Scimitar
Scimitar is part of the Warrior class starting pair and is also available through normal acquisition routes. It offers fast curved-sword attacks, Spinning Slash, low weight, and full affinity and Ash customization.
Key Takeaways
Scimitar is a lightweight curved sword built around quick slashes, flexible upgrades, and low attribute demands rather than heavy stagger or reach.
Fast curved-sword moveset
Its rapid attacks make Scimitar effective for maintaining pressure and exploiting openings at close range.
Low entry requirements
Scimitar uses modest Strength and Dexterity requirements, making it accessible to Dexterity-focused characters and adaptable early in a run.
Warrior starting weapon
The Warrior class begins with Scimitars, providing immediate access to its paired curved-sword fighting style.
Flexible standard upgrade
As a regular weapon, Scimitar can follow the standard reinforcement path and accept Ashes of War and compatible affinities.
Strong dual-wielding option
Using two curved swords enables powerstanced attacks that build on Scimitar's quick attack pattern, though this requires a second compatible weapon.
Trades reach and impact for speed
Scimitar's light, fast profile is easier to use repeatedly than heavier curved-sword alternatives, but it offers less reach and commitment-based impact than larger weapons.
Overview
Scimitar is a standard Curved Sword in Elden Ring, built around quick slashing attacks, low commitment, and flexible early-game use. Its straightforward moveset also makes it a practical base for experimenting with dual-wielding, affinities, and Ashes of War.
The Scimitar occupies a reliable middle ground among Elden Ring’s light melee weapons. It delivers the characteristic fast, sweeping attacks of the Curved Sword class without introducing a rare weapon-specific rule or a fixed legendary effect. That makes it useful both as a starting weapon and as a comparison point when evaluating other curved swords with different reach, skills, or passive effects.
Its most distinctive practical feature is flexibility rather than an exclusive mechanic. The weapon can be used on its own, paired with another compatible weapon for powerstanced attacks, or adapted through the game’s weapon-customization systems. These choices let the same basic weapon support different physical or elemental damage plans without requiring the player to commit to a unique weapon skill.
Scimitar is especially associated with the Warrior starting equipment, so it can serve immediately as a character’s main weapon rather than requiring a later discovery. It remains relevant beyond the opening areas when its quick attack pattern, light-weapon handling, or customization options fit a build. Its value therefore depends more on moveset preference and upgrade direction than on rarity or lore significance.
The closest alternatives are other Curved Swords, including weapons that trade some combination of speed, reach, damage profile, passive effects, or skill flexibility for a different role. Scimitar is best understood as a conventional, adaptable member of that class: a sensible choice for players who want rapid slashes and room to shape the weapon through progression, rather than a weapon defined by a singular gimmick.
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.
- CategoryCurved Swords
- Damage TypeSlash
- Primary ScalingDex D
- Weight3
- SkillAsh of War (varies)
- Str Req9
- Dex Req13
- How to ObtainMerchant
Figures verified against Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
Compared to similar curved swords
| Weapon | Str Req | Dex Req | Weight | Primary Scaling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scimitar | 9 | 13 | 3 | Dex D |
| Falchion | 10 | 13 | 3.5 | Str D / Dex D |
| Scavenger's Curved Sword | 10 | 14 | 4 | Dex D |
| Magma Blade | 10 | 14 | 4 | Dex D |
| Shamshir | 10 | 14 | 4 | Dex D |
Requirements, scaling grades and weight are the game’s own published figures. From Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
How to Obtain
- Choose the Warrior class during character creation, or gain access to Roundtable Hold to use the Twin Maiden Husks.
- No DLC, NG+, or specific mission or boss completion is required.
- 01Select the Warrior starting class to receive the Scimitar immediately as starting equipment. This route is guaranteed and requires no quest, boss, DLC, or NG+ access.
- 02Alternatively, travel to Roundtable Hold and purchase the Scimitar from the Twin Maiden Husks. The weapon is a regular vendor item rather than a random enemy drop or quest reward; access to Roundtable Hold is the only progression gate for this route.
- 03The Scimitar is not tied to a missable quest or one-time boss reward. If the Warrior class was not chosen, the Twin Maiden Husks provide the ordinary recovery route later in the same playthrough.
Mechanics and Handling
Fast curved-sword pressure
The Scimitar uses the fast curved-sword moveset: its regular attacks are short, sweeping slashes intended to keep pressure on targets at close range. The animation commitment is lighter than that of heavier sword classes, but its reach is correspondingly modest. Spacing matters; the Scimitar performs best when the wielder stays close enough for the full sweep to connect rather than trying to control open ground. Its attacks deal slash damage, so its practical performance depends partly on the target’s defenses rather than on speed alone.
The light attack chain is useful for repeated openings, while running, jumping and heavy attacks provide different entry timings instead of simply extending the standing combo. These attacks still require the player to manage recovery and spacing: the Scimitar is quick, but it is not risk-free when swung into an enemy’s active attack. It can be used one-handed or two-handed, and it also supports dual-wielding with another compatible curved sword for paired attacks through the powerstance moveset.
Spinning Slash as the default skill
The Scimitar’s default weapon skill is Spinning Slash. The initial input makes the character rotate through a broad cutting motion; following up with the skill attack continues into a stronger second slash. This gives the weapon a way to punish enemies standing close together or to add a more committed burst after an opening. The skill consumes FP, so repeated use competes with sorcery, incantation or other skill resources, and its animation should not be treated as a substitute for ordinary attacks when the enemy can interrupt it.
Spinning Slash is attached to the weapon by default, but the Scimitar is an infusible standard weapon, so its Ash of War and affinity can be changed at an appropriate Site of Grace after the relevant game progression and key-item requirements are met. Those choices alter the weapon’s broader build behaviour; they are separate from the Scimitar’s baseline attack pattern.
Defence, status and handling limits
The Scimitar has no innate status buildup or special defensive action that defines its use. It can be used while guarding, but a small curved sword is generally better understood as an offensive weapon than as a replacement for a shield. It also has no durability or reload cycle to manage in Elden Ring. Its main handling trade-off is therefore straightforward: fast slashes and flexible close-range pressure in exchange for limited reach, lighter commitment and less control over distant or heavily armoured targets than larger weapon classes.
Upgrades and Variants
Strengths, Weaknesses and Best Uses
Strengths
- Fast curved-sword attacks let Scimitar maintain pressure and punish brief openings without the commitment of heavier weapon classes.
- Its light equipment burden suits agile characters that want to preserve load capacity for armor or other gear.
- Scimitar accepts Ashes of War and affinities, so its damage type and scaling can be adapted to a character’s attribute focus rather than remaining tied to one fixed setup.
- It can be paired with another compatible curved sword for dual-wield attacks, increasing the value of rapid-hit buffs and status-focused affinities.
Weaknesses
- Its short reach makes spacing more demanding against spears, greatswords, and other weapons that can strike from outside its preferred distance.
- Slash-focused attacks are a poorer matchup against enemies with strong resistance to slash damage; an alternate affinity or weapon may be preferable.
- The weapon’s light, quick attacks generally provide less stagger and poise pressure than heavier melee classes, making repeated aggression less reliable against large or highly resistant foes.
- Dual-wield setups trade away the defensive utility of a shield or off-hand catalyst.
Best uses
- Agile melee builds that rely on quick punishes, repositioning, and sustained close-range pressure.
- Dual-curved-sword setups using compatible Ashes of War, affinities, or status effects to capitalize on repeated hits.
- Early or mid-progression characters that want a flexible, infusable weapon without committing to a heavy equipment load.
- Fights where mobility and attack frequency matter more than maximum reach, stagger, or blocking access.
Compared With Similar Weapons
| Weapon | Class and role | Handling and reach | Build considerations | Why choose it over Scimitar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shamshir | Longer reach and a distinct sweeping light-attack pattern; still supports rapid successive attacks | Infusable and compatible with broadly similar Dexterity, bleed, and elemental setups | Prefer it when extra spacing and its alternative moveset matter more than Scimitar's familiar handling | — |
| Falchion | Comparable close-range role with a somewhat weightier feel than Scimitar | Infusable and suitable for similar Dexterity or status-oriented setups | A practical alternative when its handling and weapon availability fit the build better | — |
| Bandit's Curved Sword | Longer, heavier-feeling weapon with greater commitment than the shorter Scimitar | Infusable, but its heavier profile can demand more equipment-load planning | Choose it when reach and heavier individual swings are more useful than Scimitar's light handling | — |
Used In
- WarriorThe Scimitar is part of the Warrior starting equipment.
- Twin Maiden HusksThe Twin Maiden Husks sell the Scimitar at Roundtable Hold.
- Roundtable HoldThe Scimitar is available from the Twin Maiden Husks here.
Lore and Design
The Scimitar’s item description presents it as a curved sword with a thin blade, suited to fighters who rely on Dexterity. It also explains the class’s practical identity: curved swords use slashing attacks and are particularly effective against lightly armoured targets or exposed flesh. This is descriptive weapon text rather than a documented connection to a specific character, faction, or historical culture.
No official development commentary or documented real-world design attribution is established here. Within Elden Ring’s equipment language, the Scimitar’s significance is therefore functional rather than narrative: it represents the fast, Dexterity-oriented curved-sword archetype. Its lore does not identify a unique owner, quest history, or major role in the setting’s central conflicts.
Trivia
- The Warrior starting class begins with two Scimitars rather than a single copy. This gives that class immediate access to dual-wielded curved-sword attacks without first finding or purchasing a second weapon.