Summary
Even though some hardcore fans believe thatElden Ringis one of the easiestFromSoftwaregames (one fan even beat it in an hour!), newcomers to the series have struggled to pass even the first Major Boss. But of course,it wouldn’t be a Souls-like gameif it didn’t mean players would need to die, rinse, and repeat continuously to cleanse the world of the ill-omened creatures.
Fortunately, players have access to powerful god-like weapons that can conquer even the largest foes. One powerful weapon class is that of Strength Weapons, which mostly take the form of Greatswords, Warhammers, and Halberds. With so many options available inElden Ring, players will need to know which one is the best of them all.
Updated on June 26, 2025, by Gerardo Molina:Elden Ring is, without a doubt, the best game FromSoftware has released to date, as it retains many of the elements that make the Dark Souls franchise great while implementing new ones, along with improved graphics and more challenging boss fights. Players can choose from a large variety of builds that better suit their playstyles to take on the many obstacles they’ll encounter along the way, and Strength is usually one of the most popular. There are several weapons available for Strength builds that players can wield to turn area enemies and bosses into smudges on the ground. Some are easy to obtain, whereas others require a lot more effort.
Reward from Gurranq after turning in their 7th Deathroot
Active Skill
Regal Beastclaw
TheBeastclaw Greathammeris an excellent weapon of choice for those looking to craft a Strength build, although it can also be a good option for those who want a Quality build that combines Strength and Dexterity. That is, if players have enough Strength to wield it properly. As opposed to other weapons inElden Ring, the Beastclaw Greathammer is not found randomly throughout the Lands Between, and it’s rather given to players by Gurranq as a reward for turning in their 7th Deathroot. Unfortunately, this weapon cannot be infused using Ashes of War, and it also can’t be buffed with magic or consumables.
However, it can be upgraded using Somber Smithing Stones and has a sell value of 500 Runes. Sadly, after patch 1.0,8 all Great Hammers received a poise damage nerf, which greatly reduces how efficient this weapon is. That said, it’s still an excellent weapon of choice, regardless. The Beastclaw Greathammer requires 20 Strength, 10 Dexterity, and 18 Faith to wield properly, and at level +7, its Strength scaling goes from D to C. Not the best, but also not the worst.
Powerful Colossal Sword
Location
Purchased from the Isolated Merchant for 3,500 Runes found west of the Weeping Peninsula
Stamp (Upward Cut)
Zweihanderprimarily scales with Strength and Dexterity inElden Ring. Although it’s considered a Colossal Weapon, Zweihander possesses the lightest weight, which makes it a bit versatile. This is perfect for players who prefer fast and heavy swing attacks instead of the usualthree-hits attackthat consumes the Stamina bar.
The weapon comes with a Skill called theStamp (Upward Cut), which can be found in a plethora of weapons inElden Ring. The Skill basically means players deliver a deadly upward strike that can easily stagger large enemies.
Great For Faith Builds
Dropped from Crucible Knight Ordovis at Auriza Hero’s Grave in Altus Plateau
Ordovis’s Vortex
Ordovis’s Greatswordmainly scales with Strength and Faith. The former starts with aC at level oneand ends with anA at level 10, which provides great damage for Tarnished interested ina STR/FAI build inElden Ring.
The Unique Skill, Ordovis’s Vortex, allows players to charge the Greatsword and slam it on the ground, dealing with Holy Damage. Keep in mind that the Strength scaling is much better than the Faith one, so Ordovis’s Greatsword is not a bad option as a Strength-based weapon.
Eochaid’s Dancing Blade
TheMarais Executioner’s Swordscales solely with Strength while the rest of the stats stay the same. Upgrading it requires some Somber Smithing Stones, which will allow the weapon’s Strength to level up from anaverage C to a decent B. As for the weapon requirements, Tarnished must have 24 Strength, 14 Dexterity, and 23 Arcane.
The weapon’s Skill is the Eochaid’s Dancing Blade, and it allows the weapon to be infused with Arcane and send it toward an opponent in a swinging attack. While the weapon may stagger small or medium-sized enemies,large foes like bosses inElden Ringwon’t be knocked down.
Hunt The Black Blade Kindred
Defeat the Black Blade Kindred at the Mountaintops of the Giants
War Cry
Similar to the Marais Executioner’s Sword, theGargoyle’s Black AxeStrength is the only stat that improves, with the remaining stats staying the same. Wielding the Gargoyle’s Black Axe will benefit Tarnishedwho already has an STR/FAI buildas it requires 24 Strength, 8 Dexterity, and 22 Faith.
The Axe’s Skill, War Cry, is seen in many other weapons as it’s a handy Skill. Upon unleashing the cry, you willreceive a buff and for 40 secondsall the strong attacks will become charge attacks.
Useful For Defeating Multiple Foes
Looted from a shack at the Old Altus Tunnel in Altus Plateau
Troll’s Roar
Troll’s Hammeris one of themost underrated weapons inElden Ring. Although its Active Skill, Troll’s Roar, is found on other weapons while exploring the Lands Between, the Hammer can be consideredone of the heaviest Strength-based weaponsamong them.
While the skill does allow players to unleash a powerful shockwave that has a high chance of stunning enemies, the Troll’s Hammer’s true powers lie in its powerful attack, which will cause heavy damageonce the weapon reaches +25. Additionally, maxing out the Hammer will upgrade the Strength scaling from a normal C to a decent B.
Wild Strikes
TheGreat Omenkiller Cleaverdoesn’t only scale with Strength, it can alsocause blood loss build-up in battles. Tarnished can try to use a Blood Affinity Ashes of War on the cleaver, which will upgrade the Strength scaling to B and the bleed becomes even stronger.
The Wild Strikesallow the user to perform a chain of heavy attacksand, at the end, you may use a normal or a heavy attack. It’s great for building blood loss as players will be swinging at the enemy multiple times.
Comes With The Powerful Soul Stifler Ability
Purchased from Enia at Roundtable Hold upon receiving the Remembrance of the Regal Ancestor’s
Soul Stifler
As of Patch 1.09, theWinged Greathornwas buffed to have a better speed, range, recovery time, and many more. That doesn’t mean the weapon wasn’t useful before, but it had many disadvantages that may put players in a difficult or vulnerable position.
Other than the heavy damage inflicted by swinging around the Winged Greathorn, Tarnished cantake advantage of the unique Skillthat debuffs enemies upon contacting the harmful aura released by the Greathorn. The Skill may hinder players since theenemy must pass through the fog to get debuffed,but the results are worth it since the weapon’s damage increases.
Perfect For Attacking
Held by a corpse near the entrance of Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy boss area
Great-Serpent Hunt
TheSerpent-HunterinElden Ringis similar to the Storm Ruler inDark Souls 3. Although it’s possible to use it on other enemies, and it will deal great damage, the Serpent-Hunter isespecially effective against the Shardbearer, Rykard Lord of Blasphemy. Although the boss is considered mid to late-game, players can acquire the Serpent-Hunter quite early by interacting with theAbductor Virgin in the lowest part of Raya Lucaria Academy.
One of the Serpent-Hunter’s great features is that theinitial Strength scaling is Band later becomes A once fully upgraded. Players can take advantage of such Skill to wield one of the best Strength Weapons in theElden Ring. While the weapon does scale with Dexterity, the E won’t be upgraded later on.
Endure
The Rotten Greataxe is, without a doubt, one of the best-looking weapons in the entirety ofElden Ring, as not only is it massive, but it also looks extremely intimidating with its red and black undertones. Since it’s a late-game weapon, it requires a whopping 30 Strength and 10 Dexterity to wield properly. This incredible weapon is dropped by the Rotten Duelist at the north of Ordina, Liturgical Town. The encounter isn’t extremely challenging, especially for players who have leveled up enough, but they should still proceed with caution.
The Rotten Greataxe’s active skill, “Endure”, can temporarily boost players’ poise so they can withstand more damage and still deliver powerful blows to their enemies, a very desirable trait for those building a Strength character. As opposed to the Beastclaw Greathammer, the Rotten Greataxe can be infused with Ashes of War and buffed by magic or consumables. It can also be upgraded by using Somber Smithing Stones and causes Scarlet Rot buildup. Normally, this weapon would not be recommended for those looking to play with a Strength build, as it seems to favor Dexterity more. However, when infused to the Heavy configuration, its Strength scaling goes from E to B, which is a considerable upgrade.
