Best early weapons in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree

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With over 60 weapons broken down into eight entirely fresh categories, you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to equipping your Tarnished. Reaching the end game and amassing all these delightful new ways to fell enemies is a mighty slog. Luckily, the expansion lets you pick up a few potent weapons very early on in a playthrough.

Within the starting Gravesite Plain area, you’ll find a few weapons that you might just grow to love and could see you through to the final boss. We’ve picked the best early weapons that we think are well worth hunting down and at least testing out to see if they fit your playstyle.

Firespark Perfume Bottle

Repurposed into a weapon by the perfumers of the realm of shadow, the Firespark Perfume Bottle spews out arcs of crackling flames. It’s just simply a lot of fun to use and dishes out decent damages especially if you sink some resources into upgrading it. The arc shape attacks solidly tear through packed groups of enemies and the Kick skill is useful for giving yourself some breathing room mid-fight.

Firespark Perfume Bottle location

You’ll find the Firespark Perfume Bottle in a chest in the tents just south of the Castle Front site of grace near Castle Ensis in Gravesite Plain. The area is swarming with guards so either go in with stealth or clear out the area beforehand.

Backhand Blade

The Backhand Blade is a curved blade that’s held with a backhand grip that dishes out satisfying slashes and thrusts in quick succession. In other words it’s fast with the damage to back it up. The real highlight is, however, the Blind Spot skill. When used, your Tarnish will jump side-to-side before finding an enemy’s blind spot (it even bypasses an opponent’s guard) then deliver a hefty blow. Go two-handed and you’ll pull out a second identical sword for even more swift fun.

Backhand Blade location

You can pick up the Backhand Blade as soon as you load into Gravesite Plain. It’s located on a mausoleum northeast of the Scorched Ruins, east of the Three-Path Cross site, and not far from the fire golem patrolling the Gravesite Plain.

Milady

Dubbed a Light Greatsword, Milady is a solid pick for dexterity builds that want extra damage without sacrificing speed. It very much plays like a fencer’s sword and has much higher attack speed than a typical greatsword. The Impaling Thrust skill is a solid touch as well, especially to close ground between you and an enemy quickly with solid damage as a follow up.

Milady location

You’ll find the Milady in a chest at the top of the tower in the southwest of Castle Ensis in Gravesite Plain. From the Castle Front site of grace, head into Castle Ensis, push on past the giant, then go up the hill where you’ll encounter two soldiers and a pair of dogs. Take them out then head left up a set of stairs. Climb the ladder on the tower there. The chest is at the top.

Beast Claw

Styled to replicate a bear’s claws, Beast Claw delivers bestial slashing attacks in close-up melee range along with strong blood loss build-up. It’s a welcome switch-up from the sword-heavy angling of most weapons and offers a unique way to make it through the realm of shadow. It’s skill, Savage Claws, is a beefed up version of standard attacks – you leap forward and unleash a powerful combo of attacks ending with a stylish jumping strike.

Beast Claw location

You’ll get the Beast Claw by defeating Logur, the Beast Claw in the forest in the very south of Gravesite Plain and southeast of the Gravesite Plain site of grace. Look for a humanoid figure walking alongside a boar. The fight isn’t too taxing, even early on.

Great Katana

The Great Katana is an obnoxiously large strength and dexterity-scaling sword that comes with a lethal new skill dubbed Overhead Stance. Your Tarnished will raise the sword above their head before slashing downwards. You can chain these together for massive damage and stun potential. Aside from the skill, Great Katana’s attack rate follows in the steps of most katanas and is quick. It also causes blood loss buildup on enemies.

Great Katana location

You’ll find the Great Katana at the ground next to the Ghostflame Dragon in the north of Gravesite Plain. The dragon is in the lake east of Belurat and just west of the Abandoned Ailing Village and the Greatbridge, North site of grace. You don’t necessarily need to defeat the dragon to get the katana and can instead just swoop in and pick it up while riding Torrent then make a quick getaway.