Elden Ring: 17 Best Sacred Weapons, Ranked (2024)

Elden Ring evens out the playing field for men of the cloth by turning Faith into a weapon. Turns out their preaching is powerful enough to burn down heretics. But sometimes the words just slide off, so it certainly helps to be some kind of war priest in Elden Ring when it comes to smiting enemies. Luckily, the game allows players to tailor its weapons for Faith builds using the Sacred prefix.

This makes the weapons scale off Faith and gives Faith builds the best of both worlds. Sadly, not all weapons have great scaling in Faith, even if they were converted with a Sacred prefix. The best ones just go up to a B-scaling, but with a high enough Faith in whoever the players' almighty is, it will smite hard. So, if the mouth is tired of preaching those Incantations, then these weapons ought to do the talking.

Updated on June 18, 2024, by Vlad Mazanko: With the upcoming launch of the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, players might like to revisit their old builds to examine all the balance changes and updates that Elden Ring has implemented over time. An Elden Ring Faith build centered around Holy or Sacred damage isn't as powerful as other builds due to many enemies being immune to Holy damage, but it's a good way to spice up combat. That said, players will need to be more careful with their choices, as there are some suboptimal weapons to infuse with a Sacred prefix. As such, this list was expanded to include more viable options that are among the best.

17 Golden Halberd

One Of The Best Holy Halberds, Hampered By High Stat Requirements

The Golden Halberd has an excellent base damage output, which only gets better when the weapon is upgraded. It is a great Faith weapon that scales with several attributes (including superb scaling in Strength) and deals a significant amount of Holy damage with each strike. It also offers long reach and wide swings that are capable of damaging multiple foes at once.

The Halberd's Ash of War: Golden Vow Skill might not be the best in its class, however, and it only slightly increases the player's attack power and defense stats. What's even more daunting is that the Halberd's Strength requirement of 30, which makes the journey to effectively use this beautiful weapon take quite a while. Starting as a Vagabond might help, though.

16 Gargoyle's Halberd

Offers A Versatile Moveset With Nice Spinning Attacks

Most of the Gargoyle weapons in Elden Ring are impressive already, given how hard it is to defeat them. The Gargoyle's Halberd is no exception. It's one of the best weapons to infuse with something, and that includes the Sacred prefix. It's only a bit weaker than the Giant-Crusher when it comes to output.

However, the range makes up for that, along with the faster swing. And besides, Halberds have powerful Ashes of War that are mostly designed as gap-closers and quick and safe ways to stagger and stun enemies and bosses. With all of this considered, players can't go wrong with this halberd.

15 Omen Cleaver

Provides Surprisingly Fast Swing Speed And A Great Reach

Most of the curved greatswords in Elden Ring are overpowered already, and the Omen Cleaver is one of the best, right up there with Bloodhound's Fang . The only downside is that it might be harder to obtain and farm compared to the Dismounter.

But the Omen Cleaver is certainly worth it due to the high damage and the fast swing speed, which, for a two-handed weapon, is just borderline unfair. There are also some nifty and awesome Ashes of War for the curved greatswords, and since the Sacred prefix reduces the Strength and Dexterity scaling to just E, players can focus on Faith while wielding this.

14 Rotten Battle Hammer

High-Damage And Holy-Rot Combos Are Guaranteed

For those looking to put pressure on their enemies both in PvE and PvP, the Rotten Battle Hammer is a decent choice. It deals Scarlet Rot, and when paired with Ash of War: Wild Strikes , players can trigger Rot even quicker. Of course, that's just a bonus; the main draw here is its good scaling with Faith using the Sacred Prefix.

It's a good weapon for Strength/Faith hybrids looking to change up their playstyles by introducing Scarlet Rot into the mix. Sadly, the poise damage for Great Hammers has been reduced as of late, but that's not this weapon's best asset anyway.

13 Sacred Relic Sword

Also Known As An Endgame Rune Farm Weapon

Due to unlocking after players beat the game, the Sacred Relic Sword could shine only in subsequent runs, but it is probably worth sticking with. Most players use the Sacred Relic Sword as their rune farm tool to slaughter Albinaurics near Mohgwyn Palace, but it's a very decent weapon beyond this common practice.

A very beautiful and elegant weapon, although its moveset might not satisfy everyone, it is mostly suited for Dexterity/Faith hybrid builds. If players are planning to rely on its Wave of Gold Skill , they might want to invest purely in Faith due to the skill's scaling. After some fine-tuning, the Sacred Relic Sword can really make gamers feel like a god during a New Game+ run.

12 Antspur Rapier

For Those Who Favor Status Effects Above All Else

The Antspur Rapier in a Sacred prefix is not exactly common or optimal, but it's still one of the best weapons under that kind of scaling. The best part about it is that it inflicts Rot on enemies, so repeated and fast hits are rewarded here.

As far as damage based on Faith scaling, the Antspur Rapier does quite a lot for a fast weapon. The Thrusting Sword weapon class also ensures that players will almost never miscalculate the weapon range, but frankly, it's still a bit short-ranged compared to the other melee weapons.

11 Dismounter

Does Not Dismount Enemies But Is Still A Great Option

The Dismounter is an underrated early weapon. It's one of the best Curved Greatswords in the game in terms of stats, superseded only by Omen Cleaver. Players can opt for that Omen weapon, but it will be a bit harder to obtain and farm during the early game. In any case, the Dismounter is a decent weapon with good range.

It has one of the longest ranges among the Curved Greatswords. When converted to a Sacred Prefix, the Dismounter is a good weapon that can deal shockingly high damage. Not accounting for player stats, it could go over 500 AR. Coupled with Faith Incantation buffs, it becomes even more viable.

10 Inseparable Sword

A Weapon Of Great Beauty And Very High Damage

Great for purely Faith builds, the Inseparable Sword is not only a weapon of great beauty, but it also boasts an alternate Greatsword two-handed moveset, which will likely be familiar to fans of the Dark Souls series. The high initial stat requirements are somewhat limiting for some builds, but players should remember that it's also the most Holy-damaging weapon in its class and one of the best Greatswords in Elden Ring overall.

Its Weapon Skill is simple but effective, covering the entire blade in a Sacred glow. It literally takes Holiness to the next level, dealing extra damage to Undead foes and preventing Skeletons from reviving.

9 Cross-Naginata

This Underrated Bleed Weapon Opens Up With Sacred Infusion

The Cross-Naginata has always been one of the strongest yet underrated Bleed weapons in Elden Ring. It's a spear, so it already has a good range advantage over the other choices. But of course, what makes it superior compared to the others is the Bleed buildup with each hit.

It just so happens that there are plenty of Ashes of War that allow players to deal strikes in quick succession. The Cross-Naginata also has respectable scaling after being converted to Sacred. None of the player's stat points on Faith will go to waste, and as an added bonus, they get to be a Faith build with Bleed damage.

8 Godskin Stitcher

Offers Excellent Reach For Stance-Breaking Bosses

The Godskin Stitcher is the weapon of choice for the notorious Godskin Apostles, and it's easy to see why. This is one of the best weapons in the game when it comes to dealing poise damage. A few hits are enough to stance-break a lot of enemies - bosses included. If players put Ash of War: Giant Hunt in it, then it becomes even more powerful for the late-game.

Sadly, it won't do as much damage as a version of the weapon that scales off physical damage stats such as Strength. The split damage will still go through two different resistances. Still, Faith builds who want something heavy and can deal lots of poise damage will do well to acquire this weapon.

7 Ordovis's Greatsword

A Reliable Greatsword That Is As Menacing As It's Deadly

Ordovis's Greatsword is a stylish-looking weapon for cosplaying as a true Holy Paladin of The Golden Order. Even though it has nice Faith scaling, it is basically a Strength weapon through and through, with just a touch of Holy damage.

On top of that, Ordovis's Greatsword's Weapon Skill, known as the Vortex, could be a real game-changer once mastered. It is rather slow and deals little Holy damage, but it can take out multiple enemies or stagger larger foes, making them vulnerable to a stance break. Additionally, it is very hard to interrupt, as it grants a good amount of Poise to the wielder.

6 Nightrider Glaive

Offers Great Scaling, Damage, And Reach

The Nightrider Glaive is easily one of the best Halberds in the game, and thankfully, players can acquire it early on. It drops from the Night Cavalry roaming around the road to Bellum Church in Liurnia. Halberds are always a solid weapon class of choice in Elden Ring because they have a wide selection of overpowered Ashes of War.

One that comes to mind for the Nightrider Glaive is something like Ash of War: Phantom Slash , which not only looks cool but also does good damage. Barring that, the Nightrider Glaive has decent damage regardless, and players can be confident in wielding it for the majority of the game or even taking it to Malenia herself.

5 Gargoyle's Greatsword

One Of The Highest Holy Damage-Dealers In Its Class

The Gargoyle's Greatsword might look like a plastic toy, but it's actually one of the best Greatswords in the game due to its damage alone. Among all the Greatswords, it has one of the highest base damage in the game. It even competes with the Iron Greatsword when it comes to original Strength scaling.

The Gargoyle's Greatsword will edge out the Iron Greatsword when it comes to Sacred Faith scaling, making it the better choice. If players want, they can even powerstance two of these, and the damage will rival that of a Colossal Greatsword. Of course, the range is lower, but Faith builds have access to Lightning Spear anyway.

4 Envoy's Long Horn

The Damaging Power Of Music Shouldn't Be Overlooked

It has a B scaling in Faith (which is its highest), so the Envoy's Long Horn counts as a Sacred weapon. The damage split is a bit mediocre, especially for such a heavy weapon, but players won't be using it to smash enemies. The Envoy's Long Horn is usually coveted for its weapon skill, Bubble Shower.

This unleashes a torrent of Holy bubbles down a frontal cone, and they deal tons of damage. They can even make quick work of huge or slow bosses. In fact, there are even Faith builds that are centered around taking advantage of Bubbler Shower. That's how powerful this musical instrument is in Elden Ring.

3 Nagakiba

A Fan-Favorite Katana With Excellent Reach

The Uchigatana is also a viable candidate here, but the Nagakiba is just a better overall weapon, especially for Faith builds that might have sacrificed some Vigor and need a safer weapon. The Nagakiba is practically the Uchigatana with a significantly longer range.

Stat-wise, it does decent enough damage, but where it excels is applying Bleed buildup with every strike. This makes the Nagakiba's damage output a lot higher in turn, helping a lot of Sacred weapon users compensate for the lower split damage.

2 Halo Scythe

A Stylish Weapon That Is Capable Of Dealing Holy Damage At Range

The scaling is somewhat bad for Faith builds, but one can still fit this weapon well in a Dexterity/Faith build because it's one of the best weapons that deal Holy or Sacred damage in the game. The weapon skill is also ranged and can be spammed multiple times to clear several enemies on the screen.

If that's not enough, Halo Scythe also has innate bleed, making the weapon versatile against a wide selection of bosses. That also makes it viable in PvP, and with the attack speed and distance buffs, this weapon is even better than before.

1 Black Knife

A Deadly Tool For Instantly Lowering The Health Pool Of One's Foes

The base damage numbers are a little low, but it's important to note that the Black Knife is a fast weapon. And besides, players won't be wielding it for normal attacks. Its most important asset is the weapon skill, which shoots out a projectile that will reduce a target's maximum HP by a considerable amount along with a damage-over-time proc.

It makes tough bosses in Elden Ring easier to crack and also makes PvP opponents panic. It's designed with Dexterity/Faith builds in mind, but pure Faith characters can still get by. Anyone looking for a good opportunity to cosplay as a Black Knife Assassin can do so with this weapon without sacrificing damage or practicality.

Elden Ring

Platform(s)

PS5 , Xbox One , PS4 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , PC

Released

February 25, 2022

Developer(s)

From Software

Genre(s)

RPG , Action

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