Gargoyle's Blackblade
Gargoyle's Blackblade is a unique physical-and-holy greatsword dropped with Gargoyle's Black Halberd by the Black Blade Kindred outside Bestial Sanctum. Corpse Wax Cutter sends a broad holy blade wave for Strength/Faith pressure.
Key Takeaways
Physical-and-holy greatsword
Gargoyle's Blackblade is a unique Greatsword that deals both physical and holy damage, making it a Strength-and-Faith weapon rather than a purely physical alternative.
Fixed weapon skill
Its exclusive Corpse Wax Cutter skill drives the weapon's identity: the attack slams the blade down and releases a holy wave, giving the weapon reach beyond its normal swings.
Boss-reward acquisition
The Blackblade is obtained by defeating the Black Blade Kindred at the Bestial Sanctum; the weapon is a reward rather than a normal world pickup or vendor purchase.
Upgrade and customization limits
It follows the Somber Smithing Stone upgrade path and has a fixed skill, so it cannot use an Ash of War or freely switch affinities like the infusible Gargoyle's Greatsword.
Main trade-off
Its holy component and Faith requirement support hybrid builds, but the fixed damage profile and skill reduce its flexibility compared with customizable Greatswords.
Overview
Gargoyle's Blackblade is a unique greatsword in Elden Ring's base game, built around heavy physical strikes and holy damage rather than the flexible infusion system used by ordinary greatswords. Its defining feature is Corpse Wax Cutter, a fixed weapon skill that combines a downward attack with a travelling holy blade, giving the weapon a way to threaten targets beyond normal melee reach.
As a unique greatsword, Gargoyle's Blackblade follows the Somber reinforcement path and cannot be treated as a freely customizable counterpart to the regular Gargoyle's Greatsword. Its identity comes from the combination of greatsword reach, strength-and-faith-oriented use, split physical and holy damage, and a distinctive skill that remains attached to the weapon. That combination makes it a specialised choice rather than a generic greatsword with a different appearance.
The weapon occupies a mid-to-late progression role because it is awarded by the Black Blade Kindred, an optional field boss encountered at the Bestial Sanctum in Caelid. This places it behind a combat gate rather than making it an early vendor or common enemy-drop weapon. The acquisition context also gives it a clear relationship to the gargoyle weapons found in the same part of the game, without making it a DLC item or a variant from Shadow of the Erdtree.
In combat, Gargoyle's Blackblade is most distinct when its user can take advantage of both close-range swings and Corpse Wax Cutter. The skill's released blade of light can extend pressure past the weapon's normal contact range, while the physical greatsword moveset still handles ordinary melee engagements. The result is a weapon that asks for deliberate spacing and commitment, but offers more reach in practice than its basic attack animations alone suggest.
Compared with an infusible greatsword, Gargoyle's Blackblade gives up some freedom to change its affinity or weapon skill in exchange for a built-in holy attack and a fixed identity. Compared with other unique greatswords, its appeal depends on whether the player's attributes and playstyle support that physical-and-holy role; it is not a universal replacement for weapons focused on bleed, elemental flexibility, or a different stat profile. Its base-game status also means its relevance is determined by Elden Ring's main-game equipment and current regulation, not by a separate DLC version.
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.
- CategoryGreatswords
- Damage TypeStandard/Rot
- Primary ScalingStr D / Dex D
- Weight17
- SkillGargoyle's Blackblade skill
- Str Req26
- Dex Req16
- How to ObtainBlack Blade Kindred reward
Figures verified against Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
Compared to similar greatswords
| Weapon | Str Req | Dex Req | Weight | Primary Scaling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gargoyle's Blackblade | 26 | 16 | 17 | Str D / Dex D |
| Grafted Blade Greatsword | 34 | 10 | 17 | Str D |
| Gargoyle's Greatsword | 26 | 16 | 17 | Str D / Dex D |
| Greatsword of Radahn | 60 | 10 | 15 | Str B |
| Starscourge Greatsword | 30 | 10 | 13 | Str C |
Requirements, scaling grades and weight are the game’s own published figures. From Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
How to Obtain
- Base-game access to the Bestial Sanctum area; no DLC, purchase, currency, or quest prerequisite is required.
- The weapon is available once the Black Blade Kindred encounter can be reached. The boss and reward are generally not missable, but the weapon is limited to one acquisition from this encounter per playthrough; it can be obtained again in NG+ by defeating the boss again.
- 01Travel to the Bestial Sanctum in Dragonbarrow, in northeastern Caelid. The Black Blade Kindred waits outside the sanctum entrance; this is the encounter that awards Gargoyle's Blackblade.
- 02Defeat the Black Blade Kindred outside Bestial Sanctum. Gargoyle's Blackblade is a guaranteed boss reward rather than a random enemy drop. The reward is obtained automatically after the fight, and the encounter can be completed without following a quest.
Availability
Requires No DLC, difficulty, vendor stock, or NG+ requirement.
Gargoyle's Blackblade is a base-game weapon and remains available in later playthroughs. Shadow of the Erdtree is not required.
Mechanics and Handling
Standard greatsword handling
Gargoyle's Blackblade uses the Greatsword class moveset rather than a unique attack string. Its normal attacks are committed, close-range swings suited to punishing openings rather than trading repeatedly with fast enemies. The light chain provides successive horizontal strikes, while the heavy attack uses a slower, more deliberate overhead blow. Charged heavy attacks increase that commitment and are primarily useful when an enemy is staggered, trapped in an opening, or approaching a stance-break threshold. Jumping and sprinting attacks give the weapon more immediate forward pressure than its grounded chain, but spacing still matters because the weapon does not compensate for a missed swing with a ranged follow-up.
Taker's Flames
The defining mechanic is the unique weapon skill Taker's Flames. The wielder raises Gargoyle's Blackblade and drives it into the ground, sending a traveling wave of flames along the surface toward targets in front of the user. This gives the weapon a punish option that reaches beyond its ordinary sword swings and can catch enemies that are backing away or positioned just outside melee range. Enemies struck by the skill also restore health to the wielder, making a confirmed hit both an offensive action and a limited source of recovery. The skill is directional and has a noticeable activation commitment, so it is safer when used after an enemy attack, against a stationary target, or at the edge of an opening than when cast in the middle of an active melee exchange.
Damage profile and handling limits
Gargoyle's Blackblade deals split physical and holy damage. Its ordinary attacks therefore do not behave like a purely physical Greatsword against targets with strong holy negation, while Taker's Flames adds a distinct holy-flame attack profile rather than simply extending the normal blade's hitbox. The weapon has no innate bleed, poison, frost, or other status buildup to maintain. It is a unique Somber weapon with a fixed skill, so its Ash of War and affinity cannot be freely replaced; the trade-off is a consistent moveset and access to Taker's Flames without sacrificing the weapon's defining attack. It can be used one-handed or two-handed, but two-handing changes the handling and attribute calculation rather than converting it into a different weapon class.
Upgrades and Variants
Strengths, Weaknesses and Best Uses
Strengths
- Deals both physical and holy damage, giving a Strength/Faith character a melee option that benefits from both damage attributes.
- Its unique Taker's Flames skill provides ranged pressure and restores health when the attack connects, adding sustain without requiring a separate healing action.
- The greatsword moveset offers reliable close-range attacks while the weapon's fixed skill gives it a distinct answer to targets that are difficult to reach safely.
Weaknesses
- Split physical-and-holy damage is checked against two defenses, so the weapon can lose efficiency against enemies with strong holy resistance.
- Its fixed skill cannot be replaced with another Ash of War or affinity, limiting adaptation compared with infusible greatswords.
- The weapon asks for both Strength and Faith investment, making it less convenient for builds focused on a single physical attribute or a different spellcasting stat.
- Taker's Flames is a committed attack; using it carelessly can leave the wielder exposed if the target closes the gap or avoids the projectile.
Best uses
- PvE Strength/Faith builds that want sustained melee pressure with a ranged skill and on-hit healing.
- Encounters where maintaining distance briefly is useful but the build still needs a conventional greatsword moveset.
- Players who prefer a fixed, Somber-reinforced weapon with a defined holy-damage role rather than extensive infusion and Ash of War customization.
Compared With Similar Weapons
| Weapon | Class and damage profile | Build or role | Signature difference from Gargoyle's Blackblade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maliketh's Black Blade | Strength/Faith colossal-sword build | A heavier unique alternative with the Destined Death skill, which applies a maximum-health reduction and damage-over-time effect. | — |
| Blasphemous Blade | Strength/Faith or Strength/Dexterity/Faith build | Shares Taker's Flames, but deals fire rather than holy damage and restores HP when enemies die nearby. | — |
| Ordovis's Greatsword | Strength/Faith build focused on stance pressure | Uses Ordovis's Vortex, a charged spinning attack, instead of Taker's Flames. | — |
| Golden Order Greatsword | Dexterity/Faith or Faith-oriented build | A lighter holy greatsword with Establish Order, making it a more mobile alternative to the Blackblade's colossal-sword moveset. | — |
Used In
- Black Blade KindredDefeating the Black Blade Kindred outside Bestial Sanctum in Dragonbarrow rewards Gargoyle's Blackblade.
- Bestial SanctumThe Black Blade Kindred that drops Gargoyle's Blackblade stands outside Bestial Sanctum.
- Somber Smithing StoneGargoyle's Blackblade follows the somber reinforcement path and is upgraded with Somber Smithing Stones.
Lore and Design
Gargoyle’s Blackblade is described as a greatsword made from the broken tusk of a malformed black gargoyle. Its item text calls the weapon the product of a forbidden art that was never fully realized, establishing an incomplete or failed origin without identifying the art’s creator or purpose. The description does not explicitly connect the blade to a named faction, character, or historical event, so broader claims about the gargoyles’ makers or symbolism remain interpretive rather than confirmed lore.
Trivia
- Its item description identifies the blade as being forged from blackened corpse wax, linking the weapon’s dark appearance to the material used in gargoyle construction rather than presenting it as an ordinary steel greatsword.
- The description places its gargoyle wielders among the guardians of the Royal Capital and the lands surrounding it, giving the weapon a specific defensive association within the capital’s wider network of protectors.