As Halberds tend to level in both dexterity and strength, they’re a good option for players investing an equal amount of points in those stats. While they may not be the most hard-hitting Elden Ring weapon type, they still pack quite a punch and are capable of putting some distance between the player and their opponent.

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Updated on August 22, 2022, by Cameron Swan: Even five months after release, Elden Ring’s Halberds remain as some of the best weapons in the entire game, both in terms of PvE combat, and PvP encounters. No other weapons offer the same balance of reach, damage output, and speed, and their ability to scale with both dexterity and strength makes them a force to be reckoned with. But that’s not to say there haven’t been any changes over the last few months. Since its release, Elden Ring has been updated multiple times, each patch bringing its own set of nerfs and buffs, and the game’s Halberd collection hasn’t avoided the chopping block. While some Halberds have gotten better over time, some have dropped a few places, and this updated list now reflects both

S-Tier

Golden Halberd: Widely considered to be the best Halberd in the game, the Golden Halberd is reminiscent of Dark Souls’ Black Knight Halberd in that it’s an early weapon that can take players all the way to the finish line. Dropped by the Tree Sentinel at the start of the game, the Golden Halberd has excellent base physical and holy damage, which only gets better when the weapon is upgraded. The only real downside to using this weapon is its weak Weapon Skill buff. Five months after release, the Golden Halberd has somehow survived the mass nerfs that have taken all of Elden Ring’s best weapons down. With superb scaling in strength, an absurd damage output, and the ability to obtain this weapon at the very start of the game, the Golden Halberd has become a vital weapon for just about any Elden Ring playthrough. Commander’s Standard: Though it does less damage than the Golden Halberd, the Commander’s Standard is still capable of dishing out some real pain. The biggest selling point of the Commander’s Standard is its unique moveset. As opposed to the chopping style of other Halberds, the Commander’s Standard uses thrust attacks like a Spear, making it very useful for those trying to attack from a distance. On top of this, the Commander’s Standard also has a powerful Weapon Skill named “Rallying Standard” that buffs the player’s damage output and physical defense by 20 percent for 30 seconds. The Commander’s Standard also has an impressive strength scaling grade of B, once fully upgraded. Even after months of updates, the Commander’s Standard is still one of the best Halberds, maybe even one of the best weapons overall, in Elden Ring, and the fact that it can be obtained very early on by cheesing Commander O’ Neil is the cherry on top of the cake. Winged Scythe: Though it technically belongs to its own weapon class, being officially categorized as a Reaper, the Winged Scythe is too good to be left off this list. Unlike the vast majority of weapons on this list, the Winged Scythe can be found easily, simply by looting a chest in the Tombsward Ruins. This means that the skill level required to get this weapon is rock-bottom, giving players of all types a chance to get one of Elden Ring’s most powerful weapons. On top of some impressive physical damage, the Winged Scythe also dishes out a great deal of Holy damage and even causes some serious blood loss build-up. Though it might not be the best PvE weapon, an upgraded Winged Scythe can still be lethal in Elden Ring’s PvP scene, even months after the game was first released.

A-Tier

Dragon Halberd: Its Weapon Skill is enough to put the Dragon Halberd in the A-tier. While it isn’t in the item description, the Dragon Halberd’s Spinning Slash Weapon Skill imbues the weapon with lightning and frost build-up for 20 seconds, turning an already powerful weapon into a lethal one. On top of this, the Dragon Halberd also does an extra 10% damage to dragon enemies, and an extra 5% damage to ancient foes, which just happen to be some of Elden Ring’s tougher enemies. The Dragon Halberd can also be obtained fairly early on from Siofra River. Pest’s Glaive: With exceptionally low strength and dex requirements, as well as surprisingly good damage, the Pest’s Glaive is the perfect Halberd for just about any build - but especially for those who are investing points in one of the magic-related skills. As an added bonus, the Pest’s Glaive also raises elemental damage negation by 2 percent. Nightrider Glaive: While it may be one of the best-looking Halberds in Elden Ring, the Nightrider Glaive doesn’t have the stats to match. Requiring quite a bit of strength, the Nightrider Glaive doesn’t have any stand-out features and its damage output is good, but not great. However, its strength scaling does keep it in the upper echelons. Gargoyle’s Halberd: A similar case to the Nightrider Glaive, the Gargoyle’s Halberd doesn’t stand out from the crowd as a later-game weapon, but its physical damage output is pretty good, and its strength scaling can be impressive when upgraded. Though, it should be noted that the Gargoyle’s Halberd can only be obtained before burning down the Erdtree towards the end of the game. Guardian’s Swordspear: One for the more dex-focused builds, the Guardian’s Swordspear offers some great physical damage, especially considering that this weapon can be obtained within the first hour of the game. A unique moveset and the ability to infuse this weapon with an Ash of War puts the Guardian’s Swordspear toward the top of the game. Vulgar Militia Saw: A great option for bleed builds, the Vulgar Militia Saw doesn’t offer the best physical damage of its category, but it does deliver 55 points of blood loss build-up per hit. If the player is willing to equip some bleed-related Talismans and armor, then the Vulgar Militia Saw is capable of taking down Elden Ring’s hardest bosses.

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B-Tier

Gargoyle’s Black Halberd: The Gargoyle’s Black Halberd has a solid base physical damage output of 103, but really shines with its 123 holy damage output. While this will destroy most of Elden Ring’s bosses, many late-game enemies are resistant to holy damage, making the Gargoyle’s Black Halberd much worse than some other options including the standard Gargoyle’s Halberd. Vulgar Militia Shotel: The Vulgar Militia Shotel has one key selling point: its ability to ignore 40 percent of damage negation from an opponent’s block. Though it hasn’t been fully proven, some players believe this even scales when the weapon is upgraded, becoming a great counter to an opponent who refuses to lower their guard. However, unlike the rest of the Halberds, the Vulgar Militia Shotel doesn’t have any chance of scoring a critical hit. Glaive: The standard Glaive has some good damage output and scales well with strength and dexterity, but its rarity can lead to some frustrating farming sessions, with the pay-off not necessarily worth the effort. Banished Knight’s Halberd: Though it takes some farming to acquire, the Banished Knight’s Halberd is a pretty good early weapon available in Stormveil Castle, one with very low requirements. With upgrades, this Halberd has the potential to take players quite far.

C-Tier

Ripple Crescent Halberd: A bit of an odd one, the Ripple Crescent Halberd is both extremely difficult to farm, with a drop rate of only 2 percent, and fairly weak. With low physical base damage of 86, the Ripple Crescent Halberd is much weaker than most weapons on this list. This Halberd also scales solely with Arcane, making it only viable for expressly Arcane builds. Loretta’s War Sickle: Despite offering a solid base damage output of 110 physical and 71 magic, Loretta’s War Sickle ends up being one of the weaker Halberds due to some noticeable scaling issues. While this Halberd requires 20 Intelligence to wield, along with a hefty amount of strength and dexterity, its max scaling even when upgraded is a C-class. Once Loretta’s War Sickle is fully upgraded, it pales in comparison to other Halberds. Even after several rounds of buffs, Loretta’s War Sickle is still a disappointing weapon. Though its unique moveset can knock some PvP players off-guard, and its Weapon Skill is impressive, Loretta’s War Sickle is far from being Elden Ring’s best weapon, especially when players can’t even find the weapon until the endgame. Lucerne: Unlike the Lucerne of previous FromSoftware games, Elden Ring’s equivalent lacks any piercing attacks, leading it to function much like a much weaker version of the remaining Halberds. That said, it does have the lowest weight of a Halberd, tied with the Pest’s Glaive. Halberd: The standard Halberd offers fine scaling in both dexterity and strength, and packs a fairly decent punch, making it a solid starting weapon. Unfortunately, it lands in lower tiers by default, being beaten out quickly by most other Halberds in the game.

Elden Ring is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Series X/S

MORE: Complete Guide To Elden Ring: Weapons, Items, Tips, Tricks, Bosses, & Builds