Are you on the hunt for a new weapon to dominate the battlefield? Perhaps you're seeking a powerful tool that's less obvious than the usual choices, or maybe you're ready to switch from the now-nerfed perfume bottles to something equally effective yet more reliable. With this updated Elden Ring DLC Tier List, we rank the top 20 best weapons (builds) after the 1.12.3 post patch!

Elden Ring DLC Tier List (1.12.3) - Top 20 Best Weapons (Builds) Ranked in Shadow of the Erdtree

FromSoftware has dropped a Fourth of July patch, bringing Elden Ring to version 1.12.3. This update introduces some much-needed changes, especially to elements that were being rampantly abused. We've seen adjustments to PvP mechanics, buffs, and nerfs to various weapons and skills, and overall improvements to game balance. With these changes in mind, it's the perfect time to reevaluate the best weapons in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. In this guide, we'll rank the top 20 weapons post-patch, detailing their strengths, weaknesses, and how they stack up in both PvE and PvP. Let's discover which weapons will give you the edge you need to conquer the challenges ahead after the post pach!

1. Claws of Night

The Claws of Night are exceptional due to their rapid attack speed and bleed buildup. The Scatter Shot Throw Ash of War acts like a shotgun blast, dealing significant damage and causing quick bleed procs. This weapon's versatility and effectiveness in close combat make it a standout choice, capable of dealing massive DPS and staggering enemies quickly.

2. Blasphemous Blade

The Blasphemous Blade remains a powerhouse, especially when combined with faith-based incantations. Its L2 special ability synergizes well with fire damage talismans, making it devastating against bosses. The weapon benefits from numerous buffs, enhancing both fire and faith damage, and is particularly effective at shredding large hitbox enemies with its potent fire attacks.

3. Bloodfiend's Arm

Despite receiving nerfs to its Arcane scaling and bleed buildup, the Bloodfiend's Arm is still incredibly strong. Its heavy charged attacks and ability to stagger enemies make it a top-tier weapon. Pairing it with Royal Knight’s Resolve and appropriate talismans ensures it remains a formidable choice for dealing massive damage and causing bleed procs effectively.

4. Great Katana

The Great Katana offers a balanced mix of speed, range, and bleed buildup, making it highly versatile. It’s effective for staggering enemies and dealing significant damage, especially with overhead stance attacks. This weapon is reliable in both PvP and PvE, providing consistent performance and adaptability in various combat scenarios.

5. Fire Knight's Flame Art Greatsword

Even though it received a nerf to its true combo chain in PvP, the Fire Knight's Greatsword remains powerful in PvE. Imbuing it with fire damage and using the Flame Skewer true combo enhances its damage and stagger potential. This weapon excels at dealing high damage and maintaining pressure on enemies, particularly in PvE settings.

6. Thrusting Shields

Thrusting Shields allow for simultaneous blocking and attacking, making them a defensive yet aggressive option. Although nerfed, they still provide effective and user-friendly gameplay. The build requires good stamina management but remains potent, especially for players who prefer a more defensive playstyle while still being able to deal consistent damage.

7. Backhand Blade

Utilizing the Blind Spot Ash of War, the Backhand Blade excels in evasion and counterattacks. Its dexterity scaling and bleed potential make it a strong contender for agile playstyles. The weapon's ability to dodge and punish attacks effectively makes it highly desirable for players who enjoy a fast and reactive combat approach.

8. Falx

The dual curved swords of the Falx offer high DPS and bleed buildup. The Ash of War allows for quick successive attacks, making it deadly, especially when focusing on dexterity and bleed. This weapon is particularly effective in close combat, where its rapid attack speed and bleed potential can overwhelm enemies quickly.

9. Poleblade of the Bud

This weapon’s natural Scarlet Rot buildup is unique, though it requires more Arcane scaling to be truly effective. Improving its Poise and Scarlet Rot application would enhance its overall performance. As it stands, it is a solid choice for players looking to inflict status ailments, but it needs better scaling to reach its full potential.

10. Perfume Bottle Weapons

Previously overpowered due to bugs, these weapons are now balanced but still lack the necessary oomph. They require better Poise damage and improved attack execution to become more viable. While their move set is visually appealing, their current damage output and utility make them less competitive compared to other top-tier weapons.

11. Death Knight's Longhaft Axe

A solid choice for strength builds, the Death Knight's Longhaft Axe offers high damage and decent stagger potential. It lacks the versatility and speed of higher-ranked weapons but remains a good option for players focusing on raw strength and heavy-hitting attacks. Its slower attack speed requires careful timing and positioning in combat.

12. Greatsword of Radahn

While powerful, the Greatsword of Radahn suffers from slower attack speed and higher stamina consumption. It remains a good option for strength-focused players but is less versatile compared to other choices. Its heavy attacks can deal significant damage, but its usability is limited by its slower swing speed and higher stamina requirements.

13. Horned Warrior's Greatsword

This weapon's unique skill and appearance are appealing, but it lacks sufficient Poise and hyper armor during its skill execution. Buffing these aspects would make it a more competitive option. Currently, it struggles to stand out due to its vulnerability during skill execution, despite its impressive design and concept.

14. Spirit Sword

The Spirit Sword has poor range and low damage output. Enhancing its projectile speed, tracking, and damage would significantly improve its viability. As it stands, the weapon's short range and underwhelming damage make it less effective in combat, requiring substantial buffs to become a more competitive choice.

15. Devonia's Hammer

Devonia's Hammer has high AR but its unique skill is a carbon copy of another weapon's skill. Increasing its hyper armor would make it stand out as a more robust choice. While it reaches impressive damage numbers when fully upgraded, its lack of originality and vulnerability during skill execution limit its effectiveness.

16. Messmer Soldier's Spear

A decent mid-tier weapon, the Messmer Soldier's Spear lacks standout features needed to compete with top-tier options. Buffing its damage and status effect application could enhance its appeal. Currently, it performs adequately but does not excel in any particular area, making it a less attractive choice for high-level play.

17. Keen Smithscript Spear

Once a top-tier weapon, the Keen Smithscript Spear has been nerfed significantly. It requires buffs to regain its former glory, particularly in damage output and status effect application. The current state of the weapon leaves it underwhelming, needing improvements to both its damage and utility to become viable again.

18. Euporia

Despite its unique appearance, Euporia falls short in terms of damage and utility. It needs significant buffs to become a more competitive weapon. Currently, its low damage output and lack of standout features make it one of the weaker options, requiring substantial improvements to its performance.

19. Rabbath's Cannon

Rabbath's Cannon, while visually impressive, lacks practical utility due to its fast projectile speed and ineffective tracking. Slowing down the projectiles and enhancing their tracking would make it a more viable option. As it stands, the cannon's inability to effectively hit moving targets limits its usefulness in combat.

20. Barbed Staff-Spear

This weapon requires both a buff and a nerf. Fixing the bleed bug while ensuring every arc of its skill hits would make it more fun and effective. Currently, its inconsistent damage output and reliance on a bug for effectiveness make it a less reliable choice, needing adjustments to become more competitive.

This tier list provides the updated ranking of the top 20 builds for specific weapons in the Elden Ring DLC after the 1.12.3 patch. Each weapon has its unique strengths and weaknesses, and this guide aims to help players make informed choices for their builds in both PvE and PvP scenarios.