Elden Ring: Fists as the Ultimate Weapon Choice
In this Elden Ring article, we analyze different weapons in Elden Ring, discussing their pros and cons to help you make better decisions about which weapons to use in your build. But before we delve into the individual weapons, let's explore the pros and cons of this weapon group and the playstyles most players will likely adopt when using fists.
Pros of Fist Weapons
• Extremely Fast Attack Speed: Fists have one of the fastest attack speeds in the game, allowing you to hit enemies repeatedly. This rapid attack speed synergizes well with items that buff damage on consecutive hits, such as the Winged Sword Insignia, Millicent's Prosthesis, or the Thorny Cracked Tear.
• Lightweight and Easy to Dual Wield: All but one fist weapon is paired, meaning you can wield two of them while only equipping one, resulting in a very light equip load. Fist weapons are incredibly lightweight, with the lightest weighing 1.5 units and the heaviest at 4 units, making it easy to manage your equip weight.
• Fantastic Dual-Wield Moveset: Fists have a highly effective dual-wield moveset, allowing you to strike enemies quickly and efficiently.
• Variety of Damage Types: Fists offer a good variety of damage types, including strike, slash, and thrust, providing flexibility in dealing with different enemy resistances.
• High Stance Damage: Compared to claws and daggers, fists inflict significantly more stance damage. If you enjoy the rapid attack speed of those weapons but struggle with stance breaking, fists might be a better choice.
Cons of Fist Weapons
• Lower Attack Rating: Fists typically have a lower attack rating than many other weapons in Elden Ring.
• Nerfed Dual-Wield Status Effects: Dual-wield status effects were nerfed in recent patches, making it harder to inflict status effects like bleed or poison.
• Extremely Short Reach: Fists have a very short reach, making it challenging to hit some enemies even when you're right next to them.
Playstyles
Most players will likely use fists in two primary ways:
• Dual-Wielding: Taking advantage of the paired moveset to strike rapidly with both fists.
• Single-Handing with a Shield: Utilizing fast charged heavy attacks to break stances more reliably while maintaining defense with a shield.
Types of Fist Weapons
Elden Ring features two distinctly different types of fists:
• Spike Caestus, Iron Ball, and Star Fist: These weapons typically deal strike damage and have similar movesets.
• Other Fists: These include weapons that deal slash, standard, or thrust damage and have their own unique movesets.
Let's dive into some of the unique fist weapons in Elden Ring.
Unique Fist Weapons
Clinging Bone
The Clinging Bone deals physical and magic damage, has a relatively high weight for fists (weighing 3 units), and requires 8 strength, 22 dexterity, and 16 arcane to wield. This weapon has a fast one-handed charged heavy attack and a unique skill called Lifesteal Fist, which can stun-lock enemies and heal the user for 30% of their max HP. This allows for a skew towards FP flasks, using Lifesteal Fist for healing.
Veteran's Prosthesis
The Veteran's Prosthesis deals physical and lightning damage, is the heaviest fist weapon (weighing 4 units), and requires 15 strength and 12 dexterity. It has a long reach and high attack rating for a fist. The skill, Storm Kick, is powerful but can only be obtained near the end of the game in the Mountaintops of the Giants. Storm Kick deals significant physical and lightning damage and is effective for AOE attacks and interrupting enemies.
Cipher Pata
The Cipher Pata deals 100% holy damage, weighs zero units, and requires 30 faith. This weapon is ideal for incantation builds with high faith. It has a unique skill, Unblockable Blade, which bypasses shields and cannot be parried, making it useful against shielded enemies. The sweet spot for this weapon is around 50 faith, making it a good choice for faith-based builds.
Grafted Dragon
The Grafted Dragon deals physical and fire damage, weighs 2.5 units, and requires 20 strength, 14 dexterity, and 16 faith. This weapon has a unique skill called Bear Witness, which deals significant fire damage in an area of effect. It’s one of the few fist weapons that isn't paired, and you can obtain it relatively early by defeating Godrick the Grafted.
Infusible Fist Weapons
Caestus
The Caestus deals physical damage, weighs 1.5 units, and requires 8 strength and 8 dexterity. It has a rapid attack speed and a unique R2 attack that strikes repeatedly. Infusions like magic, fire, and lightning work well with this weapon, and it can be a great choice for early game builds.
Spiked Caestus
The Spiked Caestus has similar stats and moveset to the Caestus but includes native bleed buildup, making it a better choice for inflicting bleed status. It weighs 2 units and requires 8 strength and 10 dexterity. This weapon performs well with magic, fire, and lightning infusions.
Katar
The Katar has a unique 110 critical rating, making it more effective for critical attacks. It deals physical damage, weighs 2.5 units, and requires 8 strength and 10 dexterity. Impaling Thrust is its default skill, and it performs best when used with a stance-breaking build or block counters.
Iron Ball
The Iron Ball is a heavy-hitting fist weapon, weighing 2.5 units and requiring 11 strength and 8 dexterity. It shares a unique two-handed R2 attack with the Star Fist and has a high attack rating. Infusions like magic, fire, and lightning enhance its damage output, and the Roar skill boosts its physical damage, damage negation, and stamina recovery.
Star Fist
The Star Fist is similar to the Iron Ball but weighs 3 units and has higher strength requirements. It includes native bleed buildup, making it effective for bleed builds. Endure is a useful skill for tanking through attacks and maintaining a flurry of blows.
Conclusion
Fist weapons in Elden Ring offer a unique playstyle with their rapid attack speed, lightweight nature, and high stance damage. While they have their drawbacks, such as lower attack rating and short reach, the variety of damage types and effective movesets make them a compelling choice for players looking to try something different. Whether dual-wielding or paired with a shield, fist weapons provide versatility and power, especially when combined with the right talismans and infusions.
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