Elden Ring Idus Sword Guide: Stats, Location, Skill, Scaling & Best Build

Elden Ring Patch 1.17 introduces a variety of new content and balance changes ahead of the Tarnished Pack DLC, which is scheduled for August 28, 2026. Among the new additions is the Idus Sword, a Light Greatsword associated with the new Idus Knight class.

The Idus Sword combines the reach and damage profile of a greatsword with a relatively light weight and a faster moveset. It is particularly effective for physical melee builds that invest in both Strength and Dexterity.

This guide covers the Idus Sword’s stats, attribute scaling, weapon skill, acquisition methods, recommended builds, talismans, affinities, and practical combat strategies.

What Is the Idus Sword in Elden Ring?

The Idus Sword is a new Light Greatsword introduced with the Tarnished Pack DLC. It serves as the signature starting weapon of the Idus Knight class, although existing characters can also obtain it from a fixed location in Liurnia of the Lakes.

According to its weapon description, the Idus Sword was crafted with enough refinement to allow properly trained warriors to swing it with a speed closer to that of a standard straight sword despite its substantial appearance.

The weapon deals Standard and Pierce physical damage and has no innate elemental damage or status buildup. Its native weapon skill, Impaling Thrust, gives the sword an additional advantage against enemies that rely heavily on shields.

Idus Sword Overview

The 7.0 weight makes the Idus Sword relatively easy to incorporate into a medium-load setup. This leaves room for heavier armor or additional Elden Ring Items without forcing excessive investment into Endurance.

Idus Sword Base and +25 Stats

The Idus Sword starts with simple physical scaling and retains the same basic Strength/Dexterity focus when fully upgraded.

At +25, it reaches 303 base Physical Attack Power plus 171 bonus Attack Power, giving it 474 total physical attack power before additional buffs, affinities, or temporary effects are considered.

Idus Sword Maximum Upgrade Stats

The weapon’s relatively high fixed physical damage helps compensate for its modest attribute scaling, particularly during the early and middle stages of a playthrough.

Idus Sword Attribute Scaling Explained

The Idus Sword has a straightforward scaling profile. Its offensive attribute scaling is limited to Strength and Dexterity, with both stats reaching D scaling at maximum upgrade.

Scaling Comparison

This means the weapon does not receive attribute-based damage bonuses from Intelligence, Faith, or Arcane.

The dual D-tier Strength/Dexterity scaling makes the Idus Sword most appropriate for physical melee characters. However, D scaling is relatively modest, so players should not expect extremely large damage increases simply by pushing Strength and Dexterity to very high levels.

Instead, much of the Idus Sword’s performance comes from its fixed base damage, weapon class, moveset, and ability to chain attacks efficiently.

Idus Sword vs. Milady

The Idus Sword can be compared directly with the DLC-exclusive Milady, another Light Greatsword.

The biggest difference is the relationship between base damage and scaling. Idus Sword offers stronger fixed damage, making it attractive when character attributes are relatively low. Milady, meanwhile, benefits more from stronger attribute investment and can eventually pull ahead as a character becomes more optimized.

The difference is not large enough to make the Idus Sword obsolete. At high stat levels, the overall damage gap is roughly 10% according to the supplied data, meaning players can comfortably continue using the Idus Sword if they prefer its moveset or have not yet acquired Milady.

Idus Sword Weapon Skill: Impaling Thrust

The Idus Sword’s unique weapon skill is Impaling Thrust.

This skill focuses on piercing damage and is particularly useful against enemies that hide behind shields. After charging the attack, the Tarnished lunges forward with a powerful thrust capable of bypassing an opponent’s guard.

Impaling Thrust Details

Impaling Thrust is especially useful against shield-bearing enemies in the Lands Between. Instead of repeatedly attacking a guarded target and waiting for an opening, you can use the skill to directly punish the enemy through its defensive stance.

For this reason, keeping the native skill is a particularly sensible choice for a Standard or Quality-oriented Idus Sword build.

How to Get the Idus Sword

There are two primary ways to obtain the Idus Sword.

Method 1: Start as the Idus Knight

The fastest way to obtain the weapon on a new character is to select Idus Knight as your starting class.

The Idus Knight begins the game with:

· Idus Sword

· Silver Grooved armor set

· Silver Grooved shield

This makes the Idus Sword immediately available from the beginning of a fresh playthrough.

Method 2: Find It in Southern Liurnia

Existing characters can obtain the sword without creating a new character or completing a specific quest.

Travel to southern Liurnia of the Lakes and begin from the Liurnia Lake Shore Site of Grace. Travel northwest and look for a corpse leaning against a tree.

The Idus Sword can be collected directly from this corpse.

No boss fight or lengthy questline is required, making this one of the more accessible new weapons to obtain during exploration.

Idus Sword Location Summary

Players who want to build around the Idus Sword early can therefore obtain it without investing significant time into DLC progression.

Silver Grooved Set Location

The Idus Knight’s matching Silver Grooved armor and shield can also be obtained separately.

If you did not select Idus Knight as your starting class, the matching equipment can be purchased from the Nomadic Merchant near Bellum Church in northern Liurnia.

This provides an easy way to recreate the appearance and equipment setup of the Idus Knight without starting a new character.

Best Idus Sword Build

The Idus Sword’s D/D Strength and Dexterity scaling makes it naturally suited to a Quality-style physical melee build.

A balanced Strength/Dexterity setup allows the character to benefit from both attributes while taking advantage of the weapon’s relatively strong fixed damage.

Recommended Stat Distribution

These numbers should be treated as a practical target rather than a mandatory level spread.

Vigor should remain a major priority because the Idus Sword encourages aggressive melee combat. Around 50–60 Vigor provides a much more comfortable health pool for late-game encounters.

Endurance does not need to be extremely high because the Idus Sword weighs only 7.0. Invest enough to maintain Medium Load after accounting for your armor, shield, and other equipment.

Mind can remain relatively low because Impaling Thrust costs only 9 FP.

Recommended Affinities and Ashes of War

The Idus Sword can be tailored to different physical playstyles depending on the chosen affinity and Ash of War.

Standard / Quality

For a balanced Strength/Dexterity character, keeping the default setup is an excellent option.

The main advantage is retaining Impaling Thrust, allowing the weapon to deal with shielded enemies efficiently.

A practical sequence is to use Impaling Thrust against a guarded target and then transition into the Light Greatsword’s regular attack chains.

Keen

Keen is more appropriate for characters that invest heavily into Dexterity.

Players can replace the native skill with an external Ash of War such as Cragblade. This setup focuses on improving physical damage and stance pressure while taking advantage of the weapon’s relatively quick attack chains.

Cold

Cold provides another interesting option for Dexterity-oriented builds.

The added Frost buildup gives the Idus Sword a source of status pressure that the default weapon lacks. Repeated attacks can help trigger Frostbite while the Light Greatsword’s chained moveset keeps pressure on the target.

Affinity Comparison

Best Talismans for the Idus Sword

Because the Light Greatsword moveset rewards continuous attacks and efficient stamina management, several talismans work particularly well.

Winged Sword Insignia

Winged Sword Insignia increases damage through successive attacks. This complements the Idus Sword’s ability to chain light and heavy attacks together.

Millicent’s Prosthesis

Millicent’s Prosthesis further supports successive-hit gameplay and is therefore a natural choice for an aggressive Idus Sword build.

Green Turtle Talisman

The Green Turtle Talisman improves stamina recovery. This is useful when repeatedly chaining attacks, dodging, and repositioning during prolonged encounters.

Great-Jar’s Arsenal

Great-Jar’s Arsenal increases carrying capacity, making it easier to equip heavier armor while retaining Medium Load.

Recommended Talisman Setup

You can adjust the fourth slot depending on your armor and defensive requirements.

Idus Sword Combat Strategy

The Idus Sword’s biggest advantage is not simply its raw damage. Its Light Greatsword moveset gives it strong flexibility in close-range combat.

Light and heavy attacks can flow into one another, allowing you to alter your attack sequence according to the enemy’s behavior.

A useful general-purpose combo is:

Charged Heavy Attack → Two Light Attacks → Charged Heavy Attack

This sequence provides a good balance between damage, pressure, and stamina management. It also avoids committing to the slower ending portion of a full light-attack chain.

Against aggressive enemies, do not automatically complete the entire sequence. Stop the combo early, create distance, and prepare to dodge or counterattack.

Combat Tips

Against shielded enemies:

Use Impaling Thrust to bypass their guard rather than repeatedly attacking their shield.

Against slower enemies:

Take advantage of the Light Greatsword’s attack chains and use charged heavy attacks to increase stance pressure.

Against aggressive bosses:

Avoid greedily extending combos. Two or three attacks followed by repositioning is often safer than committing to a complete chain.

Against groups:

Use the sword’s reach to maintain spacing and prioritize isolated targets before becoming surrounded.

For resource management:

Keep enough FP for Impaling Thrust while relying primarily on normal attacks for sustained damage. This prevents the weapon skill from consuming your entire FP pool during longer exploration sessions.

Is the Idus Sword Worth Using?

The Idus Sword is best viewed as a reliable physical Light Greatsword rather than an overpowered endgame weapon.

Its strengths are its low weight, strong fixed physical damage, accessible requirements, flexible moveset, and unique shield-piercing weapon skill. Its biggest weakness is its relatively poor D/D attribute scaling, which limits its long-term damage growth compared with weapons that have stronger scaling profiles.

For early and mid-game progression, however, the weapon is highly practical.

Players who are collecting Elden Ring Items for different builds can also keep the Idus Sword as a dedicated physical weapon for encounters where its moveset and Impaling Thrust provide an advantage.

Likewise, efficient use of Elden Ring Runes is important when developing a Quality character because Strength, Dexterity, Vigor, and Endurance all compete for level-up resources. Prioritizing Vigor first and gradually building Strength and Dexterity toward the recommended targets creates a more balanced progression curve.

Conclusion: A Reliable Light Greatsword for Physical Builds

The Idus Sword gives Elden Ring players another effective Light Greatsword option with a distinctive identity. Its 7.0 weight, Standard/Pierce damage profile, low requirements, and Impaling Thrust skill make it especially comfortable for physical melee characters.

Its D-tier Strength and Dexterity scaling prevents it from being an obvious best-in-slot choice for heavily optimized high-level builds, but that is balanced by its strong fixed damage and excellent accessibility. It can perform very well during early-to-mid progression and remains perfectly usable later for players who enjoy its moveset.

For a balanced Quality setup, around 40 Strength and 40 Dexterity, combined with 50–60 Vigor and sufficient Endurance for Medium Load, provides a solid foundation. Players can then customize the weapon with Standard, Keen, or Cold depending on their preferred combat style.

If your goal is a fast, physical Light Greatsword that can punish shield users while offering flexible attack chains, the Idus Sword is a weapon worth adding to your Elden Ring arsenal.

The U4GM Team