Elden Ring has a lot of weapons. Some of them — Cross-Naginata, Rivers of Blood, most Ultra Greatswords, the Jar Cannon, to name a few — are fantastic, bordering on overturned. Using these weapons will make PvE easier and more fun, and you’ll probably get some sidelong looks in PvP.
Then there are the weapons no one uses. Not because they look bad. Not because they’re deficient in one or two areas, but there are some benefits to using them. No, no one uses these weapons because they’re just bad. They don’t have good range, their damage is pitiful, and they take too much investment for too little reward.
These are the ten worst weapons in all of Elden Ring.
Worst weapons in Elden Ring
Erdsteel Dagger (or any dagger without status buildup)
Daggers got one of the shortest ends of the stick in Elden Ring. They don’t have any range, their damage leaves a lot to be desired, and though their attack speed is high, even if they apply a status effect like Bleed, good luck being close enough to a boss long enough for it to matter. The Erdsteel Dagger takes things one step further by requiring 14 Faith to use with little return for the investment.
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Helphen’s Steeple
Greatswords are in a weird spot in Elden Ring. They have okay range and damage, but for the additional cost and weight, you get a slower, more cumbersome weapon class that excels at nothing and sometimes is downright bad. Helphen’s Steeple is squarely in the latter category. Its Ash of War, Ruinous Ghostflame, adds a small damage buff for a short time and nothing else. Its serrated blade doesn’t even apply Bleed. Add in a hefty Intelligence requirement and nothing to address its weapon class’s shortcomings; this weapon is just sad.
Icerind Hatchet
Axes as a whole are underwhelming in Elden Ring, and while Icerind had a short day in the sun early in the game’s lifecycle thanks to its Ash of War, Hoarfrost Stomp, that ability has since been nerfed. Additionally, you can find Hoarfrost Stomp out in the wild and apply it to numerous other, better weapons.
Marika’s Hammer
The weapon of an actual god should be better than this, but alas, it is not. Hammers, like Axes, Daggers, and Greatswords, just don’t have the speed and utility of some other weapon classes. Marika’s Hammer adds significant stat requirements, an Ash of War that looks cool but deals disappointing damage, and no range or worthwhile moves.
Miquellan Knight’s Sword
The Miquellan Knight’s Sword is one of the worst weapons out of sheer disappointment because it could have been amazing. It’s got above-average range, looks amazing and has a moveset no other longsword can boast. But its damage is awful, and it has a Faith requirement that provides almost no additional damage scaling.
Nox Flowing Sword
Curved Swords are some of the strongest weapons in the game when you dual-wield them, mainly if they apply Bleed or Frost. As a unique weapon, Nox Flowing Swords can’t take Ashes of War that add statuses, their damage is some of the worst-in-class, and the Ash of War they do have is slow and doesn’t deal nearly enough damage to justify not using anything else.
Prince of Death’s Staff
Sorceries are some of the most potent abilities in the game, dominant in both PvE and PvP if you know how to handle them properly. The Prince of Death’s staff does them a huge disservice. It requires Faith and Intelligence to use, and unless you’re going into the higher levels, leveling both only cuts your damage. Worse, the Prince of Death’s Staff doesn’t offer good enough scaling to justify the split stats, and Death Sorceries are few, and none are particularly good, making using this casting tool a bad choice.
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Rosus’ Axe
Like the Icerind Hatchet, Rosus’ Axe is…well, it’s an axe, and those aren’t very good weapons. It’s Ash of War, Rosus’s Summons, is a neat ability that lacks damage and takes too long. This weapon has even less utility than Icerind because, as bad as Hoarfrost Stomp is now, it still applies Frostbite. Rosus’ Axe asks for a hefty Intelligence investment and little in return.
Short Spear
Less of a “worst weapon” than a “worst weapon in its class,” the Short Spear is wildly overshadowed by the likes of the Cross Naginata, the Spiked Spear, the Partisan, and so many others. It has the Spear moveset and can take almost any Ash of War, but its damage, range, and overall utility lack so much that it’s hard to even discuss it in the same room as its fellows.
Weathered Straight Sword
Where to start? One of the shortest ranges out of all the Longswords, some of the lowest damage, and a bog-standard moveset combine to make the Weathered Straight Sword a bummer to use no matter how you slice it.
