Putrescence Cleaver
Putrescence Cleaver is a Shadow of the Erdtree remembrance weapon from the Putrescent Knight. Its fixed Spinning Guillotine skill drives repeated cleaver rotations and a finishing slam for aggressive close pressure.
Key Takeaways
Remembrance great axe
Putrescence Cleaver is a Shadow of the Erdtree great axe with a fixed weapon identity rather than a customizable standard weapon.
Signature skill
Its unique Spinning Guillotine skill uses a somersaulting cleaver attack that can continue into an additional spinning strike, making the skill central to its handling.
Remembrance availability
The cleaver is obtained by exchanging the Remembrance of Putrescence after defeating Putrescent Knight in the Stone Coffin Fissure.
Build commitment
It requires a Strength-focused melee build with some Dexterity investment, so it is not a low-requirement general-purpose weapon.
Fixed progression
As a unique weapon, Putrescence Cleaver upgrades with Somber Smithing Stones and cannot use Ashes of War or freely change its affinity.
Distinct trade-off
Compared with ordinary great axes, it offers a fixed special skill and split physical/magic damage, but gives up their broader skill and affinity customization.
Overview
Putrescence Cleaver is a unique Colossal Weapon from Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, defined by its oversized cleaver moveset and the putrescent vortex created by its unique skill.
This weapon occupies the heavy melee niche for characters willing to commit to deliberate attacks. Its identity comes less from a conventional weapon trait than from the combination of colossal-weapon reach, substantial attack commitment, and a unique skill that gives it an area-focused option beyond its ordinary swings.
Vortex of Putrescence spins the cleaver into a whirling attack and supports a follow-up slam that releases a concentrated putrescent burst. That sequence makes the weapon distinct from more straightforward Colossal Weapons: it can pressure a target through a skill with its own area and timing considerations rather than relying only on basic attacks.
Putrescence Cleaver is tied to the Shadow of the Erdtree remembrance progression rather than the base-game weapon pool. Its place in progression therefore depends on reaching the relevant expansion content and choosing the weapon reward associated with Remembrance of Putrescence; it is not a common pickup, ordinary enemy-drop weapon, or interchangeable early-game cleaver.
For comparison purposes, the closest alternatives are other Colossal Weapons that serve a heavy melee role, but the relevant choice is not raw size alone. Putrescence Cleaver is most differentiated by its fixed, thematically integrated skill and its mixed physical-and-magic attack profile, while a more customizable colossal weapon may offer different affinity or Ash of War options.
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.
- CategoryAxes
- Damage TypeSlash/Poison
- Primary ScalingArc D
- Weight6.5
- SkillPutrescence Cleaver Skill
- Str Req14
- Dex Req13
- Arc Req14
- How to ObtainFound in the Land of Shadow, Shadow of the Erdtree
- DLCShadow of the Erdtree
Figures verified against Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
Compared to similar axes
| Weapon | Str Req | Dex Req | Weight | Primary Scaling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Putrescence Cleaver | 14 | 13 | 6.5 | Arc D |
| Battle Axe | 12 | 9 | 6.5 | Str D |
| Smithscript Axe | 13 | 15 | 6 | Str D / Dex D |
| Messmer Soldier's Axe | 14 | 13 | 6 | Str D |
| Highland Axe | 14 | 12 | 7.5 | Str D / Dex D |
Requirements, scaling grades and weight are the game’s own published figures. From Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
How to Obtain
- Shadow of the Erdtree access
- Defeat the Putrescent Knight
- The weapon is obtained once per playthrough through its remembrance exchange; it is not a vendor stock item or enemy drop.
- 01In the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, defeat the Putrescent Knight at the end of Stone Coffin Fissure in the southern Realm of Shadow. The boss grants the Remembrance of Putrescence as a guaranteed reward.
- 02Take the Remembrance of Putrescence to Finger Reader Enia at Roundtable Hold and exchange it for Putrescence Cleaver through the remembrance-reward menu.
Availability
Requires Shadow of the Erdtree expansion required
The weapon is not part of the base-game weapon pool.
Requires DLC access and the Remembrance of the Putrescent obtained from the Putrescent Knight
No purchase price or rotating vendor-stock condition applies.
Mechanics and Handling
Putrescence Cleaver uses broad, committed swings suited to catching targets in front of the wielder rather than making precise, rapid corrections. Its attacks require deliberate spacing: the weapon’s large blade can cover a useful horizontal area, but missed swings leave a meaningful recovery window. The moveset is therefore most reliable against targets that are staggered, approaching in a predictable line, or already within the cleaver’s reach.
Spinning Guillotine
Its unique weapon skill, Spinning Guillotine, launches the wielder into a spinning cleaver attack before bringing the weapon down. A follow-up input extends the sequence with another spinning attack. The skill gives the weapon a way to convert an opening into a larger area attack, but its animation is committed; using it at unsafe range can leave the wielder exposed. Because the skill is unique to the weapon, it cannot be replaced with an Ash of War.
Handling in combat
The cleaver is best handled as a spacing and opening-punishment weapon. Use normal attacks when an enemy is close enough that the wide arcs are unlikely to miss, and reserve Spinning Guillotine for an opening that can support its full animation. Its melee reach and broad attack coverage help against groups in front of the player, while fast enemies that circle or disengage can punish its recovery.
Upgrades and Variants
Strengths, Weaknesses and Best Uses
Strengths
- Its unique Vortex of Putrescence skill combines a ground impact with a lingering vortex, giving the weapon area pressure beyond its standard greatsword swings.
- The skill also offers a follow-up sweeping attack, allowing a successful opening to continue into broader close-range coverage.
- Its Strength-and-Intelligence requirements support characters that can combine heavy melee attacks with magic-oriented investment.
Weaknesses
- Greatsword attack commitments make missed swings costly against fast enemies or targets that frequently disengage.
- The weapon's unique skill has a setup and delayed area component, so mobile enemies may leave the affected space before the payoff.
- Its Intelligence requirement makes it a less natural choice for purely Strength-focused builds.
Best uses
- Use it in PvE encounters where enemies approach through a confined area or remain committed to long attacks.
- Choose it for hybrid Strength/Intelligence characters that want a distinctive melee skill without relying exclusively on spells.
- Treat the skill's vortex and follow-up sweep as spacing tools rather than assuming every target will remain inside the affected area.
Compared With Similar Weapons
| Weapon | Class and role | Notable distinction | Trade-off versus Putrescence Cleaver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greatsword | Infusable and compatible with a broad range of Ashes of War | Offers more build and skill flexibility, but lacks Putrescence Cleaver’s unique Spinning Guillotine skill | — |
| Zweihander | Conventional colossal-sword moveset with customizable skill and affinity | Better suited to players who want customization rather than a fixed remembrance-weapon moveset | — |
| Ruins Greatsword | Fixed unique skill with ranged gravity damage | More specialized around Intelligence and gravity attacks, while Putrescence Cleaver is the closer choice for its distinctive close-range spinning attack | — |
| Grafted Blade Greatsword | Fixed skill that temporarily enhances the wielder | A more straightforward Strength choice; Putrescence Cleaver is preferable when its unusual skill and weapon identity are the priority | — |
Used In
- Putrescent KnightThe Shadow of the Erdtree remembrance boss that drops the Remembrance of Putrescence, which can be exchanged for the Putrescence Cleaver.
- Remembrance of PutrescenceThe remembrance exchanged for the Putrescence Cleaver or the Remembrance of Putrescence sorcery through Finger Reader Enia.
- Finger Reader EniaExchanges the Remembrance of Putrescence for the Putrescence Cleaver at the Roundtable Hold.
- Stone Coffin FissureShadow of the Erdtree area containing the Putrescent Knight encounter.
Lore and Design
The Putrescence Cleaver is tied to the Putrescent Knight, the putrescent entity encountered in the Stone Coffin Fissure beneath the Cerulean Coast in the Shadow of the Erdtree. Its associated remembrance and boss descriptions connect the knight to the corpses abandoned in the Land of Shadow and identify an association with St. Trina. The weapon therefore functions as part of the DLC’s St. Trina and putrescence imagery, rather than having a separately documented history or design commentary.