Best blunt weapons in Elden Ring

Here are the best blunt weapons in Elden Ring for Strength, Dex, Faith, Intelligence builds and more

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/FromSoftware

Looking for the best blunt weapons in Elden Ring? The best Blunt Weapons in Elden Ring tend to be Strength-based Hammers or Warhammers. However, there is also a range of Dexterity, Faith and Intelligence options too if you want to maximise your Strike output.

Join us, as we go through our top picks for blunt weapons in Elden Ring for both early and late-game playthroughs and provide you with the location for each weapon, stats, loadout recommendations and more.

In this guide:

• Best blunt weapon for early game
• Best Strength blunt weapon
• Best Intelligence blunt weapon
• Best Faith blunt weapon
• Best Dexterity blunt weapon
• Best blunt weapon for late game

Take a look at the trailer for Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree here, and then check out ourShadow Of The Erdtree trailer breakdownguide for all the hidden details!Watch on YouTube

Best blunt weapons in Elden Ring

Blunt weapons in Elden Ring tend to be either Maces, Hammers, Colossal Weapons or Warhammers (which require two hands to effectively wield). These weapons emit Strike damage , which is usually effective against heavily armoured foes and can even stun enemies. There is a huge selection of blunt weapons in the game currently, with more to potentially drop within the Shadow Of The Erdtree release.

Although most blunt weapons will scale best with Strength and will have a high Strength requirements to properly wield, you can usually customise your weapon of choice by applying Ashes of War. This changes the Weapon Skill attached to the weapon (performed by consuming FP). Note that you cannot replace the Weapon Skill of Legendary Weapons.

We’ve organised below the best blunt weapons in Elden Ring based on attributes like Weapon Skill, weapon stats, accessibility from early to late game sections and more. Read on to get the perfect blunt weapon for your playthrough, whether it’s your first time exploring the Lands Between or you’re a returning player looking to try a new build before playing the DLC.

Best blunt weapon for early game

Morning Star

The Morning Star blunt weapon in Elden Ring |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/FromSoftware

• Weight: 5.0
• Damage Type: Strike
• Requirements: Strength 12, Dexterity 8
• Attribute Scaling: Strength D, Dexterity D
• Weapon Skill: Kick
• Attack Power: Physical 118, Critical 100
• Passives: Causes blood loss buildup (50)

The Morning Star is a great early-game blunt weapon option in Elden Ring due to its low weight requirements and accessibility within the Weeping Peninsula. The Morning Star comes with the Weapon Skill, Kick which can potentially break an enemy’s poise and stance but other Ashes of War can be applied .

Additionally, the Morning Star causes blood loss buildup, solid damage output and relatively decent scaling, meaning it is one you can use for a fair few levels before moving on to something else within this list.

We recommend pairing the Morning Star with some accessible early armour like the Twinned Armor Set , which has good all-round damage reduction and just requires you to play through the D, Hunter of the Dead questline .

How to get the Morning Star

To get the Morning Star, you simply need to loot it from a chest , directly south of the Bridge of Sacrifice in Limgrave, within the Weeping Peninsula. The chest will be inside a broken carriage.

Best blunt weapon for Strength builds

Giant-Crusher

The Giant-Crusher blunt weapon in Elden Ring |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/FromSoftware

• Weight: 26.5
• Damage Type: Strike
• Requirements: Strength 60
• Attribute Scaling: Strength C
• Weapon Skill: Endure
• Attack Power: Physical 155, Critical 100

The Giant-Crusher is mentioned heavily within our best strength build guide - and for good reason. This Colossal Weapon is one of the best to scale with Strength and can be wielded two or one-handed. Of course, it will require a hefty starting Strength to wield it properly, but if you’ve invested time into a strength build, you should be equipped to use it effectively by the time you acquire it.

The Giant-Crusher comes with the Endure Weapon Skill which is a defensive ability that increases poise against incoming attacks and increases attack absorption by 45% . Impressively, the Giant-Crusher can be infused with Ashes of War , meaning you can change this skill at will for something that complements your playstyle more.

We recommend the Lion’s Claw Ashes of War which greatly complements Strenth-base builds and allows players to slam enemies to the ground and stun them without being parried. You can get the Lion’s Claw Ashes of War from defeating the Lion Guardian in Fort Gael. For armour, the Bull-Goat Set is both the heaviest and most robust and will protect you against most incoming attacks. Additionally, it greatly buffs player poise, meaning you can pretty much steamroll your way through enemy encounters, especially when combined with the Bull-Goat’s Talisman .

How to get the Giant-Crusher

The Giant-Crusher is located in a chest, within the back of a carriage in Leyndell , Royal Capital. Travel south of the Outer Wall Phantom Tree Site of Grace . Here, you will see an Ulcerated Tree Spirit . Defeat it and loot the chest it is guarding.

Best blunt weapon for Intelligence builds

Bastard’s Stars

The Bastard’s Stars blunt weapon in Elden Ring |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/FromSoftware

• Weight: 5.5
• Damage Type: Strike
• Requirements: Strength 8, Dexterity 22, Intelligence 22
• Attribute Scaling: Strength E, Dexterity D, Intelligence C
• Weapon Skill: Nebula
• Attack Power: Physical 68, Magic 81, Critical 100

Although most blunt weapons will naturally benefit from a Strength-based build, the Bastard’s Stars is a great option for players with a Dexterity or Intelligence build that want to emit Strike damage against targets.

The Bastard’s Stars is a flail. As such, it cannot be parried. It cannot be imbued with Ashes of War, but its unique Weapon Skill, Nebula , is powerful enough that you won’t want to. The skill summons several stars in a sweeping motion that explode upon impact with enemies. Thanks to the 1.07 Elden Ring patch , the attack power of the Nebula skill was further buffed. This cosmic spin attack wins the Bastard’s Stars some serious cool points to boot.

To get the most out of the Bastard’s Stars, we recommend prioritising Intelligence and then Dexterity. We also recommend equipping one of the best Elden Ring armour sets for mages, the Spellblade Set . This buffs the player’s magical defence, Focus and Vitality and can be acquired by completing Rogier’s questline . You can also add the Carian Filigreed Crest Talisman to your loadout to decrease the FP cost of your Weapon Skill by 25%.

How to get the Bastard’s Stars

The Bastard’s Stars can be acquired by trading in the Remembrance of the Naturalborn to Enia at the Roundtable Hold . Of course, this means you’ll first need to beat Astel , Naturalborn of the Void. Luckily, we have an Astel boss fight walkthrough which should help you out if you’re stuck.

Best blunt weapon for Faith builds

Cranial Vessel Candlestand

The Cranial Vessel Candlestand blunt weapon in Elden Ring |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/FromSoftware

• Weight: 12.5
• Damage Type: Strike
• Requirements: Strength 26, Faith 22
• Attribute Scaling: Strength D, Faith D, Dexterity E
• Weapon Skill: Surge of Faith
• Attack Power: Physical 98, Fire 98, Critical 100

The Cranial Vessel Candlestand is a rare, blunt weapon that scales just as well with Faith as it does Strength. This powerhouse of a Warhammer is infused with the Weapon Skill, Surge of Faith , which essentially allows the player to rain down a firestorm of fireballs onto enemies. Additionally thanks to patches 1.07 and 1.09 , the fireballs have increased in attack power and speed.

Due to the unique skill, you cannot replace it with other Ashes of War. The fire damage you can get, along with the Strike damage, makes it well worth it though.

We recommend pairing the Cranial Vessel Candlestand with the Haligtree Knight Set which is an armour set you can pick up from Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree and will add a plus 2 to your Faith level. Pair this with either the Two Fingers Heirloom Talisman to further increase Faith by 5, or the Shard of Alexander to boost the Weapon Skill attack power by 15%.

How to get the Cranial Vessel Candlestand

The Cranial Vessel Candlestand is located within the Giant-Conquering Hero’s Grave , within the Mountaintops of the Giants. To get to this region, you must circle the map and approach it via a landbridge near the Giants’ Gravepost Sit of Grace. Within this location, loot from behind the second imp statue (you’ll need a Stonesword Key).

Best blunt weapon for Dexterity builds

Hoslow’s Petal Whip

The Kick Weapon Skill in action |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/FromSoftware

• Weight: 3.5
• Damage Type: Strike
• Requirements: Strength 10, Dexterity 20
• Attribute Scaling: Strength D, Dexterity D
• Weapon Skill: Kick
• Attack Power: Physical 110, Critical 100
• Passives: Causes blood loss buildup (55)

Hoslow’s Petal Whip is a lightweight option for players that want to deal Strike and bleed damage without sacrificing speed. The whip requires both Dexterity and Strength to initially wield but scales best with Dexterity .

As a bleed weapon, the whip can inflict blood loss buildup to an impressive amount. It also comes with the Kick Weapon Skill which allows players to kick enemies and potentially break their stance or guard when shielding. If this doesn’t grip you, Hoslow’s Petal Whip can add Ashes of War , so you can change its loadout to your preference.

We recommend choosing something for a speedy build like the Bloodhound’s Step Ashes of War. The Bloodhound’s Step turns the player invisible for a short time and gives them a dodge with increased range which is greatly useful for any dex-based builds. You can get Bloodhound’s Step by defeating the Night’s Cavalry enemy on the bridge near the entrance of Lenne’s Rise .

Combine this with the Old Lord’s Talisman to extend the spell duration, and the lightweight Black Knife armour to complete a solid Dexterity build .

How to get Hoslow’s Petal Whip

To get Hoslow’s Petal Whip for yourself, you must follow the Volcano Manor questline and defeat Juno Hoslow at the Mountaintops of the Giants.

Best blunt weapon for late game onwards

Prelate’s Inferno Crozier

The Prelate’s Inferno Crozier blunt weapon in Elden Ring |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/FromSoftware

• Weight: 23.5
• Damage Type: Strike
• Requirements: Strength 45, Dexterity 8
• Attribute Scaling: Strength C, Dexterity E
• Weapon Skill: Prelate’s Charge
• Attack Power: Physical 156, Critical 100

If you’re a fair way through the main game and are looking for something special to wield, look no further than the Prelate’s Inferno Crozier . This Colossal Weapon is best used for Strength Builds and is infused with the Prelate’s Charge skill. Although, it can be infused with Ashes of War also.

This skill essentially slams the weapon into the ground and then propels the player forward in a fiery blaze until all FP is consumed. With the potential to attack several enemies at once, we recommend sticking with this incredibly useful Weapon Skill.

We also recommend pairing the Prelate’s Inferno Crozier with a robust set of heavy armour, like Lionel’s Set which offers staggering physical protection and magical damage negation. We also recommend Talismans to buff your FP pool and increase the duration of the Weapon Skill. Something like the Cerulean Amber Medallion or Carian Filigreed Crest .

How to get the Prelate’s Inferno Crozier

To get the Prelate’s Inferno Crozier, you must defeat the Fire Prelate inside Fort Laiedd , near the Seethewater Terminus Site of Grace.

That rounds off our guide to the best blunt weapons in Elden Ring. For the best overall weapons in the game, check out our full weapons guide , or see our best armour sets in Elden Ring guide to complete your loadout.

Elden Ring

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

Rock Paper Shotgun is better when you sign in

Sign in and join us on our journey to discover strange and compelling PC games.

All 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints and where to get them

These areas have the highest chance of giving you Blueprints

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Looking for more Arc Raiders Blueprints? It’s a special day when you find a Blueprint, as they’re among the most valuable items in Arc Raiders. If you find a Blueprint that you haven’t already found, then you must make sure you hold onto it at all costs, because Blueprints are the key to one of the most important and powerful systems of meta-progression in the game.

This guide aims to be the very best guide on Blueprints you can find, starting with a primer on what exactly they are and how they work in Arc Raiders, before delving into exactly where to get Blueprints and the very best farming spots for you to take in your search.

We’ll also go over how to get Blueprints from other unlikely activities, such as destroying Surveyors and completing specific quests. And you’ll also find the full list of all 75 Blueprints in Arc Raiders on this page (including the newest Blueprints added with the Cold Snap update , such as the Deadline Blueprint and Firework Box Blueprint), giving you all the information you need to expand your own crafting repertoire.

In this guide:

• What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?
• Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes
• Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders Blueprints obtained from quests Blueprints obtained from Trials Best Blueprint farming locations

What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?

Blueprints in Arc Raiders are special items which, if you manage to extract with them, you can expend to permanently unlock a new crafting recipe in your Workshop. If you manage to extract from a raid with an Anvil Blueprint, for example, you can unlock the ability to craft your very own Anvil Pistol, as many times as you like (as long as you have the crafting materials).

To use a Blueprint, simply open your Inventory while in the lobby, then right-click on the Blueprint and click “Learn And Consume” . This will permanently unlock the recipe for that item in your Workshop. As of the Stella Montis update, there are allegedly 75 different Blueprints to unlock - although only 68 are confirmed to be in the game so far. You can see all the Blueprints you’ve found and unlocked by going to the Workshop menu, and hitting “R” to bring up the Blueprint screen.

It’s possible to find duplicates of past Blueprints you’ve already unlocked. If you find these, then you can either sell them, or - if you like to play with friends - you can take it into a match and gift it to your friend so they can unlock that recipe for themselves. Another option is to keep hold of them until the time comes to donate them to the Expedition.

Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes

Below is the full list of all the Blueprints that are currently available to find in Arc Raiders, and the crafting recipe required for each item:

Note: The missing Blueprints in this list likely have not actually been added to the game at the time of writing, because none of the playerbase has managed to find any of them. As they are added to the game, I will update this page with the most relevant information so you know exactly how to get all 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints.

Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders

Below is a list of all containers, modifiers, and events which maximise your chances of finding Blueprints:

• Certain quests reward you with specific Blueprints .
• Completing Trials has a high chance of offering Blueprints as rewards.
• Surveyors have a decent chance of dropping Blueprints on death.
• High loot value areas tend to have a greater chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Night Raids and Storms may increase rare Blueprint spawn chances in containers.
• Containers with higher numbers of items may have a higher tendency to spawn Blueprints. As a result, Blue Gate (which has many “large” containers containing multiple items) may give you a higher chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Raider containers (Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, Medical Bags, Grenade Tubes) have increased Blueprint drop rates. As a result, the Uncovered Caches event gives you a high chance of finding Blueprints.
• Security Lockers have a higher than average chance of containing Blueprints.
• Certain Blueprints only seem to spawn under specific circumstances: Tempest Blueprint only spawns during Night Raid events. Vulcano Blueprint only spawns during Hidden Bunker events. Jupiter and Equaliser Blueprints only spawn during Harvester events.

Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, and other raider-oriented container types have a good chance of offering Blueprints. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints have a very low chance of spawning in any container in Arc Raiders, around 1-2% on average. However, there is a higher chance of finding Blueprints in particular container types. Specifically, you can find more Blueprints in Raider containers and security lockers.

Beyond this, if you’re looking for Blueprints you should focus on regions of the map which are marked as having particularly high-value loot. Areas such as the Control Tower in Dam Battlegrounds, the Arrival and Departure Buildings in Spaceport, and Pilgrim’s Peak in Blue Gate all have a better-than-average chance of spawning Blueprints somewhere amongst all their containers. Night Raids and Electromagnetic Storm events also increase the drop chances of certain Blueprints .

In addition to these containers, you can often loot Blueprints from destroyed Surveyors - the largest of the rolling ball ARC. Surveyors are more commonly found on the later maps - Spaceport and Blue Gate - and if one spawns in your match, you’ll likely see it by the blue laser beam that it casts into the sky while “surveying”.

Surveyors are quite well-armoured and will very speedily run away from you once it notices you, but if you can take one down then make sure you loot all its parts for a chance of obtaining certain unusual Blueprints.

Blueprints obtained from quests

One way in which you can get Blueprints is by completing certain quests for the vendors in Speranza. Some quests will reward you with a specific item Blueprint upon completion, so as long as you work through all the quests in Arc Raiders, you are guaranteed those Blueprints.

Here is the full list of all Blueprints you can get from quest rewards:

• Trigger Nade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Sparks Fly”.
• Lure Grenade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Greasing Her Palms”.
• Burletta Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Industrial Espionage”.
• Hullcracker Blueprint (and Launcher Ammo Blueprint): Rewarded after completing “The Major’s Footlocker”.

Alas, that’s only 4 Blueprints out of a total of 75 to unlock, so for the vast majority you will need to find them yourself during a raid. If you’re intent on farming Blueprints, then it’s best to equip yourself with cheap gear in case you lose it, but don’t use a free loadout because then you won’t get a safe pocket to stash any new Blueprint you find. No pain in Arc Raiders is sharper than failing to extract with a new Blueprint you’ve been after for a dozen hours already.

One of the best ways to get Blueprints is by hitting three stars on all five Trials every week. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints obtained from Trials

One of the very best ways to get Blueprints is as rewards for completing Trials in Arc Raiders. Trials are unlocked from Level 15 onwards, and allow you to earn rewards by focusing on certain tasks over the course of several raids. For example, one Trial might task you with dealing damage to Hornets, while another might challenge you to loot Supply Drops.

Trials refresh on a weekly basis, with a new week bringing five new Trials. Each Trial can offer up to three rewards after passing certain score milestones, and it’s possible to receive very high level loot from these reward crates - including Blueprints. So if you want to unlock as many Blueprints as possible, you should make a point of completing as many Trials as possible each week.

Best Blueprint farming locations

The very best way to get Blueprints is to frequent specific areas of the maps which combine high-tier loot pools with the right types of containers to search. Here are my recommendations for where to find Blueprints on every map, so you can always keep the search going for new crafting recipes to unlock.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Dam Battlegrounds

The best places to farm Blueprints on Dam Battlegrounds are the Control Tower, Power Generation Complex, Ruby Residence, and Pale Apartments . The first two regions, despite only being marked on the map as mid-tier loot, contain a phenomenal number of containers to loot. The Control Tower can also contain a couple of high-tier Security Lockers - though of course, you’ll need to have unlocked the Security Breach skill at the end of the Survival tree.

There’s also a lot of reporting amongst the playerbase that the Residential areas in the top-left of the map - Pale Apartments and Ruby Residence - give you a comparatively strong chance of finding Blueprints. Considering their size, there’s a high density of containers to loot in both locations, and they also have the benefit of being fairly out of the way. So you’re more likely to have all the containers to yourself.

Buried City

The best Blueprint farming locations on Buried City are the Santa Maria Houses, Grandioso Apartments, Town Hall, and the various buildings of the New District . Grandioso Apartments has a lower number of containers than the rest, but a high chance of spawning weapon cases - which have good Blueprint drop rates. The others are high-tier loot areas, with plenty of lootable containers - including Security Lockers.

Spaceport

The best places to find Blueprints on Spaceport are the Arrival and Departure Buildings, as well as Control Tower A6 and the Launch Towers . All these areas are labelled as high-value loot regions, and many of them are also very handily connected to one another by the Spaceport wall, which you can use to quickly run from one area to the next. At the tops of most of these buildings you’ll find at least one Security Locker, so this is an excellent farming route for players looking to find Blueprints.

The downside to looting Blueprints on Spaceport is that all these areas are hotly contested, particularly in Duos and Squads. You’ll need to be very focused and fast in order to complete the full farming route.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blue Gate

Blue Gate tends to have a good chance of dropping Blueprints, potentially because it generally has a high number of containers which can hold lots of items; so there’s a higher chance of a Blueprint spawning in each container. In my experience, the best Blueprint farming spots on Blue Gate are Pilgrim’s Peak, Raider’s Refuge, the Ancient Fort, and the Underground Complex beneath the Warehouse .

All of these areas contain a wealth of containers to loot. Raider’s Refuge has less to loot, but the majority of the containers in and around the Refuge are raider containers, which have a high chance of containing Blueprints - particularly during major events.

Stella Montis

On the whole, Stella Montis seems to have a very low drop rate for Blueprints (though a high chance of dropping other high-tier loot). If you do want to try farming Blueprints on this map, the best places to find Blueprints in Stella Montis are Medical Research, Assembly Workshop, and the Business Center . These areas have the highest density of containers to loot on the map.

In addition to this, the Western Tunnel has a few different Security Lockers to loot, so while there’s very little to loot elsewhere in this area of the map, it’s worth hitting those Security Lockers if you spawn there at the start of a match.

That wraps up this primer on how to get all the Blueprints in Arc Raiders as quickly as possible. With the Expedition system constantly resetting a large number of players’ Blueprints, it’s more important than ever to have the most up-to-date information on where to find all these Blueprints.

While you’re here, be sure to check out our Arc Raiders best guns tier list , as well as our primers on the best skills to unlock and all the different Field Depot locations on every map.

ARC Raiders

PS5 , Xbox Series X/S , PC

Rock Paper Shotgun is better when you sign in

Sign in and join us on our journey to discover strange and compelling PC games.