Summary
Elden Ringfeatures a violent setting, known as the Lands Between, an unforgiving territory that presents a formidable challenge even for the most courageous warriors. Limgrave, the starting point for players, is a vast land where monstrous creatures thrive.
To survive in the harsh domain ofElden Ring, players must arm themselves with weapons capable of withstanding its punishing environment. WithinLimgrave’s vast territories, players can find armaments that make their journey easier.
Updated July 18, 2025 by Vlad Mazanko:Months after the release of theShadow of the Erdtreeexpansion, Elden Ring’s popularity shows no signs of stopping. The game’s deep RPG mechanics continue to draw new players into its vast and perilous world, with tens of thousands launching the game daily. Newcomers may still be keen to uncover the best weapons available in Elden Ring’s starting region, Limgrave.
This area offers plenty of exciting armaments — provided players know where to look. While the majority of weapons in the starting region are predictably classic, with only a handful of options available in each weapon category,there’s no shortage of powerful gearcapable of carrying players through every boss encounter. This article has been expanded with even more early weapons in Limgrave in no particular order, now featuring additional details on damage, scaling, weight stats, and unique perks to help players optimize their builds or plan them in advance.
93
227
Str B or Dex A
2.0
110
Causes Blood Loss Build-Up
60
Players who want to cosplay as Marvel’s Wolverine have the perfect opportunity early inElden Ring, and for their category, theHookclawsare a surprisingly solid choice. The primary advantage of this weapon lies in its lightning-fast attack chains, delivering stylish combos while rapidly building blood loss on enemies. Although the weapon’s base damage is modest, its versatility and speed more than make up for it. Combined with the Quickstep weapon skill, players can effectively dodge and reposition, making the Hookclaws a formidable tool for taking down tougher foes — provided they master the weapon’s movement and timing. A Cold infusion is also worth trying, as it enables players to inflict frostbite, further increasing damage potential.
The Hookclaws are missable, butacquiring them in Limgrave isn’t overly challenging. Players simply need to reach Stormveil Castle and loot the body found in the corner on the first level of the wine cellar.
122
298
Str S or Dex A or Arc A
Weight
12.5
Extremely effective at breaking enemy defenses, theBrick Hammeris a powerful heavy weapon available in Limgrave that remains useful well into the late game. Despite its considerable weight, this hammer is lighter compared to other weapons that deliver similar levels of physical, poise, and strike damage simultaneously. One of the Brick Hammer’s standout features — beyond its rugged and distinctive design — is its versatility in scaling. This weapon is one of the few capable of achieving S scaling in Strength, while still offering solid potential for Dexterity and Arcane builds.
Like the Hookclaws, the Brick Hammer can be found in Stormveil Castle and is a missable weapon that requires a few steps to obtain. First, players must acquire the Rusty Key, located near the castle’s south entrance. Using the key, they can unlock a wooden door to access a ladder leading to the top floor of the Wine Cellar. The Brick Hammer can then be looted from a corpse hanging over a ledge that leads back into the cellar.
123
301
Str A or Dex B
9.0
Following the release of theShadow of the Erdtreeexpansion, many players have come to appreciate the utility of long-reaching thrusting weapons. These weapons allow for a defensive playstyle that can trivialize even the most menacing bosses by pairing a large shield with powerful thrust attacks from behind cover. Among the earliest options for this strategy is theLance, a weapon capable of making even the toughest early-game boss encounters significantly more manageable. Familiar to veterans of FromSoftware games, the Lance has appeared in severalDark Soulstitles. InElden Ring, it occupies the niche of a unique greatspear and serves as one of the few infusible greatspears available.
The Lance can be found in an enemy camp southwest of the Deathtouched Catacombs. However, it’s located atop a ruin structure that is initially unreachable from the ground. To acquire it, players simply need to leap onto the structure from a nearby cliff. Despite the weapon’s description, it’s important to note that the Lance does not provide any bonus damage when used on horseback.
158
387
21.5
Halberds might not be the most popular weapon category inElden Ring, and the massiveGolem’s Halberdmight not be enough to persuade anyone but pure Strength builds, as it comes with a hefty weight, one of the highest in its category. Despite its limitations, this stunning halberd delivers devastating damage with each swing, making it a force to be reckoned with. It also deals impressive poise damage, knocking enemies off balance and damaging their armor. While some attacks have a surprisingly short range for a halberd, the overall moveset is solid. Players should note that it’s not recommended to change the weapon’s default Charge Forth skill as it cannot typically be placed on Colossal weapons.
The Golem’s Halberd is obtainable as a drop from Golem enemies wielding it. The earliest opportunity to farm one is at the Limgrave Tower Bridge Site of Grace, accessible from Stormveil Castle. However, defeating these Golems at such an early stage in the game can be a challenging endeavor, especially since multiple Golems must be faced simultaneously. On the upside, this area also serves as agreat spot for farming extra runesearly on.
144
352
9.5
55
Scythes are a relatively rare weapon category inElden Ring, but they have a dedicated fanbase. After all, wielding a scythe in combat looks menacing and dangerous, offering deadly spinning attacks and a unique moveset. TheGrave Scytheis one of the earliest opportunities to add a scythe to players' arsenal, and it comes with several noteworthy perks. Alongside its potent blood loss build-up, equipping the Grave Scythe boosts Vitality by 35 and has a hidden anti-block mechanic, ignoring 40% of an enemy’s damage negation from blocks (with heavy and charged attacks bypassing even more). With these strengths, embracing the grim reaper aesthetic feels both stylish and effective inElden Ring.
The downside ofobtaining the Grave Scythe in Limgraveis its low drop rate, as it can only be acquired from Skeleton Mages, rare enemies typically found near graveyards. The best farming spots are near the Summonwater Village and Lake-Facing Cliffs Sites of Grace.
90
220
Str - A or Dex - B
1.5
Fist weapons are somewhat underappreciated inElden Ring, often overlooked by newcomers in favor of larger, more imposing weapons. Despite their small size,fist weapons pack a punch in combat, and theCaestusis a solid early-game option worth trying. With fast attacks, lightweight, and strong scaling, the Caestus can prove quite powerful. The main drawback is its short reach, requiring players to stay close to their targets at all times.
The Caestus also comes with the Endure skill, which boosts all absorptions by 45% and increases poise against enemy attacks, making it great for defensive playstyles.
Players can purchase the Caestus in Stormveil Castle from Gatekeeper Gostoc for 800 runes. However, they must first either defeat Godrick the Grafted or find the Rusty Key by thoroughly exploring the castle.
Str - D; Dex - D
Max Upgrade Scaling
Str - B or Dex - B or Arc - B
6.5
ThePartisanis a spear with a wide tip that combines a classy appearance with a versatile moveset. Its long reach allows for extended melee attacks, while its sweep and thrust attacks can strike multiple enemies within its range. The Partisan has a rich history, appearing in almost every FromSoftware soulslike game, which has earned it a loyal following inElden Ringas well. This spear’s versatility shines through with solid scaling for a variety of builds, including Strength, Dexterity, and even Arcane.
Although players can farm the Partisan early in Limgrave, it has a very low drop rate, dropping only from the heavy Godrick Knight found in the Gatefront Ruins. Be prepared for a lengthy grind, and it’s recommended to boost your Arcane stat or use Silver-Pickled Fowl Foot to increase one’s luck during the process.
92
225
Str - E; Dex - D
Critical Damage
140
TheMiséricordedagger stands out inElden Ringdue to its unmatched critical damage rating of 140, making itthe best weapon in the game for critical strikes. Paired with the dagger class’s critical multiplier of 4.0x, players can deliver devastating critical hits, dealing between 650 and 750 damage with an un-upgraded Miséricorde, even without using any specific talismans. For true assassin builds, this dagger offers great potential, capable of finishing off bosses with just a couple of critical hits (assuming players first break the enemy’s stance).
One of the best aspects of the Miséricorde is its availability early in the game. It only requires a single Stonesword Key to obtain and can be found in a locked armory room in Stormveil Castle, behind a white fog wall guarding the corpse that holds the dagger.
125
306
Str - A or Dex - B or Arc - A
8.0
TheBanished Knight’s Halberdis a solid choice for a halberd inElden Ring, but what truly sets it apart is the fact that players can acquire a pre-upgraded +8 version of the weapon in Limgrave. This saves early Smithing Stones and allows players to wield a powerful weapon right from the start. The Banished Knight’s Halberd boasts decent damage, a versatile moveset including a thrust attack, and excellent reach, making it a strong weapon early in the game. Additionally, when infused with Occult, it scales to A in Arcane, which can be beneficial for certain builds.
While the Banished Knight’s Halberd can be farmed from Banished Knights in Stormveil Castle, this may not be ideal due to the strength of these enemies at early stages. Instead, players can either kill Edgar when they encounter him at Castle Morne in the Weeping Peninsula orfollow his questline. Eventually, after Edgar goes mad and invades as Edgar the Revenger at Revenger’s Shack, defeating him will reward players with the upgraded +8 halberd along with the Spinning Strikes Ash of War.
101
247
Str - B or Dex - A
3.0
TheWarhawk’s Talonis an elegant, lightweight straight sword inElden Ring, perfect for classic Dexterity builds. It features a unique moveset among its weapon class, making it a standout choice worth exploring. Surprisingly, despite its potential, the Warhawk’s Talon does not have any passive bleed buildup, which could have made it an even stronger choice for the early game.
Obtaining the Warhawk’s Talon isn’t easy, as it has a low drop rate (2%) from Warhawks found in Stormveil Castle. The best spot to farm them is near the Rampart Tower Site of Grace, where four Warhawks can be found. Even with high Discovery rates, players should be prepared for a lengthy farming session if they aim to get this beautiful sword early.
