As a hardcore Soulsborne fan with over 500 hours across the series‘ games, I‘ve tried just about every playstyle imaginable. But for my latest Elden Ring playthrough, I decided to challenge myself in an unconventional way – by using whips!
These tricky weapons demand mastery of range, timing, and inflicting statuses over pure damage. But the journey to whip proficiency taught me their true potential in the hands of a skilled Tarnished.
In this guide, I‘ll draw on my firsthand whip experience to highlight the best flails in Elden Ring and how to use them effectively. Time to get cracking!
What Makes Whips Unique
Before highlighting specific whips, let‘s review what sets these weapons apart:
Excellent Range
Whips have the longest reach of any melee weapon type in Elden Ring. Wielded properly, you can strike foes from just outside their attack range with relative safety. This allows more openings to damage evasive or shielded enemies.
Of course, distance is a double-edged sword ⚔️. Miss your opportunity on a close-range build opponent and prepare for punishment!
Delayed Wind Ups Into Fast Attacks
A whip‘s long flexible build up means you must master attack timing. There‘s a distinct delayed wind up, followed by very fast slash animations. With practice, this unpredictability becomes an asset.
Check out the Hoslow‘s Petal Whip moveset in this clip to see what I mean.
Weak Staggering But Strong Status Potential
Don‘t expect whips to interrupt enemy combos – their damage just doesn‘t have the poise-breaking force. However, many whips have excellent bleed, frost, or poison build ups through repeated hits. This makes them strong against thicker, slower enemies.
Specialized Crowd Control
While most whips focus single targets, some like the Giant‘s Red Braid have sweeping heavy attacks perfect for controlling groups. The key is recognizing your whip‘s strengths and maximizing them against certain enemy types.
Now let‘s get to Elden Ring‘s top whips!
1. Hoslow‘s Petal Whip
My favorite Elden Ring whip for both style and substance, Hoslow‘s Petal Whip stands out in nearly every regard:
Primary Attributes
- 10 Strength
- 20 Dexterity
Scaling
- B Dexterity
Critical
- 110
Effects
- Causes blood loss build up
- Can be enchanted with ashes of warThis weapon hits the perfect balance between range, damage, and hemorrhaging potential.
Check out Hoslow‘s moveset and speed yourself. The flowing slashes are excellent at catching nimble foes off guard.
And don‘t overlook its R2 horizontal tornado spin attack when surrounded! Hoslow‘s really rewards mastery.
How to Get Hoslow‘s Petal Whip
This stylish flail is a reward for completing a Volcano Manor assassination questline. Here‘s how to get it:
- Join Volcano Manor by speaking to Tanith and accept her requests.
- Complete the first two assassination requests within Mt. Gelmir.
- Accept the third target: Juno Hoslow in Mountaintops of the Giants.
- Find the red summon sign near the Shack of the Lofty site of grace to face him.
- Vanquish Hoslow and claim his signature Petal Whip!
I recommend applying Blood Tax or Chilling Mist ashes to max out bleed & frost build ups each strike.
2. Thorned Whip
If Hoslow‘s Petal Whip is the elegant nobility of whips, then the Thorned Whip is the gritty peasant flail geared for hemorrhage warfare.
Check out its vicious stats:
Primary Attributes
- 8 Strength
- 16 Dexterity
Scaling
- C Dexterity
Critical
- 126
Effects
- Causes blood loss build up
- Can be enchanted with ashes of warThe intense lacerations strip chunks off posture bars, creating openings to apply even more bleed. It‘s a death spiral ⚰️ for enemies weak to it.
I recommend the Thorned Whip for hit & run melee builds rather than ranged casters – you have to get up close and personal to max that hemorrhage!
How To Get Thorned Whip
To claim this brutal bleeding weapon:
- Journey through the Mountaintops of Giants until the Zamor Ruins.
- Locate the narrow land bridge guarded by the Fire Monk.
- Bait his flaming area attacks before rushing in to apply bleed, then retreating.
- Repeat until the monk perishes, then claim your Thorned Whip prize!
For maximum bleed stack potential, I suggest infusing with Seppuku. Just watch your own health, its self-damage can add up… 🩸
3. Urumi
This exotic Eastern whip features a series of blades linked by thin cords, making each lash unpredictable.
It boasts one of the highest dexterity scales in its fully upgraded S rank form:
Primary Attributes
- 10 Strength
- 19 Dexterity
Scaling
- S Dexterity
Critical
- 100
Effects
- Minor blood loss build up
- Can be enchanted with ashes of warCheck out Urumi‘s slashes in action – the blades almost have a mind of their own! Landing the full unique power stance combo takes real finesse.
The Urumi favors aggressive melee-range duelists who enjoy complex weapon movesets. Pierce through your enemies‘ defenses!
Where To Find the Urumi
- Explore Altus Plateau until you reach the Caria Manor legacy dungeon.
- Take the lifts through the manor‘s Upper Levels to reach a lower exterior section.
- Search out on the rubble to find the Urumi on a body.
I recommend enchanting with Bloodhound Step to really abuse that range when 1v1ing humanoid bosses and NPC invaders. They‘ll never touch you! 😏
4. Giant‘s Red Braid
What list would be complete without this boss soul staple? The Giant‘s Red Braid transforms Fire Giant‘s mane into a deadly cinder flail.
Its stats make it formidable for both Strength and Faith builds:
Primary Attributes
- 18 Strength
- 12 Dexterity
- 21 Faith
Scaling
- D Strength
- D Dexterity
- D Faith
Effects
- Strike & fire damage
- Unique Ash stamps out surround foes
- CanNOT be enchanted But the real prize is its Ash of War, with fiery flourishes that hit all enemies nearby. It lacks range, so save it when overwhelmed by mobs.
How to Get Giant‘s Red Braid
This boss soul weapon takes patience – and survival instincts against the Fire Giant!
- Progress through Snowfields to reach the Fire Giant boss arena.
- Stay beneath and bait stomps to counter hit the feet. Avoid wide fire & snowflake arcs!
- When the Fire Giant falls, collect its Remembrance.
- Take the soul to Enia at Roundtable Hold for the Giant‘s Red Braid.
While you can‘t enchant this whip, I recommend the Flamedrake and Fire Scorpion talismans to further boost fire damage!
5. Magma Whip Candlestick
Let‘s wrap up with one unusual wildcard pick – the Magma Whip Candlestick looks unassuming, but packs a molten surprise!
Its faith/Dex scaling and fire infusion make it hit unexpectedly hard:
Primary Attributes
- 8 Strength
- 16 Dexterity
- 18 Faith
Scaling
- E Strength
- B Dexterity
- B Faith
Effects
- Strike & fire damage
- Unique Ash ignites candle flame whip
- Can NOT be enchantedActivating its unique Ash of War wreaths you in searing hot magma, annihilating foes weak to fire damage over time.
It‘s unconventional, but don‘t sleep on the Magma Whip‘s potential!
Where to Find Magma Whip Candlestick
Interestingly, this fire flail is a reward from everyone‘s favorite Elden Ring NPC questline:
- Encounter Patches outside Murkwater Cave at the start. Spare him. 😇
- Continue his questline to Volcano Manor when he asks a "favor".
- Help him assassinate the Oracle Enforcer for the reward – the Magma Whip Candlestick!
I suggest pairing this weapon with the Godskin Apostle armor set to match that fire monk vibe. Praise the flame! \\[|-]/
Mastering Whips
Now that you know where to find Elden Ring‘s best whips, let‘s apply some mastery:
Capitalize On Range
The main advantage whips provide is range. Use these weapons to strike at a distance, then fade away before counters.
Punish approach attempts and bait enemies into overextending. But watch for ranged builds who can punish in turn!
Inflict Bleed & Frostbite
Many whips like Thorned Whip and Hoslow‘s Petal cause bleed hemorrhaging. Dual wield and use ashes like Seppuku to stack it quickly.
Alternatively, apply Frost and sleep Ashes to double status proc. This chunks down enemies lacking robustness.
Use Walls & Choke Points
While whips lack stopping power in open spaces, they shine in corridor fights. Walls and dropoffs limit enemy evasion while allowing you to strike freely.
The whip tips "wrap" nicely around corners for catching rollers off guard. Find environmental advantages!
Emergency Crowd Control
Some whip Ashes like Giant‘s Red Braid excel when overwhelmed. Use these heavy spin attacks to strike all surrounding enemies at once.
While it won‘t interrupt attacks, the damage adds up. Just mind the longer recovery animation when isolated.
Conclusion
After deep diving Elden Ring‘s whips for this guide, I have even more appreciation for these nuanced dexterity weapons. Their versatility, bleed potential, and crowd control create unique playstyle opportunities beyond brute force quality builds.
I hope my first-hand analysis has cracked the whip on finding the flail for your own Tarnished. Let me know which whips have worked well in your playthroughs! May we continue to struggle valiantly onwards.
Umbasa \[|-]/
