Elden Ring: All New Weapon Types In Shadow Of The Erdtree (2024)

Weapon variety in Elden Ring allows you to adjust your strategy and playstyle to overcome any challenge the game throws at you. The diverse arsenal of weapons available in the base game enables you to engage with enemies in close-quarter combat using daggers and fists or pick them off from a distance using bows and spells.

With the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, Elden Ring further enhances the weapon variety by introducing eight new weapon types to the game. These new weapon types allow you to engage with enemies in new ways and develop interesting builds. Here are all the new weapon types in Shadow of the Erdtree and how they function.

Throwing Blades

As the name suggests, the Throwing Blades weapon class features throwable weapons, which includes the Smithscript Dagger . Unlike the base game, where throwing daggers were considered as consumable items, limiting their usage, the Throwing Blades weapons offer unlimited usage.

Throwing Blades compliment lighter builds, and you can rely on them to maintain a safe distance from enemies during combat. You can also equip Throwing Blades as an off-hand weapon along with a primary heavy weapon to engage enemies at range.

The Throwing Blades weapon class includes the following weapons, and here is how they scale:

Backhand Blades

The Backhand Blades weapon class features a collection of weapons that are held with a reverse grip. Given the weapons' unique grip, it changes how the Tarnished attacks when wielding these weapons. Attacks coming from Backhand Blades involve a variety of spinning slices and thrusts.

You can also dual-wield Backhand Blades to effectively enter a power stance, resulting in increased damage output and faster status build-up. If you prefer a build that allows for quick attacks and overall agility, you cannot go wrong with the Backhand Blades. There are three Backhand Blades available in Shadow of the Erdtree, and they all favor Dexterity scaling:

Light Greatswords

Light Greatswords are a unique class of weapons in Shadow of the Erdtree that boast quick attacks and moderate damage without sacrificing speed. You can obtain three Light Greatswords in the DLC, and two of them scale well with Strength and Dexterity.

Light Greatswords also have unique attack animations that make weapon swings look refined and elegant. These greatswords also stand out from other weapons in the game for their ability to combo light and heavy attacks, enabling you to keep the pressure up in combat.

The three Light Greatswords introduced in Shadow of the Erdtree are the following:

Hand-To-Hand Arts

In addition to a variety of unorthodox weapons, the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC also introduces a new Hand-to-Hand weapon class centered around martial arts. There are two options available under the Hand-to-Hand class: Dryleaf Arts and Dane's Footwork . While Dryleaf Arts allows you to punch and kick your enemies, Dane's Footwork leans on powerful kicks over punches.

The Hand-to-Hand weapon class scales with Dexterity and is best suited for lighter builds. While the weapon type limits your choice of Ashes of War, it makes up for it with a diverse choice of elemental affinities. For instance, you can effectively put together a bleed Hand-to-Hand build to obliterate your enemies.

Here are the available Hand-to-Hand weapons you can enjoy in Shadow of the Erdtree:

Perfume Bottles

While the base game includes Perfume Bottles as consumable items, Shadow of the Erdtree introduces a new set of Perfume Bottles as dedicated weapons. Unlike their consumable counterparts, the new Perfume Bottles don't require crafting and offer unlimited usage.

These unique weapons offer a refreshing change of pace while focusing on dealing elemental damage to enemies. Perfume Bottles are used in pairs and they are excellent for controlling crowds. There are five unique bottles under this weapon class, and they all scale with Dexterity:

Beast Claws

Beast Claws are similar to the existing Claw weapon type, but cater to a more aggressive play style. The Shadow of the Erdtree expansion includes two new Beast Claw weapons that feature unique attack animations and are incredible at dealing bleed damage.

Beast Claws also include the feint ability that changes attack animation when you execute a heavy attack while backstepping. Out of the two Beast Claws, only one of them (Beast Claw (Weapon) ) allows for Ash of War infusion and affinity buffs. Beast Claws primarily scale with Dexterity and here are their stats:

Thursting Shields

If you prefer a more defensive approach to battles, the Thrusting Shield weapon class empowers you to take on challenging bosses with confidence. Unlike the standard shields, Thrusting Shields feature pointed ends on both top and bottom, allowing you to deal piercing damage to enemies.

Thrusting Shields can be outfitted with a variety of Ashes of War to further enhance their combat prowess. Since Thrusting Shields are lighter than Greatshields, they are excellent choices for medium-roll builds. You can find two thrusting shields in Shadow of the Erdtree and here are their stats:

Great Katanas

Great Katanas are thrilling new weapon types introduced in Shadow of the Erdtree. These katanas feature oversized blades that strike a balance between damage output and speed. Great Katanas excel when wielded with both hands, as they also scale with strength.

There are three Great Katanas to find in the DLC, but only one of them allows you to change the weapon skill on it through Ashes of War. When using Great Katanas, you'll need to be wary of their slow attack recovery. So, careful planning and attack timing is essential when playing with this weapon.

Here are all three Great Katanas and their corresponding stats:

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

Base Game

Elden Ring

Platform(s)

PC , PS4 , PS5 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S

Released

June 21, 2024