5 Best Thrusting Swords in Elden Ring, Ranked

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Human Made

Drew has been a fan of games since he could hold a GameCube controller. Nowadays, he plays everything from mobile and PC games, to PS5 and Switch.

Reviewed by Ashley Johnson

Long, slender, and perfect for puncturing enemies, thrusting swords make a complimentary weapon for a variety of build types. Intelligence builds are well suited for using thrusting swords, as they make a great secondary weapon when paired with a glintstone staff. Dexterity builds can also take advantage of their lightweight and slender build to perform fast, long reaching attacks.

Whatever your preference, you’ll want to know which thrusting sword best compliments your build. Today, we’re breaking down the five best thrusting swords in Elden Ring, looking at where to find them, and covering some tips on how to get the most out of these stylish weapons.

5 Best Thrusting Swords in Elden Ring

Let’s cut right into our list of the five best thrusting swords in Elden Ring, ranked from notable to noble!

5/5

Rogier’s Rapier

Rogier’s Rapier comes pre-built and ready for action. While it is a fantastic early game weapon, it loses its luster later in the game when other, better weapons can be acquired. In the meantime, you should absolutely take advantage of it.

Stats

Rogier’s Rapier has a base Physical attack stat of 93. It requires 8 Strength and 17 Dexterity to wield. Damage scales best with Dexterity, with base C grade that reaches a B by max Standard upgrade. It also has an E in Strength that remains constant with each upgrade. Rogier’s Rapier actually has the lowest base attack of any thrusting sword. However, it makes up for that by coming pre-upgraded to upgrade +8. With this upgrade level, it’s going to deal more damage than most other swords of similar caliber at this point in the game.

Where to Find It

This weapon is given to you by its previous owner, Sorcerer Rogier, in Roundtable Hold. First, you must have encountered Sorcerer Rogier in Stormveil Castle. After talking with him, continue on and defeat Godrick the Grafted, the boss of the castle. When you return to Roundtable Hold, head out to the balcony to find Sorcerer Rogier. Talk to him here and he will give you his weapon, Rogier’s Rapier.

How to Use Rogier’s Rapier

This weapon is a real gift in the early game. Being +8 upgraded by default makes it leagues stronger than most other weapons available around this point in the game. It also comes equipped with the Glintblade Phalanx ash of war. Glintblade Phalanx is a great skill and a variant of the sorcery with the same name, which allows you to summon several spectral glintblades that automatically target and attack enemies. Having access to this skill on a weapon early in the game is invaluable. While it can be infused with other ashes of war, sticking with Glintblade Phalanx is a safe bet.

While Rogier’s Rapier leans into the sorcery side of things, it works great for any Dexterity build. However, don’t expect it to carry you through the game as it quickly becomes out classed once you have the ability to upgrade other weapons to +8. That being said, this is an excellent temporary weapon to get you through the game to the point that you can upgrade a better weapon. One talisman to consider using with this weapon is the Graven-Mass Talisman, which raises the power of sorceries by 8% — perfect for powering up Glintblade Phalanx. Another solid option is the Prosthesis-Wearer Heirloom, which raises your Dexterity by 5.

4/5

Estoc

If you’re familiar with other FromSoftware games, then this weapon should come as no surprise. The Estoc is a classic weapon used on Dexterity builds with great success. In Elden Ring, the Estoc returns and makes its case as a great weapon to pair with sorceries due to its light weight and long reach.

Stats

The Estoc has one of the highest base Physical attacks of the thrusting sword class, at 107. It requires 11 Strength and 13 Dexterity to wield. Damage scales best with Dexterity, with a base C grade that reaches a B by max Standard upgrade. Strength has reduced scaling, with a constant E grade throughout each upgrade. The Estoc also has one of the longest reaches of any thrusting sword.

Where to Find It

The great thing about the Estoc is how early in the game you can obtain it. If you chose the Prisoner as your starting class, you will have the Estoc by default. Otherwise, you can purchase the Estoc from the Nomadic Merchant in the southern area of Liurnia of the Lakes. This merchant is very close to the entrance of Liurnia of the Lakes, so they are hard to miss if you’re following the guidance of grace.

How to Use the Estoc

Although the Estoc is primarily a Dexterity weapon, it works great in a Dexterity/Intelligence hybrid build as a melee weapon for spell users. The default Weapon Skill on the Estoc is Impaling Thrust. This skill has the user thrust their weapon forward with powerful, shield-breaking capabilities. It’s a nice compliment to the Estoc’s primary moveset of quick, thrusting attacks. If you’re using the Estoc on an Intelligence build, it helps to buff it with the Scholar’s Armament sorcery to give it an extra bit of Magic damage.

A great all-around talisman to use with the Estoc is the Prosthesis-Wearer Heirloom for its increase to your Dexterity. If you’re going the sorcery route, some other beneficial talismans to use are the Graven-School or Graven-Mass Talisman to raise the power of Scholar’s Armament, and the Magic Scorpion Charm to raise the overall Magic damage done by this weapon. The Estoc may not carry you through the whole game, but it is a great early to mid-game weapon and works wonders as a secondary weapon.

3/5

Cleanrot Knight’s Sword

With the highest Physical attack and longest reach of its class, the Cleanrot Knight’s Sword is a fantastic Strength-based alternative to other thrusting swords like the Estoc. However, you may need to spend some time farming Cleanrot Knights in order to find it.

Stats

At a base 109 Physical attack, the Cleanrot Knight’s Sword has the highest base attack stat of any thrusting sword. It has the same requirements to wield as the Estoc — 11 Strength and 13 Dexterity. However, it differs from the Estoc in that it scales primarily with Strength rather than Dexterity. Both Strength and Dexterity start with base D grade, but Strength reaches a C grade by max Standard upgrade. Dexterity, on the other hand, remains at a D grade. Another great feature of the Cleanrot Knight’s Sword is its long reach — the longest of any thrusting sword, in fact.

Where to Find It

The Cleanrot Knight’s Sword is dropped by Lesser Cleanrot Knight enemies. A good place to farm these enemies is at the Swamp of Aeonia in Caelid. There are several Cleanrot Knights here that spawn from within the swamp and have a 4% chance to drop the Cleanrot Knight’s Sword. It may take you some time to farm these enemies, but the payoff is worth it.

How to Use the Cleanrot Knight’s Sword

This sword makes a great addition to a Strength/Dexterity hybrid, or “Quality” build, due to its low requirements to wield and relatively balanced damage scaling. This damage scaling is made even better when using the Cleanrot Knight’s Sword with the Quality affinity. With the Quality affinity, its base damage scaling changes to a B in both Strength and Dexterity. To achieve this affinity, we suggest using the Royal Knight’s Resolve ash of war. Not only does this ash of war grant the sword the Quality affinity, but it also allows the use of the skill Royal Knight’s Resolve. This skill increases your next attack’s power by 80% and is great for taking advantage of the long reach of the Cleanrot Knight’s Sword to dispatch enemies from a safe distance.

To maximize damage output with the Cleanrot Knight’s Sword, we suggest using the Radagon’s Scareseal or Radagon’s Soreseal talismans. Both increase your Vigor, Endurance, Strength, and Dexterity at the cost of increased damage taken. This trade-off is well worth it, as it will greatly increase your damage output and you can keep enemies from touching you with the long reach of your sword. Consider using the Spear Talisman as well, since it increases the counterattacks of thrusting weapons by 15%.

2/5

Frozen Needle

The Frozen Needle offers an elemental twist to the standard thrusting sword moveset. This icy blade excels at applying Frost buildup to opponents. It also has a unique ice projectile attack to give it some versatility.

Stats

Its base Physical attack is nothing special, coming in at only 99. This is pretty middle-of-the-road for thrusting swords. You’ll need 11 Strength and 18 Dexterity in order to wield it. Its damage scales best with Dexterity, with a base D grade that reaches a B by max upgrade. It also has a base E grade in Strength that reaches a D by upgrade +4.

Where to Find It

To find the Frozen Needle, you will need to head to the Kingsrealm Ruins in the northwestern portion of Liurnia of the Lakes. Once there, look for a stairway heading underground. You will need to traverse this underground area and face off against the Royal Revenant boss located here. Defeat this boss and you’ll gain access to a room containing a small chest. Open the chest to acquire the Frozen Needle.

How to Use the Frozen Needle

What makes this thrusting sword standout from the crowd is its ability to inflict Frost buildup on enemies. In addition to its passive Frost buildup, it also has a unique heavy attack that fires an ice projectile at enemies. Thrusting swords already have great reach, but with this unique attack the Frozen Needle can handle enemies at an even greater distance. Even better is the fact that this attack does not cost any FP! As such, this weapon works great when dual-wielded with another thrusting sword like the Estoc or Cleanrot Knight’s Sword in your left hand. Applying fire to the weapon in this hand will allow you to reset Frostbite on your enemies when it hits, allowing you to immediately build it up again with the Frozen Needle. The power of fire and ice make for a devastating combo!

As for talismans, a good choice is once again the Prosthesis-Wearer Heirloom, since you will likely want the Dexterity boost. Another good choice is the Spear Talisman to gain that enhanced counter attack. Otherwise, choosing talismans that compliment the weapon in your left hand should be your focus. The Fire Scorpion Charm works well if you choose to infuse your left hand weapon with fire, since it boosts fire damage done. Unfortunately, there is no talisman to boost ice damage, so this is the best we can do for the Frozen Needle itself.

1/5

Antspur Rapier

With the potential to deal three status effects at once, the Antspur Rapier is incredibly lethal. Combined with the long reach and defense-breaking capabilities of a thrusting sword, you have one of the best thrusting weapons in the game!

Stats

At first glance, the Antspur Rapier seems unimpressive with its base 98 Physical attack stat. However, looks can be deceiving. It needs 10 Strength and 20 Dexterity to wield. Despite this disparity in requirements, it has relatively balanced damage scaling across both Strength and Dexterity, with a base D in both. Dexterity reaches a C grade by max Standard upgrade, while Strength remains at a D.

Where to Find It

The Antspur Rapier is dropped by the hostile NPC Maleigh Marais, Shaded Castle Castellan. While she is not an NPC invader, she acts similarly and attacks you on sight. She can be found roaming the area to the west of the Shaded Castle in the northwestern reaches of the Altus Plateau. Be careful when entering this area, as a Halberd Golem also becomes active once you enter and may aggro while you’re trying to fight Maleigh.

How to Use the Antspur Rapier

By default, the Antspur Rapier deals passive Scarlet Rot buildup. It also has the ability to be infused with ashes of war. Because of this handy feature, we can infuse an ash of war that grants another passive status effect like Poison or Bleed. Depending on which ash of war we choose, it’s possible to use a Weapon Skill to give it a third status effect.

To achieve this trifecta, you will want to infuse it with either the Seppuku or Poison Mist ash of war. If you choose Seppuku, you will want to change the affinity to Poison using a Black Whetblade. Then use the Seppuku skill to buff the rapier with Bleed. If you choose Poison Mist, you will want to set the affinity to Blood and use the Poison Mist skill to buff the rapier with Poison. Either way, you now can inflict three status effects at once to quickly shred your opponent’s HP. The Blood and Poison affinities also change damage scaling to a C in both Strength and Dexterity, and add a D to Arcane.

For complimentary talismans, Radagon’s Scarseal or Radagon’s Soreseal once again work well here to boost Strength and Dexterity. We also recommend using the Kindred of Rot’s Exultation and Lord of Blood’s Exultation to get an attack boost when Rot, Poison, or Blood Loss is inflicted on an enemy in your vicinity. This setup can reach crazy damage potential, so it’s well worth your time and effort to set up!

Join the High Ground

Do you agree with our list of the five best thrusting swords in Elden Ring? Which ones have you found success with? Let us know in the comments below, and feel free to share your own build tips. Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter so you don’t miss any of our Elden Ring guides!

Happy gaming!

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5 Best Thrusting Swords in Elden Ring, Ranked