Elden Ring: Best Twinblades Tier List in Patch 1.16

Posted on

The Twinblade weapon category in Elden Ring is a bit polarizing. On one hand, these weapons excel in certain areas, while on the other, they fall short in crucial aspects. This guide will break down the strengths and weaknesses of the various Twinblades available in Patch 1.14, ranking them from worst to best based on their performance in PvE.

g4pweb

Overview of Twinblades

Strengths:

  1. Synergy with Multi-Hit Talismans: The rapid succession of light and heavy attacks from Twinblades pairs well with multi-hit talismans such as Millicent's Prosthesis and the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia. This synergy makes Twinblades capable of dealing substantial damage in the right build.

  2. Power-Stanced Jumping Attacks: Twinblades arguably have the best power-stanced jumping attacks in the game. This move can deal significant damage, often outperforming other weapon classes in this category.

  3. Variety of Weapon Skills: Twinblades have access to a wide range of weapon skills, from pokes to sweeping attacks and even polearm-like skills. This versatility allows for different playstyles.

Weaknesses:

  1. Poor Stance Break Potential: Despite their high hit count, Twinblades have some of the worst stance-breaking capabilities in the game. Their charged heavy attacks only deal 33 stance damage, the same as a straight sword, despite longer animations and multiple hits.

  2. Limited Damage Without Multi-Hit Talismans: Twinblades are heavily reliant on talismans like Millicent's Prosthesis and the Thorny Cracked Tear. Without these, their damage output feels underwhelming compared to other fast, small weapons.

  3. Limited Availability: You can only obtain one of each Twinblade per playthrough, making power stancing difficult without heading into New Game Plus.

With these factors in mind, let's rank each Twinblade in Elden Ring from worst to best.

8. Gargoyle's Black Blades

The Gargoyle's Black Blades are the worst Twinblades in the game. Like most of the Gargoyle weapons (except the Greatsword), these suffer from:

  • Terrible scaling: Poor stat scaling, especially with split Holy damage, limits their damage potential.

  • Limited customization: They cannot be infused with ashes of war, meaning you're stuck with mediocre damage and non-unique skills.

  • Short range and low versatility: Other Twinblades outperform them in both damage and range.

Even though other Gargoyle weapons feature interesting effects, the Gargoyle's Black Blades sadly do not, making them a weak choice overall.

7. Regular Twinblade

The Regular Twinbladeisn't bad, but it's outclassed by nearly every other Twinblade. Its major downside is that:

  • Inferior scaling: It scales better with Dexterity, but even then, other Twinblades with the same scaling do more damage.

  • Early-game option: It's a decent early game weapon, but you'll likely replace it once better Twinblades become available.

The Regular Twinblade can be useful for power-stancing with the Godskin Peeler in a bleed build, especially early on.

6. Black Steel Twinblade (DLC)

The Black Steel Twinbladefrom the DLC has some interesting features:

  • Faith scaling: With a Sacred infusion, it can deal high Holy damage, making it suitable for Faith builds.

  • Infusible: Unlike some other Twinblades, this one can be infused, giving you more build flexibility.

However, the Yura’s Poleblade (ranked higher) outperforms it in terms of raw damage, and the reliance on Holy damage limits its effectiveness against certain enemies. You can switch between Flame Art and Sacred infusions, but overall, other Twinblades like the Gargoyle's Twinblade or Godskin Peeler offer more versatility.

5. Twin Knight Sword

The Twin Knight Swordis one of two strength-based Twinblades. While it’s a solid weapon, it’s overshadowed by the Gargoyle's Twinbladein most aspects:

  • Lower damage: The Gargoyle's Twinbladedoes more damage with every infusion.

  • Slight advantages: The Twin Knight Swordis lighter, has lower stat requirements, and has more range, but these benefits are minor in comparison to the damage advantage of the Gargoyle's Twinblade.

If you want to use a strength-based Twinblade early in the game, the Twin Knight Sword is a good option. However, once you get the Gargoyle's Twinblade, it becomes obsolete.

4. Eleonora's Poleblade

The Eleonora’s Polebladeis a strong weapon that excels in certain situations:

  • Great scaling with multi-hit talismans: Once you acquire talismans like Millicent’s Prosthesis, this weapon's damage potential skyrockets.

  • Unique charged heavy attack: Its charged heavy attack hits multiple times, dealing high damage, although slower than other Twinblade charged attacks.

  • Bleed build-up: It has innate bleed, which can be useful for quickly proccing hemorrhage on enemies.

However, it’s outclassed by other Twinblades like the Godskin Peelerand Gargoyle's Twinbladein power-stancing builds, especially when it comes to jumping attacks. The Eleonora’s Polebladeis best used in a two-handed style, with its unique skill making it highly effective against smaller enemies that can be stun-locked.

3. Gargoyle's Twinblade

The Gargoyle's Twinbladeis the highest-damaging Twinblade in the game when optimized for power-stancing and jumping attacks:

  • Raw damage potential: This is the go-to weapon for strength builds, especially with bleed or regular infusions.

  • Short range and heavier weight: While its range is the shortest of all Twinblades and it's tied as the heaviest, these downsides are easily overlooked due to its sheer damage output.

Many players might rank this weapon as the best Twinblade, and it certainly deserves consideration for the top spot. However, its limited range and the need for New Game Plus to dual-wield it are factors that hold it back slightly.

2. Godskin Peeler

The Godskin Peeleris arguably the best infusible Twinblade in the game:

  • Unique heavy attack: Its charged heavy attack ends with a powerful poke, dealing more damage than other Twinblades thanks to piercing damage and counterattack bonuses.

  • Better range and lighter weight: It has more range than the Gargoyle's Twinblade, and is lighter, making it more versatile in a variety of builds.

  • Synergy with Eleonora's Poleblade: It pairs well with the Eleonora’s Poleblade in power-stancing Dexterity builds.

While its damage doesn’t quite match the Gargoyle's Twinblade, the Godskin Peeler shines in two-handed builds and offers more versatility, making it a top contender for the best Twinblade in the game.

1. Yura's Poleblade

The Yura’s Polebladeis the best Twinblade in Elden Ring. Here’s why:

  • Unique luster effect: After landing a few hits, the weapon gains a buff that enhances its damage. This buff can be stacked twice, and when you use its weapon skill, it fires a projectile that does immense damage at range.

  • High stance damage: Its projectile can deal over 60 stance damage, making it a fantastic tool for breaking enemy poise.

  • Versatility: You can use this weapon in both melee and ranged combat, making it extremely versatile. The buff lasts long enough that you can prep it before entering boss fights, which gives you an upper hand immediately.

The drawbacks include its reliance on Holy damage and the fact that it doesn’t synergize well with power-stancing builds. However, its unique skill and long-lasting buffs make it an absolute powerhouse in PvE, earning it the top spot in this tier list.