Tier List: Best Strength Weapons in Elden Ring

The Challenge of Ranking Strength Weapons

Before we dive into tiers, a few caveats:

• Your build (stats, Ashes of War, infusion, playstyle) matters a lot. A weapon that seems top-tier on paper may underperform if your Strength is low or your build leans hybrid.
• PvE vs PvP can shift ranking. Some weapons shine in massive health pools and stagger windows (PvE) but struggle in agile duels.
• Upgrade level, scaling, and secondary effects (bleed, fire, weapon skill) also affect the real value, so raw AR (attack rating) isn't everything.
• Patch changes or DLC additions can shift meta balance over time.

With that in mind, I grouped what many players, guides, and experience tend to agree on.

Tier Criteria (What Makes a Weapon “Good” for Strength Builds)

Here are the axes I use to judge:

Tier List: Best Strength Weapons in Elden Ring

Below is my tier list for Strength weapons (with some “honorables”)—grouped in S, A, B, C tiers. These reflect what I believe balances performance and real-world usability.

S Tier (Top picks for Strength builds)

These are the “go to” weapons I'd recommend aiming for if you run a mostly Strength build.

• Giant-Crusher  
  Probably the poster child of pure Strength weapons. Massive damage, excellent stagger potential, and when built well, capable of “one-shot” style burst combos.
• Greatsword  
  A favorite for good reason. Decent scaling, good reach, versatile in terms of infusions / Ashes of War, and user-friendly. Many players use Greatsword well into late game.
• Rusted Anchor / Giant Rusty Anchor  
  It often shows up high in Strength weapon lists (especially earlier in the game) as a strong choice before you get endgame weapons.
• Blasphemous Blade  
  Even though it has Faith scaling too, it often ends in S rank for many guides because of its weapon skill (Taker's Flames) and the healing on hit trait. Very powerful hybrid tool for Strength builds with a bit of Faith investment.
• Godslayer's Greatsword  
  A DLC / late game weapon, but powerful enough to merit S in many rankings for Strength users. Its raw damage and presence make it a serious contender.
• Ruins Greatsword  
  A solid “heavy” weapon that tends to appear in the upper tier lists. It combines good base AR with a manageable moveset.

If you're looking to maximize your Strength build, these weapons will carry you through both PvE and PvP with sheer power and reliability. Pairing the right weapon with solid upgrades makes progression smoother and boss fights far more manageable. For players who also want extra convenience, you can always buy Elden Ring items cheap to round out your build and save time.

A Tier (Very strong, situational or a bit more tradeoffs)

These are excellent choices, just slightly behind S-tier due to weight, niche drawbacks, or higher requirements.

• Great Mace  
  Heavy, with strong stagger, and solid for bosses. Often placed in A tier because of its bulk and slower animations.
• Starscourge Greatsword  
  A good mix of power and unique effects; sometimes its performance in PvE jumps it up.
• Brick Hammer / Battle Hammer / Rotten Battle Hammer  
  These tend to appear in “A” slots in older tier lists; they don't match the top giants but are reliable choice for earlier/ mid game.
• Envoy's Long Horn  
  It shows up in some lists as a strong warhammer / heavy weapon ally to Strength builds.
• Black Steel Greathammer  
  (If you have DLC / late game reach) can perform well, especially when infused or under the right build. Appears in “best weapons overall” lists in DLC-aware guides.

And if you ever feel like easing the grind a bit while fine-tuning builds around these A-tier picks, you can always buy elden ring runes online from U4GM to keep your momentum smooth and steady.

B Tier (Good but with more tradeoffs or more specialized)

These weapons can still carry you, especially in midgame or on hybrid builds, but they require compromises.

• Gargoyle Greatsword / Gargoyle Twinblade  
  They have utility, but often lower raw scaling or limitations in moveset for pure Strength.
• Banished Knight Greatsword  
  Decent overhead, but you'll feel the difference vs S/A weapons.
• Dragon Halberd  
  Reach is nice, but many halberds don't match the raw damage or stagger potential of pure heavy weapons.
• Iron Cleaver / Mace / Flamberge / Zweihander (in some lists)  
  These appear in lower B or C zones in certain guides. Decent backup or filler weapons depending on your stat spread.

C Tier (Situational, early use, or niche)

These are weapons I'd only use if better options are unavailable, or in specialized builds (for example, low Strength or hybrid builds).

• Great Omen's Cleaver, Highland Axe, Golem Halberd, etc.  
  They appear in lower tiers in older, community-driven lists.
• Spiked Caestus, Pickaxe, Crescent Moon Axe  
  Usually lower impact in mid/late game.

Practical Advice & Tips

Here are things I'd tell a player trying to pick their Strength weapon:

1. Don't chase top tier blindly  
   If you're still leveling, a weapon slightly below the top tiers but better matched to your stats and playstyle can outperform “meta” ones.
2. Manage your equip load / mobility  
   The heaviest weapons demand you either invest in Endurance or accept slower rolling / less agility.
3. Experiment with Ashes of War / infusions  
   A “weaker” weapon can sometimes be better if you can tune it (via Heavy infusion, for example) to your build.
4. Stagger & posture is key  
   Strength weapons often win by crippling defenses. Target enemies whose posture is vulnerable, and don't always go for pure damage.
5. Reserve situational weapons  
   For example, you might carry a bleed or fire hybrid Strength weapon (e.g. Blasphemous Blade) to counter particular bosses or enemy types, while your main is a raw heavy warhammer or greatsword.

Summary (Recap)

• I laid out a structured tier list (S / A / B / C) for Strength weapons, balancing raw damage, stagger potential, weight, versatility, and ease of use.
• S-Tier weapons (Giant-Crusher, Greatsword, Blasphemous Blade, Godslayer's Greatsword, Ruins Greatsword, etc.) are what most Strength builds should aim for.
• A-Tier options are solid, though with tradeoffs (heavier, slower, niche), and B / C are more fallback / specialized.
• The best weapon is often the one you can comfortably wield and upgrade, rather than the “top” on paper.