In Elden Ring, mastering the offhand weapon slot can significantly enhance your combat strategy, improve utility, and elevate your build’s overall effectiveness. Whether you’re a dexterity-focused assassin, a greatsword-wielding bruiser, or a magic-infused hybrid, the right offhand weapon can complement your main weapon and offer powerful benefits. Some offhand weapons provide passive buffs, parrying ability, elemental support, or extra status buildup, making them essential tools for PvE and PvP alike. Choosing the best offhand weapon depends on your build, playstyle, and what kind of encounter you’re preparing for, but a few stand out as universally excellent choices in the Lands Between.
Why Offhand Weapons Matter
Build Flexibility
The offhand slot in Elden Ring isn’t just for shields or torches it opens up a wide array of tactical possibilities. Players can dual-wield similar weapon types for faster combos, equip utility tools like whips or daggers for status application, or hold buffing weapons that scale with their stats. The flexibility of the offhand makes it an essential part of advanced character builds.
Improved Versatility
Switching to an offhand weapon mid-combat allows players to adapt quickly to different threats. Need a parry to counter a tough NPC or invader? Equip a buckler or parrying dagger. Want extra status buildup like bleed or poison? Offhand a fast-striking weapon. The offhand lets you stay prepared for any scenario without wasting time in your inventory menu.
Best Offhand Weapons in Elden Ring
1. Misericorde
The Misericorde is one of the best offhand weapons for critical-focused builds. While it looks like a basic dagger, its high critical damage modifier makes it exceptional for parrying and reposting. It also swings quickly and doesn’t require much stamina, making it ideal for bleed or poison builds when paired with status-enhancing Ashes of War.
- Scaling: Primarily Dex
- Best For: Parry and riposte setups
- Why It’s Great: Highest crit multiplier in the game
2. Clawmark Seal
Faith builds that lean into beast incantations can benefit massively from the Clawmark Seal in the offhand. This sacred seal scales with Strength and Faith, making it perfect for strength-faith hybrid builds. It allows casting of powerful spells like Bestial Sling or Beast Claw while holding a massive weapon in the main hand.
- Scaling: Strength and Faith
- Best For: Beast incantation casting without sacrificing melee power
- Why It’s Great: No need to switch away from a heavy weapon
3. Wakizashi
For players running a dexterity or bleed-focused build, the Wakizashi is a unique dagger that can be power-stanced with katanas like the Uchigatana or Rivers of Blood. It adds versatility in the offhand with rapid attacks and its ability to inflict blood loss buildup. Its quick moveset helps fill the gaps between slower weapon swings.
- Scaling: Dex and Str
- Best For: Katana dual-wielding builds
- Why It’s Great: High synergy with bleed weapons
4. Golden Order Seal
Ideal for pure Faith builds, the Golden Order Seal enhances fundamentalist incantations like Order’s Blade or Discus of Light. As an offhand seal, it allows you to buff your main weapon with holy damage or heal on the go, without switching out of your combat stance.
- Scaling: Faith and Intelligence
- Best For: Fundamentalist incantation builds
- Why It’s Great: Enables on-the-fly support without compromising DPS
5. Parrying Dagger
This lightweight offhand weapon is popular in PvP for obvious reasons: it allows rapid and reliable parries. If you’re confident in your timing, the Parrying Dagger is one of the fastest and most consistent tools for countering melee enemies and invaders. When paired with a critical-damage mainhand weapon, it becomes deadly in skilled hands.
- Scaling: Minimal; used for parry utility
- Best For: PvP counter builds
- Why It’s Great: Best startup time for parrying
6. Dragon Communion Seal
For arcane-focused builds that utilize Dragon Incantations, this seal is unmatched. When used in the offhand, it lets players cast high-damage spells like Rotten Breath or Dragonfire while keeping a bleed weapon like Reduvia or Mohgwyn’s Sacred Spear in the main hand. This synergy is excellent for hybrid casters in both PvE and PvP.
- Scaling: Arcane
- Best For: Dragon Incantation builds
- Why It’s Great: Best seal for arcane spellcasting
7. Scorpion’s Stinger
This small dagger is one of the most effective poison-inflicting weapons in Elden Ring. As an offhand option, it’s great for adding poison buildup while your main weapon handles raw damage. Particularly effective in PvE against poison-susceptible bosses or as a pressure tool in PvP.
- Scaling: Dex
- Best For: Status-focused builds
- Why It’s Great: Fast strikes with high poison buildup
8. Fingerprint Stone Shield
For tank-focused or strength-heavy builds, the Fingerprint Stone Shield offers incredible guard boost and stability. When used in the offhand, it allows players to absorb huge amounts of damage while countering with powerful Guard Counters using colossal weapons. It’s ideal for slow but durable playstyles.
- Scaling: Strength
- Best For: Tank and turtle builds
- Why It’s Great: Nearly unbreakable block with the right stats
How to Choose the Right Offhand Weapon
Consider Your Main Weapon
The synergy between your main and offhand weapons is key. A fast dagger complements a slow greatsword, while a casting seal benefits a melee build needing ranged support. Avoid equipping two slow weapons unless you’re committing to pure damage output.
Stat Scaling Matters
Don’t waste your offhand slot on something that doesn’t match your stats. If you’re running 50 Strength and no Dexterity, a fast dagger may not perform optimally. Match your weapon choices to your character’s investment to get the most out of each slot.
Status Application vs. Utility
Decide whether you want your offhand weapon to apply pressure (with bleed, frost, poison) or offer utility (parry, buff, spellcasting). Both options are valid but serve different purposes in combat, and switching between them mid-fight can be the key to survival or dominance.
In Elden Ring, the best offhand weapons offer far more than just filler they are tools of strategy, specialization, and survival. Whether you’re parrying foes, casting spells, building up poison, or just looking to optimize your DPS, choosing the right offhand weapon can elevate your entire build. From the high-crit Misericorde to the arcane-powered Dragon Communion Seal, there’s an offhand choice for every type of Tarnished. Understanding how each weapon complements your main hand is essential for conquering the vast challenges of the Lands Between. Experiment, refine, and don’t be afraid to change your loadout as you grow stronger in your journey toward Elden Lord.