Best early weapons in Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree

Here are the best early weapons to pick up first in the new Elden Ring DLC

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

Looking for the best early weapons in Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree? Even for seasoned Elden Ring players, Shadow Of The Erdtree will pose quite the challenge with its range of new enemies and threats.

Luckily, the DLC comes with a large range of new weapons and weapon types to get stuck into. We’ve cultivated a list of the best early weapons in Shadow Of The Erdtree that you can pick up within the first 1-10 hours of playing in the Gravesite Plain region. If you’re looking for an upgrade to the base game weapons or want to try something new in the DLC, see our full list below.

Great Katana

The Great Katana is a great weapon option for ableed build.Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

• Weight: 9.0
• Damage Type: Slash/Pierce.
• Requirements: Strength 14, Dexterity 18.
• Attribute Scaling: Strength D, Dexterity D.
• Weapon Skill: Overhead Stance.
• Attack Power: Physical 145.
• Passives: Blood loss buildup (55).

The Great Katana belongs to the new weapon category of the same name and introduces longer, larger katanas of better reach and power. The trade-off is a slightly reduced attack speed but, if you’ve cultivated a quality or Dexterity build , the Great Katana is definitely worth picking up and trying.

The Great Katana has a Weapon Skill called the Overhead Stance which puts your Tarnished into a stance and then allows them to deliver either one or three consecutive downward slashes to enemies, depending if you follow with a light or heavy attack. This is a powerful combo that can cut through foes like butter. Attacks range from slashes, thrusts and downward strikes and you can apply an Ashes Of War to it if you want to customise the blade further.

We recommend using the Black Whetblade to bump up the bleed damage of the blade even further (to a possible 70). The Glintstone Whetblade is also a good choice if you want the blade to cause both bleed and frost build-up for huge potential damage output. For your Talisman of choice, we recommend picking up the Rellana’s Cameo Talisman in Castle Ensis. This is a new Talisman with the DLC that offers enhanced attacks after maintaining the same stance for a period of time.

How to get the Great Katana

The Great Katana is guarded by a Ghostflame Dragon. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

The good news is that the Great Katana is located within the lake, east of the Belurat Tower Settlement within the beginning Gravesite Plain area. The bad news is that it is guarded by a large dragon. We have an extensive guide to getting the Great Katana in Elden Ring but essentially, it is possible to grab the weapon off the back of Torrent without engaging with the dragon.

If you’re feeling brave, you can use Torrent and Spirit Ashes to help you against the Ghostflame Dragon. The biggest threat this dragon poses is its black flame AOE attack which can kill you instantly. We recommend utilising your Spirit Ashes to draw its attention away from you as you hack at its legs and head. As with most dragons, try to aim for the head to stagger it. It will then lower its head and leave it open to an attack to its eye which delivers the most damage at once.

Death Knight’s Twin Axes

The Death Knight’s Twin Axes can perform a lightning dodge combo. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

• Weight: 5.5
• Damage Type: Standard.
• Requirements: Strength 14, Dexterity 12, Faith 16.
• Attribute Scaling: Strength D, Dexterity D, Faith D.
• Weapon Skill: Blinkbolt: Twinaxe.
• Attack Power: Physical 101, Lightning 65.

The Death Knight’s Twin Axes are as fast as a Katana but can be dual-wielded and infused with lightning magic. This lightning magic strikes foes with every light or heavy attack.

The Twin Axes’ Weapon Skill, Blinkbolt: Twinaxe , allows the Tarnished to disappear in a cloud of lightning and reappear with a slash. The area they leave envelops nearby foes in lightning, resulting in a powerful attack/dodge hybrid move.

These Axes are speedy and powerful enough to pack a punch in the opening section of Shadow Of The Erdtree before you unlock later regions. Due to the magic properties of the Axes, we recommend equipping the Lightning Scorpion Charm Talisman which will apply even more lightning damage to your attacks.

How to get the Death Knight’s Twin Axes

Travel downwards, west of the Castle Front Site Of Grace to find the Fog Rift Catacombs. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

The Death Knight’s Twin Axes are acquired after completing the Fog Rift Catacombs and defeating the Death Knight boss therein. The Fog Rift Catacombs are located northwest of the Castle Front Site of Grace , outside Castle Ensis.

Milady

Milday is arguably the best Light Greatsword in Shadow Of The Erdtree and can be picked up early on. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

• Weight: 6.5
• Damage Type: Standard/Pierce.
• Requirements: Strength 12, Dexterity 17.
• Attribute Scaling: Strength D, Dexterity D.
• Weapon Skill: Impaling Thrust.
• Attack Power: Physical 116.

Milady is a Light Greatsword that excels in delivering fast and hard-hitting combos. It’s powerful enough to make it to our best weapons list for Shadow Of The Erdtree, as well as our early weapons list here, as you can actually pick it up extremely early in the DLC.

Although it comes with the Impaling Thrust Weapon Skill, Milady really shines when paired with the Wing Stance Ashes of War (also found within Castle Ensis). This allows the Tarnished to hold a stance and then deliver either a three-slash combo (light attack) or a leaping thrust attack (heavy).

We recommend capitalising on this with Rellana’s Cameo Talisman and pairing a Talisman that will bolster your stamina recovery, like the Two-Headed Turtle Talisman .

How to get Milday

Watch out for the Troll Knight enemy outside of Castle Ensis. When defeated it will not respawn. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

We have a guide on how to get Milady in Elden Ring but essentially, you can pick it up from a chest on top of a tower opposite Castle Ensis .

Backhand Blade

The Backhand Blade is perfect for a Dexterity-focused build. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

• Weight: 2.0
• Damage Type: Slash/Pierce.
• Requirements: Strength 10, Dexterity 13.
• Attribute Scaling: Strength D, Dexterity D.
• Weapon Skill: Blind Spot.
• Attack Power: Physical 105.

The Backhand Blade belongs to a new weapon category of the same name and is known for suiting primarily Dexterity-based builds. The blade has a powerful Blind Spot Weapon Skill that allows the Tarnished to sidestep and deliver an attack to an enemy’s side, both dodging and attacking in the same move.

This is an extremely formidable Skill in the right hands which can enable you to dodge around your foes and cut them down before they have time to react. Think of it as Elden Ring’s entry weapon for a rogue class .

There are a few Backhand Blades in the DLC but this is the first you’re likely to come across and is fairly easy to obtain from the starting spawn point in the Gravesite Plain. To maximise the damage potential of this weapon, we recommend pairing it with the Retaliatory Crossed-Tree Talisman, which enhances attacks executed after rolling or backstepping. This can be obtained by following Leda’s questline .

How to get the Backhand Blade

The Backhand Blade is directly northeast of the starting Site Of Grace. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

To get the Backhand Blade in Shadow Of The Erdtree, travel east of the Gravesite Plain, past the Smoldering Ruins. The sword will be on a corpse within a mausoleum , in this region. Look out for the Furnace Golem patrolling the area, or see our guide to defeating Furnace Golems if you’re feeling brave.

Moonrithyll’s Knight Sword

Consider Moonrithyll’s Knight Sword for a Strength/Intelligence build. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

• Weight: 18.0
• Damage Type: Standard/Pierce.
• Requirements: Strength 20, Dexterity 14, Intelligence 18.
• Attribute Scaling: Strength D, Dexterity D, Intelligence D.
• Weapon Skill: Tremendous Phalanx.
• Attack Power: Physical 124, Magic 80.

Although classed as a Colossal Sword, Moonrithyll’s Knight Sword isn’t as slow as you may expect. With its Weapon Skill, Tremendous Phalanx , the blade summons three spectral Carian swords which target foes automatically and hit from a distance. These types of Carian sorceries are nothing new to Elen Ring players, of course, but the key to this skill is the follow-up heavy thurst attack which can be executed with enhanced speed.

This greatly increases the sword’s effectiveness and enables a powerful combo attack. Additionally, the sword benefits from the usual large, powerful slash attacks as befits most Colossal Swords. As such, it’s a great option for any Strength builds looking to add a little magic and ranged attacks to their playstyles.

Consider using equipment that can enhance stamina regeneration as this will be the main stat consumed by this weapon. The Green Turtle Talisman is always a great option and with the Shadow Of The Erdtree DLC, there is an upgraded version called the Two-Headed Turtle Talisman which enhances stamina regeneration even further and can be found within a cave west of Castle Ensis and north of the Ellac River cave.

How to get Moonrithyll’s Knight Sword

Make sure you defeat the other enemies in the area before taking on Moonrithyll. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

To get Moonrithyll’s Knight Sword, you must defeat Moonrithyll at Castle Ensis. You can reach the castle by following the main road out of the Gravesite Plain east and travelling past the troll, through the cave guarded by footsoldiers left of the main castle entrance.

Moonrithyll shouldn’t pose too much of a challenge as long as you take care of the mages in the surrounding area first, as they can pincer you in with ranged spell attacks. Moonrithyll will be beyond the stairs leading to the altar within Castle Ensis.

Swift Spear

The Swift Spear has impressive Dexterity scaling, especially when upgraded. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

• Weight: 3.0
• Damage Type: Standard/Pierce.
• Requirements: Strength 10, Dexterity 26.
• Attribute Scaling: Dexterity C.
• Weapon Skill: Impaling Thrust.
• Attack Power: Physical 99.

The Swift Spear could easily be overlooked. It comes with the standard Impaling Thrust Weapon Skill from the base Elden Ring game and doesn’t have any fancy magical effects. It is, however, extremely helpful for stunning enemies and getting past shields.

The Impaling Thrust Skill enables the Tarnished to step forward and thrust attack, delivering impressive stagger capabilities over a substantial range. Additionally, the light attack is capable of emitting three consecutive thrust attacks in quick succession. For some enemies, this means you can interrupt their attack animations before they properly begin.

I found particular luck pairing the Swift Spear with a Perfume Bottle in my off-hand. With this, I could chain a heavy thrust attack, hit them with a status effect from the Perfume Bottle and then roll backwards to repeat the process.

There are a few Perfume Bottles you can get early on in the DLC and unlike the base game, these aren’t a one-use item. The Deadly Poison Perfume Bottle can be purchased from Thiollier and the Firespark Perfume Bottle can be picked up from the perfumer camp near the Castle Front Site Of Grace.

How to get the Swift Spear

Follow the road east of the Castle Front to pick up the Swift Spear. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

The Swift Spear can be looted from a corpse east of the Castle Front Site Of Grace, near a campfire and wooden fortifications on the road leading east of Castle Ensis.

Beast Claw

The Beast Claw is perfect for speedy builds that like close combat and bleed status effects. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

• Weight: 3.0
• Damage Type: Slash.
• Requirements: Strength 13, Dexterity 11.
• Attribute Scaling: Strength D, Dexterity D.
• Weapon Skill: Savage Claws.
• Attack Power: Physical 98.
• Passives: Blood loss buildup (45).

The Beast Claw weapon is ideal for players who like quick and close encounters. As with most Beast Claw weapons, they inflict blood loss buildup for high potential damage if you can execute consecutive hits on enemies.

The Weapon Skill, Savage Claws , allows the Tarnished to perform a chain of five slash attacks followed by a jump attack. This combo can be devastating to enemies especially if all attacks hit and inflict the aforementioned blood loss buildup.

The speed and bleed capabilities of this weapon make it a solid contender amongst the early weapons and worth a try, even if you’re usually used to ranged builds. The main thing to keep in mind when using these Beast Claws is stamina regeneration and the FP cost of the Weapon Skill, which although low, will quickly add up if spammed.

Consider a Talisman like the Blessed Blue Dew Talisman which slowly regenerates FP and can be picked up at the Church of Benediction, southwest of the Gravesite Plain.

How to get the Beast Claw

Keep a distance from Logur The Beast Claw. Once hit, it’s difficuilt to avoid his chain of attacks. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

To get the Beast Claw weapon, you must travel directly southeast from the first Gravesite Plain Site of Grace, and defeat Logur The Beast Claw , the NPC who patrols the forest area of this region. The main trick with this NPC invader is staying out of arms reach as his claw attacks will quickly rack up blood loss buildup.

Keep a distance and whittle him down, his attacks can be interrupted and he doesn’t wear armor so it should be a matter of patience.

That rounds up our guide to the best early weapons in Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree. For more Elden Ring tips and tricks and to get you a head start for the DLC, check out our guide to all Map Fragment locations , boss locations in the DLC, best Talismans and more.

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.