Greatsword of Damnation
Greatsword of Damnation is a Shadow of the Erdtree remembrance weapon exchanged from Midra's Remembrance. Its physical-and-holy profile and fixed Golden Crux skill focus on an impaling leap with special power against human-sized opponents.
Key Takeaways
Greatsword of Damnation is a unique Shadow of the Erdtree greatsword built around a distinctive remembrance skill rather than interchangeable Ashes of War.
Remembrance weapon
It is obtained by exchanging the Remembrance of the Lord of Frenzied Flame, making it a late-DLC reward tied to Midra’s remembrance rather than a normal field pickup.
Faith-supported requirements
The weapon requires Strength, Dexterity, and Faith investment, so it is most naturally suited to characters that can support both heavy melee attacks and Faith-based scaling.
Devonia’s Vortex
Its fixed skill, Devonia’s Vortex, is the weapon’s defining feature: a charged, area-focused attack that drives the blade into the ground and releases a damaging vortex.
Powerful but committed
The skill can punish clustered or staggered enemies, but its charge and recovery make positioning important; it is less forgiving than a simple fast greatsword attack.
Fixed unique progression
Greatsword of Damnation follows the Somber Smithing Stone reinforcement path and cannot be customized with Ashes of War, preserving its fixed skill and identity.
A specialized alternative
Compared with infusible greatswords, it offers a distinctive skill and Faith-oriented profile in exchange for less weapon-skill flexibility and a more specialized attribute spread.
Overview
Greatsword of Damnation is a unique Colossal Sword from Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, associated with Midra, Lord of Frenzied Flame. Its defining feature is Golden Crux, a weapon skill built around a plunging strike and a follow-up ground attack, giving the weapon a more deliberate area-control role than a standard colossal sword.
Unlike ordinary Colossal Swords, Greatsword of Damnation is a remembrance weapon with a fixed identity rather than a blank foundation for interchangeable Ashes of War and affinities. Its moveset still demands the spacing, commitment, and timing expected from the class, but Golden Crux gives it a distinct way to punish clustered or committed enemies.
The weapon enters progression through Shadow of the Erdtree’s late-game remembrance system rather than as an early-world pickup. It is tied to the encounter with Midra, Lord of Frenzied Flame, so its practical use is concentrated in the latter part of the expansion. That context also makes it a sidegrade for established colossal-weapon builds, not a general replacement for every earlier sword.
Golden Crux is the main reason to choose this weapon over a more conventional Colossal Sword. The initial leap and plunge reward a clear opening, while the follow-up extends the attack’s threat beyond the point of impact. The sequence therefore favors players comfortable with commitment and spacing instead of those seeking a fast, flexible neutral attack.
Its connection to Midra is also mechanically and thematically visible without requiring the weapon to be treated as a lore-only curiosity. Greatsword of Damnation remains a practical melee option, but its value depends on whether the fixed skill and remembrance weapon requirements fit the build. Players comparing it with other colossal weapons should weigh that specialized skill against their preferred reach, scaling, and attack rhythm.
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 TypeSlash/Fire
- Primary ScalingStr D / Dex D
- Weight11.5
- SkillGreatsword of Damnation Skill
- Str Req21
- Dex Req15
- How to ObtainFound in the Shadow Keep area, Shadow of the Erdtree
- DLCShadow of the Erdtree
Figures verified against Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
Compared to similar greatswords
| Weapon | Str Req | Dex Req | Weight | Primary Scaling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greatsword of Damnation | 21 | 15 | 11.5 | Str D / Dex D |
| Blasphemous Blade | 18 | 13 | 11 | Str D / Dex E / Fai D |
| Dragon King's Cragblade | 30 | 10 | 12 | Str D |
| Meteoric Ore Greatblade | 20 | 10 | 12 | Str D / Int D |
| Banished Knight's Greatsword | 20 | 13 | 11 | Str D |
Requirements, scaling grades and weight are the game’s own published figures. From Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
How to Obtain
- Shadow of the Erdtree is required.
- Access to Midra’s Manse and completion of the Midra, Lord of Frenzied Flame boss encounter are required.
- The remembrance exchange with Enia requires access to Roundtable Hold and the Remembrance of the Lord of Frenzied Flame.
- The weapon is a remembrance reward, not a vendor purchase or random drop.
- 01Enter Shadow of the Erdtree and progress through the Shadow Realm to Midra’s Manse in the Abyssal Woods. Defeat Midra, Lord of Frenzied Flame, to receive the Remembrance of the Lord of Frenzied Flame; this is a guaranteed boss reward rather than an enemy drop.
- 02Take the Remembrance of the Lord of Frenzied Flame to Finger Reader Enia at Roundtable Hold and choose the Greatsword of Damnation from the remembrance exchange. The weapon is available once per playthrough unless the remembrance is duplicated; duplicating it can also allow the remembrance’s other reward to be claimed.
Availability
Greatsword of Damnation is exclusive to Shadow of the Erdtree content.
Requires Access to the DLC and the Remembrance of the Lord of Frenzied Flame; exchange the Remembrance at Roundtable Hold.
No separate purchase price is established for this availability entry.
Mechanics and Handling
Greatsword of Damnation uses the Elden Ring greatsword moveset rather than a separate gimmick-heavy moveset. Its normal attacks are deliberate, broad melee swings with meaningful recovery, so spacing and attack commitment matter more than rapid pressure. The weapon is better suited to controlling the space immediately in front of the wielder than to chasing highly mobile targets. Its attacks do not create a ranged spread, projectile pattern, or passive status effect that changes how the basic sequence is played.
Gold Crux: the defining skill
Gold Crux is the weapon's fixed skill and cannot be replaced with an Ash of War. The initial action launches the wielder into a plunging attack that drives the sword into the target and produces a golden explosion. This makes the skill a committed approach-and-impact attack rather than a safe neutral poke; missing it leaves the wielder exposed during its animation.
A follow-up skill input changes the sequence after the plunge, causing golden thorns to erupt from the weapon. The follow-up gives the skill its distinctive close-range payoff, but it requires the initial action to connect or reach a useful position first. Treat the two inputs as a conditional sequence: the second effect is not a separate freely aimed attack available from neutral.
Spacing, commitment, and target choice
The weapon's ordinary swings are most dependable when used against targets that are already committed to an attack, staggered, or confined by terrain. Against agile enemies, the recovery of a greatsword attack and the wind-up of Gold Crux make blind pursuit unreliable. The skill is most practical when its plunge can be set up by an opening, a knockdown, or a close approach that leaves the target little room to sidestep.
Gold Crux is especially relevant against humanoid-sized opponents because its plunge-and-thorn sequence is built around placing the weapon directly into the target. It should not be treated as a universal grab or guaranteed crowd-control tool: enemy size, poise, positioning, and the target's ability to evade determine whether the sequence produces its full practical value. The weapon has no ammunition, reload cycle, or durability management to add to its handling.
Upgrades and Variants
Strengths, Weaknesses and Best Uses
Strengths
- Golden Crux gives the weapon a distinctive burst option: the leap-and-plunge attack can be followed by a golden-spike eruption, rewarding openings against opponents that cannot move away in time.
- As a colossal sword, it combines heavy melee commitment with the reach and stagger pressure expected from its weapon class, helping it contest ordinary close-range exchanges.
- Its fixed skill provides a built-in damage option without requiring an Ash of War selection, which preserves the weapon's intended identity.
Weaknesses
- Golden Crux is highly committed; a missed plunge or poorly timed follow-up can leave the wielder exposed during the skill sequence.
- The colossal-sword moveset is slower and more stamina-demanding than lighter sword classes, making fast enemies and repeated evasive targets harder to pressure.
- Its unique skill cannot be replaced with a more suitable Ash of War, so the weapon gives up the affinity and moveset flexibility available to infusible alternatives.
Best uses
- Use it for deliberate PvE burst against bosses or large enemies during recovery windows, rather than attempting to force the skill through active attacks.
- Use the skill's follow-up eruption to pressure a grounded target or catch an enemy that continues attacking after the initial plunge.
- Choose it for a strength/faith-oriented character that wants a fixed, distinctive colossal-sword skill instead of an interchangeable Ash of War.
Compared With Similar Weapons
| Weapon | Class and build profile | Distinctive skill or role | Customization |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greatsword of Damnation | Golden Crux gives it a distinctive leap-and-crucifix attack pattern, with a follow-up option | Fixed skill and unique reinforcement path | — |
| Greatsword | Straightforward heavy-sword moveset with strong reach and stance pressure | Infusable and compatible with changeable Ashes of War | — |
| Ruins Greatsword | Wave of Destruction adds a long-range gravity-based skill | Fixed skill and unique reinforcement path | — |
| Grafted Blade Greatsword | Oath of Vengeance temporarily improves the wielder's combat attributes and poise | Fixed skill and unique reinforcement path | — |
Used In
- Midra, Lord of Frenzied FlameDefeating Midra awards the Remembrance of the Lord of Frenzied Flame, which can be exchanged for the Greatsword of Damnation.
- Remembrance of the Lord of Frenzied FlameThis remembrance is the reward source for the Greatsword of Damnation through Finger Reader Enia at the Roundtable Hold.
- Midra's ManseThe Legacy Dungeon in the Abyssal Woods where Midra, Lord of Frenzied Flame, is encountered.
- Somber Smithing StoneThe Greatsword of Damnation uses the Somber reinforcement path and is upgraded with Somber Smithing Stones.
Lore and Design
The Greatsword of Damnation is explicitly tied to Midra, Lord of Frenzied Flame. Its item text identifies it as Midra’s weapon, connecting the sword directly to the Lord of Frenzied Flame encountered in Midra’s Manse rather than presenting the association as a fan interpretation. The weapon is also created from Midra’s remembrance, reinforcing its status as a keepsake of that boss encounter.
Its name and imagery reflect the DLC’s themes of judgment, suffering, and Frenzied Flame corruption. The available lore supports that thematic connection and the weapon’s relationship to Midra, but does not establish a wider historical origin, real-world inspiration, or developer design intention. Claims about the sword’s symbolism beyond those direct associations should therefore remain interpretive rather than canonical.
Trivia
- The Greatsword of Damnation is one of the remembrance weapons associated with Midra, Lord of Frenzied Flame, rather than a standard weapon found as ordinary loot.
- Its unique skill, Golden Crux, is notable for making the wielder visibly impale themself as part of the attack sequence before the follow-up effect.