Bleed weapons in Elden Ring do not cause a slow loss of health as you might expect. Instead, your blades build up blood loss until your enemy is crippled by an explosive spray of blood. Sounds dramatic? Well, the damage that is caused is equally as devastating; biting off a tenth of their health bar (or more).
This is on top of the damage that your slashes and slices have already caused, so it’s no surprise that many players have been calling Bleed builds overpowered. Especially when you consider that this move is repeatable after a short cooldown period.
But which are the best bleed weapons in Elden Ring? Let’s find out! 👇
Best Bleed Weapons Elden Ring:
When combined with bleed-focussed attribute scaling and attire, bleed weapons in Elden Ring are absolutely insane. For both early and late-game players, there’s plenty to choose from and our shortlist right here will get you on your way!
The best bleed weapons in Elden Ring are:
- Hookclaws
- Rivers Of Blood
- Morgott’s Cursed Sword
- Ghiza’s Wheel
- Eleonora’s Poleblade
- Meteoric Ore Blade
- Winged Scythe
- Moonveil
- Reduvia
- Thorned Whip
Scroll down to find out more about each of our recommended bleed weapons! 👇
Hookclaws
Type: Slash/Pierce » Skill: Quickstep
Unlock Location: A corpse in the wine cellar of Stormveil Castle
Best used by bleed builds with high dexterity, the Hookclaws’ thousand cuts swiftly blast blood across the battlefield just as quickly as you can sidestep your opportunities. Empowered by the skill “Quickstep” (which also lends itself to highly agile bleed builds) the Hookclaws are one of the best bleed weapons in Elden Ring for both early and late game.
You can find the Hookclaws’ on the body of an unfortunate in the bowels of Stormveil Castle and, for the most part, they will satisfy you throughout your entire time in the Lands Between. Though they may seem unembellished, or even lacking, the Hookclaws boost a high bleed rate and can cause foes to haemorrhage quickly with their high-speed attacks.
Think Wolverine in Elden Ring.
Hookclaws Attribute Scaling:
- Strength: E
- Dexterity: C
Rivers of Blood
Type: Physical/Holy » Skill: Corpse Piler
Unlock Location: Dropped by Bloody Finger Okina near the Church of Repose
The great bloodletter, and deathbringer, Rivers of Blood were the scourge of PvP until its recent nerf. Now, it’s only an excellent katana for slashing and bleeding the bizarre abominations of the Lands Between. But still, for most gamers, that’s going to be more than enough to satisfy your bloodlust.
Acquirable after defeating Bloody Finger Okina, the Rivers of Blood blade will see you through most of your gameplay throughout Elden Ring. Each slice deals physical and fire damage, and the Corpse Piler skill can be performed repeatedly to butcher your opponents with six quick and gruesomely bloody cuts.
If you’re a little shy with PvP gaming, go for the Rivers of Blood.
Rivers of Blood Attribute Scaling:
- Strength: E
- Dexterity: D
- Arcane: D
Morgott’s Cursed Sword
Type: Slash » Skill: Cursed Blood Slice
Unlock Location: Enia at Roundtable Hold
Morgott the Omen King is not easily killed in Elden Ring. But his death is necessary, and so you will soon earn his remembrance. Once you have killed Morgott, trade the remembrance to Enia at Roundtable Hold and you will acquire Morgott’s cursed greatsword.
The Cursed Sword’s skill is Cursed-Blood Slice, which severs arteries and brings blood loss with explosive slashes. This skill is especially useful in PVP, where most opponents will find the wide attacks of Morgott’s cursed sword to be a difficult dodge. The same goes for clearing out a group of monsters throughout Elden Ring too.
Morgott’s Cursed Sword Attribute Scaling:
- Strength: E
- Dexterity: C
- Arcane: D
Ghiza’s Wheel
Type: Standard » Skill: Spinning Wheel
Unlock Location: Dropped by Inquisitor Ghiza in Volcano Manor
Though most bleed weapons in Elden Ring favour speed and small weaponry, Ghiza’s Wheel is one of the best weapons for strength builds. After all, 28 points of strength (and 18 dexterity) are the minimum requirement to even wield these spinning blades.
Once you have killed Inquisitor Ghiza in Volcano Manor, you can enjoy the Spinning Wheel skill to deal continuous and high damage, while adding heavy blood loss in both PvE and PvP modes. Just remember, the best way to kill Inquisitor Ghiza is to use ranged weaponry and stay well clear of his attacks.
For gamers who like to deal continuous (albeit less devastating) damage, Ghiza’s wheel is not just a pretty facade. Trust me, this thing hits harder than it looks.
Ghiza’s Wheel Attribute Scaling:
- Strength: D
- Dexterity: D
Eleonora’s Poleblade
Type: Standard/Pierce » Skill: Blood Blade
Unlock Location: Dropped by Eleonora at the Second Church of Marika
Like Eleonora, her deadly Poleblade blindly lusts for blood. And, while Eleonora’s Poleblade’s Dexterity and Arcane requirements aren’t small, once met, it’s a trusty and versatile weapon.
Just like the Rivers of Blood blade, Eleonora’s Poleblade deals both fire and physical damage. While its skill, Bloodblade Dance, is ballerina-like in its jumping and spinning, the blur of the twin blades makes for a deadly combo that is both tranced and gruesome.
By keeping your distance, only to strike swiftly with your skill, you can easily bleed and break down large beasts and troublesome invaders.
Eleonora’s Poleblade Attribute Scaling:
- Strength: E
- Dexterity: D
- Arcane: D
Meteoric Ore Blade
Type: Slash/Pierce » Skill: Gravitas
Unlock Location: A chest in a small room in the Caelid Waypoint Ruins
Essentially an upgrade of the Moonveil, the Meteoric Ore Blade deals both magical and physical damage. However, its shining star is how high these attacks are at base level alone. Its skill, Gravitas, damages an area, and pulls combatants close, making that killing blow a real pleasure. A must-have tool in your weapon slot for clearing out rooms of beasts.
In addition, the Meteoric Ore Blade (M.O.B) is also surprisingly easy to acquire. Just simply run through a room of sarcophagi and many-legged creatures, and pull it from a chest. The catch is, that if you grab it early on, you’ll have to do some grinding of rune farms before you can meet its hefty attribute requirements.
Meteoric Ore Blade Attribute Scaling:
- Strength: D
- Dexterity: E
- Intelligence: D
Winged Scythe
Type: Physical/Holy » Skill: Angel’s Wings
Unlock Location: Tombsward Ruins in Weeping Peninsula
The angelic arcs of the Winged Scythe are not only adept at lacerating your foes, but are also one of the great weapons in Elden Ring for a Faith build too. Add the scythe to your arsenal easily and quickly over at the Tombsward Ruins, then invest runes in your Dexterity and Faith– A worthy sacrifice to a weapon that’ll serve you well into the future.
However, what makes this reaper stand out is its skill, Angel’s Wings, which stops most healing items, and leaves invaders running scared. Plus the fact that it’s insanely cool to traverse through the Lands Between with the symbol of death strapped to your
Winged Scythe Attribute Scaling:
- Strength: D
- Dexterity: E
- Faith: D
Moonveil
Type: Slash/Pierce » Skill: Transient Moonlight
Unlock Location: Dropped by the Magma Wyrm of Gael Tunnel
The Moonveil katana is useful for more than just bleeding out fiends.
As a high-scaling, high-power, and lightning-quick weapon, the Moonveil deals a hefty amount of damage for each swing and its Transient Moonlight fires off an instant slash, and a beam of light– A truly killer move, if timed right.
Moonveil is a must-have for Intelligence builds, but it’s a tough get. Of the three Magma Wyrms, only the one residing in the Gael Tunnel will drop it. The wyrm will burn and charge through your best defences, so high fire resistance and quick dodging are your best bet at slaying this dragon.
Moonveil Attribute Scaling:
- Strength: E
- Dexterity: D
- Intelligence: C
Reduvia
Type: Slash/Pierce » Skill: Reduvia Blood Blade
Unlock Location: Dropped by Bloody Finger Nerijus in Murkwater River
For gamers who aren’t into perfectly balanced attribute scaling, the bloody, twisted metal that is Reduvia should be your first taste of blood spilling. It’s quickly acquired, scales well without much thought and cuts well too.
The Reduvia Blood Blade skill fires a slashing arc of blood and can be rapid-fired to potent effect – leaving your foes covered in their own blood as well as the blood of Reduvia. While Reduvia is one of the easiest bleed weapons to use in Elden Ring, Reduvia’s owner, Bloody Finger Nerijus, isn’t a pushover however and will bleed you out if given the chance.
But you’ll have Bloody Finger Hunter Yura fighting alongside you!
Reduvia Attribute Scaling:
- Strength: E
- Dexterity: D
- Arcane: D
Thorned Whip
Type: Strike » Skill: Kick
Unlock Location: Dropped by Fire Prelate, North of Giants’ Mountaintop Catacombs
One for dexterity bleed builds, the Thorned Whip is low weight and a highly potent bloodletter.
It’s best used with considerable stamina, and paired with another bleed weapon (like the Reduvia); in which case, the arterial spray is a marvel. It’s let down slightly by its pathetic skill, Kick, which can stun and break guards but is better suited to daggers and critical hitters.
In addition, its low drop rate is also a little suspect, which might mean endless executions of the Fire Prelate before you start lashing and thrashing. However, most dexterity builds require a little patience and one look at this whip will have your foes crying out for mummy in no time.
Thorned Whip Attribute Scaling:
- Strength: E
- Dexterity: C
Are Bleed Builds Still Good In Elden Ring?
At launch, bleed builds in Elden Ring were seen as overpowered, overused and just goddamn brutal. However, since recent updates and game balancing by FromSoftware, bleed builds in Elden Ring are not quite as good as they used to be. But they are still some of the best build combinations available.
While I would still advise new Elden Ring players to opt for bleed builds as one of the easier combinations to scale, experienced players might want to try their hand at other build types now that the playing field is a little fairer for every type.
Just remember, once you start heading down the pathway of a bleed build, you’re going to want to stick with it as many of the best bleed weapons in Elden Ring will require a significant amount of attribute points to equip.
Did we miss any bleed weapons in Elden Ring?
Drop us a comment below with any of your other favourite bleed weapons in Elden Ring and we’ll be sure to check them out. In the meantime, take a look through some of our other roundups and tutorials for all of your favourite games:
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Frequently Asked Questions
Questions about Elden Ring bleed weapons and builds? No sweat! Here are the most commonly asked questions we receive from Elden Ring fans about bleed build combinations.
