Mastering The Bastard Sword In Elden Ring: A Comprehensive Guide To This Versatile Weapon
Have you ever wondered why the bastard sword in Elden Ring has become such a beloved weapon among both new and veteran players? This versatile blade strikes the perfect balance between power and maneuverability, making it an excellent choice for those who want to dominate the Lands Between without committing to the slower pace of massive greatswords or the more specialized nature of other weapon types.
In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore everything you need to know about the bastard sword in Elden Ring, from its base stats and scaling to optimal builds, upgrade paths, and combat strategies that will help you maximize this weapon's potential.
Understanding the Bastard Sword's Base Characteristics
The bastard sword in Elden Ring is a straight sword that occupies a unique middle ground in the game's weapon hierarchy. Unlike the smaller straight swords that prioritize speed or the massive greatswords that demand significant strength, the bastard sword offers a balanced approach that appeals to many playstyles.
This weapon features decent base damage with solid scaling in both Strength and Dexterity, making it accessible to a wide range of builds. Its moderate weight means it won't cripple your equip load, allowing for better mobility than heavier alternatives. The bastard sword also boasts a relatively long reach for its category, giving you an advantage in keeping enemies at bay while maintaining the ability to perform quick, consecutive attacks.
What truly sets the bastard sword apart is its one-handed and two-handed moveset versatility. You can wield it effectively with one hand while using a shield for defense, or switch to two-handed mode for increased damage output when you need to break through enemy defenses. This flexibility makes the bastard sword particularly valuable in Elden Ring's dynamic combat system, where adaptability often determines success.
Finding and Acquiring Your First Bastard Sword
Before you can master the bastard sword, you need to know where to find one. Fortunately, this weapon is relatively accessible compared to some of Elden Ring's more exotic armaments.
The most common location to find a bastard sword is in the Deathtouched Catacombs located in Limgrave, near the Third Church of Marika. Inside this early-game dungeon, you'll encounter a boss fight against the Burial Hero, a powerful opponent who drops the bastard sword upon defeat. This makes the bastard sword an excellent early-game option for players who want to start building their ideal weapon setup from the beginning of their journey.
Alternatively, you can purchase a bastard sword from Twin Maiden Husks at the Roundtable Hold for 3,000 runes once you've given them the Burial Blade or Swordstone Key. This provides a reliable backup option if you struggle with the Burial Hero or simply want to acquire multiple bastard swords for different builds.
Optimal Builds and Stat Requirements
To wield the bastard sword effectively, you'll need to meet its stat requirements: 16 Strength and 10 Dexterity. These requirements are moderate enough that you can either meet them naturally through leveling or adjust your build to accommodate this weapon early in the game.
For a pure Strength build, focus on increasing your Strength stat while maintaining enough Endurance for your desired equip load. The bastard sword scales excellently with Strength, and when upgraded to its maximum potential with Somber Smithing Stones, it becomes a devastating weapon capable of staggering even the toughest bosses.
A Quality build (balancing Strength and Dexterity) is another excellent choice for the bastard sword. This approach maximizes the weapon's dual scaling, resulting in well-rounded damage output that performs consistently across different enemy types. Quality builds also benefit from increased versatility, as you'll have more options for armor and secondary weapons.
For more specialized approaches, consider pairing the bastard sword with specific Ashes of War that complement your build. Bloody Slash works exceptionally well for bleed-focused builds, while Stamp (Upward Cut) provides excellent poise damage and can break through enemy guards. The bastard sword's moderate weight also allows you to equip heavier armor pieces without sacrificing mobility, making it ideal for tanky melee builds.
Upgrading Your Bastard Sword: Materials and Paths
Once you've acquired your bastard sword, the next step is upgrading it to maximize its potential. The bastard sword requires Somber Smithing Stones for upgrades, which are special upgrade materials found throughout the Lands Between.
These stones are rarer than standard Smithing Stones but are worth the effort to collect. You'll find Somber Smithing Stones in various locations, including hidden caves, dropped by specific enemies, and available for purchase from certain merchants after progressing through the game. The bell bearing system also allows you to purchase these stones from the Twin Maiden Husks once you've obtained the appropriate bell bearings from various sources.
Each upgrade level significantly increases your bastard sword's damage output. At +10 (the maximum upgrade), your bastard sword will deal substantially more damage than its base form, making it competitive with many unique weapons in the game. The investment in upgrading pays off tremendously, especially when combined with optimal stat allocation and Ashes of War.
Combat Techniques and Strategies
Mastering the bastard sword in combat requires understanding its unique moveset and how to leverage it effectively against different enemy types. The weapon's one-handed light attacks are quick and can be chained together for pressure, while two-handed heavy attacks deliver powerful, guard-breaking blows.
One effective strategy is to alternate between one-handed and two-handed stances based on the situation. Use one-handed mode when you need to maintain your guard or perform quick attacks, then switch to two-handed when you need maximum damage output or want to break through an enemy's defense. The transition between these stances is instant, allowing for dynamic combat adaptation.
The bastard sword's running attack is particularly useful for closing distance quickly while dealing damage. This makes it excellent for aggressive playstyles that prioritize constant pressure. Additionally, the weapon's jumping attack provides excellent vertical reach, allowing you to hit flying enemies or those positioned on higher ground.
When facing multiple opponents, the bastard sword's horizontal sweep attacks can hit several enemies simultaneously, making crowd control much more manageable than with single-target weapons. Learning to position yourself advantageously so your swings hit multiple targets is key to maximizing efficiency in group combat scenarios.
Best Ashes of War for the Bastard Sword
The bastard sword is compatible with a wide variety of Ashes of War, allowing you to customize its capabilities to suit your playstyle. Some of the most popular choices include:
Bloody Slash - This Ash of War adds significant bleed buildup to your attacks, making it excellent for wearing down enemy health bars quickly. The initial self-damage cost is offset by the tremendous damage output against enemies vulnerable to bleed.
Stamp (Upward Cut) - This provides excellent poise damage and can break through enemy guards, making it ideal for dealing with shielded opponents or breaking boss staggers.
Lion's Claw - While it has a longer wind-up time, this Ash of War deals tremendous damage and can be used to avoid certain attacks during its animation, making it valuable for aggressive playstyles.
Storm Stomp - This creates an area-of-effect attack that can hit multiple enemies and break their stance, making it excellent for crowd control and opening up enemies for critical hits.
Determination - This Ash of War increases your next attack's damage, allowing you to strategically time powerful blows against tough opponents or when you need to finish an enemy quickly.
PvP Considerations and Meta Analysis
In Elden Ring's competitive PvP scene, the bastard sword occupies an interesting position. While it may not be as dominant as some of the meta greatswords or curved swords, its versatility and balanced stats make it a solid choice for players who want reliability over raw power.
The weapon's moderate speed means it can compete with faster weapons while still threatening slower, heavier weapons. This creates interesting mind games in PvP, as opponents must respect both your quick attacks and your guard-breaking potential.
When using the bastard sword in PvP, timing and spacing become crucial. The weapon's range allows you to control engagement distance effectively, and its moveset provides enough variety to keep opponents guessing. Consider pairing it with invisibility spells or quickstep ashes to create unpredictable attack patterns that can catch opponents off guard.
Comparing the Bastard Sword to Similar Weapons
How does the bastard sword stack up against similar weapons in Elden Ring? When compared to other straight swords, the bastard sword offers superior damage at the cost of slightly reduced speed. This trade-off is often worth it, as the damage increase is significant while the speed reduction is minimal.
Against greatswords, the bastard sword trades some damage potential for much better mobility and guard capabilities. This makes it more versatile in situations where you need to block attacks or reposition quickly, though you'll sacrifice some of the massive damage output that makes greatswords so intimidating.
Compared to curved swords, the bastard sword offers better reach and damage per hit, though curved swords typically attack faster and consume less stamina. The choice between these weapon types often comes down to whether you prefer the bastard sword's balanced approach or the specialized strengths of other categories.
Advanced Techniques and Combos
Once you've mastered the basics of the bastard sword, you can explore more advanced techniques to further enhance your effectiveness. Jump attacks followed by rolling R1s create a difficult-to-punish combo that maintains pressure while keeping you mobile.
Another advanced technique involves animation canceling - using items, spells, or certain actions to interrupt your attack animations slightly, allowing for faster successive attacks. This requires precise timing but can significantly increase your damage output in extended fights.
Guard counter techniques with the bastard sword are particularly effective due to the weapon's guard-breaking potential. When you successfully guard counter, follow up immediately with a two-handed heavy attack to maximize damage during the opponent's stagger window.
Conclusion
The bastard sword in Elden Ring represents the perfect middle ground between speed and power, offering players a reliable, versatile weapon that performs excellently across all content types. Whether you're a newcomer looking for an accessible but effective weapon or a veteran player seeking a dependable main-hand option, the bastard sword delivers consistent performance that scales well throughout your entire playthrough.
From its accessible acquisition in the early game to its potential as a late-game powerhouse when fully upgraded, the bastard sword proves that you don't need the most exotic or unique weapons to succeed in the Lands Between. Its balanced stats, versatile moveset, and excellent Ash of War compatibility make it a weapon that rewards skill and understanding rather than relying on raw stats alone.
So the next time you're planning your Elden Ring build or looking for a reliable weapon to carry you through challenging content, consider giving the bastard sword a try. With the knowledge and strategies outlined in this guide, you'll be well-equipped to master this classic weapon and carve your path to victory in the Lands Between.
