Welcome to this guide, where we explore the best weapon in Elden Ring - the Spear. This guide focuses on showcasing the advantages and disadvantages of using spears in Elden Ring. We'll take a look at the various styles of play that most players tend to use, along with the pros and cons of utilizing spears as their primary weapon. So, whether you're a seasoned player or new to the game, this guide will help you determine if the Spear is the right weapon for your playstyle in Elden Ring.

 

• Spears Pros
• Spear Cons
• Spear Playstyle
• Torchpole
• Inquisitor's Girandole
• Crystal Spear
• Rotten Crystal Spear
• Cleanrot Spear
• Death Ritual Spear
• Bolt of Gransax
• Short Spear
• Iron Spear
• Spear
• Partisan
• Pike
• Spiked Spear
• Cross-Naginata
• Clayman's Harpoon
• Celebrant's Rib-Rake

 

 

↖ Spears Pros

The length of spears is their most significant advantage. They allow players to attack enemies from a safe distance. Another pro is the ease with which they can do counter damage. Spears deal predominantly with thrust damage, which is ideal for counter-attacking enemies in Elden Ring.

The fear tells talisman can increase the amount of counter damage dealt when thrusting an enemy in mid-attack animation. Spears also allow players to attack while holding a shield up, providing an additional layer of defence. Finally, the dual wield attack animation of spears is fast, and in some cases, it feels faster than regular r1 attacks.

 

↖ Spear Cons

The almost exclusive use of thrust damage is one of the biggest drawbacks of using spears. This makes it challenging to deal with enemies who are resistant to thrust damage. Additionally, spears do not have a wide hitbox, making it challenging to hit enemies that move suddenly. Finally, the concave body shapes of many enemies in Elden Ring can make it challenging to land attacks on them.

 

 

↖ Spear Playstyle

There are two primary styles of play for spear users in Elden Ring. The first is using a shield and Spear for a block counter setup, which involves turtling behind the shield and poking enemies. The second style of play is to dual-wield spears, which is ideal for dealing with enemies quickly. Players can make hybrid builds with spears, but most likely lean towards these two styles of play.

 

↖ Torchpole

Torchpole is a type of Spear that deals both physical and fire damage. It has a moderate weight for a spinel ring and requires some points in strength and index steering to use effectively. While its damage output is low, the Torchpole has a few advantages worth noting. It can be obtained early on in Stormvale Castle by defeating enemies who wield it, and it generates light in dark areas, making it easier to see.

As for its weapon skill charge, the Torchpole performs decently and is not unique. However, it does have a long windup and could be more effective against bosses. The ideal strength and dexterity stats for this weapon are around 50, with a sharp drop-off beyond this point. It is also worth noting that the fire damage on this weapon does not scale, making it difficult to use beyond the first playthrough.

 

For optimal use, it is recommended to dual-wield the Torchpole with another spear of similar lengths, such as the Pike or Cross Naganata. Equipping the spear talisman and other damage-boosting items like Millicent's Prosthesis or Rotten Wings Sword Insignia can further enhance its effectiveness.

 

Alternatively, using a great shield with the Torchpole and utilizing block countering can also deal great damage, particularly when combined with a curved sword and dagger talismans. Adding some faith in order to use spells like Flame, Grantly Strength, and Golden Valve can also go a long way towards increasing damage output.

 

↖ Inquisitor's Girandole

If you're interested in using a new weapon, consider the Inquisitor's Girandole. This weapon is a spear that deals both physical and fire damage, and it has a heavier weight than most other spear-like weapons. To use the Inquisitor's Girandole, you'll need to have some points invested in strength, dexterity, and faith.

One thing to keep in mind is that this weapon is relatively short for a spear, and it can be challenging to obtain early since you'll need to defeat a difficult boss. Additionally, the weapon skill charge for this weapon is situational and may not be effective against bosses with high poise.

 

The ideal stats for the Inquisitor's Girandole are 50 faith, 50 strength, and 50 dexterity. However, it's unlikely that you'll be able to achieve these stats in a single playthrough so that it might be better suited for the new game Plus. Although the weapon does have good scaling with faith, it only moderately outperforms strength and dexterity, so how you allocate your points will depend on your playstyle.

 

There are two effective ways to use this weapon. The first is to block the counter with some incantations, similar to a lightning lancer build. If you choose this approach, you'll want to use a great shield for the best possible guard boost and hardness. Split your stats between faith and strength, and use offensive incantations, ideally fire-based ones, to maximize your overall damage.

 

The second approach is to dual-wield the Inquisitor's Girandole with something like the Spike Spear to increase your damage and trigger haemorrhage on enemies and bosses. If you choose this approach, you'll want to split your stats evenly between strength and dexterity, with 25 points in faith for Golden Val and Flame Grammy strength. Use prostheses, insignias, and talismans to increase your damage output, and consider adding White Mask and Lord of Blood's Exultation for boss fights.

 

↖ Crystal Spear

Let's discuss the crystal spear, a weapon in Elden Ring that offers both physical and magic damage through its default attack. It weighs 5.5, which is an average weight for a spironellin ring, and requires some investment in strength, dexterity, and intelligence to wield effectively. 

The crystal spear has an average length and average damage, and it can be found somewhat early, although not at the very beginning. In summary, the crystal spear is a solid weapon that won't disappoint you but also won't amaze you. On the other hand, impaling Thrust, a skill associated with spears, is an underrated weapon that many players overlook. Although its damage is low, it offers great reach with the spear weapon type and has an excellent stance that makes it easy to stagger enemies and score critical strikes.

 

The sweet spot for using the crystal spear is at minimum strength and intelligence and 50 dexterity. It scales well up to 80 dexterity, so that should be your first goal once you acquire the weapon. You can also pump up to 50 strength despite its D-rating, but you will only get a little benefit beyond that point. Intelligence doesn't scale well with this weapon, so there are better choices for a spell spear. You could pair the Spear with another dex-scaling spear for a dual-wielded style of play, or you could use a shield like the Scholar Shield or Great Shield Talisman for improved guard and carry a Knight Shield.

 

If you decide to use a shield and Spear, we recommend using an Assassin Cerulean Dagger and a Jar Shard or Shard of Alexander for better impaling thrust performance. Charging the crystal spear's R2 attack and following it up with an impaling thrust is a devastating combo against tougher enemies. Overall, the crystal spear is a reliable and versatile weapon that's worth considering for any Elden Ring player.

 

↖ Rotten Crystal Spear

Rotten crystal spear shares the default attack of most spears and deals,  dealing both physical and magic damage. Its weight is average for a spear, with a Nail Ring Wang of 5.5, and it requires some points in strength, dexterity, and intelligence to wield.

There are four key differences between the rotten crystal spear and the crystal spear: firstly, the rotten crystal spear causes Scarlet Rot to build up on hit; secondly, it deals about 5% less damage per hit; thirdly, it has a different weapon skill and charge; and fourthly, it is found only in the Hallowed Tree area towards the end of the game, making it more of an NG+ weapon.

 

Despite the same stat requirements, weight, and scaling as the crystal spear, the two weapons should be played differently. For instance, while the standard crystal spear is best used with a sword, the rotten crystal spear is ideal for dual-wielding, preferably with two rotten crystal spears, to maximize Scarlet Rot buildup.

 

This is because Charge 4 is not as effective as Impaling ThrustThrust, and it is easier to set Scarlet Rot when hitting with two sources of it at the same time, just like other dual-wielded spear setups such as Winged Sword, Insignia, and Millicent's Prosthesis. For boss fights, it is recommended to use Elden Ring items such as the Mushroom Helm and Congrat of Rock's Exaltation to boost attack power.

 

↖ Cleanrot Spear

Cleanrot Sphere is a type of short Spear that can execute a rapid double thrust attack which inflicts physical and holy damage. It requires some investment in strength, dexterity, and faith, and has an average weight for a spironel ring wing at 5.5.

It has a decent damage output and a remarkable r2 attack that can trigger talismans such as Winged Sword, Insignia, and Millicent's Prosthesis. The weapon also provides a boost to the immunity stat, helping the player resist poison and scarlet rot. It is relatively easy to obtain early on by farming clean rot knights in Caled.

 

However, the Clean Rod Sphere's holy damage type can be problematic as many end-game bosses resist this kind of damage. The weapon's sacred phalanx skill can deal decent damage but has a long windup, making it difficult to use without taking damage. The actual spears that come out of the ground deal 100 holy damage, which can be boosted with the use of items such as the Sacred Scorpion Charm, Holy Shroud, Cracked Here, Warrior Jar, Shard, or Shot of Alexander.

 

The optimal build for the Clean Rod Sphere is to have 50 strengths and 50 dexterity with minimal investment in faith. Faith scaling is poor with this weapon, so it is recommended to only invest up to 25 to acquire Golden Foul and other buffs. The weapon's scaling also becomes less viable in subsequent playthroughs past NG Plus.

 

It is recommended to hand the weapon with a great shield to block and counter enemy attacks while using the r2 attack when possible. The player can also use Sacred Phalanx when needed and slot the Assassin's Railing Dagger to help offset some of the FP costs for using Golden Foul and other buffs.

 

↖ Death Ritual Spear

Death Ritual Spear is a formidable weapon of the Elven Ring. It shares the slashing r2 with the Partisan and Spiked Spear, dealing physical and magic damage, and has an average weight for a severe nail and rings wing at 6.5. To wield this weapon, one requires some points in strength, dexterity, and intelligence.

The Death Ritual Spear is widely regarded as one of the best spears due to its high attack rating and critical rating. Its slashing r2 makes it an excellent choice for dealing damage to enemies that are more mobile or harder to hit with thrust attacks.

 

However, the Death Ritual Spear has a downside, as it can only be found near the end of the game on the giant's spear call ritual on mountaintops. One of the best weapon skills is Spear Call Ritual, which deals 100 magic damage in a large AOE, hitting enemies repeatedly. This weapon can melt bosses and tough-to-kill enemies if used correctly.

 

The sweet spot for this weapon is at 50 dexterity with minimum points in strength and intelligence, although it scales up to 80 dexterity quite well. 50 strength and 50 intelligence are not bad either, making this an excellent weapon for ng+, plus and beyond. However, Spear Call Ritual gains a lot of damage from intelligence, so one must choose between more melee damage with dexterity and more Spear Call Ritual damage with intelligence.

 

Early on, one can play this Spear in two ways. One can either lean into intelligence and make a spell spear build or go the dexterity route and utilize block counters, taking advantage of the 110 critical rating on this weapon. Regardless of the approach taken, it is crucial to use Warrior Jar, Shark or Shot of Alexander, and Magic Scorpion Charm to boost the Spear Call Ritual damage. 

 

↖ Bolt of Gransax

Considered one of the legendary armaments in Elden Ring, the Bolt of Gransax is a spear that deals both physical and lightning damage. It has the highest attack rating among unique spears and is the second longest. Additionally, it deals increased damage to dragons and ancient dragons, making it a valuable weapon against these enemy types that typically resist lightning.

However, it is also the heaviest Spear and can only be found in the Landell Royal Capital area. It is recommended to have at least some points in strength and a lot of dexterity to use this weapon effectively. With a sweet spot of around 50 dexterity and scaling well up to 80 dexterity and 50 strength, the Gransax Bolt can deal some insane damage. It can also be charged for even more damage and can be further boosted with items like the Lightning Scorpion Charm and Lightning Shredded Cracked.

 

Keep in mind that only dexterity increases the lightning damage of this weapon and the Ancient Lightning Spear. It is advised to have enough strength to use a great shield as well. Players can also use the Assassin's Thrilling Dagger to refund FP and block counter builds to make the most out of the Gransax Bolt.

 

↖ Short Spear

Short Spear shares an r2 attack with a clean rod spear that thrusts twice rapidly and deals physical damage. It is the lightest spirion ring wing 4 and requires some points in strength and dexterity in order to use, while the short Spear does have an extremely low attack rating, and it's the second shortest Spear.

It's also the lightest that can be acquired from the twin maiden, husks and round table hold, and it has an r2 that attacks twice making it good for status effect builds, particularly since the nerfing of dual wield status effect. Buildup, the magic infusion leads the pack and damage here with sacred and flame art and fire and lightning not too far behind and has slightly more damage with keen than heavy making.

 

The choice between the two was rather mood personally liked to play this weapon with the blood infusion and seppuku mimicking a similar build, as my crimson duelist, leaning into the r2 attacks that hit twice and using block counters that deal much more damage than regular attacks. Use a white mask for the blood's exultation of Millicent's prosthesis and wing sword. Insignia for best results. 

 

↖ Iron Spear

Short Spear is a light spear that requires some points in strength and dexterity to use. It is the lightest Spear in Elden Ring and has a low attack rating, but its R2 attack thrusts twice, making it good for status effect builds. It can be acquired from Twin Maiden Husks and Round Table Hold.

The magic infusion leads to both damage and status effect buildup, followed by Sacred and Flame Art, Fire, and Lightning. Players can choose between the Keen and Heavy infusions, with the former having slightly more damage. The Short Spear is a great option for a blood infusion build, where players can lean into its R2 attacks that hit twice and use block counters for increased damage. The White Mask, Millicent's Prosthesis, and Wing Sword Insignia are recommended for this build.

↖ Spear

Spear is a light spear that deals physical damage and requires some points in strength and dexterity to use. It has a low attack rating and is tied with the Short Spear for the shortest Spear in Elden Ring. It can be found in Necron Internal City, but players may have a better spear by the time they get it. Magic, Sacred, and Flame Art are tied for max attack rating, with Byron Lightning coming in second and Heavy in a distant third.

Players can dual-wield it with another spear or use it with a great shield and block counter builds to make the most of its defensive capabilities. Impaling Rust is a great ash of war to choose for this weapon, and the Assassin's Thrilling Dagger can be used to refund its cost.

 

↖ Partisan

Partisan is a spear that deals physical damage and has a slashing R2 attack that it shares with the Spike Spear and Death Ritual Spear. It has an average weight of 6.5 and requires points in both strength and dexterity to wield. Although it is one of the better-performing infusible spears with the highest base damage among them, it is outperformed by the Spike Spear in nearly every aspect.

Thus, it is recommended to use the Spike Spear instead. Sacred and flame art is tied with magic for the top infusion, followed by fire and lightning as a close second and heavy as a distant third. The weapon has a higher attack rating with heavy than keen by about 17 points at this level, which makes it a slightly better strength weapon than a dexterity weapon. It is best used with a great shield for block counters due to the better strength scaling, but it can also be dual-wielded.

 

↖ Pike

Pike is another spear that deals physical damage and has a unique upwards-thrusting R2 attack. It has a heavy weight of 7.5 and requires points in both strength and dexterity to wield. Its claim to fame is its length, which is longer than all other spears. This makes it a great weapon to hit enemies without taking damage since you don't need to get too close.

Its attack rating is in the middle of the pack, and it's a bit heavy for a spear. Its unique R2 attack is situational, and it can be found early on in Stormville Castle. Sacred flame art and magic are tied for the first spot, with fire and lightning coming in a close second and heavy a distant third.

 

Heavy outperforms Keen by 35 attack rating at this level, so it's primarily going to be a strength weapon. It is best used with a great shield for block counters because of its natural inclination for strength and because of its long reach. Using something like repeating ThrustThrust on this weapon also works well since you can begin its wind-up from such a long range.

 

↖ Spiked Spear

Spiked Spear is a spear that deals physical damage and has a slashing R2 attack that it shares with the Partisan and Death Ritual Spear. It has an average weight of 6 and requires points in both strength and dexterity to wield. It is the same as the Partisan, with similar length, attack rating, and weight.

However, the Spike Spear has natively built up on it, making it the better choice between the two. Sacred and flame art and magic are tied for the highest attack rating, with fire and lightning coming in the second and keen way back in the third. Thus, it's not super important which infusion you choose. It is best paired with another bleed buildup spear, like a second Spike Spear or Cross Naganada, for increased attack damage with L1 attacks.

 

Wing Sword Insignia and Millicent's Prosthesis can be used to boost attack power and have high protection and poise. You can trade damage ideally while using the spear talisman, only slotting Lord of Blood's Exaltation during boss fights since you won't need it any other time.

 

↖ Cross-Naginata

Cross-Naginata is a spear with a unique move set that combines pokes and slashes and deals physical damage. It is one of the heaviest spears, requiring some strength and dexterity to use, and has a high attack rating, making it one of the best all-around spirits in Elden Ring.

It also has one of the longest ranges and can be acquired relatively early. While fire and lightning have the highest attack rating, magic and flame art and sacred are also viable options. The Cross-Naginata performs well as a hybrid build, allowing you to split your stats between faith and dexterity and buff your weapon with blood, flame, blade or lightning armament.

 

↖ Clayman's Harpoon

Clayman's Harpoon shares the default attack of most spears and deals physical and magic damage. It has an average weight for a spironell and ring wing 5.5 and requires some points in strength, dexterity and intelligence. Clayman's Harpoon is a phenomenal sphere and one of few weapons that can be infused while also dealing with another damage type other than physical.

It has an exceptional attack rating falling just behind the cross, nag ignata, and you can acquire it rather early by farming. The clayman in siafra, river, sacred and flame art have the highest attack rating, followed by magic at a close second and fire and lighting at a distant third. Heavy outperforms keen. By about 20 attack rating making, this weapon leans more to the strong side of things. The clayman sarpoon is extremely versatile, and there are so many different ways that you can play it, but we recommend leaving the weapon on its standard infusion.

 

Because this way, you can boost its damage with strength and intelligence, and you can still buff it with scholars armament when buffing with 50 strength and 50, and you will hit close to 800 attack rating. And you can further increase this with magic, shred and cracked here and magic scorpion charm, throw in something like repeating thrust and rotten wings sword. Insignia, and you'll have reached well over 1200 attack ratings, which is a lot.

 

↖ Celebrant's Rib-Rake

Clebrant's Rib-Rake is another versatile spear that deals both physical and magic damage. It has an average weight and requires some points in strength, dexterity, and intelligence. It has an exceptional attack rating, just falling behind the Cross-Naginata, and can be infused with other damage types. Infusing it with strength and intelligence and buffing it with scholars' armament can increase its attack rating to close to 800. Magic, shred, and cracked horn can further increase its attack rating, making it a deadly weapon.

The Celebrant's Rib-Rake is the worst Spear in Elden Ring, with the lowest attack rating and a long farming time. It deals physical damage and provides you with 10 runes when you damage an enemy with it, but it has an internal cooldown that shares the same timer with any other severance rip break.

Fire and lightning are tied with magic for the top spot in terms of attack rating, with flame art and sacred falling just behind and keenly performing the best with this weapon. It is recommended to avoid this weapon entirely, but if you do use it, pair it with another deck scaling spear and dual-wield it for fast attacks.

 

Conclusion:

While using spears in Elden Ring has its advantages, such as their length, the ease of counter-attacking, and the ability to attack while holding a shield up, there are also several drawbacks. Despite these limitations, spear users can adopt two primary styles of play in Elden Ring - using a shield and Spear for a block counter setup or dual-wielding spears for quick enemy takedowns. Ultimately, the choice of using a spear depends on the player's preferred style of play and their ability to adapt to the different combat situations in Elden Ring.