by Dom's Roundtable
Welcome back, Tarnished! After the incredible reception to my Top 10 Rarest Armour Sets in Shadow of the Erdtree, you asked for the rarest, most powerful, and hardest-to-find weapons in the DLC, and I’ve delivered.
Narrowing it down to just ten was brutal because Shadow of the Erdtree is packed with hidden, secret, and downright overpowered weapons.
Forked-Tongue Hatchet – The Sneaky Fire Bleed Weapon
Why You Need It: Can be buffed with Bloodflame to apply bleed build-up on its fire-based Ash of War.
Where to Farm: Scorpion River Catacombs. Look for imps wielding this axe near the Site of Grace.
At first glance, the Forked-Tongue Hatchet seems underwhelming, but it has one key secret:
You can buff it with consumables and spells (despite being locked to Fire Affinity).
Using Bloodflame Blade on it allows its weapon skill to apply bleed, making it much stronger.
💡 Bonus Tip: Master camera control while using the Flame Spray Ash of War, as the attack is directional and can be manipulated for better AoE coverage.
Lizard Greatsword – The Tongue-Lashing Powerhouse
Why You Need It: Fires a tongue projectile that inflicts status build-up, twice per hit.
Where to Farm: Imps wielding this weapon can be found in multiple catacombs throughout the DLC.
This weapon’s Charged R2 attack unleashes a long-range tongue attack, dealing two separate instances of status build-up. Projectiles apply the weapon’s infusion effect, making Bleed, Frost, or Poison variants insanely strong. Works similarly to the Ripple Crescent Halberd, meaning it’s fantastic for status-based builds.
💡 Bonus Tip: Infuse it with Bleed for instantaneous procs thanks to its double-hit mechanic.
Curseblade’s Circ – The Stylish Backhand Blade
Why You Need It: Looks amazing, but is unfortunately the weakest of the three new backhand blades.
Where to Farm: Found on Curseblade enemies in Gravesite Plain or Belurat Tower Settlement.
Weapon skill “Deadly Dance” is flashy and interrupts enemies, but its damage and bleed build-up are outclassed by other backhand blades. It cannot be infused with new Ashes of War, meaning it’s locked into a less efficient move set. It is still worth grabbing for collectors and for a full Curseblade cosplay with the armour set.
💡 Bonus Tip: If you want a better backhand blade, consider farming one of the other two variants instead.
Fire Knight’s Greatsword – One of the Best Colossal Swords
Why You Need It: A straight upgrade to Ordovis’s Greatsword, with insane fire synergy.
Where to Farm: Specimen Storehouse – Dropped by Fire Knights wielding the greatsword.
Fire buffs significantly enhance this weapon’s Ash of War. It shares the best moves from various colossal swords, making it devastating in both PvE and PvP. It is one of the most well-balanced colossal swords, even after its nerf.
💡 Bonus Tip: Pair it with Flame, Grant Me Strength for insane fire-based DPS potential.
Messmer Soldier’s Spear – The Underrated Sleeper Hit
Why You Need It: It is one of the best Great Spears in the game, thanks to its unique mechanics.
Where to Farm: Northwest of the Moorth Ruins, where there are three spear-wielding soldiers that respawn here.
Charged heavy attacks unleash four consecutive hits, perfect for status build-up (Bleed/Frost/Poison). Unlike other great spears, it deals both Standard and Pierce damage, making it more effective against a wider variety of enemies.
💡 Bonus Tip: Infuse it with Bleed to take advantage of its multi-hit charge attack for quick status procs.
Milady – The Best Infusable Light Greatsword
Why You Need It: The only light greatsword that can be infused with different affinities.
Where to Find: Chest at Castle Ensis Outskirts (top of tower leading to the castle).
Designed for Wing Stance Ash of War, which lets you mix light and heavy attacks for fluid combos. This allows endless attack chains. Aesthetic as hell and incredibly satisfying to use.
💡Bonus Tip: Experiment with light-heavy combos to create your own attack strings like in a fighting game.
Sword of Light and Darkness – A Transforming Powerhouse
Why You Need It: Switches between “Sword of Light” and “Sword of Darkness” at will.
Where to Find: Hidden in three different stone altars across the DLC.
Sword of Darkness: Deals Holy damage and reduces enemy Holy resistance. Sword of Light: Boosts Holy abilities and increases their power. Retains its upgrade level when switching forms, making it extremely versatile.
💡Bonus Tip: Use Sword of Darkness for AoE fights and Sword of Light for boss encounters.
Golem Fist – The Coolest-Looking Fist Weapon
Why You Need It: It looks awesome, but its projectile punch is sadly weak.
Where to Farm: Taylew’s Ruined Forge – Specific Golems drop it.
Charged R2 launches a massive fist projectile (but it deals surprisingly low damage). It has mediocre scaling even with strength-focused builds, however it is great for roleplay, but not much else.
💡 Bonus Tip: You’re better off just using normal punches instead of the gimmick projectile.
Euporia – The Best Twinblade in the Game
Why You Need It: It stacks insane buffs through its unique charging mechanic.
Where to Find: Hidden at the bottom of a tower in the final area of the DLC after a long, deadly descent.
Hits charge up a meter, increasing damage and projectile output on the weapon art. Tier 2 buffs unleash insane damage and shoots twice as many holy bolts. Absolute top-tier weapon in many situations.
💡 Bonus Tip: Master its combo system to unleash continuous, high-DPS attacks.
Claws of Night – The Bleed-Stacking Monster
Why You Need It: One of the highest bleed-proc weapons in the game.
Where to Find: Drops from NPC Invader “Swordhand of Night Anna” in Finger Ruins of Miyr.
Ash of War “Scattershot Throw” applies crazy bleed build-up. Great against large enemies where multiple projectiles hit. A bit underwhelming outside of bleed procs, but still a must-have.
💡Bonus Tip: Use Bloodflame Blade for even more bleed potential.
