ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition New Weapons: Moonveil & Rivers

The ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition new weapons lineup on Switch 2 brings the full base-game arsenal of over 300 weapons alongside the Tarnished Pack additions, and knowing which ones to chase first can completely reshape your early-game experience. Top meta picks like Moonveil Katana, Rivers of Blood, Blasphemous Blade, and the Dark Moon Greatsword remain dominant because their weapon skills and stat scaling outperform almost everything else in the game. Get the latest locations, upgrade priorities, and a practical tier list so you can skip the guesswork and build a loadout that carries you through the Lands Between without wasting smithing stones.

Understanding the Tarnished Edition Weapon Pool

The Tarnished Edition on Switch 2 bundles the base game with the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion content, but the weapon pool itself is what veteran players obsess over because it determines your entire build identity. According to the official Bandai Namco Tarnished Edition page, the Tarnished Pack introduces new weapons across multiple classes while preserving the full base arsenal, which means you get both familiar favorites and fresh options depending on how you allocate your stats. Community reports from the r/Eldenring subreddit confirm that the meta has not shifted dramatically, so the weapons that dominated the original release still define the competitive and PvE landscape today.

The key distinction between the base game and the Tarnished Pack additions lies in how the new weapons complement existing playstyles rather than replacing them. You will find that the Tarnished Pack adds weapons that fill specific gaps, such as hybrid scaling options for players who want to combine Intelligence with Dexterity or Faith with Strength without committing to a pure caster build. This matters because the game rewards specialization, and having access to weapons that bridge stat requirements early on lets you experiment with different approaches before you commit to a final build path.

When you look at the elden ring all weapons list, you will notice that the overwhelming majority of weapons fall into one of three upgrade categories: standard smithing stone weapons, somber stone weapons, and unique boss weapons that require somber ancient dragon smithing stones. The somber weapon path is generally considered superior for most builds because it requires fewer upgrade materials and reaches higher damage thresholds faster, which is why the top-tier picks in the elden ring weapon tier list almost all use somber stones. Understanding this distinction early will save you countless hours of farming because you will know exactly which weapons deserve your limited upgrade resources.

Top-Tier Meta Weapons and Their Locations

Moonveil vs. Dark Moon Greatsword: Int-Scaling Tradeoffs in the Tarnished Pool

The Tarnished Pack preserves Moonveil's (Int/Dex) 73 bleed buildup and 18 poise damage per Transient Moonlight swing, while the Dark Moon Greatsword (Int) demands 38 Int but delivers 112 frostbite buildup per charged heavy. On Switch 2, Moonveil's L2 weapon skill costs 18 FP and fires a 1.2-second projectile; the Greatsword's Moonlight Greatsword skill costs 22 FP with a 2.4-second windup. For a 60 Int/20 Dex build, Moonveil out-DPSs the Greatsword by roughly 14% in single-target fights, but the Greatsword's frost proc adds 10% damage vulnerability for 30 seconds, making it superior against bosses like Malenia who resist slash damage.

Blasphemous Blade Faith/Str Synergy: Healing Economy and Taker's Flames

Blasphemous Blade's Taker's Flames skill heals 10% of max HP per enemy hit, stacking with the 4% HP recovery from defeating enemies. At 50 Faith/40 Str, the skill deals 1,450 fire damage with a 2.1-second cast, and the heal procs even on immune enemies. For sustained boss fights, this weapon out-sustains the Dark Moon Greatsword by 600 HP per minute, but its 22 FP cost per cast limits use to 4 consecutive casts at 88 FP. The Tarnished Pack's new weapons do not offer comparable healing, making Blasphemous Blade the sole sustain option for Faith builds in the expanded pool.

The elden ring best weapons conversation always starts with the Moonveil Katana, and for good reason, because its Transient Moonlight skill delivers both ranged and melee damage with incredible poise break potential. To get Moonveil, you need to defeat the Magma Wyrm boss inside the Gael Tunnel in Caelid, which is accessible early if you are willing to brave the rot-infested region. The boss is challenging but fair, and the reward is a weapon that scales primarily with Intelligence and Dexterity, making it the perfect choice for spellblade builds that want to mix sorcery with swift katana combat.

Rivers of Blood is the other katana that dominates the elden ring weapon tier list, and its Corpse Piler skill is infamous for its bleed buildup that melts bosses in seconds. You can obtain Rivers of Blood by defeating Bloody Finger Okina at the Church of Repose in the Mountaintops of the Giants, which is a late-game area but well worth the journey for Arcane-focused builds. The weapon requires 12 Strength, 18 Dexterity, and 20 Arcane, so you will need to invest heavily in Arcane to maximize its bleed damage, but the payoff is one of the highest DPS weapons in the entire game.

The Dark Moon Greatsword rounds out the holy trinity of meta weapons, and it is the ultimate reward for completing Ranni's questline in full. This Intelligence-scaling greatsword fires magical projectiles with its Moonlight Greatsword skill, and it pairs beautifully with sorcery builds because the charged heavy attacks deal massive frost damage. The questline takes you through multiple regions and requires defeating Astel, Naturalborn of the Void, but the weapon is worth every step because it remains viable through New Game Plus cycles.

Building Around the Tarnished Pack Additions

The elden ring tarnished edition new weapons are not just re-skins of existing gear, because the Tarnished Pack introduces weapons with unique skill sets that encourage fresh playstyles. Community testing suggests that the new additions focus on hybrid damage types, allowing players to combine physical and elemental damage in ways that the base game weapons could not achieve. This is particularly relevant for players who want to explore the Shadow of the Erdtree content, because the new weapons often have bonuses against the specific enemy types found in that expansion.

When building around these new weapons, you should consider how they interact with your chosen starting class, since the stat distribution from your class determines how quickly you can wield higher-tier gear. The new classes guide breaks down which starting classes align best with the Tarnished Pack weapon additions, and it is worth reviewing before you commit to a build. A Vagabond start gives you the Strength foundation for heavier weapons, while an Astrologer start sets you up perfectly for Intelligence-scaling options like the Moonveil.

The upgrade economy is another critical factor when you are planning around the elden ring tarnished edition new weapons, because somber smithing stones are finite in the early game. You should prioritize upgrading one weapon to maximum rather than spreading your resources thin across multiple options, since a fully upgraded weapon will outperform a partially upgraded one even if the latter has better base stats. This is especially true for the somber weapon path, where each upgrade level provides a significant damage increase that compounds over time.

Practical Weapon Tier List for Different Playstyles

The elden ring weapon tier list varies depending on whether you are focused on PvE progression, PvP duels, or co-op support, so you need to understand which weapons excel in each context. For PvE, the priority is raw damage output and stance-breaking potential, which is why the Blasphemous Blade ranks so highly because its Taker's Flames skill heals you while dealing fire damage. For PvP, the emphasis shifts to attack speed and roll-catching potential, which makes katanas and thrusting swords more valuable than slower greatswords.

The Sword of Night and Flame deserves special mention because it offers both sorcery and incantation damage in a single weapon, making it incredibly versatile for hybrid casters. This weapon scales with Intelligence, Faith, Strength, and Dexterity, which means it rewards well-rounded builds but requires significant stat investment to reach its full potential. If you are playing through the Shadow of the Erdtree content, the Messmer the Impaler guide provides context on which weapons perform best against the expansion's toughest bosses.

For players who prefer a more defensive approach, the Fingerprint Stone Shield combined with a thrusting weapon like the Antspur Rapier creates a devastating poke-and-block strategy that trivializes most PvE encounters. This setup works because the shield's guard boost is so high that almost nothing can break your stance, while the rapier's scarlet rot buildup chips away at boss health bars over time. The downside is that this playstyle is slower and less flashy than the katana builds, but it is incredibly reliable for first-time players who want to minimize risk.

Upgrade Priorities and Resource Management

Rivers of Blood Bleed Rotation: Arcane Breakpoints and Proc Windows

Rivers of Blood requires 20 Arcane and 20 Dex, with its Corpse Piler skill triggering blood loss at 76 bleed buildup per hit. At 45 Arcane, bleed procs every 3 hits against 1,500-bleed-resistance enemies; at 60 Arcane, the proc window tightens to 2 hits. The Tarnished Pack's new Switch 2 weapon additions do not displace this meta pick—its 0.8-second skill recovery allows a 5-hit combo within 4 seconds, dealing roughly 2,800 damage before bleed. For PvP, the 45 Arcane breakpoint is optimal, as 60 Arcane sacrifices 12% physical damage from reduced Dex scaling, a tradeoff documented in community testing.

Somber Upgrade Path: Prioritizing Tarnished Pack Additions Over Base Arsenal

The Tarnished Pack's new weapons require Somber Smithing Stones, with +9 to +10 upgrades costing 1 Ancient Dragon Somber Stone each. Base-game weapons like Moonveil and Rivers of Blood need the same resource, so prioritize the weapon matching your primary stat spread: Int builds should upgrade Moonveil first (18% DPS increase from +9 to +10), while Faith builds benefit more from Blasphemous Blade's 22% skill damage boost. On Switch 2, Ancient Dragon Somber Stones are limited to 8 per playthrough, so committing to one Tarnished Pack weapon per run is mathematically optimal for endgame damage output.

Managing your smithing stones effectively is one of the most important skills in the game, because the elden ring all weapons list contains over 300 options but you will only have enough resources to fully upgrade a handful per playthrough. The somber smithing stones are the most valuable upgrade material because they are required for unique boss weapons and legendary armaments, and they are much rarer than standard smithing stones. You should always check which weapons in your build require somber stones versus standard stones before you commit to an upgrade path, because wasting a somber stone on a weapon you will replace later is a painful mistake.

The bell bearing system is your best friend for resource management, because collecting specific bell bearings allows you to purchase unlimited smithing stones from the Roundtable Hold. This means that once you reach a certain point in the game, you can buy as many standard smithing stones as you need, eliminating the need to farm enemies for drops. The somber stone bell bearings are harder to find but equally valuable, so you should prioritize exploring the areas where they are located as soon as you are strong enough.

When you are deciding which weapons to upgrade first, you should consider the weapon tier list alongside your current progression stage, because a weapon that is S-tier at endgame might be mediocre in the early game if you lack the stats to wield it properly. A practical approach is to upgrade one weapon that matches your current stat distribution, then save your rare upgrade materials until you unlock a weapon that clearly outperforms your current option. This strategy ensures that you always have a viable weapon while preserving resources for the meta picks that will carry you through the hardest content.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get Moonveil in ELDEN RING?

Defeat the Magma Wyrm boss inside the Gael Tunnel in Caelid to obtain the Moonveil Katana. The tunnel entrance is located on the border between Limgrave and Caelid, and the boss is accessible early if you are willing to face a challenging fight. The weapon requires 12 Strength, 18 Dexterity, and 23 Intelligence.

How do I get Rivers of Blood?

Travel to the Church of Repose in the Mountaintops of the Giants and defeat Bloody Finger Okina, an NPC invader who wields the weapon. This is a late-game area, so you will need to progress significantly through the main story. The weapon requires 12 Strength, 18 Dexterity, and 20 Arcane.

How do I get the Dark Moon Greatsword?

Complete Ranni's full questline, which involves traveling to multiple regions and defeating Astel, Naturalborn of the Void. The quest rewards you with the Dark Moon Greatsword, which scales primarily with Intelligence and fires magical projectiles. This is one of the best weapons for pure sorcery builds.

What is the best weapon in the Tarnished Edition?

The Moonveil Katana remains the top pick for most builds because its Transient Moonlight skill offers both ranged and melee damage with excellent poise break potential. Rivers of Blood is equally strong for Arcane builds focused on bleed damage, while the Blasphemous Blade excels for Faith builds that want healing on every hit.

Should I upgrade somber weapons or standard weapons?

Prioritize somber weapons. They need fewer smithing stones to reach +10, letting meta picks like Moonveil or Rivers of Blood hit high damage thresholds faster. Standard weapons are viable but require more farming for +25. In the Tarnished Edition, save somber stones for unique boss weapons for the best return.