To make things even easier, very few enemies and bosses are immune to bleed build-up, making them exceedingly vulnerable to canny players wielding the right tools. So, which bleed weapon should you use? Which will finally help you bring Malenia to her knees? Despite recent nerfs, there are still some very clear winners. Without further ado, here are the top 5 bleed weapons in Elden Ring.
Watch out for spinning blades!
Ghiza’s Wheel
Resembling the whirligig saw from Bloodborne, this enormous spinning saw of curved teeth certainly looks the part. And it has the stats and moveset to back it up. Ghiza’s Wheel is a colossal weapon, requiring the character to have 28 Strength and 18 Dexterity to wield it effectively. However, its power more than makes up for that investment. The saw’s regular attacks are hefty enough to fell many enemies without even worrying about inflicting blood loss. But it’s the Weapon Art that really makes this weapon shine.
Named ‘Spinning Wheel’, it does exactly what it says on the tin. Activate the Weapon Skill and Ghiza’s Wheel will begin to spin at an alarming speed, carving through anything in its path without slowing down. While active, the player character can only walk at a slow speed, but the staggering amount of damage output, plus the rapid rate at which the bleed gauge fills, means any enemies unlucky enough to find themselves in your way are as good as dead.
Where to find:
Ghiza’s Wheel is located on the upper floor of Volcano Manor. Take the stairs to the left of Lady Tanith and defeat Inquisitor Ghiza himself to claim it.
Double-bladed Danger.
Eleonora’s Poleblade
One of the finest and fastest weapons in the game, Eleonora’s Poleblade allows the player to rapidly inflict damage and bleed build-up at an alarming rate. Simply equip the poleblade with both hands and spam attacks to create a whirlwind of blood and viscera around you. The sprint attack is especially effective, dicing through unarmoured enemies with ease. Characters must have 12 Strength, 21 Dexterity, and 19 Arcane to wield this weapon effectively.
To build up Hemorrhage even faster, give the polearm’s Weapon Skill a spin. ‘Bloodblade Dance’ launches the Tarnished forwards with a flurry of bloody swings that will fill any enemy’s bleed gauge almost instantly. Add some blood or fire grease to really make the bosses sweat.
Where to find:
Eleonora’s Polearm is located in the Second Church of Marika. Simply defeat Eleanora, the Violet Bloody Finger, as part of Bloody Finger Hunter Yura’s questline, and the weapon is yours for the taking.
Hopefully you won’t be waiting too long for this treasure to drop.
Thorned Whip
If you want a little more range when inflicting blood loss, then the Thorned Whip is the weapon for you. Light and quick, this weapon allows the Tarnished to keep their distance while raining down a series of rapid strikes without fear of retaliation. The red barbs that cover its length deal a great amount of Hemorrhage build-up with each swing. Not only does the Thorned Whip deal in blood loss, it can also deal a remarkably high amount of physical damage for its weapon type if levelled up first. This weapon only requires 8 Strength and 16 Dexterity to use.
Unfortunately, the Thorned Whips’ Weapon Skill does not help with inflicting Hemorrhage. Instead, much like other whips in the game, it allows you to kick enemies away, putting a little distance back between you should they manage to break through.
Where to find:
The Thorned Whip is located in the Zamor Ruins in the Mountaintops of the Giants. However, it is a little more difficult to acquire than the other weapons, as it is a rare drop. Kill the Prelate (the large whip-wielding enemy with the flaming head) standing before the bridge and, with luck, it will drop the Thorned Whip.
Use the big bad boss’s own weapon against him
Morgott’s Cursed Sword
Looking for a powerful greatsword to send your enemies scurrying for the hills? Look no further than Morgott’s Cursed Sword. Since Patch 1.04 (and now 1.06) vastly improved greatsword attack and animation speeds, this weapon moves and hits like nothing else. The sword’s high damage output can turn your enemies to mincemeat by the time a single combo is through. Characters will need a high Dexterity skill of 35 in order to wield this behemoth, along with 14 Strength and 17 Arcane.
Morgott’s Cursed Sword Hemorrhage build-up scales with Arcane, so the more points you can put into that skill the better. Its Weapon Skill, ‘Cursed-Blood Slice’, is fantastic for dealing colossal amounts of both physical and blood damage. Using the skill launches the Tarnished forwards with two massive swings. This alone deals plenty of damage, but they leave behind bloody trails which burst into flame only moments later, hitting your enemy for a second time.
Where to find:
Morgott’s Cursed Sword can be acquired after defeating Morgott, the Omen King, in Leyndell, the Royal Captial. Once this difficult boss has been felled, take his Remembrance back to the Roundtable Hold and exchange it with Enia for the weapon.
The legendary weapon in action!
Rivers of Blood
Despite a recent nerf courtesy of Patch 1.06, Rivers of Blood is still the go-to blood-loss weapon in Elden Ring. With ‘blood’ literally a part of this katana’s name, it’s no wonder so many players have fallen in love with this blood-letting beast of a weapon. Rapid attack speeds and range combined with hefty physical damage and Hemorrhage build-up spells certain death for any who stand in your Tarnished’s way. Rivers of Blood can only be found late in the game but that means your character should already possess the 12 Strength, 18 Dexterity, and 20 Arcane required to wield it by the time you find it.
It’s the blade’s Weapon Skill that truly makes it stand out. ‘Corpse Piler’ hurls the Tarnished forwards with two rapid diagonal strikes, followed up by four more powerful slashes with successive use of the Weapon Skill attack. Each slice deals high physical damage as well as high Hemorrhage build-up, so by the time the combo has ended, the enemy’s bleed gauge will most likely have been filled, causing additional damage. That is, if you haven’t already sliced them to ribbons.
Where to find:
Rivers of Blood is located in the Mountaintops of the Giants. Find and kill Bloody Finger Okina by the Church of Repose and this legendary weapon will be yours. Just make sure to pick it up before you defeat the Fire Giant, otherwise it will be gone for good.
Have a look at the Rivers of Blood in action. Here, semi-mythical player ‘Let Me Solo Her’ uses the weapon to decimate Malenia:
Now that you know a little more about Elden Ring’s best bleed weapons, why not test them out against the 10 Most Fun Elden Ring Bosses for Melee Builds?
