Elden Ring: Zweihander – Build and How to Get

Zweihander is a two-handed Colossal type Sword that primarily scales Strength and Dexterity. This weapon is the lightest and has the fastest attacks among all Colossal-type Swords. This article will provide a build guide and show you how to get a Zweihander in Elden Ring.

Elden Ring: Zweihander

Zweihander is a classic weapon and has been there like forever in all of Souls games. The sword has the best move set among all the Colossal swords in Elden Ring. However, Zweihander has the lowest attack rating due to its scaling. At 50 strength, it only has a 690 attack rating which is much lower if you compare it to a Great Sword with a 796 attack rating. It has most likely the lowest attack rating of all the swords in all builds.

Detailed Stats of Zweihander

So, why use Zweihander? Because of its move set. While Troll Knight Sword has almost the same move set, Zweihander has a much longer range which compensates for the lack of attack rating in combination with its move set.

The rolling thrust/stab attack of Zweihander offers a lot of versatility and covers a lot of range which catches opponents in PVP off guard. Not to mention, it has relatively faster follow-up attacks after your initial thrust attack. When you counter-attack an opponent, thrust attacks will have higher damage since their thrust defense is much lower in that period.

For PVE, Zweihander offers a good early game build that deals a lot of damage and better mobility. However, the better build for PVE is different since it utilizes a different charge attack rather than the thrust attack.

PVP Build

In this PVP build, Zweihander will capitalize on its thrust attack, roll thrust attack, and wide swing attacks. The wide swing attack pattern might need a few practice runs due to the slowness of the attack. But once used to it, it feels pretty awesome. This is a late-game PVP build but essentially this is how you want to build your Zweihander with.

• Zweihander – The center of this build since it is light, long reach, and versatile.
• Ash of War: Blood Hound’s Step – This Ash of war provides mobility, especially on Colossal type Weapons
• Electrify Armament – Incantation – This incantation adds additional lightning damage to your weapon which requires 15 faith attribute points.
• Vyke’s Dragonbolt – Incantantion (alternate item, aesthetics) – This is an alternative if aesthetics is your priority. However, it requires higher Faith attribute points which could be used in your main attribute strength and dexterity, or with your support attribute, endurance.
• Great-Jar’s Arsenal Talisman – This talisman provides a huge increase in your equipment load which can compensate when your endurance is low.
• Erdtree’s Favor Talisman – With the increase in HP, Stamina, and Equip Load, this talisman is perfect for this build to complement your tankiness and the need for stamina and equip load.
• Viridian Amber Medallion Talisman – This is another talisman that raises stamina which would help with mobility.
• Old Lord’s Talisman – To prolong your incantation, this talisman is ideal for the build to avoid re-casting.

PVE Build (Early)

For PVE build in the early game, Zweihander is easy to access which is a good weapon to start with. Strength, vigor, and endurance are the focus while adding in dexterity is at the minimum for early game. Like the PVP build the core move set is the charge attacks. However, Ash of War: War Cry changes the stabbing attack to a slower sword smash attack but with higher damage.

• Zweihander – The center of this build since it is light, long reach, and versatile.
• Ash of War: War Cry – This changes Zweihander charge attack to a slower but higher damage charge attack.
• Green Turtle Talisman – This is required so your stamina can keep up with your mobility requirements.
• Axe Talisman – Since the charge attack is the center of the attacks, the increase in damage helps in immediately bursting down enemies.

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Attribute Build

The basic requirement of Zweihander to be equipped is 19 strength 11 dexterity. Early on, focus on achieving this stat to use the weapon. Then, focus the attribute points to Vigor and Endurance to 20 each and you may pump strength, vigor, and endurance evenly but it is also good to prioritize strength for the scaling damage.

For the PVP attribute points at level 150, here are the recommended allocation of attribute points.

HOW TO GET

Zweihander

Zweihander can be easily bought for 3,500 Runes from the Isolated Merchant located in his Shack, Southwest of Weeping Peninsula.

PVP Items

• Ash of War: Blood Hound’s Step – can be found near Lenne’s Rise Site of Grace in Dragon Barrow North Caelid. Defeat the Knight of Cavalry Greater Enemy Boss which will appear during nighttime. It will drop the Ash of War: Blood Hound’s Step as loot.
• Electrify Armament – Incantation – can be purchased from Brother Coryhn in the Round Table Hold or Miriel, Pastor of Vows in Church of Vows, East of Liurnia of the Lakes.
• Vyke’s Dragonbolt – Icantantion (alternate item, aesthetics) – can be looted after defeating Roundtable Knight Vyke at Lord Contender’s Evergaol in Mountain Tops of the Giants.
• Great-Jar’s Arsenal Talisman – can be looted after The Great-Jar’s Challenge in Dragon Barrow North Caelid.
• Erdtree’s Favor Talisman – there are multiple ways to acquire this Talisman
  • can be found using 2 Stonesword Keys in Fringefolk Hero’s Grave, Limgrave
  • +1 version can be found after Defeating Mohg, the Omen in Leyndell, The Royal Capital
  • +2 version can be found in Leyndell, Ashen Capital (endgame/post-game) guarded by three Lesser Ulcerated Three Spirits
• Viridian Amber Medallion Talisman– there are multiple ways to acquire this Talisman
  • can be found after defeating Miranda the Blighted Bloom in Tombsward Cave, Weeping Peninsula
  • +1 version is in the Altus Plateau south of Outer Wall Battle Ground Site of Grace.
  • +2 version is in Miquella’s Haligtree. Scarlet Rot Zombies guard the chest of the Talisman.
• Old Lord’s Talisman – It is located in Crumbling Arum Fazulla at the edge of Dragon Temple Rooftop. Beastmen guards the chest and Recusant Bernahl might be on the path as well.

PVE Items (Early)

• Ash of War: War Cry – There are two ways to obtain this.
  • Buy from Knight Bernahl in Warmaster’s Shack in Stormhill, Ligmrave
  • Or, buy from Twin Maiden Husks inside the Roundtable Hold after giving Berhnal’s Bell Bearing.
• Green Turtle Talisman – Located in Summonwater village in Stormhill, Limgrave. The area requires a Stonesword Key to be accessible.
• Axe Talisman – Located in Mistwood Ruins, Southeast of Limgrave.

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