5 Best Greataxes in Elden Ring, Ranked

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Reviewed by Ashley Johnson

In a sea of heavy weapons, the best greataxes in Elden Ring are standouts for their long reach, heavy hits, and customizability. They favor Strength builds, requiring high Strength investments to wield. As opposed to their smaller counterparts, greataxes tend to have much slower attack patterns. But even with that downside, these weapons still have a lot to offer. They are excellent at breaking guards and keeping enemies stunlocked.

With such high Strength requirements, it can be tough to commit to using a weapon like this without knowing which to use and how to create a build around it. Today, we’re breaking down the five best greataxes in Elden Ring, where to find them, and how to use them!

5 Best Greataxes in Elden Ring

Let’s get right into our list of the five best greataxes in Elden Ring, ranked from decent to destructive!

5/5

5) Rusted Anchor

The first greataxe we’ll be looking at is not an axe, per se. However, it still falls into the greataxe category and offers a robust Physical attack for a modest price.

Stats

The Rusted Anchor is on the higher end of base Physical attack stats amongst greataxes, coming in at 147. Conversely, it requires only 26 Strength to wield, plus a paltry 9 Dexterity. It should come as no surprise that it scales best with Strength, with a base C grade that reaches B by max upgrade.

Scaling with Dexterity is reduced to only an E grade that doesn’t change with upgrades. The Rusted Anchor is a great early-game weapon for Strength builds, as you can start using it relatively soon if you have been focusing on leveling up your Strength.

Where to Find It

Luckily, you can grab Rusted Anchor fairly early on in the game. Head south to the Weeping Peninsula. From the South of the Tower site of grace, head west, making your way down towards the bottom of the cliffs below the Minor Erdtree.

Make your way past the poisonous plants here and you’ll find the entrance to Morne Tunnel. Within this tunnel, you will encounter the Scaly Misbegotten boss, who will drop the Rusted Anchor upon defeat.

How to Use the Rusted Anchor

The Rusted Anchor is a powerful early-game weapon for Strength build, so you’ll want to utilize this power in your play style as much as possible. The default Weapon Skill for the Rusted Anchor is Barbaric Roar. This skill can be found on several greataxes, but is helpful nonetheless. It increases the user’s attack power and changes heavy attacks to savage combos. The Rusted Anchor can be equipped with other Ashes of War as well, so you’re not limited to Barbaric Roar.

Another great option is the Wild Strikes Ash of War. Wild Strikes is the default skill of a few other greataxes, but it works well with the Rusted Anchor, too. Equipping it provides the weapon with the Heavy affinity, giving the Rusted Anchor an A grade in Strength scaling. It also allows the use of the Wild Strikes skill, which has the user perform a barrage of heavy swings that can be followed up with a light or heavy attack. This is perfect for dealing heavy damage at a consistent pace.

Interestingly, the Rusted Anchor deals pierce damage, unlike other greataxes. This means it can benefit from the effects of the Spear Talisman. This talisman boosts counterattack damage of thrusting weapons by 15%. The Rusted Anchor falls into this category, so consider taking advantage of this strange situation with the Spear Talisman.

4/5

4) Axe of Godrick

As formidable as Godrick the Grafted is as a Shardbearer, his signature weapon, the Axe of Godrick, falls a bit short. That doesn’t mean it’s not worth your consideration, but its slow attack speed keeps it from ranking any higher on this list.

Stats

This greataxe has pretty average stats overall. It comes in with a base Physical attack stat of 142. The requirements to wield are much steeper than other greataxes with similar attack stats, requiring 34 Strength and 22 Dexterity to wield this behemoth.

It makes for a decent weapon in a Strength/Dexterity hybrid build — otherwise known as a “Quality” build — due to its even damage scaling across both Strength and Dexterity, with a base D grade in both that reaches a C by upgrade +7.

Where to Find It

As the signature weapon of Godrick the Grafted, it should come as no surprise that you’ll have to defeat him in order to claim it. Godrick is likely the first Shardbearer you will face in Elden Ring. He’s located at the back of Stormveil Castle, which means you’ll need to fight your way through his minions in order to reach him.

This can be a tricky boss fight, especially early on in the game. Persevere and defeat Godrick to gain the Remembrance of the Grafted, which can be exchanged for the Axe of Godrick from Enia the Finger Reading in Roundtable Hold.

How to Use the Axe of Godrick

Although slow, the Axe of Godrick does have its share of tricks that make up for its lack of speed. It has a unique Weapon Skill, I Command Thee, Kneel!, that provides great support for a slow, tanky play style. This skill gives this greataxe the option to hit enemies at a distance with a series of shockwaves produced by slamming the axe repeatedly into the ground.

The area of effect for this attack is significant enough to deal with enemies outside the axe’s normal attack range. Rather than trying to close the distance with the slow speed of its normal attacks, utilize this Weapon Skill to hit enemies just out of range.

If you want to squeeze more damage out of this Weapon Skill, you can equip the Shard of Alexander talisman. This talisman increases the damage of skills by 15%.

If you’re having trouble with your equip load wielding such a heavy weapon, the Arsenal Charm, Great-Jar’s Arsenal, and Erdtree’s Favor are all talismans that increase your maximum equip load. Any of these are an option to consider in a build with the Axe of Godrick.

3/5

3) Greataxe

Contrary to its straightforward name, the Greataxe actually has a very diverse set of ways to use it. And with its early-game accessibility, you can craft your build around the set that suits you quite easily.

Stats

The Greataxe has the highest base Physical attack stat of all greataxes at 151. Although it can be found relatively early in the game, you probably won’t be able to use it right away, as it needs 30 Strength on top of 8 Dexterity in order to wield.

Not surprisingly, it scales best with Strength with a base D grade that reaches C by max upgrade. It also has a D grade in Dexterity that does not change with upgrades.

Where to Find It

To the east of Lake Agheel in Limgrave, you’ll find a caravan consisting of a carriage being pulled by two trolls followed by a group of wandering nobles. In the back of the carriage is a chest containing the Greataxe. In order to get it, you’ll have to stop the caravan.

Defeat the trolls and any wandering nobles that get in your way. You’ll then be able to hop on the back of the caravan and access the chest.

How to Use the Greataxe

Not only does the Greataxe have the highest Physical attack in its class, it also has the versatility to be able to use a variety of ashes of war effectively. By default, it has the Weapon Skill Barbaric Roar. As discussed above, this is a decent skill overall because it boosts your damage output for a period of time. However, don’t feel like you are required to use this skill. Feel free to change it up.

A great combo to use is the War Cry Ash of War with the Axe Talisman. This gives your weapon the Heavy affinity, giving it a B in Strength damage scaling. It also allows you to use the Weapon Skill War Cry, which functions similarly to Barbaric Roar. It increases your attack power but more importantly, it changes heavy attacks into charged attacks.

This is where the Axe Talisman comes into play. This talisman boosts the power of charged attack by 10%. Stacking attack buffs on a weapon like this means you’ll be able to deal ridiculous amounts of damage! Even better is the fact that all of these pieces of equipment can be found early in the game.

2/5

2) Gargoyle’s Black Axe

Breaking from the primarily Strength-based weapons on this list, the Gargoyle’s Black Axe mixes things up by adding Holy damage into the equation. It’s a great weapon for a Strength/Faith hybrid build.

Stats

The damage stats on this greataxe are split between Physical and Holy, with a base 100 Physical damage and a base 120 Holy damage. This makes it an excellent weapon for dishing out powerful Holy attacks with each swing. It does take some investment in Strength and Faith as a result, needing 24 Strength and 22 Faith — in addition to 8 Dexterity — to wield.

Damage scales best with Strength, having a base D grade that reaches a C by upgrade +7. It also has decent scaling with Faith, having a base D grade that does not change with upgrades. Scaling for Dexterity reduces, having a base E grade that also does not change with upgrades.

Where to Find It

This greataxe is dropped by the Black Blade Kindred boss located in the Forbidden Lands. To reach this boss, you’ll need to follow the path east from Leyndell, Royal Capital and the Altus Plateau. This path is required to progress the story and reach the Mountaintops of the Giants. As such, it is hard to miss this boss. However, that also means you won’t be able to access this axe until later in the game.

How to Use the Gargoyle’s Black Axe

Similar to other greataxes, the Gargoyle’s Black Axe has the Weapon Skill War Cry. However, you can’t equip it with other Ashes of War. That’s not a problem, since War Cry is a great skill for this weapon. Your play style with the Gargoyle’s Black Axe is not going to change much from other greataxes, but its Holy damage should be the centerpiece of your build.

A great talisman to use to get the most Holy damage possible is the Sacred Scorpion Charm. This talisman raises Holy damage at the cost of increased damage taken. The goal of this build is to deal enough damage to defeat your opponent before they can hit you, so this increase of damage taken shouldn’t be a problem.

Combined with the long reach of this weapon, you should be able to keep enemies at a distance while hitting them for high amounts of Holy damage.

1/5

1) Executioner’s Greataxe

This greataxe is a combination of everything that makes these axes great. It also has a higher Crit stat than any other greataxe, making it the overall strongest and most versatile weapon in its class.

Stats

Just below the Greataxe in terms of Phsyical damage, the Executioner’s Greataxe is only one point lower at a 150 base Physical attack stat. It has a 115 base Crit stat, higher than any other greataxe. It does require a heavy investment in Strength, though. You will need 34 Strength and 8 Dexterity to wield it. It has excellent damage scaling, too, with a base C grade in Strength that reaches B by max upgrade. It also has reduced scaling in Dexterity, with a base E grade that doesn’t change with upgrades.

Where to Find It

The Executioner’s Greataxe can be dropped by certain skeleton enemies wielding it. There are a few locations where you can find these enemies. The first is the Church of Irith Graveyard, located in the very southern portion of Liurnia of the Lakes, just to the north of Stormveil Castle.

Another one can be found to the northeast of the Church of the Plague in Caelid.

You can find the final one in the graveyard just above Academy Gate Town. You’ll need to look for the specific skeleton wielding this greataxe and keep farming it until it drops. This may take some perseverance, but the reward is worth it.

How to Use the Executioner’s Greataxe

In addition to the high Physical and Crit stats, the Executioner’s Greataxe also has the longest reach of any greataxe. By default, it has the Weapon Skill War Cry, which, again, is already a pretty good skill to have. However, since it can be equipped with Ashes of War, we have a selection of other skills to choose from to make this weapon the best it can be.

A great option is either Earthshaker or Hoarah Loux’s Earthshaker. Both of these ashes of war provide similar buffs but the latter can’t be acquired until very late in the game. Earthshaker provides the equipped weapon with the Heavy affinity, giving it an A in damage scaling and allowing it to deal ridiculous amounts of poise damage. It also allows the player to use the Earthshaker skill, which has the use slam the axe into the ground, doing damage to a large area surrounding the player.

You can follow this up with a spinning slash that is great for creating space between you and the enemy. Use this combo to pummel your enemies and leave them staggered and vulnerable to a critical hit!

Join the High Ground

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Happy gaming!

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