Weaponsupporting

Hand Axe

Hand Axe is a lightweight ordinary axe sold by a Limgrave Nomadic Merchant. Its unusually quick attacks, low equip burden, Quickstep, and broad affinity support make it a practical early sidearm rather than a slow heavy axe.

Importance

supporting

Elden Ring · weapon

Key Takeaways

Hand Axe is a compact, fast axe for close-range play. Its low equipment burden and mobility-focused skill make it useful when attack commitment and spacing matter more than reach.

Compact axe with a quick moveset

The Hand Axe belongs to the Axe class and emphasizes rapid close-range attacks rather than the broader reach of larger axes. Its short reach remains an important spacing limitation.

Quickstep is its defining skill

Its default skill, Quickstep, provides a fast evasive movement that can help reposition around targets or disengage from danger. The weapon's skill can be changed when its upgrade and Ash of War rules allow it.

Modest attribute requirements

The Hand Axe requires 9 Strength and 8 Dexterity to wield. Those requirements make it accessible to many physical builds without committing heavily to either attribute.

Available through ordinary progression

The Hand Axe can be purchased from the Nomadic Merchant in East Limgrave, making it obtainable without relying on a rare enemy drop or a late-game reward.

Standard-upgrade flexibility

It follows the regular Smithing Stone reinforcement path and supports affinity and Ash of War customization, so its damage profile and skill can be adapted to an eligible build.

Trades reach for mobility and low commitment

Compared with a larger axe such as the Battle Axe, the Hand Axe is the more compact option: it is easier to fit into a light, mobile setup, but its shorter reach gives it less margin for spacing errors.

Overview

The Hand Axe is a standard axe-class melee weapon in Elden Ring. It offers a quick, compact moveset for close-range attacks and can serve as either a straightforward early weapon or a flexible sidearm for builds that value speed and low commitment over reach.

The Hand Axe occupies the lighter end of Elden Ring’s axe roster. Its attacks are performed at close range and generally commit less time than the swings of larger axe classes, making it practical when an opening is brief or when maintaining mobility matters more than maximum single-hit impact. It is a conventional weapon rather than a named legendary or remembrance armament, so its significance comes from its handling and upgrade flexibility rather than a unique narrative role.

Its defining trade-off is compact reach. The Hand Axe can pressure nearby targets without the long wind-up associated with heavier axes, but the user must work within a narrower spacing window and cannot rely on its attacks to cover the same area as a great weapon. This makes positioning important: the weapon suits deliberate hit-and-move play, while enemies that frequently retreat, fly, or control distance can expose its limitations.

The weapon also fits Elden Ring’s broader build-customization system. As a standard melee armament, it is relevant to characters who want an ordinary physical weapon that can be developed through the game’s normal reinforcement and affinity systems, subject to the weapon’s own compatibility. Its default weapon skill gives it a defined starting function, while the broader Ash of War system can make a compatible Hand Axe serve different stat or damage roles without changing its basic identity as a fast, short-range axe.

Compared with a straight sword, the Hand Axe is a more specialized choice: it gives up some general-purpose reach and attack coverage in exchange for an axe-style moveset and a distinct feel in close quarters. Compared with a greataxe or other heavy axe, it is easier to use in situations where recovery time and maneuverability matter, but it does not fill a heavy stagger or high-commitment damage role. The base game weapon is not a separate Shadow of the Erdtree variant; DLC availability does not change the identity described here.

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.

Category
Axes
Damage Type
Slash
Primary Scaling
Str D
Weight
3.5
Skill
Seppuku (var.)
Str Req
10
Dex Req
7
How to Obtain
Merchant / chest

Figures verified against Consolidated Game Weapons Database.

Compared to similar axes

Weapon	Str Req	Dex Req	Weight	Primary Scaling
Hand Axe	10	7	3.5	Str D
Icerind Hatchet	7	17	3.5	Dex C
Forked Hatchet	8	13	2.5	Dex D
Beastman's Cleaver	13	11	5	Str D
Sacrificial Axe	14	10	5.5	Fai D

Requirements, scaling grades and weight are the game’s own published figures. From Consolidated Game Weapons Database.

How to Obtain

Before you start

Reach eastern Limgrave and the Mistwood merchant camp.
Have enough runes for the purchase; no DLC, quest-completion, or NG+ requirement is needed.

01Travel to the merchant camp in Mistwood, eastern Limgrave, and speak with the Nomadic Merchant there. His inventory includes the Hand Axe for purchase; the weapon is not a random enemy drop or boss reward on this route.
02Buy the Hand Axe from the merchant's inventory. The purchase is guaranteed while the merchant is available, and the weapon is not tied to a mission, boss, or one-time quest reward.

Mechanics and Handling

Hand Axe is a close-range axe whose handling rewards staying near the target rather than controlling space from a distance. Its attacks are quick for an axe, but its reach is limited, so spacing and approach timing matter more than simply repeating light attacks. The weapon is most comfortable when used to punish openings or maintain pressure after an enemy commits to an animation.

A short, fast chopping pattern

The light-attack sequence uses compact horizontal chops, giving the Hand Axe a practical sweep against nearby targets. The limited reach can cause attacks to miss enemies that are only slightly outside its arc, especially when the player is not aligned with the target. Heavy attacks use more committed chops and are better reserved for clear openings, stagger opportunities, or attacks made after creating space. Running, jumping, and backstep attacks preserve the weapon's close-range role rather than turning it into a long-reaching option.

War Cry changes the heavy-attack role

The Hand Axe's default skill is War Cry. Activating it produces a roar that temporarily raises the wielder's attack power and changes the weapon's heavy attacks into distinctive charging attacks. This gives the weapon a stronger approach or punish option than its ordinary heavy swing, but the skill still requires the player to enter close range and commit to the follow-up. War Cry is therefore most useful before an anticipated opening, not as a substitute for spacing or defense.

Spacing, commitment, and two-handing

The Hand Axe can be used one-handed alongside a shield, allowing the player to keep defensive options available while making short counterattacks. Two-handing removes that off-hand option but gives the weapon a more committed offensive presentation and can improve handling of its strength requirements. Neither stance solves the weapon's short reach: attacks should begin from close distance, and missed swings can leave the player exposed to retaliation. Charged attacks and War Cry follow-ups are especially poor choices when the enemy can interrupt them or retreat beyond the axe's range.

Upgrades and Variants

Strengths, Weaknesses and Best Uses

Strengths

The Hand Axe has a comparatively quick axe moveset, letting it deliver repeated close-range attacks without the commitment of larger axe classes.
Its low-weight, one-handed profile leaves room for a shield, seal, or another off-hand tool while preserving access to fast attacks.
Wild Strikes provides sustained forward pressure and can be extended into a stronger follow-up attack, giving the weapon an aggressive option when an enemy is staggered or trapped in recovery.
Its standard weapon path supports Ashes of War and affinity choices, so the Hand Axe can be adapted to physical, elemental, or status-focused builds rather than being locked to one damage plan.

Weaknesses

The Hand Axe has short practical reach, making spacing errors costly against spears, greatswords, large enemies, and attacks with broad hitboxes.
Its lighter class does not provide the same single-hit impact or poise pressure as heavier axes, so interrupting resilient enemies can require repeated openings.
Wild Strikes commits the player to a close-range sequence; using it against an enemy that can counterattack or disengage can leave the user exposed.
Its flexible infusion path does not remove its basic range limitation, and status-focused setups still need sustained contact to build their chosen status.

Best uses

Use it as a fast sidearm for aggressive melee characters that want shield access or an off-hand catalyst without carrying a heavy primary weapon.
Choose it for close-range PvE pressure against enemies whose recovery windows are long enough to support repeated hits or Wild Strikes.
Use affinity and Ash of War options to support a build that values repeated contact, including status buildup, while accepting that the weapon remains a short-range option.
It is most comfortable in fights where the player can stay beside or behind the target; it is less suitable when safe damage depends on reach or heavy stagger.

Compared With Similar Weapons

Compared With Similar Weapons
Weapon	Class and role	Default skill or defining trait	Choose it when...
Hand Axe	Wild Strikes; infusible and compatible with changeable Ashes of War	You want a lightweight axe with fast, committed attacks and modest reach.	—
Battle Axe	War Cry; infusible	You prefer a longer-reaching axe and can accept a less compact moveset.	—
Highland Axe	War Cry and a passive that enhances roar-related attacks	Your build uses roar skills and benefits from that weapon-specific synergy.	—
Forked Hatchet	Innate blood-loss buildup and Quickstep	You want axe attacks that contribute to Hemorrhage while retaining evasive mobility.	—