Discover the Ultimate Dagger Rankings in Elden Ring: Which One Reigns Supreme?

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In the grandeur of Elden Ring, a game where bosses loom large and their attacks span an unnerving distance, it takes a unique gamer to opt for a dagger over more formidable options. At first glance, daggers, with their diminutive reach, might seem like the least viable weapon in this realm. Yet, when combined with a lighter gear load, a strategic Ash of War skill, and a dose of ingenuity, daggers can transform into one of the most satisfying weapons to wield.

In Elden Ring, the standard Dagger serves well as a formidable weapon for tough challenges. However, the distinctive daggers scattered throughout the game can pack quite a punch. Much like swords, katanas, and various blades, these daggers usually inflict a Bleed status on enemies – a particularly potent status effect in Elden Ring. As a result, despite their constraints, daggers often prove to be a high-damage, high-maneuverability option that significantly enhances players’ abilities more than other selections.

S-Tier

  • : Perhaps the best part about Reduvia is that it’s available in the early game. It drops after players defeat the invader Bloody Finger Nerijus, and its value is immediately apparent. It has everything: excellent stat scaling, Bleed, and a handy unique weapon skill that allows players to fight at range.
  • : A great no-nonsense choice. Since it’s a basic weapon, it can be upgraded to +25 with regular Smithing Stones, but unlike the basic Dagger, it passively applies Bleed. Not only that, but when combined with another Ash of War, the Bloodstained Dagger can apply multiple status effects.
  • : The Black Knife hits S-tier primarily for its ability, Blade of Death. Despite a cumbersome animation, the Blade of Death ability does a hefty amount of damage and applies a damage-over-time effect.
  • / : It’s difficult to rank the Parry Dagger and the Wakizashi, since, in the right hands, they can be absolutely amazing, but in the wrong hands, they’re among the worst weapons in the game. If a player knows how to parry in Elden Ring, though, these can both be paired with other weapons to create unique and devastating builds. Both the Parrying Dagger and Wakizashi unlock a unique moveset when wielded in the off-hand with another weapon, so be sure to equip either another one of these best Elden Ring daggers or a powerful one-handed Sword, like the Uchigatana.

A-Tier

  • : Its special ability shares an animation with the Black Knife’s Blade of Death, but deals slightly less damage in most cases. Still, the Blade of Calling can be an excellent choice for a Faith build in Elden Ring.
  • : The Misericorde has the highest crit stat of any dagger, meaning that it has the potential for serious damage output. Plus, it has a surprising amount of range for a dagger.
  • : Arguably one of the best starting weapons in Elden Ring, the Great Knife has decent reach, Bleed, and the ability to be upgraded significantly with Smithing Stones.
  • : The Scorpion’s Stinger is unique in its ability to apply Scarlet Rot to an enemy. When combined with a talisman such as the Kindred of Rot’s Exultation, the Scorpion’s Stinger can dish out serious damage.
  • : One of the best Elden Ring daggers added in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is this Fire damage-infused dagger. The Fire Knight’s Shortsword scales very well with Faith and the Flame infusion, which boosts its Fire damage further. There are a lot of Fire resistant enemies in the DLC, but this is a great one to bring back to the base game.

B-Tier

  • : While it can boast impressive base stats, the Crystal Knife has relatively poor scaling that sets it back. However, it is one of the few options for a dagger player looking to explore an Intelligence-based build.
  • : The Glintstone Kris grants players an interesting ability called “Glintstone Dart,” but as far as a Sorcery spell in Elden Ring, it’s fairly underwhelming. It may be useful in the early game, but any player building Intelligence will quickly find a better alternative.
  • : A decent option for farming runes since the Celebrant’s Sickle grants an additional 10 runes on hit, but with the widespread availability of better rune farms in Elden Ring, there is very little reason to use the Celebrant’s Sickle.
  • : The only redeeming quality of the Dagger is that it can be upgraded to +25 with Smithing Stones, but even then, it is outshone by alternatives like the Bloodstained Dagger. Still, a decent option for those willing to invest in it.
  • : A basic weapon that can be fully upgraded. The Ivory Sickle is similar to the Dagger, but perhaps a better choice for magic-based, Intelligence builds in Elden Ring.
  • : A bit of extra reach and the ability to compliment a Faith-based build is nice, but the Erdsteel Dagger takes too much effort to get when players can easily go find better alternatives.
  • : Similar to the Wakizashi and Parrying Dagger, the Main-gauche unlocks a unique duel-wielding moveset when equipped in the off-hand – but only when you are wielding a Thrusting sword. Its innate ability to Parry attacks makes it great for offensive playstyles that suit a dual-wielding playstyle, but being found deep in the DLC makes it hard to acquire, and its stricter requirements to unlock the moveset make it less appealing than a Wakizashi.

C-Tier

The Cinquedea weapon mainly enhances Bestial Spells, which aren’t particularly powerful. However, its passive ability isn’t strong enough to compensate for its weak base stats and the fact that it can’t be upgraded without using rare Smithing Stones. To make matters worse, it’s hard to find in Elden Ring, even after Patch 1.03, making it nearly impossible to obtain.

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2025-01-23 04:53