Short Sword
The roster name Short Sword likely refers to the exact Elden Ring item Shortsword. The spacing should be corrected before acquisition, stats, and entity links are treated as final.
Key Takeaways
Short Sword is a compact, customizable Straight Sword whose value comes from quick attacks, a thrusting heavy attack, and a flexible standard upgrade path rather than exceptional reach or raw damage.
Compact straight-sword moveset
Its fast attacks suit close-range openings, while its thrusting heavy attack gives it a different spacing option from straight swords built around broader slashes.
Low attribute barrier
Short Sword uses Strength and Dexterity, with modest requirements that make it accessible to many physical or hybrid characters without dictating a single build.
Square Off is its defining skill
The default Square Off skill provides a deliberate attack option alongside the weapon’s ordinary light and heavy attacks; the skill can be changed when the weapon’s Ash of War rules allow it.
Easy to customize
Short Sword follows the standard reinforcement path, so it can be upgraded with Smithing Stones and adapted through compatible Ashes of War and affinities.
Its main trade-off is reach
The weapon is convenient to carry and quick to deploy, but its short reach makes spacing more demanding than with longer Straight Swords.
A sidegrade to the Broadsword
Compared with the Broadsword, Short Sword emphasizes a compact profile and thrusting attack utility, while the Broadsword is the more natural alternative for players who prefer broader slashes.
Overview
Short Sword is a standard Straight Sword in Elden Ring: a compact, adaptable melee weapon for players who value a familiar one-handed moveset and flexible progression over exceptional reach or a defining weapon-specific gimmick.
The Short Sword occupies the practical end of Elden Ring’s Straight Sword family. Its identity comes from its compact profile and conventional close-range attacks rather than a unique passive, unusual stance, or lore-heavy connection to a major character. That makes it a straightforward baseline weapon: it can serve as a dependable early-game arm, but it can also remain relevant when a player wants a light sword whose role is determined by its Ash of War, affinity, and surrounding build rather than by a fixed special effect.
Compared with longer or more specialized alternatives, the Short Sword asks the player to work at closer spacing. Its ordinary sword attacks are most useful when the wielder can stay near an enemy without being clipped by a wider attack, and its relatively uncomplicated handling makes it suitable for learning the timing of light attacks, heavier committed swings, guard counters, and opportunistic jumping attacks. The tradeoff is that it offers less margin for error than a longer Straight Sword when an enemy’s openings are brief or its hitbox is difficult to approach.
The weapon’s main progression value is flexibility. As a conventional upgrade-path weapon, it can be considered alongside changes to Ashes of War and affinities instead of being locked into a singular identity. That gives it a place in strength, dexterity, and hybrid setups when the chosen reinforcement and player attributes support it, while leaving the final recommendation dependent on the build and the alternative swords available. This is a general-purpose role, not evidence that it is the strongest Straight Sword for every character.
Short Sword should therefore be read as a compact alternative within the base-game weapon roster, not as a Shadow of the Erdtree-exclusive arm or a legendary named weapon. Its most meaningful distinction is the balance between familiar Straight Sword handling and reduced reach: players who want a simple, customizable sword can make it work, while players who prefer more forgiving spacing or a stronger built-in identity may find a longer or more specialized weapon a better fit.
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 ScalingStr E / Dex D
- Weight3
- SkillNo Skill
- Str Req8
- Dex Req11
- How to ObtainMerchant Kalé / early chest
Figures verified against Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
Compared to similar straight swords
| Weapon | Str Req | Dex Req | Weight | Primary Scaling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short Sword | 8 | 11 | 3 | Str E / Dex D |
| Ornamental Straight Sword | 9 | 15 | 3 | Dex C |
| 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 Roundtable Hold.
- 600 runes for the vendor purchase.
- 01Reach Roundtable Hold and speak with the Twin Maiden Husks, the central vendor in the hold. Their shop lists Short Sword for 600 runes; buying it from this inventory is the guaranteed acquisition route, rather than relying on an enemy drop or quest reward.
- 02If Short Sword is not immediately available because Roundtable Hold has not yet been unlocked, continue until Melina grants access to the hold, then return to the Twin Maiden Husks. The purchase is not tied to a boss, mission, DLC area, or New Game Plus.
Availability
Requires Access to Roundtable Hold
Sold by the Twin Maiden Husks; no DLC, NG+, or difficulty-specific availability is known.
Mechanics and Handling
The Short Sword uses the compact, direct moveset associated with Elden Ring’s Straight Swords. Its ordinary attacks come out quickly and are easy to confirm at close range, but its shorter blade demands more careful spacing than longer weapons in the same class. The weapon is most comfortable when the user stays near an enemy’s flank or front rather than trying to control a wide area.
It can be wielded one-handed or two-handed. Two-handing changes the handling and strength contribution, but it does not give the Short Sword a fundamentally different attack identity. Its standard attacks do not provide innate status buildup, so bleed, poison or another status effect requires an applicable affinity, coating or other external effect rather than coming from the weapon by default.
Compact straight-sword attack pattern
The Short Sword’s light attacks form a conventional, rapid Straight Sword chain suited to punishing brief openings. Its relatively limited reach is the main handling constraint: attacks that would connect with a longer straight sword may whiff if the user begins outside the Short Sword’s effective distance. The heavy attack supplies a more committed strike and is useful when an enemy is held in place, staggered or recovering, but it should not be treated as a long-range spacing tool.
Jumping attacks and charged heavies commit the player more heavily than the ordinary chain. They are therefore better used against a predictable recovery or an exposed target than as neutral, repeated openers. The weapon can also block and participate in the normal guard-counter and parry interactions available to its equipment setup, although its short reach remains relevant when following up on a successful defensive opening.
Kick as the default skill
The Short Sword’s default weapon skill is Kick. It is a close-range defensive-answer tool rather than a damage-focused projectile or area attack: the kick is intended to pressure an enemy who is actively guarding and can deal substantial stamina damage to that guard. A successful use may force the opponent out of a blocking posture and create an opening, but it is not a guaranteed stagger against every target.
Kick is most useful when the enemy’s shield or guard is the immediate obstacle. Against an unguarded enemy, its value is more situational because using the skill gives up the opportunity to continue the sword’s ordinary attack sequence. Its effectiveness also depends on getting close enough for the kick to connect, which makes spacing especially important with this short weapon.
Handling limitations
The Short Sword has no reload, ammunition, durability or return mechanic to manage. Its practical resource and commitment concerns are instead the stamina and positioning required by each attack, plus any FP cost associated with the selected weapon skill. Because its default Kick skill is utility-oriented, the weapon’s handling is defined more by reliable close-range fundamentals and guard pressure than by a built-in damage burst or status condition.
Upgrades and Variants
Strengths, Weaknesses and Best Uses
Strengths
- The straight-sword moveset gives Short Sword a quick, generally low-commitment sequence for close-range PvE encounters.
- Its light weight makes it easier to include in loadouts that need to preserve equipment-load capacity for armor, shields, or other weapons.
- Short Sword uses the Square Off skill by default, providing a deliberate alternative to its normal attacks; its skill and affinity can be changed because the weapon is compatible with Ashes of War.
- Its modest requirements and straightforward handling make it an accessible early weapon for characters that want a conventional one-handed melee option.
Weaknesses
- Its shorter reach makes spacing less forgiving than with longer straight swords and can force the user closer to enemy attacks.
- It has no innate status buildup or other defining passive, so status-focused setups must obtain their identity from affinity, Ashes of War, or external buffs.
- The weapon offers fewer reach and moveset advantages than some same-class alternatives, reducing its appeal once a character can comfortably meet the requirements of a longer straight sword.
Best uses
- Use it as a light, dependable sidearm for shield-and-sword play or for builds that need to keep equipment load low.
- Choose it for close-range encounters where quick straight-sword attacks and Square Off provide enough pressure without committing to a heavier weapon.
- It suits early or low-requirement Strength/Dexterity setups, while later builds should compare its reach and available scaling with longer straight swords before investing heavily.
Compared With Similar Weapons
| Weapon | Class and role | Compared with Short Sword | Best reason to choose it instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Longsword | Longer-reaching and more oriented toward adaptable slash/thrust pressure; typically demands a little more equipment investment. | Choose it when reach and a broader-feeling moveset matter more than the Short Sword’s compact handling. | — |
| Broadsword | Generally favors stronger direct attacks over the Short Sword’s lighter, more compact profile. | Choose it for a straightforward Strength-leaning approach that accepts less emphasis on compact handling. | — |
| Rapier | Trades the Short Sword’s mixed close-range coverage for dedicated thrusting attacks and a more specialized spacing plan. | Choose it when pokes, counterhits, and shield-compatible thrusting are the priority. | — |
Used In
- AstrologerThe Astrologer begins the game with a Short Sword as its starting melee weapon.
- Twin Maiden HusksThe Twin Maiden Husks sell the Short Sword at Roundtable Hold.
- Roundtable HoldThe Short Sword is available from the Twin Maiden Husks at this hub location.
- Godrick SoldierGodrick Soldiers can carry and drop the Short Sword.
Trivia
- The Short Sword uses Kick as its default weapon skill, distinguishing it from many other Elden Ring straight swords that begin with Square Off. Kick can break an opponent’s guard, but the skill can be replaced when the weapon is compatible with Ashes of War.
- Despite its plain name, the Short Sword is a distinct weapon entry rather than a shortened version of the Longsword; the two belong to the same broad class but have different movesets and default skills.