Elden Ring has proven itself to be one of the best games in its genre by winning 331 Game of the Year awards. The reason why people love it mainly boils down to gameplay, and today we’ll be talking about an important aspect of it – attack speed and how to increase it in Elden Ring.
In a game that punishes your mistakes as harshly as Elden Ring does, attack speed seems like a variable that you’ll want to increase. This is amplified if you don’t have as much experience in this genre of games, especially if they were made by FromSoftware.
Can You Increase Attack Speed in Elden Ring?
Sadly, there is no definitive way to increase the attack speed of any given weapon type in Elden Ring. The only real way to do this would be to pick another lighter/smaller weapon type. This means that there isn’t really anything obtainable in the game that increases your attack speed.
If you chose to go with a heavier weapon, then you’re going to have to mold your playstyle around its slow swing speed. The same applies to smaller weapons that aren’t as heavy. So, if you’re looking for an increase in your weapon attack speed, avoid big and heavy weapons like a greatsword or hammer.
However, lighter weapons won’t offer a lot of damage per hit, which leaves you open to longer-lasting fights in general. Even if you’re not a fan of smaller weapons, we’d recommend trying them out if it’s your first time playing a FromSoftware game. Elden Ring isn’t known for its combat lenience.
Fastest Attack Speed Weapon Types in Elden Ring
Lighter weapons may be weaker overall, but they have their clever uses. For example, well-timed backstab attacks can deal a colossal amount of damage, and they are even more lethal when followed up with a normal attack after the fact. Likewise, slower-moving enemies will be perfect targets for someone that has a quick weapon.
More specifically, which weapon types should you be on the lookout for if you want something that swings faster? Thanks to user u/Maeno-san on Reddit, we’ve compiled a list that will help you choose. Here are some weapon types with the fastest attack speeds in Elden Ring:
| Weapon Type | HPM (Hits Per Minute) |
| Katana | 74 |
| Curved Sword | 84 |
| Axe | 85 |
| Thrusting Sword | 85 |
| Fists | 88 |
| Claws | 95 |
| Dagger | 108 |
As you can see, the dagger is by far the fastest-swinging weapon in Elden Ring, and not only is it perfect for backstabbing, but it also yields higher critical damage. The only real downside to these smaller weapons is the fact that they don’t have much reach, which is another fair balancing point.
Best Weapons with Fast Attack Speeds
Given how we’ve covered every weapon type that has fast attack speeds, it would be smart to mention at least one named weapon in each category mentioned above.
Here are a couple of weapons that you should keep an eye out for when looking for fast attack speed weapons:
- Daggers – Reduvia
- Claws – Bloodhound Claws
- Katana – Uchigatana
- Fists – Veteran’s Prosthesis Fists
- Curved Sword – Magma Blade
- Thrusting Sword – Rapier
- Axe – Warped Axe
Although you can’t increase your attack speed with heavier weapons, at least you now know which weapon type to pick if you want a faster character. Even if you’ve already started with heavy weapons, you can always make the switch.
Elden Ring encourages plenty of playstyles, and you’ll never run out of different weapon types to use. Players have noted that they wish that stats weren’t fixed when it came to attack speed, but it sadly can’t be tweaked.
You’ll be put through multiple trials and tribulations whilst playing Elden Ring, and it’s not really a game to speedrun. That didn’t stop someone from finishing it in under 7 minutes though.
