Including Shadow of the Erdtree, Elden Ring has ten Great Spears. For broad usefulness, the Lance takes the top spot here: its reach and customization make it a flexible choice. But there is no universal winner—specialized weapons can be stronger fits when your stats, preferred damage, or the encounter point in their direction. This ranking weighs build fit, combat toolkit, damage and status traits, flexibility, and practical availability; it is criteria-based guidance, not a set of comparative damage tests.
How this Great Spear ranking works
The ten weapons below comprise the six Great Spears listed for the base game and four additions listed for Shadow of the Erdtree by the cited weapon references. The roster and acquisition notes come from game-reference databases, not an official publisher inventory. Rankings are editorial judgments rather than measured DPS results. The order favors versatility and practical value, while each entry notes where a narrower build or encounter changes the choice.
Two distinctions matter before comparing them: some weapons have fixed skills and somberstone upgrades, while others use standard smithing stones and may offer more room to customize. Do not assume a weapon accepts arbitrary Ashes of War; check its current in-game equipment details.
The ten Great Spears, ranked
1. Lance
Best for: A flexible, general-purpose Great Spear setup.
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The Lance earns the top position for its combination of long reach and customization potential. It is a standard Great Spear, making it the clearest pick in this list for players who value adapting their weapon setup rather than committing to a distinctive fixed skill or damage profile. That flexibility is a practical advantage, not proof that it deals the most damage in every build or matchup.
The class reference describes the Lance as a long-reaching piercing melee weapon. Gamer Guides’ Great Spears database lists it among the base-game weapons.
2. Treespear
Best for: A faith-oriented character interested in Holy damage.
The Treespear brings Holy damage and the Sacred Order skill, giving it a more defined role than the adaptable Lance. That specialization may suit a character already investing in faith, but it narrows the case for treating it as an all-purpose choice. Its skill and weapon properties should be checked in-game rather than assuming it can use any Ash of War.
The database describes it as chest loot in Liurnia, so it is an obtainable option before some later-game rewards. Its location and listed traits are in the Gamer Guides entry.
3. Mohgwyn’s Sacred Spear
Best for: A build that already suits its requirements and wants a distinctive weapon skill.
This trident’s signature skill, Bloodboon Ritual, gives it a clear identity and makes it worth considering for players whose character is built around it. Its value depends on build fit; a unique skill alone does not make it the right spear for every PvE situation. The base-game reference says it is obtained by trading a remembrance at Roundtable Hold.
See the Great Spears database for its class listing and acquisition description.
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4. Siluria’s Tree
Best for: Players willing to build around a distinctive somber weapon.
Siluria’s Tree is a base-game Great Spear in the somber-upgrade group. Its distinctive skill gives it a reason to choose it over a conventional thrusting weapon, but the available reference material does not establish comparative damage or a universal build advantage. Treat it as a specialized option and compare its requirements and skill with the character you actually have.
The class and upgrade-category references list it in the Elden Ring Wiki.gg armament-by-upgrade-material list and the Gamer Guides Great Spears database.
5. Spear of the Impaler
Best for: Players who value a distinctive skill and attack options over a conventional spear toolkit.
This expansion Great Spear’s particular skill and attack options are the main reasons to consider it. Those features may be more appealing than standard thrusting for some players, but they also make it a more specific choice than the Lance. The available roster source establishes its class membership and somberstone upgrade category, not a performance edge over the other entries.
Its class and upgrade group appear in the Elden Ring Wiki.gg armament list.
6. Serpent-Hunter
Best for: The Rykard encounter.
The Serpent-Hunter’s strongest case is situational: the base-game reference identifies a special interaction during the Rykard encounter and places the weapon in the boss chamber. That encounter-specific utility can matter more than its position in a general ranking. Outside that context, the reference material here does not establish a reason to rank it above more flexible options.
Its location and special interaction are listed in the Gamer Guides database.
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7. Vyke’s War Spear
Best for: A character seeking fire damage and madness buildup.
Vyke’s War Spear combines fire damage and madness buildup with the skill Frenzyflame Thrust. Those traits make it appealing when they match the build and opponent, but status effects are not a universal advantage: their usefulness depends on whether the target is susceptible and on the encounter. The guide identifies Festering Fingerprint Vyke as its drop source.
For the listed traits and acquisition, consult the Vyke’s War Spear guide.
8. Messmer Soldier’s Spear
Best for: Players who want an expansion Great Spear in the standard smithing-stone upgrade group.
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The class and upgrade group are listed in the Elden Ring Wiki.gg armament list.
9. Bloodfiend’s Sacred Spear
Best for: Players whose build benefits from its specific traits.
This expansion weapon is listed in the somberstone upgrade group. Its potential build specialization and status traits are relevant comparison points, but the available roster reference does not provide enough detail to claim that it outperforms another spear. Check its current in-game attributes and requirements against your setup before choosing it.
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The Elden Ring Wiki.gg list establishes its Great Spear classification and upgrade category.
10. Barbed Staff-Spear
Best for: Players drawn to its particular effect or skill.
The Barbed Staff-Spear is an expansion Great Spear in the somberstone upgrade group. Its unique effect and skill should determine whether it suits your character; the roster reference alone does not support a claim that it beats another entry. This ranking places it last because the available evidence establishes its class and upgrade category, but not a broader advantage that would justify a higher general-purpose position.
Its class and upgrade group are listed in the Elden Ring Wiki.gg armament list.
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Which Great Spear should you use in PvE?
Start with what you want the weapon to do, rather than looking for a single winner. For flexible setup options, consider the Lance. For Holy damage and a faith-oriented direction, look at the Treespear. If you want a weapon centered on a distinctive skill or status trait, compare that trait with your stats and the enemy you are facing. The Serpent-Hunter is the clear situational case for Rykard.
Before investing upgrade materials, compare each candidate’s requirements, damage types, skill, and upgrade route in your current game. A specialized weapon can be the better PvE pick for the character and encounter that suit it, even when it ranks below a more adaptable option overall.
Full roster and upgrade categories
The table separates the reference sources’ roster and upgrade-category information from the qualitative ranking above. “Not stated” means the cited roster material does not establish that detail; it is not a claim about what the game lacks.
| Great Spear | Scope | Upgrade category stated in reference | Verified distinction used here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lance | Base game | Standard Great Spear | Long reach; customization flexibility considered in its general-purpose ranking. |
| Treespear | Base game | Not stated | Holy damage, Sacred Order skill; chest in Liurnia. |
| Serpent-Hunter | Base game | Not stated | Special interaction in the Rykard encounter; located in the boss chamber. |
| Siluria’s Tree | Base game | Somber upgrade group | Distinctive skill; no comparative damage result established here. |
| Vyke’s War Spear | Base game | Not stated | Frenzyflame Thrust, fire damage, madness buildup; dropped by Festering Fingerprint Vyke. |
| Mohgwyn’s Sacred Spear | Base game | Not stated | Trident with Bloodboon Ritual; acquired by trading a remembrance at Roundtable Hold. |
| Messmer Soldier’s Spear | Shadow of the Erdtree | Standard smithing-stone group | Expansion Great Spear; moveset comparison is not established by the roster source. |
| Barbed Staff-Spear | Shadow of the Erdtree | Somber upgrade group | Expansion Great Spear; the roster source does not establish a comparative performance edge. |
| Bloodfiend’s Sacred Spear | Shadow of the Erdtree | Somber upgrade group | Expansion Great Spear; build and status details require checking against current in-game attributes. |
| Spear of the Impaler | Shadow of the Erdtree | Somber upgrade group | Expansion Great Spear with distinctive skill and attack options. |
The expansion entries and their upgrade groups are listed by the Elden Ring Wiki.gg armament-by-material reference; the base-game descriptions and selected locations are in the Gamer Guides Great Spears database.
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