Summary
Thrusting Swordsare arguablythe best weapon type inElden Ringbecause of their fast attack speed, piercingattack type, and ability to counterattack. The quick attack speed of these weapons synergizeswith their piercing attacks, giving the player an easy way to counter-attack. This maneuver usually requires precise timing to execute without taking any damage.
Most of these swords have good range, and they have the ability to feint, where players can dodge in the middle of their charged attack, letting them abandon an attack if they realize that it is too dangerous to proceed with it.
8Noble’s Estoc
Provides A Versatile Slashing Attack
Noble’s Estocis a flashier version of the base Estoc inElden Ringand weighs a little less than the larger weapon at 3.5. This weapon is dropped by Wandering Nobles that wear feathered caps. They can be found in various locations around Limgrave, Raya Lucaria, and Altus Plateau.Farming them can be a challenge, and the weapon received in return isn’t necessarily worth it either.
Noble’s Estoc has a unique R2 that gives it a slashing attack instead of a piercing one, letting players deal with a wider range of enemies more easily. It depends on DEX, with a slight scaling with STR, and has minimal requirements. Since it is somewhat difficult to acquire, many players may never find this weapon in their playthrough, and they won’t miss out on much. It’s essentially the same weapon as the Estoc, with slightly lower attack power, and better aesthetics.
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7Frozen Needle
Fires Projectiles & Inflicts Frostbite
Frozen Needleis a decent thrusting sword that takes full advantage of the feint mechanic of its weapon class. This weapon can be found in an underground area, behind a Royal Revenant boss in Kingsrealm Ruins. It is a unique weapon that can be upgraded using Somber Smithing stones and only weighs 2.5, making it a very lightweight weapon.
This weaponprimarily scales with DEXand has a unique R2 that fires a mid-range projectile at the enemy. The projectile is also fired off with a feint attack, letting players create distance while dealing damage. The Frozen Needle also has a (60) Frostbite buildup, though this number cannot be increased sincethe weapon doesn’t scale with INT. When used in the right hand when power stancing alongside a flame-infused thrusting sword in the left, the Frozen Needle is a great weapon to swiftly inflict the Frostbite status, reset the debuff with a fire-infused weapon, and repeat the process for maximum damage.
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6Cleanrot Knight’s Sword
A Safe Thrusting Sword
The most well-rounded sword of its category, theCleanrot Knight’s Swordcan be obtained fromLesser Cleanrot Knights, which can be found all at the Brace of the Haligtree. There is a single one found just outside the Prayer Room Site of Grace that can be easily farmed.
This sword has the best heavy scaling out of any thrusting sword, and it has the longest reach by far. Since it can be infused with Ashes of War, players are free to customize it to their liking. It does physical damage by default, weighs 4.0, and scales with STR and DEX. It’s a good all-rounder sword without many flaws. It doesn’t have any particularly outstanding features either, making it a safe, but boring, choice.
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5Rogier’s Rapier
Comes With One Of The Best Ashes Of War
Rogier’s Rapieris one of the easiest to obtain Thrusting Swords inElden Ring, and it scales mainly with DEX. Once playersdefeat Godrick the Grafted, Rogier, an NPC in Roundtable Hold, will give this weapon to them. It will come as a +8 from the start, making it a fantastic weapon for the early game, letting players experience the might of thrusting swords without investing their precious smithing stones from the start.
Rogier’s Rapieris an inoffensive weapon that has a somewhat high dexterity requirement, making it less approachable than other thrusting swords, but it’s manageable nonetheless. It has a unique R2 that deals two attacks in quick succession, making it great for stacking status effects on enemies. It also has 110 critical damage, which is okay for a thrusting sword, but not the best. Additionally, this weapon comes with theAsh of War: Glintblade Phalanxby default,one of the best Ashes of Warin the game.
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4Estoc
Delivers A Unique Strong Attack
TheEstocis a powerful thrusting weapon inElden Ringthat can be upgraded using simple Smithing Stones. It isone of the starting weapons, belonging to the Prisoner class, and can be purchased from a Merchant in the Liurnia of Lakes and Patches for 3,000 Runes. This weapon’s claim to fame is its unique strong attack, which deals good damage and is considered a slashing attack rather than a piercing one.
This makes it more versatile, giving the players the option to use it even against enemies that are resistant to piercing damage. The Estoc is fairly heavy, weighing 4.5, and scales primarily with DEX, with a small dependence on STR. It has good attack damage and attack range, but its critical attacks leave much to be desired compared to other weapons in the category. This makes it better for builds that focus on delivering as many attacks as possible rather than ones thatrely on critical hits and parries.
3Rapier
Inflicts High Critical Damage
The most basic thrusting sword is the Rapier. It is the lightest sword of the bunch, only weighing 2.5. It scales with STR and DEX, with DEX being the primary stat. Players can obtain the Rapier very early on in the game by purchasing it from the Twin Maiden Husks at the Roundtable for 1,000 Runes. This is a smithing stone weapon and comes withAsh of War: Impaling Thrustby default.
The way Rapier distinguishes itself from other weapons in the same class is by its extremely high critical rating of 130, one of the highest in the entire game. This means that the best way to maximize the potential of the Rapier is by using it in a parry build where players can getas many ripostes on bosses as possible. The weapon does have a somewhat short reach and only has decent damage with flame or lightning infusions, but it lends itself well to the parry-riposte playstyle despite its shortcomings.
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2Antspur Rapier
Excellent For Inflicting Scarlet Rot
One of the few Scarlet Rot-inflicting weapons that can be infused with Ashes of War, the Antspur Rapier is a fan-favorite thrusting sword, and for good reason. Players can obtain this weapon by fightinga hostile NPC, Maleigh, in the Shaded Castle region. They will also get theMarais MaskandMarais Robeupon defeating this enemy.
The biggest plus point for the Antspur Rapier is its ability to inflict Scarlet Rot and the fact that it can be infused with Ashes of War. With the correct set-up, players can even use it to stack three debuffs on enemies at the same time; poison, scarlet rot, and bleed. That might sound good in theory, but it’s much better to focus on two rather than three to maximize the build-up.
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1Carian Sorcery Sword
Perfect For Melee Sorcerer Builds
One of the most unique swords in the game, theCarian Sorcery Sword, was introduced in theShadow of the ErdtreeDLC. This needle-like weapon can be found in a chest in Castle Ensis early on in the DLC and cannot be infused with Ashes of War.
The unique thing aboutthe Carian Sorcery Swordis the fact that strong attacks done with it act as spells, firing off whatever sorcery the player has equipped. Functionally, this sword is the perfect option for melee sorcerer builds, giving the magic community the greatest gift of all: short-range viability. The sword even has a unique animation when firing off sorceries that use the back of the staff, with the player changing their grip before firing off the spell.
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