Greataxes are two-handed weapons in Elden Ring that typically require a high Strength stat to be wielded. They are capable of dealing incredible damage, although this is at the cost of attack speed, meaning players will be vulnerable when swinging. This also makes them less desirable for players who want to input as many actions as possible.

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The best Greataxes in Elden Ring not only have high damage and fantastic scaling, but they also have unique Weapon Skills that offer players creative ways to play out fights. In addition, Greataxes should not be confused with standard one-handed axes in Elden Ring. These are more versatile alternatives for axe lovers but come at the cost of a reduction in damage.

Updated June 26, 2024 by Joe Grantham: As players get excited to jump into a new adventure with Shadow of the Erdtree, many will be looking to brush off their dusty combat skills or perfect their build. Players looking to craft a build around the best Greataxes in Elden Ring will thus be glad of even more examples from the DLC, including all their stats, scaling, and special effects. It is also important that players know where to find Elden Ring and Shadow of the Erdtree's best Greataxes.

10 Crescent Moon Axe

Max Base Damage: 357

The Crescent Moon Axe is one of the best Greataxes for the early stages of the game in Elden Ring as it can be acquired easily at Stormveil Castle. The axe is dropped by certain Exile Soldiers who wield the weapon, with two of these enemies being found in a Stonesword Key room near the Rampart Tower Site of Grace, and another two near the Limgrave Tower Site of Grace.

The axe itself has good base damage but with a Strength scaling stat of D, it does get outshone by other weapons as the game progresses. The War Cry skill is nothing to boast about either, especially when compared with the unique skill of the Axe of Godrick, for example. It simply boosts attack power and also changes strong attacks to charging attacks.

9 Axe Of Godrick

Max Base Damage: 347

One of the Elden Ring bosses with the most tragic lore is Godrick the Grafted, who also happens to possess one of the game's best Greataxes. After players defeat him fairly early on in the game at Stormveil Castle, they can head to the Roundtable Hold and give the Remembrance of the Grafted to Enia. In return, they can receive the Axe of Godrick .

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This Greataxe has good base damage which can be improved with Somber Smithing Stones, and average scaling for both Strength and Dexterity. However, it makes up for this with one of the best weapon skills, I Command Thee Kneel! When Tarnished use this unique skill, they will smash the Axe of Godrick into the ground, sending out two colossal shockwaves that deal AOE damage and can potentially knock enemies off their feet.

8 Bonny Butchering Knife

Max Base Damage: 328

• Only available with the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC

Despite not having the best base damage, the Bonny Butchering Knife can still be a good option for two reasons. First of all, it has above average Strength scaling, making it deadly in the hands of high-level Tarnished. Secondly, this Greataxe restores a small amount of HP on hit, and this can be increased with the weapon skill, Hone Blade.

To wield the Bonny Butchering Knife, players will need to find the Bonny Village near the Moorth Ruins. Here it can be found near a broken bridge.

7 Longhaft Axe

Max Base Damage: 357

The Long Shaft Axe is a good option for players who want to wield a traditional Greataxe in the early stages of the game, as one can be dropped by a Misbegotten in Castle Morne. However, as this is a rare drop, players will likely have to keep going back to the nearest Site of Grace to reload the enemy and hope that they will drop it next time.

The relatively low strength requirement of 24 means this Greataxe is accessible to lower-level players. For Strength builds, players should consider upgrading it with a Heavy Affinity Ashes of War to get the most out of its Strength scaling.

6 Rusted Anchor

Max Base Damage: 360

Aesthetically and due to its name, the Rusted Anchor is arguably the weirdest Greataxe in Elden Ring, but it is a fantastic source of damage. With a max Strength scaling rating of B, it is on par with the Executioner's Greataxe in terms of potential for players with high Strength. However, it does have slightly less base damage.

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The Rusted Anchor can be found early on in the game, by heading south to the Weeping Peninsula region and locating the Morne Tunnel. It is dropped as a reward for defeating the Scaly Misbegotten boss inside this tunnel. This makes it one of the best early-game weapons in Elden Ring.

5 Executioner's Greataxe

Max Base Damage: 367

While the Executioner's Greataxe is a step down in raw damage from the Great Omenkiller Cleaver and the Gargoyle's Black Axe, it does have great Strength scaling, making it one of the better options in the hands of strong Tarnished.

Found in the inventories of some Skeletons in the Church of Irith Graveyard, this is also one of the Greataxes that can be accessed earlier in the game, in the Liurnia of the Lakes region. Players will want to make sure they use the weapon's War Cry skill before they enter combat, to give them a buff to Attack Power and Strength scaling.

4 Great Omenkiller Cleaver

Max Base Damage: 402

Thanks to its Hemorrhage-applying passive, the Great Omenkiller Cleaver has the second-highest max base damage out of all the Greataxes in Elden Ring. Therefore, despite average scaling, players will be able to make even the biggest bosses bleed.

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To get their hands on the Great Omenkiller Cleaver, players either need to kill the Omenkiller at Volcano Manor or the one that is found at the Perfumer's Grotto. As both of these locations are in the Atlus Plateau region, this is a mid to late-game weapon.

3 Death Knight's Longhaft Axe

Max Base Damage: 454

• Only available with the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC

Death Knight's Longhaft Axe is one of the best new Greataxes from Shadow of the Erdtree and among the best overall. It has excellent base damage, which is split between Physical and Lightning, and its Strength scaling of B makes it a great acquirement for builds focused on this stat.

The Blinkbolt skill is also extremely fun to use, as players will temporarily turn into a bolt of lightning before charging at rapid speed. Naturally, this can complement the best lightning spells in Elden Ring. The axe is a reward for players who can defeat the Death Knight in the Scorpion River Catacombs. This is a location within the Rauh Ruins.

2 Putrescence Cleaver

Max Base Damage: 502

• Only available with the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC

With colossal base damage and decent scaling for Strength and Arcane, the Putrescence Cleaver is easily one of Elden Ring's best Greataxes. This ghastly-looking weapon deals a mix of Physical and Magical damage, but it can also cause a build-up of Frostbite. Spinning Guillotine is an interesting skill, as the Tarnished grips both ends of the cleaver and performs a deadly flip toward the enemy.

To get both hands on this new Greataxe, players will need to defeat the Putrescent Knight in the Fissure Depths. They must then take the Remembrance he drops to Enia at the Roundtable Hold.

1 Gargoyle's Black Axe

Max Base Damage: 539

The best Greataxe in Elden Ring is the Gargoyle's Black Axe which combines Physical and Holy damage for some seriously heavy hits. However, unlike other Greataxes, players will need a relatively high Faith stat of 22 to wield it, and it can only be acquired later in the game when players manage to slay the Black Blade Kindred who guards the entrance to the Mountaintops of the Giants.

While the scaling on the Gargoyle's Black Axe isn't great, the base damage is incredible once fully upgraded. Furthermore, players looking for great Faith weapons for a hybrid build between Faith and Strength will find few better options.

Elden Ring

Platform(s)

PS5 , Xbox One , PS4 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , PC

Released

February 25, 2022

Developer(s)

From Software

Genre(s)

RPG , Action