As a sprawling open-world RPG, there are many ways to build a character in Elden Ring. One of the most powerful builds takes advantage of the game’s Bleed mechanic, whereby players can inflict huge amounts of damage by causing their target’s blood loss buildup to reach the threshold. Any weapon can be made to deal Bleed damage with an Ash of War, but some are better than others. One of the best early weapons for a Bleed build with reach is the Grave Scythe, a large reaper with an impressive 55 Bleed buildup.
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Where to Find the Grave Scythe in Elden Ring
There are a few different places to find the Grave Scythe in Elden Ring, though none of them are guaranteed drops. Instead, the heavy reaper has a chance of dropping from any Skeleton Mage in the game. This enemy is most often found in graveyard areas, ambushes, shallow water, or under bridges.
As they’re part of the Skeleton Militia enemy type, Skeleton Mages can recover from mortal wounds unless the player attacks their remains as they are reforming. There are a few weapons that negate this feature, but they’re mostly found in the mid to late game.
One of the easiest places to farm Skeleton Mages for the Grave Scythe is in Elden Ring’s Liurnia of the Lakes region. This region can be accessed quite quickly in the game, especially if players go around Stormveil Castle rather than through it.
The graveyard to the west of the Lake-Facing Cliffs Site of Grace is a good place to start, as is Stillwater Cave, a Catacomb that is found at the bottom of the cliffs to the north.
Elden Ring Grave Scythe Breakdown
The Grave Scythe is a great weapon for players getting a head start on their Bleed-focused Elden Ring build, particularly if they prefer weapons with some reach. Here are its core features:
Damage type: Slash Default Ash of War: Spinning Slash - A 6/12 FP cost attack that spins forward with a wide sweep Weight: 7. 0 Attributes Required: Str 17, Dex 13 Attribute Scaling: Str D (C), Dex D Attack Power: Physical 114, Critical 100 Guarded Damage Negation: Physical: 49 Magic: 33 Fire: 33 Lightning: 33 Holy: 33 Guard Boost: 33 Passive Effects: Blood loss buildup (55) Raises Vitality (35) Raises Immunity (35) Upgrade Material: Smithing Stones
The Grave Scythe is a normal-type weapon, which means it can be upgraded with a variety of different Ash of War options, potentially changing its scaling and damage. One of the best choices for the Grave Scythe is the Blood infusion, which will add even more blood loss buildup to the weapon.
Elden Ring is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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