Best light weapons in Elden Ring

Here are the best light weapons in Elden Ring

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/From Software

Looking for the best light weapons in Elden Ring? Light weapons in Elden Ring are a fantastic option if you’re looking to keep light rolls and carve out a dual-wield or Dexterity build .

The lightest weapons are usually Daggers, Whips, Fists and Claws followed by Light Thrusting Swords and Light Bows. There are also various lightweight Katanas in the game, if you’re looking for the Bleed build-up capabilities of daggers but with further reach.

Join us as we go through a selection of the best light weapons you can pick up both early and late-game in Elden Ring.

Reduvia

The Reduvia is one of the best Daggers in Elden Ring, with Bleed damage capabilities. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/FromSoftware

• Weight: 2.5
• Damage Type: Slash, Pierce.
• Requirements: Strength 5, Dexterity 13, Arcane 13.
• Attribute Scaling: Strength E, Dexterity D, Arcane D.
• Weapon Skill: Reduvia Blood Blade.
• Attack Power: Physical 79, Critical 110.
• Passives: Causes blood loss buildup (50).

The Reduvia is one of the best early weapons to pick up in Elden Ring. With a passive Blood Loss build-up of 50 , it can take huge chunks out of enemy lifebars with the right moveset.

Its special Weapon Skill, the Reduvia Blood Blade fires rapid slashes of cursed blood at enemies, causing additional Blood Loss build-up. The projectiles cannot be parried (if used with sufficient FP) and also deal 6 stance damage per slash.

This Skill was further buffed via the 1.07 patch which increased the attack power and damage detection of the blade. This Skill allows you to perform attacks at some distance, which was also increased with the 1.08 patch along with the speed and recovery time of the blade.

We recommend pairing the Reduvia with something that will boost your Arcane stat , as this will determine the Blood Loss build-up rate of the blade. Unfortunately, there isn’t an Heirloom Talisman that raises Arcane , but there is the Marika’s Scarseal and Marika’s Soreseal Talismans that raise Mind, Intelligence, Faith and Arcane stats across the board.

How to get the Reduvia

To get the Reduvia you must defeat Bloody Finger Nerijus , outside of Murkwater Cave in Limgrave. We have a handy guide to the Bloody Finger Nerijus fight , but essentially, we recommend using the spawn point to summon Yura who will assist in the combat.

Wing of Astel

The Nebula Weapon Skill can also be found on the Bastard’s Stars Flail. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/FromSoftware

• Weight: 2.5
• Damage Type: Slash.
• Requirements: Strength 7, Dexterity 17, Intelligence 20.
• Attribute Scaling: Strength E, Dexterity D, Intelligence D.
• Weapon Skill: Nebula.
• Attack Power: Physical 65, Magic 78, Critical 100.

Although the Wing of Astel is classed as a Curved Sword in Elden Ring, it is exceptionally light and only weighs 2.5. This is similar to most Daggers and also comes with added reach and Intelligence scaling, used to fuel up the exceptional Nebula Weapon Skill.

This Skill essentially allows the Tarnished to summon an astral cloud of stars, which explode in a powerful AOE, delivering an additional 20% damage to gravity-type enemies . Upon detonation, these stars deliver 13 stance damage each and cannot be parried.

Additionally, the attack power of Nebula was further increased via the 1.07 Elden Ring patch. As an Intelligence/Dexterity-based weapon, it is a great companion piece for sorcerers. We recommend using the Stargazer Heirloom for a +5 to Intelligence or something to keep your FP pool bolstered like the Carian Filigreed Crest , which lowers the FP consumed by performing Skills.

How to get the Wing of Astel

The Wing Of Astel is located within Nokstella, Eternal City above the Uhl Palace Ruins. Loot the chest on top of the wall guarded by a large bug with gravity attacks.

Black Knife

The leap attack of the Black Knife is a powerful strike against opponents. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/From Software

• Weight: 2.0
• Damage Type: Slash/Pierce.
• Requirements: Strength 8, Dexterity 12, Faith 18.
• Attribute Scaling: Strength E, Dexterity D, Faith D.
• Weapon Skill: Blade of Death.
• Attack Power: Physical 66, Holy 65, Critical 110.

Securing a place on our best weapons list , the Black Knife is a solid choice of Dagger in Elden Ring, especially if you want to sprinkle some Faith power into your build. Like the Reduvia, this Dagger is capable of firing projectiles via its Weapon Skill, the Blade of Death .

Instead of Bleed, these projectiles deliver Holy damage and scale with Faith. The real power of this attack comes with its ability to reduce your enemy’s max HP bar by 10% for 15 seconds (increased via the 1.07 patch). Simultaneously, it delivers 10-stance damage and cannot be parried.

We recommend buffing this Skill further by equipping the Sacred Scorpion Charm , which increases Holy damage by 12% and physical damage by 10%.

How to get the Black Knife

The Black Knife is an item drop from defeating the Black Knife Assassin , located by the Sainted Hero’s Grave in Altus Plateau .

Glintstone Kris

The Glintstone Kris is a good companion weapon to an Intelligence-based Sorcerer build. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/From Software

• Weight: 1.5
• Damage Type: Slash/Pierce.
• Requirements: Strength 5, Dexterity 12, Intelligence 16.
• Attribute Scaling: Strength E, Dexterity D, Intelligence D.
• Weapon Skill: Glintstone Dart.
• Attack Power: Physical 57, Magic 68, Critical 110.

The Glintstone Kris is a Dagger in Elden Ring that scales with Dexterity and Intelligence , specialising in Glintstone Sorcery. Its Weapon Skill, the Glintstone Dart summons a projectile that has surprising reach and deals Magic damage. This can be followed up with a lunge attack forward, allowing players to bridge the distance between foes and hit for both physical and Magic damage.

The FP cost is relatively low (10), meaning it can be cast multiple times. The range, speed and attack power of the Skill were increased via the 1.07 Elden Ring patch, then additionally bumped with the 1.08 patch, making it a worthy Dagger option.

You can increase the Magic damage values of the Dagger by equipping the Magic Scorpion Charm or by wearing Rogier’s Spellblade Set , which gives you a +2% Magic damage increase per item. This only applies to Ashes Of War , not Sorceries

How to get the Glintstone Kris

The Glintstone Kris Dagger is a possible missable weapon in Elden Ring as it requires you to complete Sellen’s questline, siding with her in the fight against Witch-Hunter Jerren.

We have a rundown of Sellen’s quest but essentially, after finding Sellen ’s new body underneath Ranni ’s Rise and travelling to Raya Lucaria Grand Library, choose the ‘help Sellen’ golden summon sign. After defeating Jerren, exhaust Sellen’s dialogue to retrieve the Glintstone Kris Dagger.

Raptor Talons

The Raptor Talons are the best Claw weapon option in Elden Ring. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/From Software

• Weight: 1.5
• Damage Type: Slash /Pierce.
• Requirements: Strength 6, Dexterity 14.
• Attribute Scaling: Strength E, Dexterity C.
• Weapon Skill: Quickstep.
• Attack Power: Physical 86, Critical 110.
• Passives: Causes blood loss buildup (60).

If you want a light weapon but want to try something other than Daggers, the Raptor Talons are a fantastic Claw option in Elden Ring. These Wolverine-esque blades have an impressive passive Bleed build-up value of 60 which can be increased further when infused with a Blood Affinity Ashes of War via the Black Whetblade.

The Skill it comes equipped with, the Quickstep , allows the Tarnished to quickly dodge around enemies and evade incoming attacks. The main draw of this Skill is the invulnerability frames it provides at an incredibly low FP cost (3 FP).

The moveset of the Raptor Talons are built for speed. It has a unique heavy attack which allows players to leap into the air and strike, with a subsequent move backwards.

The talons were buffed in the 1.08 Elden Ring patch for improved attack speed, and recovery time in-between actions. Due to the Critical damage potential of the Claws, we recommend pairing them with the Assassin’s Crimson Dagger Talisman. This grants a HP restoration (10% + 85) per critical attack.

How to get the Raptor Talons

The Raptor Talons can be looted from Sage’s Cave , below the Hermit Village and Wyndham Ruins in western Altus Plateau. The entrance to the cave can be somewhat elusive. To find it we recommend following the base of the cliff around the body of water filled with Miranda Sprout flowers (this is located directly south of the Volcano Manor region on the map).

Once inside, the Raptor Talons are located within a chest inside the cave, behind several illusory walls. Follow the cave pathway until you come to a ledge with an enemy, overlooking a waterfall. Defeat them and reveal the hidden passage behind them. Continue down through the passage and reveal a second hidden wall between the two braziers to the left.

Back on the main path, continue forward past the fire and weapon racks towards the cave opening ahead. Before going through, unveil the false wall to the left of the opening. Continue forwards and loot the chests in this larger room for the Raptor Talons. You can proceed on the path forward and take a left at the waterfall for more chests and two optional bosses.

Frozen Needle

The Frozen Needle only deals physical damage and does not have magic-based scaling despite its appearance. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/From Software

• Weight: 2.5
• Damage Type: Standard/Pierce.
• Requirements: Strength 11, Dexterity 18.
• Attribute Scaling: Strength E, Dexterity D.
• Weapon Skill: Impaling Thrust.
• Attack Power: Physical 99, Critical 100.
• Passives: Frost build-up (60).

The Frozen Needle is a light Thrusting Sword in Elden Ring, made entirely out of ice. As such it offers a passive Frost build-up of 60 and can perform a unique heavy attack that emits an ice projectile at no FP cost.

Its Weapon Skill Impaling Thrust , allows the Tarnished to lunge forward with an attack that can deal up to 33 stance damage . The combination of both of these attacks means the player has a wide range and can zip in and out of close combat where needed.

When foes are afflicted with Frostbite, they get damaged and have an increase in damage taken by 20% for 30 seconds. This all contributes to a mix of moves that can be particularly effective for Dexterity builds where patience is key.

To take advantage of the lower equip load you’ll have with this weapon, we recommend pairing it with the Blue Dancer Charm which raises physical damage output the lower your weight is.

How to get the Frozen Needle

The Frozen Needle is located within a chest inside the Kingsrealm Ruins , in western Liurnia . From the Road to the Manor Site of Grace and War Councilor Iji, travel south through the archway, into the ruins and past the Noble Sorcerer enemies. The ruin’s entrance is hidden by a false wall on the ground. This space is south within the ruins and is outlined with bricks in a big square.

Once inside, you’ll need to defeat the Royal Revenant boss to open the door and access the room the chest is in.

That rounds off our guide to the best light weapons in Elden Ring and where to get them. For more Elden Ring tips and tricks see our best armor , builds or boss locations guides.

Elden Ring

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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

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