Weaponminor

Messmer Soldier's Axe

Messmer Soldier's Axe is a rare Shadow of the Erdtree axe dropped by Messmer soldiers carrying it. It provides heavy ordinary physical pressure, strong charged attacks, and full affinity and Ash customization.

Importance

minor

Elden Ring · weapon

Key Takeaways

A Realm of Shadow greataxe tied to Messmer’s soldiers, this weapon offers a conventional reinforcement path and a strength-focused close-range moveset rather than a unique boss-weapon system.

Realm of Shadow enemy weapon

Messmer Soldier’s Axe is obtained from Messmer Soldiers in the Shadow of the Erdtree content, making enemy farming the relevant acquisition route rather than a guaranteed quest or boss reward.

War Cry skill

Its defining weapon skill is War Cry, which temporarily changes the weapon’s heavy-attack behavior and rewards committed close-range attacks after activation.

Standard reinforcement path

Unlike a Somber-upgrade unique weapon, the axe uses Elden Ring’s standard reinforcement system and can be developed through ordinary weapon-upgrade and affinity choices.

A committed close-range option

The greataxe moveset supplies substantial reach and impact, but its slower attacks and heavier commitment make spacing and openings more important than with lighter axe-class alternatives.

Compared with lighter axes

It trades attack speed and lower equipment burden for the heavier greataxe moveset, so it is a better fit for players who value reach and poise pressure over rapid hit-confirming.

Overview

Messmer Soldier's Axe is a standard axe in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, associated with the soldiers serving Messmer. It is a conventional close-range weapon rather than a named, boss-linked armament, making it a practical option for characters who want an ordinary axe moveset with the visual identity of the DLC's military forces.

The weapon's defining identity is its broad-bladed battle-axe design and its connection to Messmer's soldiers. It occupies the ordinary end of the Shadow of the Erdtree arsenal: unlike a remembrance weapon or a named unique armament, it is best understood as equipment used by a faction's rank-and-file forces rather than as a singular story relic.

In combat, Messmer Soldier's Axe follows the axe weapon class rather than introducing a wholly separate moveset. Its role is straightforward close-range pressure through regular axe swings, with the class's emphasis on committed attacks and short-to-moderate spacing. That makes its practical appeal depend more on its reinforcement, affinity, and chosen Ash of War than on a unique intrinsic combat gimmick.

The axe is relevant primarily during the Shadow of the Erdtree portion of Elden Ring. Its appearance and acquisition are tied to the Messmer soldier enemy group, so it is a progression-era equipment find rather than a starting weapon or a base-game roster staple. It can therefore serve as a themed alternative for characters building around the DLC's military aesthetic without requiring the weapon to be treated as a major lore artifact.

Compared with more specialized axes, its distinction is faction identity rather than an unusual damage system or elaborate weapon skill. Players considering it should evaluate the ordinary axe-class reach, attack commitment, attribute demands, and upgrade flexibility against other infusable axes available to the same build. The page exists chiefly to document that otherwise easy-to-overlook DLC weapon and separate it from Messmer's more prominent named armaments.

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/Fire
Primary Scaling
Str D
Weight
6
Skill
Messmer Soldier's Axe Skill
Str Req
14
Dex Req
13
How to Obtain
Dropped by Messmer Soldiers, Shadow of the Erdtree
DLC
Shadow of the Erdtree

Figures verified against Consolidated Game Weapons Database.

Compared to similar axes

Weapon	Str Req	Dex Req	Weight	Primary Scaling
Messmer Soldier's Axe	14	13	6	Str D
Smithscript Axe	13	15	6	Str D / Dex D
Battle Axe	12	9	6.5	Str D
Sacrificial Axe	14	10	5.5	Fai D
Stormhawk Axe	13	13	5.5	Str D / Dex D

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

How to Obtain

Before you start

Shadow of the Erdtree DLC access.

01In the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, travel to Castle Ensis in the Gravesite Plain and defeat Messmer Soldier enemies that carry axes. The Messmer Soldier's Axe is a random enemy drop, not a guaranteed reward from a named boss, quest, or chest.
02Continue defeating axe-wielding Messmer Soldiers until the weapon drops. Other Messmer Soldier groups in the Land of Shadow can also provide the drop, so the weapon is farmable and is not limited to a single pickup or one-per-playthrough reward.

Availability

Base gameUnavailable

Requires Shadow of the Erdtree is required

Messmer Soldier's Axe is DLC content and does not appear in the base-game weapon pool.

Shadow of the ErdtreeAvailable as an enemy drop

Requires Access to the Shadow Realm

Dropped by Messmer Soldiers; no exact drop rate is stated here.

Mechanics and Handling

The Messmer Soldier's Axe is handled as a close-range axe rather than a reach-focused polearm. Its attacks rely on committed chopping swings: the light sequence is useful for pressure at nearby spacing, while the heavier attacks trade speed for stronger overhead blows. The weapon does not have a separate projectile, thrown, reload, or ammunition mechanic, so its handling is governed chiefly by spacing, recovery, and stamina management.

Barbaric Roar and the altered heavy attack

Its default weapon skill is Barbaric Roar. Activating the roar temporarily enhances the weapon's attack power and changes the strong-attack follow-up into a more aggressive savage-attack sequence. This gives the axe a distinct burst window: the skill is most valuable when there is enough space to complete the altered heavy attack rather than when the wielder must immediately evade. The skill's benefit is conditional on its active duration and does not make every neutral swing equally safe.

Spacing and commitment

The axe's short-to-moderate close-range reach makes positioning important against mobile targets. Its broad chops can cover the space immediately in front of the wielder, but the attack commitment leaves less room for correction than a faster, lighter weapon. Two-handing can be useful when the player wants stronger melee pressure, while guarding or swapping to a defensive option remains preferable when an enemy can punish the recovery. No weapon-specific passive status buildup or durability gimmick is central to its handling.

Upgrades and Variants

Strengths, Weaknesses and Best Uses

Strengths

Greataxe attacks provide wide, committed swings that can catch groups of closely spaced PvE enemies.
Its heavy and jumping attacks are useful for pressuring enemy stance when the player can safely commit to the animation.
As a standard weapon rather than a uniquely restricted armament, it can fit conventional Strength-oriented melee setups that meet its requirements.

Weaknesses

The greataxe moveset has slower recoveries than lighter axe and sword classes, making missed attacks costly.
Its weight and attribute requirements compete with armor, shields, or other equipment capacity in a close-range build.
Long attack commitments make it less forgiving against fast enemies or bosses with short punish windows.

Best uses

Use it for deliberate PvE engagements where spacing allows a charged or jumping attack before the enemy can interrupt or punish.
Its broad swings suit encounters with clustered humanoid enemies, provided the player has room to complete the animation.
Choose it when a slower, stance-focused Strength weapon is preferable to faster attacks or greater evasiveness.

Compared With Similar Weapons

Compared With Similar Weapons
Weapon	Class and role	Why compare it with Messmer Soldier's Axe	Use-case distinction
Greataxe	The closest base-game class comparison and a straightforward benchmark for a strength-focused greataxe.	Use it when you want the same broad heavy-weapon role without choosing the DLC weapon's specific identity.	—
Executioner's Greataxe	A direct alternative within the same class for players comparing standard greataxe movesets and build demands.	A practical choice for a conventional greataxe setup when Messmer Soldier's Axe is unavailable or its presentation is not a priority.	—
Crescent Moon Axe	Another same-class alternative that serves the same general close-range, strength-oriented role.	Consider it when comparing the Messmer Soldier's Axe against a different greataxe option rather than changing weapon class.	—

Lore and Design

The weapon’s item identity explicitly ties it to the soldiers who served Messmer, placing it among the ordinary military equipment associated with his forces in the Realm of Shadow. That establishes a connection to Messmer’s army, but does not identify a particular wielder or imply that the axe has a unique personal history. No separately documented developer commentary or design history is established here.