity builds that want broader threat range.
Choose between them by moveset first. A great katana needs more space and stamina per exchange; the standard katana profile is easier to weave between rolls and short punish windows.
Ranged and hybrid options: Ansbach’s Longbow and Bone Bow
Ansbach’s Longbow and Bone Bow expand the DLC’s ranged toolkit. Longbows are useful for pulling one enemy from a group, finishing a target outside melee range and applying ammunition-dependent effects without spending FP. Their practical value is therefore tied to ammunition supply, safe firing lanes and your Dexterity investment rather than the bow name alone.
Twinblade and knife alternatives: Black Steel Twinblade and Bonny Butchering Knife
The Black Steel Twinblade is aimed at players who prefer flowing, multi-hit attacks. Twinblades reward clean positioning because a missed sequence can consume stamina without producing the expected number of hits.
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Bonny Butchering Knife offers a heavier chopping identity than a conventional short blade. It can suit Strength/Dexterity characters who want a more substantial weapon without moving all the way to a colossal class.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where DLC weapons come from
Shadow of the Erdtree distributes weapons through exploration and named encounters rather than one central shop. The available guide coverage identifies dedicated routes for best weapons, four legendary weapons, Star-Lined Sword, Rakshasa’s Great Katana, Ancient Meteoric Ore Greatsword, martial-arts weapons and the Rolling Sparks Ash of War.
That distribution creates three practical rules:
- Explore side areas: chests, hidden paths and optional structures can matter as much as the main route.
- Track named NPCs and bosses: some equipment is tied to a character encounter, boss victory or quest progression instead of a simple pickup.
- Check the weapon’s own acquisition instructions: a generic regional list is not enough when a reward depends on a sequence of events or a specific encounter state.
The cited material confirms these acquisition categories but does not provide a complete, verified coordinate-by-coordinate route for every weapon listed above. For an exact chest, NPC, boss or quest step, use the individual weapon entry and confirm the current patch behavior in-game before locking a route into a progression plan.
Upgrade and loadout planning
Check the smithing requirement before spending materials
Open the weapon’s upgrade screen as soon as you obtain it. Elden Ring separates ordinary and special upgrade paths, and the material cost determines whether a newly found weapon can be brought up to your current level immediately. Keep enough stones for your main weapon until you know the DLC drop is a genuine replacement.
Budget equip load around the whole build
Weight is not an isolated weapon statistic. A 20.0-weight greatshield or Bloodfiend’s Arm can force changes to armor, off-hand equipment and talismans, while the 2.0-weight Backhand Blade leaves room for heavier defensive choices. Decide whether your target is a light, medium or heavy roll before finalizing the set.
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Compare skills by real resource cost
A unique skill’s damage is only part of its value. Include FP cost, animation time, stamina consumption, recovery and whether the skill can be safely used after a block, jump or roll. A lower-cost skill that lands consistently can outperform a spectacular attack you rarely have time to cast.
New weapon identities worth trying
Backhand blades
These weapons attack from a different hand position than standard curved swords, creating a mobile, evasive rhythm. They are particularly appealing when you want to stay aggressive without carrying a heavy blade.
Beast claws
Claw weapons emphasize feral, close-range strings. Their identity is less about a single high number and more about how quickly they can convert a small opening into several hits.
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Great katanas sit between ordinary katanas and much heavier swords. They offer reach and presence while retaining a katana-like identity, but their longer commitments make spacing and stamina more important.
Martial-arts weapons
The expansion’s martial-arts equipment focuses on unarmed-style combinations and movement. These options reward players who want their attack sequence, rather than a large weapon model, to define the build.
Do you need the base game?
Yes. Bandai Namco’s product wording is explicit: “Shadow Of The Erdtree requires ELDEN RING base game to play.” If you do not own Elden Ring, the Shadow of the Erdtree Edition bundles the base game and expansion. The Deluxe Edition adds a digital artbook and soundtrack; those extras do not replace the game requirement.
Quick Recap
Patch and availability cautions
- Weapon balance may change in patches, so avoid treating any online tier list as permanent.
- Database attack and weight values are reference entries, not a laboratory DPS ranking.
- Exact rewards can depend on encounter or quest state; verify the current item description and route before making a long detour.
- Edition contents and retailer availability vary by region, format and date.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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