Ornamental Straight Sword
Ornamental Straight Sword is a paired unique weapon dropped by the Grafted Scion at Chapel of Anticipation. Two-handing deploys both blades, while Golden Tempering adds holy power and changes strong attacks into rapid thrusts.
Key Takeaways
Ornamental Straight Sword is an early unique paired weapon whose identity comes from attacking with two blades and using its fixed Golden Tempering skill rather than customizing an ordinary straight sword.
Paired straight swords
The weapon uses a paired-blade moveset, letting one equipped weapon produce attacks with both swords. This gives it a different rhythm from a conventional single straight sword.
Golden Tempering is its defining skill
Golden Tempering raises both blades and coats them in holy power, with a follow-up attack that extends the weapon’s distinctive offensive sequence.
Available from the opening-area boss
The Grafted Scion at the Chapel of Anticipation drops Ornamental Straight Sword, making it obtainable early if that encounter is revisited or completed successfully.
Strongest when its paired attacks connect
Its main practical advantage is concentrated close-range pressure from the paired moveset, especially when the wielder can stay within striking distance and complete its attack sequences.
Limited customization
As a unique weapon with a fixed skill, it cannot use the normal Ash of War and affinity customization available to many standard straight swords.
Uses the unique-weapon upgrade path
Ornamental Straight Sword is upgraded with Somber Smithing Stones rather than the regular Smithing Stone path, so its progression follows the unique-weapon reinforcement route.
Overview
Ornamental Straight Sword is a unique paired straight sword in Elden Ring, distinguished by its two-blade fighting style and the Golden Tempering skill that rewards a deliberate skill-to-strong-attack sequence.
Unlike an ordinary straight sword, Ornamental Straight Sword is designed around using a matching pair. The weapon can be wielded as two blades when handled with both hands, giving its attacks a distinct dual-sword identity rather than simply adding another interchangeable option to the straight-sword class. That paired presentation is its defining combat feature and the main reason to choose it over a conventional single blade.
Its fixed weapon skill, Golden Tempering, reinforces that identity. The skill temporarily enhances the swords with a golden effect, and its follow-up strong attack performs a dedicated two-blade attack. This makes the weapon more sequence-dependent than a standard straight sword: the player is rewarded for creating an opening to activate the skill and then committing to its follow-up, rather than treating the skill as a separate ranged or defensive tool.
The sword occupies an unusual place in Elden Ring’s progression. It is available through an early optional encounter associated with the game’s opening area, but its specialized paired moveset remains relevant as a style choice rather than functioning only as a beginner weapon. Because the weapon has a fixed identity and skill, it is better understood as a distinctive unique reward than as a flexible base for experimenting with different Ashes of War.
Ornamental Straight Sword belongs to the base-game weapon roster and is not a Shadow of the Erdtree variant. Its closest alternatives are other straight swords or paired weapons, but neither comparison fully captures its combination of early-game provenance, fixed Golden Tempering skill, and two-sword handling. Players looking for maximum customization may prefer an infusible straight sword; players who value a committed paired style have a more specific reason to keep this weapon in consideration.
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.
- CategoryStraight Swords
- Damage TypeStandard/Pierce
- Primary ScalingDex C
- Weight3
- SkillNo Skill (paired)
- Str Req9
- Dex Req15
- How to ObtainVolcano Manor
Figures verified against Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
Compared to similar straight swords
| Weapon | Str Req | Dex Req | Weight | Primary Scaling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ornamental Straight Sword | 9 | 15 | 3 | Dex C |
| Short Sword | 8 | 11 | 3 | Str E / Dex D |
| Longsword | 10 | 13 | 3.5 | Str D / Dex D |
| Coded Sword | 9 | 13 | 3.5 | Int C |
| Lordsworn's Straight Sword | 10 | 11 | 3.5 | Str D / Dex D |
Requirements, scaling grades and weight are the game’s own published figures. From Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
How to Obtain
- Access to the Chapel of Anticipation or the Four Belfries recovery route.
- An Imbued Sword Key is required for the Four Belfries portal; the base game route has no DLC requirement.
- 01Travel to the Chapel of Anticipation, the starting area reached at the beginning of Elden Ring, and defeat the Grafted Scion encountered there. The Ornamental Straight Sword is a guaranteed reward from this boss rather than a random enemy drop or vendor purchase; collect it after the fight.
- 02If you left the starting area or were defeated by the Grafted Scion, use an Imbued Sword Key at the Four Belfries in western Liurnia of the Lakes to activate the portal marked The Precipice of Anticipation. Return through that portal and defeat the Grafted Scion to receive the sword. The boss reward is available once per playthrough; it can be obtained again in a later New Game Plus cycle.
Mechanics and Handling
Paired straight-sword moveset
Ornamental Straight Sword is a paired weapon rather than a single blade with an ordinary alternate stance. When wielded in one hand, it uses a conventional straight-sword moveset. Two-handing it draws the second sword and changes the attacks to a dual-blade presentation, allowing both weapons to participate in its attack sequences without requiring a second weapon in the opposite hand. This makes the two-handed form the weapon’s defining handling mode; the one-handed form is more limited but remains useful when the off-hand is reserved for a shield, seal, or other utility.
Golden Tempering and its follow-up
Its unique skill, Golden Tempering, coats the swords in gold and grants holy essence to their attacks for the skill’s active period. The skill is therefore both a temporary offensive enhancement and the setup for the weapon’s distinctive follow-up. After activating it, a strong attack performs the weapon’s twin-blade slash rather than merely repeating the ordinary strong-attack pattern. The follow-up is a committed close-range attack, so it is most reliable after creating an opening or when an enemy is already locked into recovery. The skill does not turn the weapon into a ranged option or replace the need to manage spacing.
Spacing, defense, and resources
The weapon keeps the compact reach and relatively direct attack lines associated with straight swords. Its dual-blade attacks can give the two-handed form a broader offensive presentation, but they still require close positioning and do not provide the reach of a spear or greatsword. Ornamental Straight Sword has no weapon-specific projectile, ammunition, reload, or durability-management mechanic. It also has no signature passive status buildup to maintain between attacks; its special identity comes from the paired moveset and Golden Tempering’s holy enhancement. Blocking and parrying are not unique features of this weapon, so its distinctive handling is offensive rather than defensive.
Upgrades and Variants
Strengths, Weaknesses and Best Uses
Strengths
- Its paired-weapon design lets a two-handed wield use both Ornamental Straight Swords, providing dual-blade attacks without occupying a second weapon slot.
- Golden Tempering provides a temporary weapon enhancement and changes the strong-attack behavior while active, giving the weapon a distinct burst-damage window.
- The straight-sword base moveset offers quick close-range attacks that can punish openings without the commitment of heavier paired weapons.
Weaknesses
- Golden Tempering requires FP and an activation window, so the weapon's distinctive buffed attacks are less convenient when conserving resources or fighting enemies that allow little setup time.
- Its fixed weapon skill prevents replacing Golden Tempering with an Ash of War or changing the weapon's affinity.
- The paired moveset remains close-range; missed attacks and extended combos can leave the user vulnerable against enemies that control space or punish repeated aggression.
- Its holy-focused enhancement is less attractive against enemies with strong holy resistance, reducing the value of relying on the skill's added damage.
Best uses
- Aggressive close-range PvE play where the user can activate Golden Tempering before an opening and capitalize on the altered strong attacks.
- A dual-blade setup for players who want paired-weapon pressure while keeping the other equipment slot available for a shield, catalyst, or utility weapon.
- Early-to-midgame experimentation with paired straight-sword attacks, provided the user is comfortable managing FP and committing to short-range exchanges.
Compared With Similar Weapons
| Weapon | Class/role distinction | Signature mechanic | Best fit relative to Ornamental Straight Sword |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broadsword | Square Off weapon skill | Choose it for a straightforward single-sword moveset rather than Ornamental Straight Sword’s paired attacks and Golden Tempering skill. | — |
| Lordsworn's Straight Sword | Square Off weapon skill | A more conventional choice when the paired-weapon behavior of Ornamental Straight Sword is not needed. | — |
| Noble's Slender Sword | Square Off weapon skill | Prefer it when spacing and reach matter more than Ornamental Straight Sword’s paired attacks and skill-based holy enhancement. | — |
Used In
- Grafted ScionThe Grafted Scion at the Chapel of Anticipation drops the Ornamental Straight Sword when defeated.
- Chapel of AnticipationThis starting-area location is where the Grafted Scion encounter and the sword's guaranteed acquisition occur. It can be revisited later through a portal at The Four Belfries.
Lore and Design
The Ornamental Straight Sword’s item lore connects it directly to Marika’s twin daughters, Miquella and Malenia. It describes the paired blades as bearing holy essence while emphasizing that neither young Empyrean actually wielded them. This makes the weapon a material association with the twins rather than evidence that it was one of their personal arms or a defining part of either character’s combat history.
Its design reinforces that association through paired blades and gold ornamentation, while the Golden Tempering skill expresses the weapon’s holy character in gameplay. Beyond the item description and that visual-mechanical link, no documented developer commentary or confirmed real-world design source is established here. The weapon is therefore best treated as a small piece of the broader Marika-family iconography, not as a major lore artifact with an independently developed history.