For more lists, here is our Hardest Elden Ring Bosses article.
What Is Dexterity In Elden Ring
Dexterity is one of Elden Ring’s 8 main attributes that players can level up when they meet Melina. It governs the player’s capability to use various Dexterity-based weaponry and items. Players can level up Dexterity through the use of runes, which can be obtained by defeating various enemies. Ensuring that you’re leveled up appropriately according to your current area and build is a necessary part of FromSoftware games.
Various items can be used to increase your Dexterity attribute when used or equipped. Specifically, these items are: Millicent’s Prosthesis: +5 Dexterity Radagon’s Scarseal/Soreseal: +3 and +5 Dexterity respectively Prosthesis-Wearer’s Heirloom: +5 Dexterity Okina Mask: +3 Dexterity Consort’s Mask: +1 Dexterity Godrick’s Great Rune: +5 Dexterity when equipped and a Rune Arc is used Dexterity-Knot Crystal Tear: +10 Dexterity when used. Can only be used by equipping on your Flask of Wondrous Physik and drinking it.
We won’t go over these items in detail nor will we talk about how to get them. This article will focus more on the 16 best Elden Ring Dex weapons. However, they’re easily found if you go over the game’s various questlines. Play Elden Ring today!
16 Best Elden Ring Dex Weapons
Now that we know what Dexterity is, let’s go over the various weapons that have Dexterity as their main scaling grade. We’ll have a variety of weapons here, like swords, whips, the occasional katana and twinblade, et cetera. Do note though that some of these weapons are boss weapons which you’ll need remembrances. Also, your play style will determine what are the best Dex weapons you can use in Elden Ring.
1. Thorned Whip
Location: Defeating Fire Prelates on Giants’ Mountaintop Catacombs located northeast of Zamor Ruins. Weapon Skill/Ash of War: Kick, but can be infused with various Ashes of War according to the player’s preference. May we recommend Bloodhound’s Step? Anyhow, the first weapon on this list is a whip and this is mostly because the weapon itself is a pretty gnarly one. The Thorned Whip has an 8 Strength 16 Dexterity requirement to use with an E and C scaling on Strength and Dexterity respectively. This can go up to D and B on Strength and Dexterity, or if you’re using Keen, an A Dexterity scaling. This alone makes it a great weapon to get but the fact that it also deals Blood Loss gives it a foot in the door. The additional customization option of being able to add in various Ashes of War however makes it a shoo-in for this list. It also helps that you can get more than one of the whips and go dual-wield for extra blood loss and disrespect. You can have one Thorned Whip a Keen version and go do shenanigans by putting a Cold infusion on the other. The sheer rage on PvP would be hilarious.
2. Uchigatana
Location: Obtainable when picking Samurai as a class. If not, the weapon can be found in the Deathtouched Catacombs on Limgrave. Specifically, on Stormhill. Turn the lever down to unlock the door in the hallway. The Uchigatana is lying on a dead body that’s on a platform edge. Weapon Skill/Ash of War: Unsheathe, but can be infused with various Ashes of War according to the player’s preference. As per usual, Bloodhound’s Step is a recommendation but the Unsheathe Ash of War is a great damaging Ash of War as well. The Uchigatana is a proper beat of a weapon in the early game thanks to its blood loss buildup and great damage. The weapon requires 11 Strength and 15 Dexterity to use properly while having a D scaling on both attributes. The fact that you can use this weapon until mid to late-game alone with the right infusions makes it a definite pick. However, for those that want a bit more spice, you can add in Cold or Poison infusions or full-stop just use the Uchigatana as a way to quick-cast Bloodhound’s Step. The sheer customization of the Uchigatana is what made it to this list. It can go from a player’s main damage dealer to a fallback weapon. It’s even a great thing to have for dual-wielding this with a few of the weapons on this list as well.
3. Reduvia
Location: Obtainable after defeating Bloody Finger Nerijus. You can find him by going west from the Agheel Lake North site of grace, crossing the bridge, and walking along the river. Specifically the ravine northeast of Agheel Lake. Yura will join you in this fight but will take some time to get to your location as he spawns a few paces away from you. Weapon Skill/Ash of War: Reduvia Blood Blade. Also the first weapon on this list that can’t be infused with a different Ash of War. The Reduvia is an interesting weapon to add to this list for a few reasons. The first of which is the fact that it’s a dagger, and usually daggers have really short range. Secondly, it has some pretty nasty blood loss buildup and the sheer attack speed makes up for the range issue. Dual wielding this with another dagger, or worse, another Reduvia, can easily take enemies out in a matter of seconds. It gets better though, as its Weapon Skill is a ranged attack. It doesn’t have that much range, but it’s still enough to stay out of the melee range of most weapons. Combine this with a pretty decent stat scaling of E, D, and D on Strength, Dexterity, and Arcane respectively. With the Dexterity and Arcane scalings going all the way to C and B when maxed? Well, you’re in for a treat. Also, yes, the Reduvia does favor the Arcane scaling more, but it still doesn’t take away from the fact that the Reduvia is great on Dexterity builds as well.
4. Cross-Naginata
Location: Can be found inside Gael Tunnel. The weapon is in one of the tunnel’s caverns on a corpse. Watch out for the giant land octopus dangling from the ceiling though. Weapon Skill/Ash of War: Impaling Thrust, but can be infused with various Ashes of War according to the player’s preference. For those that want a bit more range, the Cross-Naginata might be a great option. This is a spear weapon with a 16 Strength and 20 Dexterity requirement. Pretty hefty, but given the good D Strength and C Dexterity scaling that goes all the way to C and B respectively? Yeah. However, another thing to note is the fact that the Cross-Naginata also has a blood loss buildup with every hit. It’s an added thing to the already good weapon. Its attack patterns also catch enemy players off guard in PvP.
5. Bloodhound’s Fang
Location: Obtainable after defeating Bloodhound Knight Darriwil on Limgrave. Specifically, the Forlorn Hound Evergaol is located atop the left mountain after you cross the Bridge of Sacrifice. Weapon Skill/Ash of War: Bloodhound’s Finesse. You’re not able to infuse this weapon with another Ash of War as well. Next is Bloodhound’s Fang, which has a Strength 18 and Dexterity 17 stat requirement and Strength D, Dexterity C scaling. This is one of the more underrated entries on this list as it falls off in the late game as you get better weapons. However, it’s one of the best weapons to get in the early game due to its good damage and moveset. With great scaling, this is indeed one of the best Elden Ring Dex weapons available.
6. Death’s Poker
Location: Obtainable after defeating a Death Rite Bird on the Southern Aeonia Swamp. The bird is southeast of the Site of grace in the Southern Aeonia Swamp Bank, and can only be encountered at night. Weapon Skill/Ash of War: Ghostflame Ignition. You also can’t infuse Death’s Poker with another Ash of War. Next on this list is a greatsword, the Death’s Poker, one of the weirder picks on this list. This is mostly because it also scales with Intelligence, having a D, D, and E scaling in Strength, Dexterity, and Intelligence respectively. Requirements-wise, the player needs to have 15 Strength, 17 Dexterity, and 11 Intelligence to use, but the additional intelligence investment is worth it. Why? 3 things: the first is that Ghostflame Ignition is a beast of a Weapon skill, with a metric ton of damage when all hits land. Secondly, the scaling of the weapon itself is also pretty nuts. As the B scaling on Dexterity when maxed turns this weapon into an early to midgame killer. Last but not least, the frostbite buildup can be deadly on a ton of enemies, which is pretty similar to blood loss but also has fewer people immune to it. Pick this weapon up if you’re going for a Dexterity/Intelligence combo build. Well, there’s another weapon that requires Intelligence but we’ll talk about that one later.
7. Nagakiba
Location: Obtainable by doing Bloody Finger Hunter Yura’s questline. Simply follow it and you’ll eventually get the weapon in addition to another weapon on this list. You can also just kill him in his camp near the Site of Grace on Seaside Ruins or North of Murkwater Cave. Depending on where you are in his questline. Weapon Skill/Ash of War: Piercing Fang, though you can also remove it to get the Unsheathe Weapon Skill which is a default Weapon Skill. Also, this weapon can be infused with different Ash of Wars, which means customization. The Nagakiba is a longer version of the Uchigatana, making it way better in many ways. It has a higher attribute requirement of 18 Strength and 22 Dexterity, sure. But the D Strength and C Dexterity scaling more than make up for it. This can be ramped up even more to an A Dexterity scaling if adding Keen to the weapon, making it all the more fearsome. In addition to this, the long attack reach combined with the fast katana attack animation is monstrous. When dual-wielded with another katana on the offhand, the Nagakiba’s range can roll-catch enemy players on PvP. If the other katana has Bloodhound step, you’re pretty much good to go in the movement department. Just make sure you have the FP to use the Ash of War multiple times in a fight.
8. Dragonscale Blade
Location: Obtainable after defeating the Dragonkin Soldier located on the Lake of Rot. Weapon Skill/Ash of War: Ice Lightning Sword. You’re not able to infuse this weapon with another Ash of War as well. The Dragonscale Blade is a pretty unique katana that has a 12 Strength 20 Dexterity stat requirement to use. Scaling-wise, it has a D Strength and C Dexterity attribute scaling that can ramp up to B scaling in Dexterity if maxed out. The Dragonscale Blade is a bit of a weird choice if we’re being honest. It’s a katana, yes, but it doesn’t give a blood loss buildup per attack. The increased damage against dragons and ancient dragons is nice, but dragons on Elden Ring are resistant to slash damage, which is a bummer. However, it’s not these things that allowed the Dragonscale Blade to make it on this list. It’s the fact that the weapon’s Weapon Skill adds both lightning damage and frostbite buildup when used for 20 seconds. This is pretty nuts if you think about it. Combine this with another katana for dual-wielding that has either blood loss buildup or additional frostbite buildup. Well, expect players on PvP and certain PvE enemies to melt in a few hits.
9. Godskin Peeler
Location: Obtainable after defeating the Godskin Apostle on Windmill Village located in Altus Plateau. Weapon Skill/Ash of War: Black Flame Tornado, but can be infused with various Ashes of War according to the player’s preference. Kind-of surprising if we’re being honest, but it enables some crazy shenanigans that we’ll talk about here. The next weapon we need to talk about is the Godskin Peeler, AKA our first Twinblade (We’ll talk about 2 of them in this article). It has a Strength 17 and Dexterity 22 attribute requirement and a Strength E and Dexterity C on scaling. When maxed at +25 it can go to a Strength D and Dexterity B scaling. Everybody knows that Twinblades on the Souls series has a gnarly moveset and Elden Ring is no exception. However, the Godskin Peeler is straight-up a complete monster when given the Keen, Blood, or Cold affinity. The Keen affinity turns the Godskin Peeler’s Dexterity scaling into an utterly monstrous A at +25, making it a dangerous weapon on Dex builds. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t go full evil, as you can easily go for a Blood or Cold affinity to give blood loss or Frostbite respectively. Given how strong these 2 status effects are, you can already see the terror that having a Blood or Cold Godskin Peeler can have. When you’re power-stancing 2 of these weapons or another twinblade though? Well, that enemy you hate in particular better write their will and say goodbye. The twinblade power stance is incredibly good, even if it eats a lot of stamina. For those that are still on their first new game though, you can still power stance using this weapon and a normal twinblade. Or, if you’ve done the Yura questline, use Eleonora’s Poleblade. One of the best Elden Ring Dex weapons in terms of potential damage, especially if equipped with the Seppuku Ashes of War.
10. Hand of Malenia
Location: Obtainable after defeating Malenia, Blade of Miquella, and trading her remembrance to Enia on Roundtable Hold for the weapon. Weapon Skill/Ash of War: Waterfowl Dance. You’re not able to infuse this weapon with another Ash of War as well. Next on this list is the Hand of Malenia, and this weapon doesn’t need any introduction if we’re being honest. The weapon has a 16 Strength and a whopping 38 Dexterity for attribute requirements, this weapon is most definitely for the late game. Scaling-wise isn’t as impressive, with a Strength E and Dexterity C scaling at the base level, which maxes out to B scaling when maxed out. Not that impressive in terms of scaling. However, this is if you don’t take into account the fact that it has base blood loss buildup and Waterfowl Dance. Waterfowl Dance is utterly broken if used properly. Not only does it deal a metric load of damage, but it also adds to the blood loss buildup of your enemy. Making it so that the moment you finish the dance, they’re probably dead if they don’t dodge or block. And if they did the latter? The blood loss buildup will take a huge chunk of their HP anyways. All in all, a devastating weapon in the hands of a true Dexterity master. Also, the sheer fact that just getting this weapon means defeating one of the hardest bosses in the game is enough of an intimidation factor. In terms of pure Dex scaling, this might be one of the best Elden Ring Dex weapons available.
11. Rivers of Blood
Location: Obtainable after defeating Bloody Finger Okina on the Church of Repose located on the eastern part of the Mountaintops of the Giants. Weapon Skill/Ash of War: Corpse Piler. You’re not able to infuse this weapon with another Ash of War as well. Another weapon that needs no introduction is Rivers of Blood, and for good reason. Coming in with a Strength 12, Dexterity 18, and Arcane 20 attribute requirement, Rivers of Blood is a mix of Dexterity and Arcane. It’s scaling also reflects this with an E, D, and D on Strength, Dexterity, and Arcane respectively, with Dexterity going all the way up to a B scaling when maxed out. However, what makes Rivers of Blood an incredibly dangerous weapon is its Weapon Art: Corpse Piler. This Weapon Art made Rivers of Blood an incredibly terrifying weapon to come across on PvP and made it a great weapon on PvE. The fact that the damage gain on both Arcane and Dexterity is pretty similar makes the weapon great for builds on either stat. Mixed builds of both Dexterity and Arcane are great as well, though. You get more damage that way.
12. Eleonora’s Poleblade
Location: Obtainable after defeating Eleonora, Violet Bloody Finger is located in the 2nd Church of Marika. One thing to note is that you don’t need to complete Yura’s questline to get this weapon. However, you’ll miss on rewards if you don’t do them. Weapon Skill/Ash of War: Bloodblade Dance. You’re not able to infuse this weapon with another Ash of War as well. The next weapon on this list is the 2nd twinblade that we’ll talk about, Eleonora’s Poleblade. It requires 12 Strength, 21 Dexterity, and 19 Arcane to use and has Strength E, Dexterity, and Arcane D scalings. Think of this as a twinblade version of Rivers of Blood, and is a great twinblade option too for those that want something more unique. If you loved Rivers of Blood when you tried it, you’ll definitely like Eleonora’s Poleblade. After some practice of course.
13. Moonveil
Location: Obtainable after defeating the Magma Wyrm boss that’s onside Gael Tunnel. The Tunnel can be accessed by following the path to Caelid after spawning on the Summonwater Village Outskirts site of grace. After doing so, go right the moment you see the land itself turn red and keep to the divide. You’ll see the tunnel eventually. Weapon Skill/Ash of War: Transient Moonlight. You’re not able to infuse this weapon with another Ash of War as well. Next on this list is the original katana weapon that pissed a lot of people off, the Moonveil. It requires Strength 12, Dexterity 18, and Intelligence 23 to use with an E, D, and C scaling on Strength, Dexterity, and Intelligence respectively. The Moonveil is the best weapon with Dexterity and Intelligence for players to use. And even after its nerf, it’s still a beast of a weapon even if its Weapon Art doesn’t do as much poise damage anymore. The fact that it has B scaling on both Dexterity and Intelligence when maxed out alone is a good reason to pick this weapon up. Combine that with the fact that Transient Moonlight is a great looking Weapon Art. Well, you’ll have lots of players who’d want to get this weapon for their use for either PvP or PvE. All in all, if you wish to combine physical and magical damage, this is one of the best Elden Ring Dex weapons yo can get.
14. Dragon King’s Cragblade
Location: Obtainable after defeating Dragonlord Placidusax and trading his remembrance to Enia on Roundtable Hold for the weapon. Weapon Skill/Ash of War: Thundercloud Form. You’re not able to infuse this weapon with another Ash of War as well. The next weapon on this list is the Dragon King’s Cragblade, a boss weapon with a nutty weapon skill. To use the Cragblade you need 18 Strength and 37 Dexterity and it has a scaling of Strength E and Dexterity D. Being a thrusting sword, the attack pattern is pretty simple which makes it a bit easy to dodge in terms of PvP. However, on PvE, this isn’t a problem, and the additional damage against dragon enemies can come in clutch when fighting the scaly beasts. In addition to this, Thundercloud Form has a ton of hyper armor. If you want your weapon art to hit, it will hit, and deal massive damage as a result.
15. Urumi
Location: On a body in the southeast ramparts of Caria Manor. You can reach the body by jumping from some of the manor’s higher ramparts that were leading to the manor’s upper-level site of grace. Weapon Skill/Ash of War: Kick, but can be infused with various Ashes of War according to the player’s preference. The next weapon on this list is Urumi, which requires 10 Strength and 19 Dexterity to use with E and C scaling on Strength and Dexterity. Urumi is a whip, which doesn’t have much going for it. It doesn’t even have a unique weapon art. What makes this weapon unique, however, is the fact that if maxed and given a Keen enhancement, the Dexterity scaling will go to S rank. This is pretty huge, as the scaling of the weapon with a soft cap on Dexterity turns the Urumi into a killing machine. Also, it can stagger. That alone is good enough to put the Urumi on this list of great dexterity weapons to use in Elden Ring.
16. Morgott’s Cursed Sword
Location: Obtainable after defeating Morgott, the Omen King, and trading his remembrance to Enia on Roundtable Hold for the weapon. Weapon Skill/Ash of War: Cursed-Blood Slice. You’re not able to infuse this weapon with another Ash of War as well. Last but not least is Morgott’s Cursed Sword. It requires 14 Strength, 35 Dexterity, and 17 Arcane to use with E, C, and D Strength, Dexterity, and Arcane scaling. This is one of the slower weapons on this list due to being a Curved Greatsword but can deal some nasty damage output when used properly with its weapon art, Cursed-Blood Slice. Combine this with good scaling when maxed and the ability to inflict the blood loss debuff. Well, you have a weapon that can deal high burst damage within a few hits. Getting Morgott’s remembrance is worth it just to use one of the best Elden Ring Dex weapons available.
How Does Dexterity Affect Damage?
As stated, Dexterity is one of the Attributes that players can add levels to in Elden Ring. In Dexterity’s case, it allows you to use Dexterity-based weaponry like katanas. Of course, they’ll have other requirements, but if a weapon requires more Dexterity to use, it’s a Dexterity-based weapon. However, the main thing that affects damage is a weapon’s Scaling Grade, which is how much a weapon scales with a certain attribute. Every point in a character’s attribute increases the damage dealt by weapons with scaling in the said attribute. For example, a maxed-out Rivers of Blood has B scaling on Dexterity and a D scaling on Arcane. Rivers of Blood will deal increased damage based on the level of your Dexterity and Arcane attributes. A higher attribute scaling will mean more damage when reaching the attribute soft cap.
