Elden Ring‘s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC adds eight new weapon types to the game, each of which changes the combat game in an unprecedented way. In Elden Ring, much as in other Soulsborne games, combat style is entirely determined by the type of weapon the player wields. Each weapon type allows for a unique set of combos, and scales damage based on a different set of stats. Uniquely, players can slot Ashes of War into their Elden Ring weapons to unlock unique skills and increase customization.

Each of Shadow of the Erdtree‘s new weapon types is closely based on an existing weapon from Elden Ring‘s base game. But they’re far from carbon copies: Shadow of the Erdtree‘s weapon types alter at least one defining characteristic of their inspirations, creating infinite opportunities for experimenting with new playstyles. Here are all eight of the new weapon types introduced by Elden Ring‘s DLC.

8

Shadow Of The Erdtree’s Great Katanas Are Slower, But More Powerful

Inspired By Elden Ring’s Katanas

Katanas have always been part of the Soulsborne formula – they’re an essential element of an Elden Ring Samurai build. Katanas in Elden Ring are generally known for being pretty nimble. Even the larger ones, like Bloody Finger Hunter Yura’s signature weapon Nagakiba, emphasize long combos of quick, precise swipes. They can be held with one hand or two, reflecting their lightweight nature. Katanas also work well for dual-wielding, and scale with Dexterity as well as Strength. In short, Elden Ring‘s regular old Katanas support builds that prioritize speed over strength.

But loath to let Dex builds have all the fun, Shadow of the Erdtree introduces the Great Katana. The first thing most players will notice about these new weapons is that they’re significantly larger than the standard Katana, scaling with Strength and wielded instead in two hands. Visually, it’s not unlike a much thinner Curved Greatsword whose blade cuts a wider arc. It doesn’t swing quite as quickly or encourage combos as long as a Katana. But instead, it deals more damage with every successful hit. This encourages players to build more heavily-armored, strength-focused Samurai in the DLC.

7

Shadow Of The Erdtree’s Hand-To-Hand Arts Aren’t Really Weapons At All

Inspired By Elden Ring’s Fist Weapons

Even veteran players might be surprised to learn that Elden Ring‘s base game doesn’t have any options for a true unarmed build. While it is technically possible to swing at enemies with the Tarnished’s bare hands, it’ll do negligible damage, and isn’t viable against some of the game’s tougher bosses. The closest equivalent is Elden Ring‘s category of Fist weapons – huge gauntlets that the Tarnished can slip over their bare hands. What they lack in range, they make up for in raw damage, generally scaling with Strength and Dex.

Shadow of the Erdtree changes this by introducing the Hand-to-Hand Arts, unarmed skills and combos that players can equip as if they were weapons to fight with their bare fists. For example, the Sacred Dry Leaf Art unlocks high-flying, wire-fu style jabs and spinning kicks. These Hand-to-Hand Arts are quick, responsive, and snappy, allowing players to string together complex, acrobatic onslaughts that pummel bosses into oblivion, melting their health bars with hundreds of hits in quick succession. This makes flexible, bare-handed builds possible without forcing players to resort to the heavy slowness of fist attacks.

6

Shadow Of The Erdtree’s Throwing Weapons Provide A New Ranged Option

Inspired By Elden Ring’s Throwing Daggers

Elden Ring has more ranged options than the average Soulsborne game. Besides the four recurring types of bows – Light Bows, Bows, Greatbows, and Crossbows – it also includes a wealth of ranged spells that can be cast using one of its Glintstone Staves. Throwing Daggers already exist in Elden Ring, but only as a tool. They scarcely even deal damage, and are better suited to drawing single enemies away from large groups, so the player can focus on individual one-on-one fights instead of charging in and getting swarmed.

Shadows of the Erdtree adds another ranged weapon type in the form of Throwing Weapons – mostly daggers. These can be used both as melee and as ranged weapons, allowing players to maintain control of a battle even when outside melee range. A one-handed Throwing Weapon can also be paired with another, more powerful one-handed melee weapon to give the player a wealth of options. Or, players can wield two at once to maintain a constant barrage of ranged attacks. Throwing Weapons aren’t consumable, either. Shortly after the player character throws them, they’ll appear right back in their hands, ready for the next toss.

5

Shadow Of The Erdtree’s Thrusting Shields Turn Defense Into Offense

Inspired By Elden Ring’s Shields & Thrusting Swords

Soulsborne games have always included shields, but, while still viable in a fight, they’re less important in Elden Ring than ever before. Shields can be used either to parry incoming attacks, or to stun enemies – they’re not great at dealing damage. That said, dodging has gotten faster since the days of Dark Souls, which makes it a lot easier to play without using a shield at all. In a similar vein, Thrusting Swords are already a part of the Elden Ring weapon pool. Resembling fencing foils, these Strength-Dex scaling weapons enable quick, flexible playstyles, and allow players to feint mid-heavy attack to vex their enemies.

Shadows of the Erdtree combines the two by adding Thrusting Shields to the mix. These can be used either one-handed, in much the same way as a regular shield, or two-handed, as a combined offense and defense. Thrusting Shields make great, slow, lumbering strikes, prioritizing Strength to deal massive chunks of damage. But with their potential to block or parry incoming attacks as well, they can help lighten a player’s load, freeing them up to carry alternate weapons or wear heavier armor.

4

Shadow Of The Erdtree’s Reverse-Hand Swords Create Flexible Builds

Inspired By Elden Ring’s Curved Swords & Dual-Wielding

Curved Swords are among Elden Ring‘s most mobile weapons, specializing in fast slashes that allow the player to dance around enemies while delivering quick combos. They primarily scale with Strength and Dex, supporting nimble builds that focus on speed instead of stability. Since Curved Sword wielders don’t necessarily need shields, they’re a great choice for dual wielding as well. With a Curved Sword in either hand, a player can cut down enemies twice as fast. Maintaining a constant stream of slashes can baffle opponents, scarcely giving them a chance to recover, let alone strike back.

Shadow of the Erdtree‘s new Reverse-Hand Swords boldly ask the question: what if Curved Swords were curved the other way? Their blades face outward, granting the player incredible forward momentum with their rapid slashes. When dual-wielded, the Tarnished is faster than ever before, cutting through groups of enemies with uncanny speed. Two Reverse-Hand Swords can also be joined in front of the player to create a powerful blocking force. This wasn’t an option for dual-wielding previously. Its addition gives Dex-focused players a new defensive option that doesn’t require them to sacrifice their positioning.

3

Shadow Of The Erdtree Introduces Explosive Perfume Bottles

Inspired By Elden Ring’s Fire Pots

Damage over time has always been an excellent way to get past Elden Ring‘s hardest bosses, but its area-of-effect options are severely limited in the base game. Players who wanted to pepper a wide area with damage-over-time-dealing, status-effect-inflicting balls of fire were basically limited to certain Incantations or consumables like Perfume Bottles. Both of these were limited in functionality. Incantations require the player to equip a different weapon type, a Sacred Seal, and require a high Faith stat, so are really only viable for certain builds. Perfume Bottles could be used by anyone, but were in short supply, and require crafting.

Enter Shadow of the Erdtree‘s reusable Perfume Bottles. These are equipped like weapons, not like tools, and can be refilled without spending precious materials. Perfume Bottles come in different elemental scents, making them excellent for striking enemy weaknesses. They lend themselves best to fast builds, who are at the least risk of damaging themselves, since they can quickly dash away. Once used, Perfume Bottles create huge swathes of damaging terrain on the battlefield, allowing the player to position themselves strategically so their opponents can’t help but take damage as they try to attack them.

2

Shadow Of The Erdtree’s Light Greatswords Add Speed To Powerful Weapons

Inspired By Elden Ring’s Greatswords

Greatswords are among the Soulsborne legacy’s most iconic weapons, but have always come at a trade-off. Yes, they’re huge, imposing, and deal tons of damage, but Elden Ring‘s Greatswords are painfully slow. They’re best in the hands of experienced players, as a single swing takes time – it’s best to ensure the Tarnished is in the perfect position before attempting to strike with a Greatsword. Anything else, and the enemy may mete out a harsh punishment. Greatswords also have high Strength requirements, which means they’re limited to very specific builds, so players have to plan for one from the beginning.

Shadow of the Erdtree introuces a new kind of Greatsword: the Light Greatsword, aimed at changing many of these long-standing truths. It’s faster, and its strength requirements aren’t quite as stringent, and its attacks not quite as slow, as those of regular Greatswords. It doesn’t do quite as much damage, but it does have just as long a reach. The Light Greatsword Milady was featured in promotional material for Elden Ring; its classy name comes from its refined appearance, and association with the nobility of the Lands Between.

1

Shadow Of The Erdtree’s Beast Claws Are Faster Than Ever Before

Based On Elden Ring’s Claws

Fast, precise, and deadly, Claws are the Platonic ideal of an Elden Ring Dex weapon. They’re limited somewhat by their short reach: getting close enough to use a pair of Claws means risking life and limb by cozying up to an enemy. But the rewards are well worth it. Once the Tarnished is within range, they can deal a blur of bloody slashes, shredding a boss’ HP bar in a matter of seconds. Most Claws also inflict blood loss buildup, which means more damage over time, even once the player pulls away.

Rather than fundamentally changing how Claws work in the DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree makes them faster than ever before with the introduction of Beast Claws. Weapons like the Bear Claws encourage a highly mobile, at times unpredictable fighting style – players will inevitably end up doing a lot of button-mashing. As a result, it can be easy to get carried away, ignoring the warning signs of an impending attack while stuck in a flurry of blows. But with a little bit of control and some fast reflexes, Beast Claws can support some of the most powerful builds in the DLC.

None of Shadow of the Erdtree‘s new weapons reinvent the wheel: they simply represent twists on the game’s pre-existing weapons, making them more accessible to players with unusual builds while providing new options for offense and defense. That said, since weapon type is everything when it comes to determining fighting style, these simple changes will make huge waves in Elden Ring‘s combat.