Elden Ring’s patch 1.03 touched a lot of weapons, most notably Sword of Night and Flame and the Hoarfrost Stomp Ash of War. FromSoftware also fixed the Arcane stat scaling issue on certain weapons, making bleed builds and armaments far more viable.
The nerf hammer didn’t touch the five weapons listed here either, and that will make any playthrough or PvP encounter more enjoyable. They aren’t the only ones worth hunting, but they are some of the best.
Rivers of Blood
Though not available until quite late in a playthrough, Rivers of Blood was affected by the Arcane scaling issue. It was already powerful when bugged, and now that it’s fixed, this katana with a ridiculous bleed Ash of War is somehow even better. Expect to see a lot of it in invasions until it too is inevitably adjusted.
Moonveil
Another katana not directly mentioned in the patch notes, Moonveil is the option if you want a fast, effective Dexterity weapon that works well with sorcery and Intelligence builds. The Ash of War on this thing deals massive damage even at lower upgrade levels and mildly upgraded stats, and it even does good stagger damage, though it could have been adjusted in the patch.
Bloodhound’s Fang
One of the earliest-found and best weapons in all of Elden Ring, the Bloodhound’s Fang does good damage on its own, but pair it with the Ash of War, and it clears entire rooms with time to spare.
Nightrider Flail
It’s not the fastest weapon, nor does it have the most range, but paired with the right Ash of War, the Nightrider Flail causes massive bleed buildup and can be buffed with any number of effects through consumables or spells.
Ghiza’s Wheel
Like the Whirligig Saw from Bloodborne, Ghiza’s Wheel will tear enemies to pieces, bleed them out, then turn what remains into pulp. It’s also got excellent damage potential, a workable moveset, and isn’t too far into the game, so there will be plenty of playthroughs left when acquired.
