With over 100 hours of gameplay in Elden Ring and having tested all spear weapons extensively, I can confidently provide my list of the 8 best spears in the game along with their stats, locations, scaling, and upgrade details.
Spears may seem underwhelming at first, but their range, speed, and movesets make them exceptional for both PvE and PvP combat. Pair them with a shield and you have a potent combo capable of taking on any foe.
This guide will cover the top spears for Strength, Dexterity, Magic, Lightning, Quality, and Faith builds. I‘ve also included upgrade requirements, ash of war options, and where to find each spear.
Best Spears Comparison Table
| Spear | Weight | FP Cost | Phy Dmg | Scaling | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short Spear | 4 | – | 140 | D/D Str/Dex | Roundtable Hold |
| Cross Naginata | 8 | 12 | 232 | C/C Str/Dex | Gael Tunnel |
| Partisan | 6 | 12 | 348 | D/D Str/Dex | Gatefront Ruins |
| Bolt of Gransax | 8 | 59 | 603 | D/D Str/Dex | Leyndell |
| Death Ritual Spear | 6 | 20 | 554 | D/D Dex/Int | Mountaintops of the Giants |
| Crystal Spear | 5 | 11 | 483 | E/D Str/Int | Sellia Hideaway |
| Lance | 9 | 16 | 357 | D/D Str/Dex | Northwest Limgrave |
| Treespear | 9 | 18 | 552 | D/D Dex/Fth | Liurnia Highway |
1. Short Spear
Location: Obtained by starting as the Prophet class or purchased from Roundtable Hold for 600 runes.
The Short Spear is the perfect entry-level spear thanks to its simplicity and quality scaling. With 14 strength and dexterity required, most builds can equip it straight away. Moveset consists of quick stabs, ideal against groups of weaker enemies.
Despite its mundane appearance, the Short Spear can be a powerful main weapon that carries you through the game. Upgrade with smithing stones and customize with ashes of war to suit your build.
PvE Rating: A
PvP Rating: B
2. Cross Naginata
Location: Corpse in Gael Tunnel dungeon.
A fan favorite Dexterity spear capable of both slashing and thrust attacks. With fluid dual-wield movesets and strong counter damage, the Cross Naginata excels in player vs player combat.
Requires 16 strength and 20 dexterity to wield. Customizable with ashes of war but cannot be buffed. Upgrade with smithing stones to further boost base damage and bleeding buildup. Exceptional DEX weapon – highly recommended for 60+ Dexterity builds.
PvE Rating: B+
PvP Rating: A
3. Partisan
Location: Dropped by Godrick Knights in Gatefront Ruins and elsewhere.
The Partisan spear shares similarities with the iconic partisan weapon in Dark Souls 3 thanks to its versatile and well-rounded moveset. Builds centered around both Strength and Dexterity will benefit most from its quality scaling.
With 15 strength and 12 dexterity required initially, the Partisan can be equipped by most characters early on. Customizable with ashes of war to convert scaling or base damage type if desired. Upgrade using smithing stones.
PvE Rating: A
PvP Rating: A+
4. Bolt of Gransax
Location: Obtained by climbing the giant spear monument building in Leyndell, Royal Capital.
The Bolt is one of the legendary armaments in Elden Ring, featuring an ornate design and devastating lightning damage. With high Dexterity requirements (40), it performs best on specialized builds.
Charged strong attacks hurl lightning spears for ranged combat. The weapon art Storm Assault brings lightning strikes down around the player – excellent against groups. Upgraded with somber smithing stones.
Visually striking spear that offers great lightning power at the cost of split physical damage. Shines against enemies weak to lightning.
PvE Rating: A+
PvP Rating: B+
5. Death Ritual Spear
Location: Dropped by the Death Rite Bird mini-boss in Mountaintops of the Giants.
Wielded by death sorcerers, this spear scales equally with Dexterity and Intelligence – perfect for battle mage builds. Base magic damage is high but physical is lacking, so Intelligence investment is a must.
The weapon art impales foes before creating an area of effect death sorcery explosion. Somber smithing stone upgrades improve magic scaling. An exceptionally versatile magic spear.
PvE Rating: A+
PvP Rating: B
6. Crystal Spear
Location: Behind illusion wall in Sellia Hideaway town.
Boasting magic damage and scaling, the Crystal Spear outdamages most basic spears when buffed with sorceries. Dexterity increases the physical damage while Intelligence boosts the magic side.
Charged strong attacks release crystal-infused thrusting blasts at range. The weapon art impales before creating a small crystal explosion. Upgraded with somber smithing stones.
Simple but effective magic spear for Intelligence builds. High damage potential when properly invested into Intelligence.
PvE Rating: A
PvP Rating: B+
7. Lance
Location: Found at Minor Erdtree campsite in northwest Limgrave.
Great spears like the Lance boast tremendous range and damage at the cost of slower attack speed. Their size allows them to be wielded alongside greatshields.
With 20 strength and 14 dexterity, the Lance performs best on Strength focused builds. Customizable affinity and ashes make it viable for most melee builds when two-handed. Somber smithing stone upgrades recommended.
Devastating thrust attacks capable of eliminating bosses rapidly. Use guard counters and ranged charged heavy attacks to offset its slow speed.
PvE Rating: S+
PvP Rating: B
8. Treespear
Location: Found along broken bridge in southeast Liurnia.
This ornately decorated spear perfectly complements Dexterity/Faith builds with its holy damage and scaling. Attacks are imbued with holy power, making it very effective against Those Who Live in Death.
The weapon skill temporarily boosts holy damage and prevents enemies from being revived upon death. This can permanently kill skeletons and revenants.
With 22 dexterity and 18 faith required initially, the Treespear is somewhat limited but will pay dividends on dedicated builds. Upgrades raise holy attack ratings significantly.
PvE Rating: A+
PvP Rating: A
So there you have it, the 8 best spears currently available in Elden Ring. I hope this guide gives you some ideas on powerful, fun weapons to try on your next playthrough or PvP build. Let me know your favorite spear and builds in the comments!
