Smithscript Dagger
Smithscript Dagger is a Shadow of the Erdtree dagger found in Ruined Forge Lava Intake. Its smithscript attacks throw endlessly reforming blades without ammunition, while ordinary upgrades and affinities let it support physical, elemental, or status builds.
Key Takeaways
The Smithscript Dagger combines a conventional dagger moveset with a built-in throwing option, making it a flexible Shadow of the Erdtree weapon rather than a conventional consumable projectile.
Dagger with an integrated throwing attack
Its strong attacks can throw the dagger, allowing ranged pressure without equipping a separate throwing item or spending ammunition.
DLC exploration weapon
The Smithscript Dagger is found in the Shadow of the Erdtree area at Ruined Forge of Starfall Past, so it is unavailable in the base game.
A close-range weapon with added spacing tools
The dagger remains usable in melee, while its thrown attacks help maintain distance or punish openings that are unsafe to approach directly.
Throwing does not remove its melee limitations
Its short dagger reach and strong-attack commitment still matter in close combat; the throwing option adds flexibility rather than making it a universal replacement for dedicated ranged weapons.
Uses the regular reinforcement path
The weapon is upgraded with standard Smithing Stones, allowing progression through the ordinary reinforcement system rather than the Somber Smithing Stone path.
Distinct from ordinary throwing daggers
Unlike consumable throwing daggers, the Smithscript Dagger builds its projectile attack into the weapon's moveset, preserving a reusable melee-and-ranged loadout slot.
Overview
Smithscript Dagger is a Shadow of the Erdtree dagger built around repeated weapon throws rather than conventional close-range dagger exchanges. It gives agile characters a reusable ranged option while retaining the flexibility of an Elden Ring melee weapon.
Unlike ordinary throwing daggers, Smithscript Dagger’s throwing behaviour is part of its weapon moveset rather than a separate consumable item. Attacks can send the dagger toward a target, letting the user maintain distance, punish openings, or continue applying pressure without managing a stock of disposable projectiles.
The weapon still belongs to the dagger class, so its role is defined by quick attacks, low commitment, and positional play rather than sustained stagger or heavy single-hit impact. Its short-range identity remains relevant when enemies close in, but its unusual attack delivery makes spacing more important than it is for a conventional dagger.
Smithscript Dagger is an infusible Shadow of the Erdtree weapon rather than a named legendary armament. Its place in progression is therefore as a specialist sidegrade: it offers a distinct attack pattern and ranged utility, while its final effectiveness depends on the player’s attributes, affinity, reinforcement, and choice of supporting equipment.
The dagger is most clearly differentiated from standard daggers and conventional ranged weapons by combining melee weapon progression with built-in throwing attacks. It does not replace every dedicated ranged option, but it can suit players who want a lightweight weapon that supports evasive movement, repeated harassment, and a close-range backup without changing weapon families.
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.
- CategoryDaggers
- Damage TypeSlash/Pierce
- Primary ScalingDex C
- Weight2
- SkillSmithscript Dagger skill
- Str Req6
- Dex Req15
- How to ObtainShadow of the Erdtree - Belurat
- DLCShadow of the Erdtree
Figures verified against Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
Compared to similar daggers
| Weapon | Str Req | Dex Req | Weight | Primary Scaling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smithscript Dagger | 6 | 15 | 2 | Dex C |
| Celebrant's Sickle | 9 | 17 | 2 | Dex D |
| Glintstone Kris | 8 | 15 | 2 | Dex D / Int D |
| Erdsteel Dagger | 6 | 15 | 2 | Dex D |
| Misericorde | 5 | 13 | 1.5 | Dex D / Fai D |
Requirements, scaling grades and weight are the game’s own published figures. From Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
How to Obtain
- Access to Shadow of the Erdtree and entry to the Gravesite Plain area of the expansion; no separate quest, boss, NG+, or character-stat prerequisite is required.
- 01Travel to the Ruined Forge of Starfall Past in Gravesite Plain, within the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion. Enter the forge and proceed through its interior rather than looking for a vendor, boss reward, or enemy drop.
- 02The Smithscript Dagger is a guaranteed pickup from a corpse inside the Ruined Forge of Starfall Past. Collect it directly; there is no purchase, quest completion, or drop-rate condition. The fixed pickup is available once the area can be entered and can be retrieved by returning to the forge if it was left behind.
Availability
Requires Shadow of the Erdtree is required.
The Smithscript Dagger is DLC content and is not part of the base-game weapon pool.
Requires Shadow of the Erdtree access is required.
No vendor price is established for this weapon; availability is tied to the DLC rather than a base-game vendor or progression tier.
Mechanics and Handling
Smithscript Dagger is a close-range dagger with an integrated throwing option. Its ordinary dagger attacks retain the class's fast, compact pressure, while its strong attack extends the weapon's reach by throwing the blade rather than requiring a separate ammunition item. This gives it a way to harass targets, finish retreating enemies, or pressure openings without changing weapons.
Thrown Heavy Attacks
The strong attack is the weapon's defining handling feature: it launches the dagger as a physical projectile, and the charged version increases the commitment and impact of the throw. The projectile does not create a persistent ammunition pool, so the weapon can alternate between melee strings and thrown attacks without an inventory reload. The throw still competes with the normal stamina demands of attacking, and its travel time and limited dagger reach make spacing important. It is a tool for short-to-mid-range pressure, not a replacement for a dedicated ranged weapon.
Scattershot Throw
Smithscript Dagger's weapon skill, Scattershot Throw, sends multiple daggers outward in a spread. The pattern can cover a wider area than the standard heavy throw, but individual projectiles are less reliable against a distant or highly mobile target because the spread reduces concentration on one point. It is most useful when an enemy is close enough for several daggers to connect, or when several targets occupy the same approach. The skill consumes FP and follows the normal weapon-skill commitment, so it should not be treated as a free alternative to ordinary attacks.
Spacing, Guarding, and Status
The dagger's melee portion has the short reach and low commitment associated with dagger attacks, making positioning more important than trading directly with long weapons. Its thrown attacks add distance but do not remove the need to manage recovery and enemy retaliation. The weapon does not have a signature innate status effect to organize a build around; any status-focused setup depends on the selected reinforcement and affinity choices rather than a built-in passive. It can therefore serve as a flexible physical-pressure weapon, but its strongest identity remains the combination of rapid dagger attacks and repeatable throws.
Upgrades and Variants
Strengths, Weaknesses and Best Uses
Strengths
- Its standard attacks are thrown rather than delivered only at melee distance, giving a dagger user a ranged option without switching weapons.
- It does not use conventional ammunition, so repeated throws do not consume arrows, bolts, or a separate ammunition stock.
- Its light weapon profile suits mobile play: the wielder can maintain distance, punish openings, and keep a shield, catalyst, or second weapon available in the other hand.
- As a regular weapon rather than a fixed legendary armament, it can participate in Elden Ring's normal upgrade and affinity choices, allowing its role to follow the build.
Weaknesses
- Its dagger-scale reach makes the thrown attacks less dependable against distant targets than dedicated bows, crossbows, or other long-range options.
- Repeated throwing still competes for stamina, limiting sustained pressure when the player must also sprint, dodge, or block.
- Its ranged attacks trade the broad utility of a dedicated ranged weapon for a narrow, close-to-mid-range role; it is poorly suited to encounters where safe damage requires substantial distance.
- Using it as the primary weapon leaves the player with limited conventional melee reach, making spacing and target selection more important against large or highly mobile enemies.
Best uses
- A close-to-mid-range harassment tool for players who want to pressure enemies while preserving ammunition and avoiding constant weapon swaps.
- A lightweight backup for finishing weakened targets, drawing individual enemies from a group, or exploiting brief openings during mobile PvE encounters.
- A flexible option for dagger-oriented builds that want thrown attacks as part of their normal weapon loop rather than as a separate bow or spell setup.
Compared With Similar Weapons
| Weapon | Role and mechanical distinction | Build or upgrade profile | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smithscript Dagger | Infusible and compatible with Ashes of War; suited to builds that want flexible physical or elemental affinity choices | Players who want a lightweight dagger that can pressure targets without consuming throwing items | — |
| Glintstone Kris | Intelligence-oriented and less flexible than an infusible general-purpose dagger | Intelligence builds seeking a dedicated ranged skill and conventional dagger follow-up attacks | — |
| Wakizashi | Infusible and better suited to bleed or affinity-focused setups | Players prioritizing close-range status buildup or pairing a dagger with another compatible weapon | — |
| Misericorde | Best evaluated around critical-hit opportunities and a setup that reliably creates them | Players building around parries, ripostes, backstabs, or other critical attacks | — |
Lore and Design
Lore and design
The Smithscript Dagger has limited character-specific lore. Its item description presents it as a dagger forged through smithscript, an old smithing technique, and identifies its throwing function as part of the weapon’s intended design. This places it within the broader Smithscript weapon tradition introduced in Shadow of the Erdtree rather than tying it to a named wielder, quest character, or major faction.
Its significance is therefore primarily material and functional: the weapon treats a compact dagger as both a close-range armament and a deliberately throwable tool. The available item text does not establish a documented real-world inspiration, creator commentary, or a direct canonical relationship with a particular character. Any wider interpretation of smithscript’s origins should remain separate from the explicit description.
Trivia
- The Smithscript Dagger belongs to the Smithscript family introduced in Shadow of the Erdtree. Its defining forging technique allows the weapon itself to be thrown, rather than treating the attack as conventional dagger-use or requiring a separate ammunition item.
- Among the Smithscript weapons, the dagger is unusual because its ordinary attacks can perform throwing attacks. This gives it a distinct close-range and projectile identity without changing weapons or loading a consumable ammunition type.