Elden Ring: How to use Great Swords and where to find them

Great Swords, Elden Ring's "so you like Berserk but aren't high enough level to wield Colossal Swords" weapon class, offer significantly more versatility than their larger, Colossal cousins. Because each slash is enormous and monstrous enough to leave its user open before and after a strike, any competent Great Sword is best used two-handed and striking at crucial openings.

Great Swords, on the other hand, are far more forgiving in terms of wind-up and post-slash recovery than other, larger weapons, making them ideal for newbies and players looking for a shield to switch to in their left hand to withstand some damage. With a few exceptions, Great Swords normally scale off Strength and are open to having practically all Ashes of War attached to them, with a few exceptions. Here are some of Elden Ring's Best Great Swords:

Dark Moon Greatsword: Players of Demon's Souls, Dark Souls, and Bloodborne will be pleased to see the Dark Moon Greatsword reappear in Elden Ring. The Dark Moon Greatsword is unusual in that it scales to 38 Intelligence while only requiring 16 Strength and 11 Dexterity, making it ideal for any Intelligence-based Sorcery build. The Dark Moon Greatsword will be in the hands of an ordinary Elden Ring player after completing Ranni's questline.

Golden Order Greatsword: If you're looking for a means to finally put those pesky undead Skeletons to rest, the Golden Order Greatsword with its holy damage might be just what you're looking for. It scales with a 28 in Faith, 16 in Strength, and 21 in Dexterity, making it ideal for Faith Builds that require holy damage. The Misbegotten Crusader drops this blade in the Cave of the Forlorn.

Sacred Relic Sword: Another Holy Weapon, this time in the form of a God's skin distorted into a blade, the Sacred Relic Sword is the Great Sword to obtain in Elden Ring for both lore and overall Necronomicon-esque wow factor. The Sacred Relic Sword's Ash of War, Wave of Gold, is one of the game's more powerful shockwave-AoE strikes, although it can't be combined with any other Ash of War talent. Turning in the Elden Remembrance to Erina at the Roundtable Hold unlocks the Sacred Relic Sword, which requires 14 Strength, 24 Dexterity, and 22 Faith to wield.

Sword of Milos: Despite scaling mostly off of Strength at 15 and Dexterity at 19, the Sword of Milos is great for any casting building because it recovers 5 FP anytime an enemy is destroyed, and it can be obtained by fighting the Loathsome Dung Eater.