Backhand Blade
Backhand Blade is a paired Shadow of the Erdtree weapon found in Gravesite Plain. Its flowing reverse-grip moveset and default Blind Spot skill emphasize lateral evasion, rapid Dexterity pressure, and affinity customization.
Key Takeaways
Backhand Blade is a Shadow of the Erdtree reverse-grip weapon built around mobile attacks and positional pressure rather than conventional curved-sword handling.
Reverse-grip moveset
Its distinctive two-handed moveset attacks from a reverse grip, giving the weapon a different spacing and movement profile from standard curved swords.
Blind Spot skill
Blind Spot lets the wielder move around an opponent before striking, making positioning central to the weapon’s signature attack.
DLC availability
Backhand Blade requires Shadow of the Erdtree content; it is not part of the base-game weapon roster.
Dexterity-oriented choice
The weapon requires Dexterity investment and is most relevant to characters already built around fast close-range attacks.
Mobility over conventional poise pressure
Its speed and repositioning are major advantages, while players seeking the heavier stagger and commitment of larger weapons should look elsewhere.
Customizable progression
Backhand Blade follows the regular reinforcement path, allowing Ash of War and affinity choices rather than locking the player to a single upgrade configuration.
Distinct from ordinary curved swords
Compared with conventional curved swords, its main point of difference is the reverse-grip moveset and mobility-focused skill rather than a simple damage upgrade.
Overview
Backhand Blade is a Shadow of the Erdtree backhand-blade weapon in Elden Ring, built around reverse-grip attacks and the Blind Spot skill’s evasive repositioning.
Backhand Blade is a DLC weapon from Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree and belongs to the backhand-blade class introduced with that expansion. Its identity is defined less by a conventional sword stance than by how the character holds and swings it: attacks are performed from a reverse grip, giving the weapon a distinct animation set and a close-range rhythm unlike ordinary curved swords.
Its signature skill, Blind Spot, is central to the weapon’s role. The skill lets the wielder move around an opponent before striking from an exposed angle, so Backhand Blade rewards deliberate positioning rather than simply trading blows from the front. This makes it especially recognizable in encounters where circling, creating an opening, or staying mobile matters more than committing to a stationary attack string.
As a practical choice, Backhand Blade sits between a conventional fast curved weapon and a more specialized evasive tool. It is intended for characters who want rapid melee pressure while retaining a distinctive way to approach guarded or aggressively positioned enemies. Its value therefore depends on whether the player can make use of its spacing and repositioning options, not just on the damage shown by a particular upgrade or build.
The weapon should be treated as a Shadow of the Erdtree addition rather than part of the base-game roster, and its DLC context is important when comparing availability and alternatives. It is not a universal replacement for every curved sword: the reverse-grip moveset and Blind Spot are the reasons to choose it, while players seeking a more familiar stance, different reach, or another skill may prefer a conventional weapon in the same broad fast-melee role.
Statistics
Elden Ring publishes no 0–100 stat bars, so this page lists the verified requirements, scaling and handling figures instead. Taken from the project's verified weapons database, not from generated text.
- CategoryBackhand Blades
- Damage TypeSlash/Pierce
- Primary ScalingDex C
- Weight3
- SkillBackhand Blade skill
- Str Req9
- Dex Req18
- How to ObtainShadow of the Erdtree - early Land of Shadow
- DLCShadow of the Erdtree
Figures verified against Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
Compared to similar backhand blades
| Weapon | Str Req | Dex Req | Weight | Primary Scaling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Backhand Blade | 9 | 18 | 3 | Dex C |
| Curseblade's Cirque | 10 | 20 | 4.5 | Dex C |
| Ghiza's Wheel | 13 | 20 | 5.5 | Dex C |
Requirements, scaling grades and weight are the game’s own published figures. From Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
How to Obtain
- Shadow of the Erdtree access is required. To enter the expansion, the character must have defeated Starscourge Radahn and Mohg, Lord of Blood.
- The weapon is available in the DLC's normal progression and does not require New Game Plus.
- 01Travel to the Gravesite Plain in Shadow of the Erdtree and reach the Scorched Ruins Site of Grace. From there, head northeast to the small graveyard on the raised ground beyond the ruins. The Backhand Blade is in a chest there; opening it is a guaranteed pickup, not an enemy drop, quest reward, or vendor purchase.
- 02The chest provides the weapon directly, with no additional mission, boss, key item, or attribute requirement. It is a fixed pickup and cannot be reacquired elsewhere during the same playthrough after collection; there is no separate vendor or alternate recovery route documented.
Availability
Requires Access to Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
The Backhand Blade is DLC content and is not part of the base-game weapon pool. It is acquired as loot rather than purchased from a vendor; no price applies.
Mechanics and Handling
Backhand Blade’s handling is defined by its reverse-grip, paired-blade moveset rather than by a single heavy hit. Its ordinary attacks chain together quickly, letting the wielder maintain pressure through successive slashes while repositioning around the target. The weapon is most effective when its user stays close enough to keep the sequence connected; whiffed swings still leave the player committed to the animation.
Reverse-Grip Attack Pattern
The light-attack sequence alternates rapid backhand cuts and gives the weapon a different spacing rhythm from conventional curved swords. Its attacks can catch targets on either side of the wielder more naturally than a straightforward thrusting weapon, but the reverse-grip presentation should not be mistaken for automatically extended reach. Jumping and running attacks are useful for closing distance or starting pressure, while charged attacks are better reserved for openings that allow their longer commitment.
Blind Spot
Blind Spot is the Backhand Blade’s signature skill. It performs a quick evasive reposition followed by a close-range strike, allowing the user to move around a target instead of attacking only from the original facing. Directional input changes the movement’s angle, which makes the skill useful for slipping toward a flank or avoiding the line of an incoming attack. The movement is not a replacement for reading timing: its value depends on choosing a direction and distance that keep the follow-up hit in range.
Spacing, Stamina, and Status Use
The weapon rewards short attack strings and deliberate disengagement more than uninterrupted button-mashing. Its fast swings can consume stamina through repeated pressure, so leaving enough stamina for a roll is important when fighting enemies that cannot be staggered reliably. Backhand Blade has no defining weapon-specific resource or reload cycle, and its distinctive skill does not turn it into a ranged weapon. Its main mechanical identity is therefore mobility and attack flow; affinity, attributes, and external buffs determine whether a build adds a status or damage specialization, rather than the base moveset supplying one by itself.
Upgrades and Variants
Strengths, Weaknesses and Best Uses
Strengths
- The paired backhand-blade moveset delivers rapid attacks while occupying one weapon slot, letting the user maintain dual-blade pressure without equipping a separate off-hand weapon.
- Blind Spot provides an attacking reposition: directional input can carry the user around a target while avoiding an incoming attack, creating an opportunity to strike from the side or rear.
- Its close-range attack pattern suits status or elemental affinity setups that benefit from repeated hits, provided the chosen affinity and build support that plan.
Weaknesses
- The weapon is committed to close-range fighting; its advantages fall away when an enemy cannot be safely approached or consistently kept within the attack sequence.
- Blind Spot depends on timing, spacing, and directional input. Used without a readable attack or enough room to circle, it can leave the user out of position rather than safely behind the target.
- Its paired offensive design does not provide the reach or defensive role of a shield, nor the heavy stagger emphasis associated with larger melee classes.
Best uses
- Aggressive melee builds that want a fast paired-weapon moveset without dedicating the second weapon slot to a conventional dual-wield setup.
- PvE encounters with readable attacks, where Blind Spot can turn an incoming strike into a side- or rear-positioning counterattack.
- Close-range status or elemental-affinity setups whose damage plan benefits from repeated weapon hits rather than slow, single-impact attacks.
Compared With Similar Weapons
| Weapon | Class / role | What distinguishes it | Build flexibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Backhand Blade | Blind Spot skill lets the wielder reposition around a target while striking from the rear | Infusable, allowing its Ash of War and affinity to be adapted to the build | — |
| Smithscript Cirque | Combines close-range attacks with a returning thrown-blade attack | A stronger fit for players who want ranged utility within a melee moveset; its Smithscript properties define the weapon more than pure backhand pressure | — |
| Curseblade's Cirque | Uses the Curseblade weapon style and built-in blood loss pressure | More specialized than Backhand Blade; suited to bleed-focused builds rather than broad affinity customization | — |
| Falx | Offers a different curved-sword moveset and the Curseblade's Dance skill | A realistic alternative for players who want fast paired attacks but prefer curved-sword handling over the Backhand Blade's backhand stance | — |
Lore and Design
The Backhand Blade’s item text focuses on its unusual grip: this is a curved blade intended to be wielded with the backhand, allowing attacks from angles that differ from conventional sword work. That description establishes the weapon’s defining design concept without assigning it an unsupported connection to a named character, faction, or real-world martial tradition.
Its presentation in Shadow of the Erdtree supports a deliberate contrast with more familiar curved swords. The weapon’s identity comes from the relationship between its silhouette and its backhand-oriented handling, rather than from an elaborate named legend. Beyond that concise description, no additional character history or documented developer commentary is established here. Any broader claim about cultural inspiration or the weapon’s origin would require stronger published evidence.
Trivia
- Backhand Blade belongs to the Backhand Blades weapon class introduced in Shadow of the Erdtree, rather than being a variant of an existing Elden Ring blade class.
- Two-handing the weapon changes its handling to a paired reverse-grip stance, giving the character a second blade for the weapon’s two-handed attacks. This is a weapon-class behaviour, not an additional item in the inventory.