Now that Elden Ring has been out for a while, players have really begun to experiment with different builds and stats. Out of the hundreds of weapons in Elden Ring, each feels somewhat viable in a sense when used with good stats and weapon upgrades. That being said, each stat does have a weapon that seems to be built for it, with high scaling and insanely high damage.
Although upgrading a weapon with smithing stones in Elden Ring is technically a better way to increase damage, allocating stats that align with a weapons scaling is also key. For example, if a weapon has a B, A, or S rank in a stat, that stat will increase its damage more so than if it has a C or E. There are very few weapons with S scaling, but even the ones that don't have S scaling can be extremely fearsome.
First is the S scaling strength weapon, the Ruins Greatsword. When pure damage is a player's goal, the Hand of Malenia is always a great option with a solid B scaling.
Follow Ranni's Quest For The Dark Moon Greatsword
Intelligence, in Elden Ring, has staffs that have an S scaling, but the best pure weapon is the Dark Moon Greatsword. The Dark Moon Greatsword has a good B scaling in intelligence, and it is all-around a fantastic weapon to add to any intelligence build. Pairing it with frost spells is a sure way to do massive damage with frostbite. Similar to intelligence, faith has seals with high scaling, but the best pure weapon is the Golden Order Greatsword. Its AOE ash of war, and B faith scaling, allow the player to deal great damage. Finally, arcane's deadliest weapon is certainly the Rivers of Blood. Most players are familiar with its fantastic ash of war by now, as it inflicts bleed almost instantly.
The great thing about most of these Elden Ring weapons is that they can be upgraded with somber smithing stones, making it easier to max out the weapon and increase its scaling. Somber stones are much easier to come by and allow for massive damage increases early on. There are plenty of early game opportunities to get a weapon up to at least plus five before fighting Radahn.
The only drawback is that most of these weapons are available later in the game with a few exceptions. The Ruins Greatsword can be grabbed early on, but it is guarded by a fight that is tough for an under leveled character. Though they are harder to acquire, they make the best use out of their designated stat and can lead to some really hard-hitting attacks.
Elden Ring is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
