Shadow of the Erdtree offers plenty of new weapons for the Tarnished to play with. Among the fist weapons, these are the best choices.
Elden Ring: Fist Weapons in Shadow of the Erdtree
Many weapon types have seen recurrences throughout FromSoftware's titles, as would be expected for RPGs. Elden Ring features a huge number of weapons for players to wield, and the recent DLC Shadow of the Erdtree has further increased this number. Among the various weapon types are fist weapons, which weren't as numerous compared to other types in the base game. With Shadow of the Erdtree, more fist weapons were indeed introduced. They are still limited in number by comparison, but now there are more options for players to wield. Some are similar to the base fist weapons found in Elden Ring, while others introduce a completely new way of fighting enemies. Here are some of the best that players can pick up in the expansion.
6. Poisoned Hand
Location: Belurat, Tower Settlement, at the sewer level.
Some weapons aren't strong because of the damage they can deal, but rather because of the secondary effects they inflict on targets. The Poisoned Hand is a prime example of this. It's not exactly the best weapon for harming others. However, as suggested by its name, the Poisoned Hand can accumulate poison on the target. When procced, this will raise the weapon's attack power. This effect can stack with other items that do the same thing, such as the Kindred of Rot's Exultation and the Mushroom Crown, making the Poisoned Hand a powerful support weapon.
5. Madding Hand
Location: The Abyssal Woods, south of the Woodland Trail Site of Grace.
Of all the status effects, madness can be one of the most powerful tools to utilize, and the Madding Hand gives players another weapon to inflict it. It builds up madness, both with its normal attacks and the Ash of War. The Madding Hand's reach isn't the best, given it stays on the player's hand. However, it can deal respectable damage. It can work well in PvE, but can see more success in PvP. The Ash of War strikes the target with a single attack that can deal high damage. It will also inflict a heavy amount of madness, often proccing with just one use.
4. Thiollier's Hidden Needle
Location: Obtained after completing Thiollier's questline.
Fist weapons aren't as popular as other weapons in Elden Ring, and so giving one such weapon a unique status effect definitely makes it more prominent. Sleep can be utilized thanks to different sources, but there are only a few weapons that build sleep. Thiollier's Hidden Needle is one of them. The range of the weapon isn't the best, as it is essentially the same as the range of the player's fists. However, it has good scaling in both intelligence and dexterity, with a C and B when fully upgraded respectively. It deals decent damage, but other fist weapons can outperform it. The specialty is its sleep build up and the Ash of War, which deals bonus damage to enemies who are asleep.
3. Golem Fist
Location: Taylew's Ruined Forge
Strength weapons always deal heavier damage compared to dexterity. The point is to deal fewer attacks, but more damage with each one. The Golem Fist follows this, dealing harder-hitting attacks than other fist weapons owing to its strength status. It is able to reach an A in strength scaling when infused as a heavy weapon, making for a decently fast strength weapon. It might not hit as hard as the higher tier of strength weapons, but it compensates with its speed, while still managing to deal good damage. However, the Ash of War isn't anything too special, being Endure.
2. Dryleaf Arts
Location: Obtained from Dryleaf Dane.
Out of the new weapons introduced in Shadow of the Erdtree, the martial arts weapons are some of the flashiest. Coming straight from Sekiro, players are able to use their own fists to defeat enemies. It may not constitute an actual fist weapon in the game, but players will use a series of punches to attack foes, dealing a surprisingly high amount of damage. For dexterity users, the Dryleaf Arts will be a strong addition to their arsenal. It easily goes toe-to-toe with actual weaponry in terms of how powerful it can be. The Ash of War will also prove a valuable tool, causing an explosion around the wielder that can severely harm enemies. It also gives players hyper armor when they're charging it up.
1. Pata
Location: Near the Church of Benediction, on a hanging body.
A key criticism of fist weapons is the lack of range they possess, given that they do in fact remain on the user's fists. The Pata is more bearable to wield in this regard, with blades extending out that can hit enemies at further reaches. The weapon scales well with dexterity, reaching a B when fully upgraded as a keen or quality weapon. It is fast, and can hit fairly hard, doing respectable damage. The Ash of War is also capable of dealing strong damage, with a long thrust that can be a reliable way to take out foes.
author Rohan James Hill