Weaponsupporting

Ordovis's Greatsword

Ordovis's Greatsword is a physical-and-holy weapon rewarded for defeating the Crucible Knight duo in Auriza Hero's Grave. Ordovis's Vortex is a chargeable spinning slam with strong stance and area pressure.

Importance

supporting

Elden Ring · weapon

Key Takeaways

Crucible Knight greatsword

Ordovis's Greatsword is a unique Greatsword associated with the Crucible Knights, combining physical and holy damage with a slow, committed moveset.

Signature skill

Its fixed skill, Ordovis's Vortex, spins the weapon before driving it into the ground; holding the skill input charges the attack and changes its timing and power.

Requirements and availability

It requires 25 Strength, 13 Dexterity, and 15 Faith, and is obtained by defeating Crucible Knight Ordovis and his companion in Auriza Hero's Grave.

Primary strength

The weapon's heavy attacks and charged skill give a Strength/Faith character a strong tool for applying pressure and dealing stance damage at close range.

Key limitation

Its slow attacks demand commitment, while its split physical-and-holy damage can be less effective against enemies that resist holy damage.

Upgrade path

Ordovis's Greatsword uses the Somber Smithing Stone reinforcement path and has a fixed skill rather than an Ash of War that can be replaced.

Closest comparison

Siluria's Tree is a useful Crucible-themed alternative: it is a great spear with different reach and handling, whereas Ordovis's Greatsword emphasizes close-range greatsword attacks.

Overview

Ordovis's Greatsword is a unique colossal sword in Elden Ring, built around heavy melee attacks and the distinctive Ordovis's Vortex weapon skill. It is a base-game weapon with a strength-and-faith identity rather than an infusible general-purpose greatsword.

Ordovis's Greatsword occupies the slower, high-commitment end of Elden Ring's melee roster. Its colossal-sword moveset rewards deliberate spacing and attack timing, while the weapon's physical-and-holy damage profile gives it a clear identity within that class. It is not simply a larger version of a conventional greatsword: its reach, weight, and recovery demand room to attack, but its broad swings can pressure several nearby targets when used from a controlled position.

Its defining feature is Ordovis's Vortex, the weapon's fixed skill. The attack winds up with a rotating motion before driving the blade into the ground, making it useful when an opening allows a committed area attack rather than a quick interruption. The skill gives the weapon a more distinctive combat rhythm than ordinary colossal swords, but the fixed skill also means the weapon cannot be tailored around a different Ash of War.

The sword is associated with Crucible Knight equipment and can be claimed during exploration of Auriza Hero's Grave in the Altus Plateau. That places it in the later portion of ordinary progression, while its attribute demands and deliberate attack pattern make it especially relevant to characters already investing in strength and faith. The acquisition does not make it a universal replacement for other colossal swords; its value depends on whether its holy damage and signature skill fit the character's plan.

Compared with a regular colossal sword, Ordovis's Greatsword offers a more defined identity but less weapon-skill flexibility. Compared with other Crucible Knight armaments, it is the dedicated colossal-sword option, trading the different spacing and handling of those weapons for heavier swings and a ground-impact skill. Its role is therefore clearest for players who want a distinctive, faith-compatible heavy weapon rather than the broadest possible infusion or skill choices.

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
Greatswords
Damage Type
Standard/Holy
Primary Scaling
Str E / Fai D
Weight
9
Skill
Ordovis's Greatsword skill
Str Req
16
Dex Req
15
Fai Req
17
How to Obtain
Erdtree Avatar variant drop

Figures verified against Consolidated Game Weapons Database.

Compared to similar greatswords

Weapon	Str Req	Dex Req	Weight	Primary Scaling
Ordovis's Greatsword	16	15	9	Str E / Fai D
Knight's Greatsword	18	13	9	Str D / Dex D
Lizard Greatsword	16	15	9	Str D / Dex D
Golden Order Greatsword	13	16	8.5	Fai D
Godslayer's Greatsword	18	13	9.5	Fai C

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 Altus Plateau and Auriza Hero's Grave in the base game.
The weapon has no separate quest, DLC, or NG+ requirement. It is not permanently missable before the dungeon's boss is defeated; after claiming it, another copy requires obtaining the reward in a subsequent journey.

01Travel to Auriza Hero's Grave in the eastern Altus Plateau, near the outskirts east of Leyndell, Royal Capital. Enter the dungeon and reach its boss arena; the weapon is not sold by a vendor or awarded by a separate quest.
02Defeat Crucible Knight Ordovis and the accompanying Crucible Knight in the dungeon's boss encounter. The victory reward includes Ordovis's Greatsword as a guaranteed item, rather than a random enemy drop. It can be claimed once during that playthrough.

Availability

Elden Ring base game — standard playthroughsAvailable

Requires No DLC, difficulty, vendor, proficiency, or progression-tier requirement is attached to the weapon itself.

Ordovis's Greatsword is a base-game weapon and is not exclusive to Shadow of the Erdtree or NG+.

Mechanics and Handling

Ordovis's Greatsword uses the committed attack pattern expected of a colossal sword: deliberate swings with broad arcs, substantial recovery, and enough forward commitment that spacing matters more than rapid attack correction. Its normal attacks are best used when an enemy is recovering, trapped in an opening, or approaching through a narrow lane. Jumping attacks provide a more immediate way to close distance, while charged heavy attacks trade additional preparation time for a stronger hit and increased stance pressure.

The weapon has no innate status buildup and does not generate ammunition, charges, or a separate resource through its ordinary attacks. Its distinctive handling instead comes from its fixed weapon skill. Because the sword is a unique weapon, its Ash of War and affinity cannot be replaced through the usual customization system.

Ordovis's Vortex

Ordovis's Vortex spins the sword overhead before driving it into the ground. The skill has a deliberate wind-up, so activating it at point-blank range without an opening can leave the wielder exposed. Its follow-through covers the area around the impact and makes it useful against clustered enemies or targets that remain within melee range after the initial motion.

Holding the skill input charges the attack rather than changing it into a different move. The charged version delays the release and increases the attack's power and stance pressure. This creates a timing choice: release sooner to catch a short opening, or continue charging when the target is committed and the larger payoff is less likely to be interrupted. The skill consumes FP, so repeated use depends on the character's available FP and flask setup.

Spacing and commitment

Ordovis's Greatsword rewards attacks made from the edge of an opponent's threat range. Its sweeping animations can cover several nearby targets, but the weapon is not agile once an attack has begun; whiffing against a mobile enemy commonly leaves a recovery window. Light attacks are therefore safer after a clear punish opportunity, while the skill is more reliable when used against staggered, cornered, or otherwise committed targets.

The sword can be wielded with two hands or paired with an off-hand option, but its unique skill remains the central reason to choose it. It has no weapon-specific parry, projectile, recall, or durability-break mechanic to manage; its practical resource concern is FP spent on Ordovis's Vortex rather than a separate ammunition or maintenance system.

Upgrades and Variants

Strengths, Weaknesses and Best Uses

Strengths

Ordovis's Vortex gives the weapon a distinctive close-range burst: the wielder spins the sword and slams it down, and the skill can be charged for a stronger attack.
The skill's area around the impact helps punish clustered PvE enemies rather than only a single target.
Its Strength/Faith orientation gives a clear role for hybrid melee characters who want a greatsword with a weapon-specific holy attack.
The greatsword moveset supplies broad swings for controlling space, while the skill offers a more concentrated option when an opening is available.

Weaknesses

Ordovis's Vortex is a committed animation. Charging it requires a suitable opening, and using it carelessly can leave the wielder exposed.
The weapon has a fixed skill and cannot be freely customized with another Ash of War or affinity, limiting infusion-based build flexibility.
Its Strength and Faith requirements restrict it from low-investment physical builds and make it compete for attributes with other hybrid weapons or spells.
Its split physical-and-holy damage is a less reliable answer against enemies with strong holy resistance.

Best uses

Use it in PvE Strength/Faith builds that can create openings for a charged Ordovis's Vortex.
Use the skill against groups or staggerable targets when its impact area and committed burst are more valuable than a quick attack.
Choose it when a fixed, weapon-specific skill is preferable to the broader Ash of War and affinity options available on ordinary greatswords.

Compared With Similar Weapons

Compared With Similar Weapons
Weapon	Class and build role	Signature skill	Compared with Ordovis's Greatsword
Gargoyle's Blackblade	Corpse Wax Cutter	A similar Faith-oriented colossal sword with a more direct ranged blade attack; Ordovis offers a distinct spinning thrust skill instead.	—
Maliketh's Black Blade	Destined Death	Shares the Strength/Faith focus but emphasizes a large-area health-reduction effect; Ordovis is the more straightforward choice for repeated close-range skill use.	—
Ruins Greatsword	Wave of Destruction	A realistic colossal-sword alternative for Strength builds, but it does not serve the same Faith-oriented setup as Ordovis.	—
Golden Order Greatsword	Establish Order	A lighter-class Faith alternative with a different moveset and skill profile; Ordovis is the closer match for players specifically seeking a colossal sword.	—

Used In

Crucible Knight OrdovisDefeating Crucible Knight Ordovis in the Auriza Hero's Grave boss encounter awards Ordovis's Greatsword.
Auriza Hero's GraveThe dungeon contains the Crucible Knight Ordovis and Crucible Knight boss encounter where the weapon is obtained.
Ordovis's VortexThe weapon's unique skill, a key part of its identity and combat function.
Somber Smithing StoneOrdovis's Greatsword uses the Somber reinforcement path and is upgraded with Somber Smithing Stones.

Lore and Design

Ordovis's Greatsword is explicitly associated with Ordovis, identified in its item lore as one of the two Crucible Knights honored as foremost among their order. The description also connects the weapon to the primordial Crucible, stating that it is imbued with one of the Crucible's aspects. This makes the sword a direct equipment link to the Crucible Knights and their older, pre-Erdtree tradition rather than merely a thematically related greatsword.

The weapon's lore supports a relationship with the Crucible Knights and the primordial Crucible, but does not by itself establish a broader biography for Ordovis or explain the knight's historical deeds. Its name and description are the reliable basis for that association; interpretations about the sword's visual design, real-world inspiration, or the developers' intent should not be treated as canon.

Trivia

Ordovis's Greatsword and Siluria's Tree are the two weapons associated with the Crucible Knights described as the most honored among their order. Their item descriptions also connect both knights to Godfrey, the first Elden Lord, while linking the weapons' designs to the primordial Crucible of Life.