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Elden Ring's vast array of weapons offers players numerous ways to approach combat, allowing for a wide range of playstyles. From colossal greatswords that cleave through enemies to nimble daggers that deliver rapid strikes, there's a weapon for every taste. But among this arsenal, one weapon class has gained notoriety for being especially lackluster: the whip. While whips may look stylish and have a certain thematic flair, they suffer from numerous issues that make them one of the least effective options in the game. In this article, we’ll dive deep into the shortcomings of whips, analyze their moveset, damage output, and potential uses, and rank the whips from worst to best in Elden Ring.

The Problems with Whips

Whips are a unique weapon class in Elden Ring, offering a longer reach than most melee options. Despite this advantage, they struggle to hold their own against almost every other weapon class due to their inherent weaknesses.

1. Low Damage Output: Whips are notorious for their poor damage. Even when fully upgraded, their damage output is often lower than that of a standard straight sword. While they may have a decent reach, the damage they deal does not justify their use, especially when compared to weapons that swing faster or hit harder.

2. Slow Moveset: Despite their low damage, whips suffer from a slow attack speed, similar to that of much heavier weapons like great hammers. This slow moveset drastically reduces their DPS (damage per second), making them inefficient against most enemies. Power stancing (wielding two whips simultaneously) doesn’t alleviate this problem either, as the long animations make them vulnerable to interruptions.

3. Poor Stance Damage: Whips also lack the ability to break enemy stances effectively. For context, stance damage refers to how much a weapon contributes to staggering enemies, allowing for a critical hit. Whips have some of the lowest stance damage in the game, with light attacks contributing as little as five stance damage, which is even less than many fist weapons or straight swords. Their charged heavy attacks fare slightly better but still fall behind compared to even daggers. This makes it difficult to stagger tougher enemies, further limiting their usefulness.

4. Lackluster Weapon Skills: In Elden Ring, a powerful Ash of War or weapon skill can often elevate a weapon from mediocre to exceptional. However, the majority of whips lack access to impactful skills. Many whip-exclusive skills revolve around minor projectile attacks or self-buffs that other weapon categories already offer in better forms. The absence of a truly unique and potent skill severely limits their potential for creative builds.

5. No Critical Attack Option: Perhaps one of the most significant drawbacks of using whips is their inability to perform critical attacks, even after breaking an enemy’s stance. This feature is a standard part of most melee weapons, allowing players to capitalize on staggered enemies for massive damage. With whips, even if you manage to stagger an enemy, you can't follow up with a powerful critical hit, which further diminishes their appeal.

Ranking the Whips in Elden Ring

Despite their shortcomings, there are a few whips in Elden Ring, each with unique attributes. Below, we rank the seven available whips from worst to best based on their damage potential, moveset, and overall utility in PvE scenarios.

7. Whip

The basic whip, while the easiest to obtain early in the game, is by far the weakest of the bunch. It can be infused with various ashes of war, but its damage remains underwhelming. While its range might be marginally useful against certain enemies, other early-game weapons vastly outperform it. Even with its potential infusions, the whip lacks any special properties, making it a poor choice when compared to other early-game options like straight swords or flails.

6. Giant’s Red Braid

This whip is a Strength/Faith-based weapon that has some potential against fire-weak enemies, such as Malenia. It comes with a unique skill, but the long animation time and low stance damage make it a risky choice. Against enemies that can’t be staggered, it becomes almost useless, and its damage output even against fire-weak foes leaves much to be desired. Players will often find themselves stuck in lengthy attack animations, making them easy targets for enemy retaliation.

5. Thorned Whip

The Thorned Whip is a bleed-inflicting weapon that can pair decently with a Bloodflame Blade build. While it has some synergy with bleed builds, it pales in comparison to the Hoslow’s Petal Whip, which is better in almost every aspect. Although players might try to use the Thorned Whip for its bleed build-up, the time investment to acquire it is not worth it, especially when more powerful alternatives exist.

4. Hoslow’s Petal Whip

The Hoslow’s Petal Whip is arguably the best option among bleed whips. It has higher bleed build-up and better damage compared to the Thorned Whip, making it more effective for power-stancing bleed builds. However, even with its advantages, it remains hampered by the inherent issues of the whip class. Its slow moveset and poor DPS prevent it from being a top-tier choice, but it’s the go-to option if you’re determined to run a bleed-based whip build.

3. Urumi

The Urumi is a dexterity-scaling whip that distinguishes itself by offering both slashing and piercing damage. It has one of the longest ranges among whips, thanks to its charged heavy attack, which hits twice. This makes it a decent choice for hitting enemies from a safe distance. However, the damage is still lackluster, and it suffers from the same long animation times that make other whips difficult to use effectively. While it offers some versatility in terms of damage types, it still falls short of more efficient melee options.

2. Magma Whip Candlestick

The Magma Whip Candlestick is a Faith-based whip that offers a unique skill, "Sea of Magma," which can deal significant AoE fire damage. Its Faith scaling makes it a viable choice for hybrid builds that mix melee and spellcasting. The skill leaves behind pools of magma that continue to deal damage over time, making it useful for crowd control. However, like all whips, its attack speed and stance damage hold it back from being truly great. Players might find the Magma Blade, a curved sword with a similar skill, to be a better alternative.

1. Venomous Fang

The Venomous Fang, while technically a fist weapon, is often compared to whips due to its status effects and range considerations. It is an Arcane-scaling whip that can inflict deadly poison, which is more potent than regular poison. Its charged heavy attack hits with good range and decent damage, making it a standout among the whip options. However, its poison build-up is not as effective as bleed, and the overall damage is still lower than comparable weapons. While it’s the best whip in the game, that’s more a testament to the weaknesses of the other whips than a mark of its own excellence.

Conclusion: Whips Are a Missed Opportunity

In the end, the whip class in Elden Ring is plagued with issues that keep it from reaching its potential. Their low damage, slow attack speed, poor stance damage, and lack of strong weapon skills make them one of the least appealing options for players. Even with power stancing and buffing setups, they fall short of other weapon categories that offer better damage, speed, and versatility.

While whips might have a niche appeal for players who enjoy challenging themselves with underpowered weapons or seeking to explore every corner of Elden Ring's diverse combat system, they remain a far cry from top-tier options. If you’re looking for a unique experience, whips can provide that—but be prepared to face an uphill battle. For most players, the allure of style won't be enough to overcome the shortcomings that make whips the worst weapon class in the game.