New weapon types in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree: Odachi, martial arts, more

The upcoming Shadow of the Erdtree DLC for Elden Ring is set to feature a number of new weapon types for Tarnished to get their hands on.

Shadow of the Erdtree is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated releases of 2024. It’s set to include a new area that will be bigger than Limgrave, as well as introduce eight fresh weapons for players to use in combat.

Thanks to the recent previews, we now have details about every new weapon type in the Elden Ring DLC. So, this is everything we know about the new weapons in Shadow of the Erdtree.

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC’s 8 new weapon types

In an interview with Famitsu, Miyazaki gave fans of Elden Ring’s combat a lot to get excited about. “There are eight new weapon types added. Of course, there are additions to existing weapon types as well,” he said.

Beyond that interview, a recent string of previews for influencers and media have revealed those Miyazaki did not mention. The list of every new weapon type coming to Shadow of the Erdtree is as follows:

Great Katanas: Odachi

Described by Miyazaki as “fairly classic large Japanese katanas”, the Odachi coming to Elden Ring sound as if they’ll function as a sort of greatsword variant to Katanas. While we do have Yura’s Nagikiba in the base game which is much larger than other Katana’s in Elden Ring, it doesn’t have its own classification like these new swords.

This is good news for players who love the aesthetics and built-in bleed of Katanas but want a bit more oomph. Hopefully, that extra size translates to more Poise damage.

Duelling Shields

Another of the eight new weapon types in Elden Ring’s DLC is what Miyazaki has called “Duelling Shields”. This new weapon type actually appears in the trailer and can be seen in action during a fight with Messmer the Impaler.

They look like an elongated rectangular shield with two blades protruding from either end, similar to the popular Twinblade weapon type. Apparently, the weapon will have offensive and defensive capabilities, which sounds like a no-brainer.

Reverse Hand Swords

There’s some dispute around the translation for this particular weapon, which has been referred to as both ‘Gyakute ken’ and ‘Sakatemochi’. What isn’t in question is their function.

These Reverse Hand or Reverse Grip swords are held so that the blades extend outward towards the elbow. They can be seen in action during the trailer and look to have a combat style that will require some Dexterity to wield.

Throwing Daggers

Yes, you can already craft certain throwable knives but from what Miyazaki has described, the Throwing Daggers will be a brand-new weapon that can be permanently equipped. Apparently, they “change all attacks into throws”.

Like some of the other weapon types Miyazaki mentioned, they can be seen in the trailer when a tarnished hurls them at an enemy repeatedly. Another new weapon that looks to be Dexterity-focused.

Martial Arts

One of the most exciting new weapons in Elden Ring DLC that has been confirmed by Miyazaki is Martial Arts. While not technically a weapon, they will make your Tarnished similar to a monk in other RPGs.

Whether or not you need to equip something for this fighting style is yet to be seen but the elaborate spin kick shown in the trailer has been a highlight. Players are already plotting a fisticuff-fueled showdown with Horah Loux.

Perfume Bottles

Those familiar with the Perfumer enemies in Elden Ring will recognize these. This new weapon allows you to scatter elemental dust all around with no resource limit.

You can damage enemies with poison, set them ablaze with fire, or shock them with lightning damage. There may be other elemental types not revealed as of yet and this introduces a new fighting style with a heavy focus on targeting enemy weaknesses.

Heavy attacks with the Perfume Bottles scatter the dust in a 360-degree arc around the player making them perfect for dealing with large mobs.

Beast Claws

Beast Claws are like existing fist and claw weapons in Elden Ring but these new additions give players an entirely different moveset. Footage shown off reveals an incredibly erratic and agile combat pattern that looks incredibly stylish.

Their fast attacks make them incredibly useful for proccing status effects like bleed, frostbite, or Scarlet Rot. Though whether any will have access to these naturally remains to be seen.

Light Great Swords

This variation of Great Swords new to the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC delivers multiple hits with a single button pressed according to content creators like Iron Pineapple. Swift and strong, Light Great Swords offer different stance attacks thanks to their Ash of War.

A successful guard counter will deliver three slashes instead of one. However, they may also lack the usual Poise damage of the standard Great Swords.

Those are all of the new weapon types in Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. We have also seen a large throwable jar and a rapidly firing crossbow but those appear to be variations on existing weapons.

For more Elden Ring content, check out our coverage below:

Best early weapons for all builds & where to find them | Best Spirit Ashes ranked | Best starting class | Elden Ring characters guide: All classes explained | How to unlock all endings