Smithscript Spear
Smithscript Spear is a Shadow of the Erdtree spear found in Ruined Forge of Starfall Past. Its charged strong attack throws the spear without ammunition, and its ordinary upgrade path preserves shield-poke utility, affinities, and compatible Ashes.
Key Takeaways
Throwing spear identity
Smithscript Spear is a Shadow of the Erdtree spear whose heavy attacks throw the weapon as a ranged projectile, giving a melee character repeatable ranged pressure without ammunition.
DLC availability
It is DLC equipment obtained in the Ruined Forge of Starfall Past, so it is unavailable in the base game without Shadow of the Erdtree.
Attribute spread
Its requirements span multiple attributes rather than concentrating solely on the usual Strength or Dexterity investment for a conventional spear.
Distinctive trade-off
The built-in throw expands its effective engagement options, but the weapon's heavy-attack timing makes its ranged option a deliberate part of the moveset rather than a replacement for fast close-range attacks.
Somber progression
Smithscript Spear follows the special-weapon reinforcement path and is upgraded with Somber Smithing Stones rather than the standard Smithing Stone sequence.
Compared with ordinary spears
Unlike a conventional spear, Smithscript Spear combines spear-range melee attacks with a weapon-integrated throwing option, making its main distinction versatility rather than a separate ammunition system.
Overview
Smithscript Spear is a Shadow of the Erdtree spear that combines conventional thrusting attacks with a ranged throwing option, giving a melee loadout a way to pressure targets without changing weapons.
Unlike ordinary spears, Smithscript Spear can throw itself as part of its strong-attack behavior. That makes spacing and approach distance central to its use: the weapon can remain useful when closing for a thrust is inconvenient, while still functioning as a spear when enemies enter melee range.
The spear belongs to the Smithscript family introduced in Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree expansion. Its defining identity is therefore its weapon action rather than a passive effect or a special damage type. The throwing feature gives it a distinct role among conventional spears, whose attacks generally keep the weapon in hand.
Smithscript Spear is suited to players who want one weapon to cover close and intermediate engagement distances. Its flexibility does not remove the normal trade-offs of a spear: the user must manage attack commitment, positioning, and the opportunity cost of choosing a throwing attack instead of continuing a melee sequence.
As a DLC weapon, it is encountered during the expansion's progression rather than being part of the base-game arsenal. It should be evaluated alongside other spears for reach, requirements, skill and upgrade behavior, but its throwing attack makes direct comparisons with ordinary spear movesets incomplete.
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.
- CategorySpears
- Damage TypePierce
- Primary ScalingDex C
- Weight7.5
- SkillSmithscript Spear skill
- Str Req13
- Dex Req18
- How to ObtainShadow of the Erdtree - Belurat
- DLCShadow of the Erdtree
Figures verified against Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
Compared to similar spears
| Weapon | Str Req | Dex Req | Weight | Primary Scaling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smithscript Spear | 13 | 18 | 7.5 | Dex C |
| Cross-Naginata | 13 | 17 | 6.5 | Dex C |
| Pike | 18 | 11 | 8.5 | Str D |
| Partisan | 12 | 13 | 6 | Str D / Dex D |
| Death Ritual Spear | 12 | 14 | 5.5 | Fai 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 expansion
- 01In the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, travel to the Ruined Forge of Starfall Past in Scadu Altus and explore the forge dungeon until you reach the corpse holding the Smithscript Spear. Looting that corpse grants the weapon directly; it is a guaranteed pickup, not a vendor purchase, enemy drop, quest reward, or boss reward. No separate quest or boss prerequisite is required, and the dungeon can be revisited if the corpse was not looted.
Availability
Requires Shadow of the Erdtree is required.
Smithscript Spear is DLC-exclusive and does not appear in the base-game weapon pool.
Requires Access to the Shadow Realm and the weapon's pickup location in the DLC area.
No vendor price or rotating-stock condition applies.
Mechanics and Handling
Smithscript Spear combines a conventional spear moveset with a built-in throwing attack. Its normal attacks remain close-range thrusts, while the heavy attack launches the spear instead of requiring separate ammunition. This gives the weapon a way to pressure targets outside ordinary melee distance, but the throw still commits the attack animation and should not be treated as a risk-free ranged option.
Throwing Attack and Spacing
The heavy attack is the weapon’s defining handling trait: it throws the spear and returns it to the user without consuming a separate resource. A charged heavy produces the charged form of that throw, so timing matters when an enemy is approaching or recovering. The projectile is most useful for opening an encounter, punishing a retreat, or continuing pressure when closing distance would be unsafe. Normal spear thrusts remain preferable once the target is within reach.
Weapon Skill
Smithscript Spear uses Impaling Thrust. The skill is a forward armor-piercing thrust rather than another thrown attack, giving the weapon a committed close-range option for opponents that are difficult to pressure with ordinary light attacks. The spear’s attack pattern therefore alternates between spacing with its heavy throw and exploiting openings with thrusts; it does not rely on a passive status effect or a finite ammunition pool.
Upgrades and Variants
Strengths, Weaknesses and Best Uses
Strengths
- Its heavy attack throws the spear and returns it, extending a spear moveset into repeatable ranged pressure without equipping ammunition.
- It can threaten enemies while the user stays outside immediate melee distance, then switch back to conventional spear attacks when they close in.
- Its throwing attacks provide a useful option for punishing openings or drawing individual enemies without committing to a bow or crossbow setup.
Weaknesses
- The thrown attack is more committed than a normal light attack and consumes stamina, so missed throws can leave less stamina for evasions or follow-up attacks.
- Its ranged option does not replace a dedicated bow or crossbow for sustained distance fighting, projectile utility or long-range engagement.
- Using the spear effectively requires judging when its throwing attack is safer than closing distance; enemies that pressure quickly can reduce the time available for that choice.
Best uses
- A hybrid melee-and-ranged setup that wants spear reach in close quarters but an ammunition-free ranged option for isolated targets.
- PvE exploration and encounters where pulling one enemy away from a group is safer than entering the entire pack.
- Punishing brief openings at short-to-moderate distance while retaining a conventional spear attack for the next exchange.
Compared With Similar Weapons
| Weapon | Class and role | Distinctive trait | Customization |
|---|---|---|---|
| Messmer Soldier's Spear | Standard spear attacks without Smithscript Spear's throwable heavy attack | Infusion and Ash of War flexibility | — |
| Partisan | Broad sweeping attacks give it a different crowd-control profile | Infusion and Ash of War flexibility | — |
| Cross-Naginata | Innate blood loss and a distinct slashing thrust moveset | Infusion and Ash of War flexibility | — |
Lore and Design
The Smithscript Spear is associated by its item description with the ancient civilization of Rauh. The text classifies it as a smithscript throwing weapon and notes that its strong attack throws the spear, making that action part of its defining design rather than merely a visual feature. No documented character, faction, creator commentary, or real-world inspiration is established here.
Trivia
- The Smithscript Spear belongs to Elden Ring’s Smithscript weapon family, whose defining gimmick is built into the weapon moveset: its heavy attack throws the spear without requiring ammunition, then restores it to the wielder for continued use.