Elden Ring DLC Arcane Weapons & Builds Tier List (Locations, Routes)

Arcane weapons have a poor showing in the Elden Ring DLC at least in its launch, between the strange choices in weapon function and design are frankly lacking output in various cases. Even so, there are still some new good options that are fun unique, and worth getting. Today, in our Elden Ring DLC arcane tier list, we bring you top 5 Shadow of the Erdtree best arcane weapons and builds.

5. Poisoned Hand

The Poisoned Hand is a unique fist weapon in Elden Ring that possesses a grim and disturbing appearance, reflecting its dark origins and deadly purpose. You can use it as a main hand that's viable, but the best use of it is not to directly use it. You have it equipped because when poison procs near you, you get a classic AR boost for a period with this Elden Ring item. You can have it in your off hand and then main hand whatever you're using, still benefiting from its passive perks, once the poison is working as magic. The weapon itself is really good for procing poison, whether you're using it directly since it does deal deadly poison as it's buildup that's a high DPS version of poison. The ash of war itself is really good for this, a unique one called Poison Spear Hand Strike. Your palm strike a target to build up an immense smart poison. With the right setup and target, you could even get there in one hit. It all nicely works itself into any current relevant poison build and will be considered a vital item for any of those play styles.

How To Get?

• The Poisoned Hand is a fist weapon that can be found in the Belurat city area of Limgrave.

• To access the poison swamp where it is located, you first need to obtain the Well Depths Key. This is found in a central room in Belurat city.

• Use the key on the door inside the city sewers, which can be reached by climbing down a well near the Belurat Tower Site of Grace.

• Go through the sewer tunnel until reaching the poison swamp area. Head north into the swamp.

• In the swamp you will find several insect enemies and possibly a Horned Warrior. The Poisoned Hand is near a half-sunken building.

4. Obsidian Lamina

Obsidian Lamina is the new scythe or Reaper in Elden Ring DLC. While it is a normal scythe that also scales with arcane, it does come with a potent and unique Ash of War Dynastic Sickplay. You could view this as a new Bloody Helice weapon type, in which the ash has you first evade backward and then follow up with an attack combo.  It has freedom of movement which is going to be more relevant against players obviously but can be handy against bosses all the same. When you're ready after doing that dodge, you can choose to follow up with a heavy attack and then multiple combos into a strong combo finish, strong even compared to the Bloody Helice combo. The downside is that it's a chain of hits that can be harder to land, unfortunately. Even though it's awkward, it does hit hard. The bleed buildup is there, there's successive hit potential, and the raw damage of the scythe itself is all pretty solid. You can add Ansback's Attire, with each piece it enhances Dynastic style attacks.

How To Get?

• It is looted from Ansbach's body near the Divine Fate Front Staircase Site of Grace.

• To get it, you need to have completed Ansbach's questline by having given him the Secret Rite Scroll.

• Ansbach is an NPC found during the DLC questline. You must progress his quest to the point where he moves to the staircase.

• At that location, defeat the final DLC boss to trigger Ansbach's death. Then loot his body to obtain the Obsidian Lamina.

3. Flowerstone Gavel

Flowerstone Gavel is a mix of strength and arcane Hammer weapons. The move set is straightforward, it's certainly functional in PvE. There's piercing damage to it and it also deals more damage to dragons as well. The power of this weapon comes entirely from the ash of war because the flower dragon ball will summon a potent lightning-based strike onto a target and you can do it from far away. It's one of those ashes that's very accurate and effective to apply. The damage behind it is more than relevant, you can even charge it to make the hit stronger. There are lots of ways to enhance this lightning damage. Plus, by hitting an enemy with this ash, it debuffs them. Those afflicted with that will take increased lightning damage. A full 15% more when you land the max charge hit of this ash. This is the best Elden Ring DLC arcane weapon for lightning damaged options whether that's incantations or the dex's option of the Bolt of Gransax.

How To Get?

• To obtain it, you must defeat the boss Bayle the Dread, one of the game's most difficult enemies.

• Bayle can be found at the end of the Jagged Peaks area, accessible by completing the Dragon's Pit dungeon in Gravesite Plain DLC region.

• Once Bayle is defeated, return to the Grand Altar of Dragon Communion south of Dragon Pit's Terminus Site of Grace.

• The priestess who was previously at the altar will be gone, leaving behind the Flowerstone Gavel for you to claim as your reward for defeating Bayle.

4. Maternal Staff

Maternal Staff has one of the strongest arcane builds in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree. A build centered around the very effective Impenetrable Thorns is using this staff. With that spell, you're stabbing yourself and bursting out these insanely High DPS thorns on a target, and that causes blood buildup. You can spam these out, so each hit will get worse and worse melting help bars. Simply Having the Maternal Staff equipped provides you with a passive perk to enhance finger sorceries. If you cast sorcery spells that apply anything from bleed, poison, or arcane scaled status as a whole. Using a staff with arcane scaling will scale up the status buildup and it's part of a meta build in DLC.

How To Get?

• Talk to Count Ymir in the Cathedral of Manus Metyr in Scadu Altus. He will give you the Ruins Map.

• Ring the bell in Finger Ruins of Rhia by going through the Cerulean Coast.

• Return to Count Ymir and get the Ruins Map (2nd).

• Ring the bell in Finger Ruins of Dheo by going through the Tree Worship Passage under the Shadow Keep.

• Return to Count Ymir and get the Ruins Map (3rd).

• Ring the bell in Finger Ruins of Miyr found underneath Ymir's throne.

• Defeat Metyr, Mother of Fingers.

• Defeat Sword of Night, Jolan.

• Defeat Count Ymir.

5. Bloodfiend's Arm

The top spot on this Elden Ring DLC arcane weapon ranking goes to an arcane scaling strength weapon, Bloodfiend's Arm. This colossal weapon aims to do one thing only and that is to fully charge heavy attacks onto a target as many times as possible. You can change the affinity to blood to improve the arcane scaling to a B-grade, leading you to commit to that much more than you do strength. The result is hard hits which we can enhance with various talismans. There's a surprising amount of bleed buildup on this too, so we can work in potential usual bleed-related Elden Ring items for those enhancements. The only downside is if you're trying to land heavy attacks and charge heavies at that if you can. On top of that, you can use the ash of war Royal Knight's Resolve to make sure that one hit hits even harder. Overall, the output is high and it's been the weapon of choice for many to face down the final boss of the DLC, because it's arguably one of the best Elden Ring SOTE arcane weapons for that.

How To Get?

• The Bloodfiend's Arm is located in Prospect Town, which is an optional area found by following the cliffs south from Belurat.

• Specifically, you need to climb up through the ruins to reach a group of large Bloodfiend enemies at the top of the town.

• The first time you kill one of these Bloodfiends, there is a chance it will drop the Bloodfiend's Arm weapon.