Weaponsupporting

Longhaft Axe

Longhaft Axe is a rare greataxe dropped by large axe-wielding Misbegotten. Its extended handle gives strong reach and heavy physical pressure, while ordinary reinforcement and Ash compatibility support Strength, elemental, or status builds.

Importance

supporting

Elden Ring · weapon

Key Takeaways

Longhaft Axe is a reach-focused Greataxe whose long haft gives it a distinct spacing profile among Elden Ring’s heavy axes. Its standard upgrade path also leaves room for affinity and Ash of War customization.

Reach and class identity

As a Greataxe, Longhaft Axe trades speed for heavy attacks and substantial commitment; its extended haft is the defining handling feature and helps it threaten targets from farther away than many close-range alternatives.

War Cry changes its heavy attack

Its default skill, War Cry, temporarily enhances the weapon and changes the strong attack into a forward-charging attack, giving the axe a more aggressive option than its normal spacing game.

Strength-focused requirements

The weapon asks for a substantial Strength investment, so it is most naturally suited to Strength-led characters rather than low-requirement or dexterity-focused setups.

Enemy-drop availability

Longhaft Axe is acquired from Misbegotten enemies rather than a fixed shop purchase, making acquisition dependent on finding and defeating enemies that use or carry it.

Customizable standard weapon

Unlike unique weapons on the Somber reinforcement path, Longhaft Axe uses the regular upgrade route and supports the normal customization decisions associated with compatible Ashes of War and affinities.

A reach-oriented greataxe choice

Its main comparison point is not raw damage alone: players choosing among greataxes should weigh Longhaft Axe’s reach and War Cry utility against another weapon’s requirements, moveset, skill, and scaling flexibility.

Overview

Longhaft Axe is a standard greataxe in Elden Ring, built around a long-handled, strength-oriented melee profile and the War Cry weapon skill. It is a base-game weapon rather than a named or unique armament.

The Longhaft Axe occupies the straightforward, heavy end of Elden Ring’s axe roster. Its defining identity is the extended haft: the weapon presents the reach and committed attacks expected from a greataxe while retaining the direct physical role of a conventional melee arm. It is therefore suited to players who want deliberate swings and strong spacing rather than a fast, low-commitment moveset.

Its War Cry skill gives the weapon a temporary offensive setup instead of a highly specialized signature effect. That makes the Longhaft Axe flexible within the standard reinforcement system: it can serve as a dependable heavy weapon while leaving the player’s broader build, Ash of War choices, and affinity decisions to determine its final role. The weapon is not tied to a boss quest, legendary collection, or DLC system.

In progression terms, the Longhaft Axe is an attainable early-to-midgame option for a character already investing in strength and willing to accept the slower commitment of a greataxe. Its value is practical rather than collectible. It can provide a heavier alternative to ordinary axes, while lighter axe classes and faster strength weapons remain preferable for players who prioritize rapid recovery, lower commitment, or more frequent attacks.

The Longhaft Axe is best understood as a reach-and-commitment choice within the greataxe class, not as a universal replacement for every strength weapon. Its long-hafted profile helps distinguish it from compact axes, but the tradeoff remains the class’s deliberate handling. Players comparing it with other greataxes should focus on attack feel, requirements, skill flexibility, and the way each weapon fits their preferred spacing and upgrade path rather than treating the name alone as a guarantee of superior performance.

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
Greataxes
Damage Type
Slash
Primary Scaling
Str D
Weight
14
Skill
Ash of War (varies)
Str Req
22
Dex Req
12
How to Obtain
Loot

Figures verified against Consolidated Game Weapons Database.

Compared to similar greataxes

Weapon	Str Req	Dex Req	Weight	Primary Scaling
Longhaft Axe	22	12	14	Str D
Winged Greataxe	30	10	14	Str C
Gargoyle's Great Axe	26	14	13.5	Str C
Smithscript Greataxe	22	15	13.5	Str C
Greataxe	22	8	13	Str D

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

How to Obtain

Before you start

Access to the Weeping Peninsula and Castle Morne.
The drop is farmable and is not restricted to one copy per playthrough. No confirmed missable, NG+, or DLC requirement applies.

01Travel to Castle Morne in the Weeping Peninsula, in southern Limgrave. Look for Misbegotten enemies carrying the Longhaft Axe; defeating the appropriate axe-wielding Misbegotten can yield the weapon.
02The Longhaft Axe is an enemy drop rather than a guaranteed pickup. If it does not drop, rest at a Site of Grace and defeat the axe-wielding Misbegotten again until it is obtained. No specific quest, boss, vendor, or DLC route is required.

Mechanics and Handling

Greataxe Moveset and Spacing

The Longhaft Axe uses the Greataxe moveset: committed swings with broad arcs rather than rapid, short attacks. Its long haft gives the weapon useful forward coverage, but the attack animations still require deliberate spacing; beginning a swing too close to a mobile target can leave the follow-through poorly aligned. The sweeping attacks are most dependable when opponents are grouped or approaching along a predictable line, while narrow openings call for a single controlled strike rather than repeated swings.

Two-Handing and Attack Commitment

Two-handing improves the weapon’s practical handling by making Strength investment more effective for its requirements and scaling, but it does not turn the Longhaft Axe into a fast weapon. Its attacks commit the character for longer than ordinary Axe-class swings, so spacing, enemy recovery windows, and stamina management matter more than simply attacking on cooldown. Jumping and charged heavy attacks are useful for committing to a larger punish, although both should be reserved for openings that can accommodate their longer execution.

War Cry

The Longhaft Axe’s default skill is War Cry. Activating it temporarily increases the character’s attack power and changes the weapon’s strong attacks while the effect lasts. The altered heavy attack is a forward-charging attack, giving the skill a more aggressive way to close distance or punish a staggered opponent than the ordinary heavy sequence. War Cry is therefore most useful before a planned exchange rather than as a reaction after an enemy has already begun a fast attack. Its buff duration and the altered attack’s commitment still require verification against the applicable Regulation version, so this section does not assign a numerical bonus or timing.

No Innate Status or Defensive Function

The Longhaft Axe’s identity is built around physical melee pressure and its War Cry skill, not an innate status effect, shield function, or ranged resource loop. It does not require ammunition or reloading. As with other Elden Ring weapons, its effective damage and handling can change with reinforcement, affinity, attributes, buffs, and temporary skill effects; those modified results should not be treated as fixed properties of the unmodified weapon.

Upgrades and Variants

Strengths, Weaknesses and Best Uses

Strengths

The greataxe moveset gives Longhaft Axe broad melee swings, allowing it to threaten several closely grouped enemies rather than relying only on a narrow single-target attack.
Its extended haft supports spacing against targets that would be awkward for a shorter axe, although it still requires close-range positioning.
Its default War Cry skill temporarily increases attack power and changes strong attacks into charging attacks, giving the weapon a more aggressive option when an opening is available.

Weaknesses

Greataxe attacks are comparatively slow and committing, so missed swings leave less time to react than faster axe or straight-sword attacks.
The weapon's weight and strength-oriented handling can restrict equipment load or attribute planning for characters built around lighter weapons.
War Cry requires a usable opening and does not remove the risks of charging into an enemy; the altered heavy attacks remain vulnerable to interruption and poor spacing.

Best uses

Use it in PvE when broad close-range swings can catch clustered enemies or when a large target provides enough time for committed attacks.
Choose it for a strength-focused melee setup that values reach and heavy attack commitment over rapid hit confirmation.
Use War Cry before a predictable opening, then exploit its altered strong attacks rather than attempting to trade into fast enemies.

Compared With Similar Weapons

Compared With Similar Weapons
Weapon	Class and role	Distinctive skill or trait	Best comparison use
Longhaft Axe	Stamp (Upward Cut); compatible with Ashes of War and affinity changes	A flexible choice when a customizable greataxe moveset is preferred	—
Greataxe	War Cry; compatible with Ashes of War and affinity changes	Baseline alternative for comparing general greataxe handling and customization	—
Rusted Anchor	Barbaric Roar; its piercing damage distinguishes it from standard greataxes	Useful when piercing damage and roar-based attacks suit the build	—
Crescent Moon Axe	War Cry; compatible with Ashes of War and affinity changes	Alternative for players prioritizing wide attacks within the same class	—