Stormhawk Axe
Stormhawk Axe is a unique lightning axe obtainable from a fixed Leyndell pickup and from Nepheli Loux if she is killed. Thunderstorm creates a spinning lightning wind around the wielder, giving the compact somber axe strong close-range area pressure.
Key Takeaways
Stormhawk Axe is a unique axe built around lightning-infused storm attacks rather than affinity customization. Its fixed skill gives it a distinct close-range area-pressure role, while its upgrade path and acquisition routes limit how flexibly it fits into a build.
Lightning-focused unique axe
The axe deals physical and lightning damage and is defined by its fixed Thunderstorm skill, rather than by an interchangeable Ash of War.
Thunderstorm controls space
Thunderstorm raises the axe and calls down a storm around the wielder, combining a temporary lightning enhancement with area pressure at close range.
Requires a Strength and Dexterity investment
Stormhawk Axe requires 19 Strength and 15 Dexterity, making it less accessible to characters that have invested almost entirely in another attribute.
Its availability is route-dependent
The weapon can be found through a Leyndell pickup, while another acquisition route is connected to Nepheli Loux; the relevant route should be checked before killing or progressing associated NPCs.
Fixed design limits customization
As a unique weapon, Stormhawk Axe uses Somber Smithing Stones and does not offer the affinity and Ash of War flexibility of a standard infusable axe.
Best for lightning-oriented close combat
It suits players who want a compact axe moveset with a distinctive lightning skill, but standard axes are more adaptable when build-specific affinities or weapon skills matter more than Thunderstorm.
Overview
Stormhawk Axe is a unique axe in Elden Ring whose fixed Thunderstorm skill turns a normally close-range weapon into a short-area lightning attack with a follow-up swing.
Unlike an ordinary battle axe, Stormhawk Axe is defined less by a customizable affinity or Ash of War and more by its dedicated weapon skill. Thunderstorm calls a lightning storm around the wielder, then permits a follow-up normal attack that swings the axe and disperses the storm. That combination gives the weapon a way to pressure several nearby targets without abandoning its basic axe moveset.
The axe therefore occupies a hybrid role in melee play. Its regular attacks retain the direct, committed feel expected from an axe, while Thunderstorm adds temporary area control around the user. The skill is most relevant when enemies are clustered or when creating space at close range matters more than maintaining a purely single-target attack pattern. It is not a ranged weapon or a replacement for a dedicated spellcasting tool.
Stormhawk Axe is a fixed unique weapon rather than a normal axe selected for broad infusion experimentation. Its identity comes from its named skill and the weapon’s connection to Stormveil’s storm-hawk imagery, not from a flexible Ash of War slot. Players comparing it with other axes should therefore weigh its distinctive skill and handling role against the customization available on ordinary, infusible alternatives.
This is a base-game Elden Ring weapon, not a Shadow of the Erdtree-exclusive variant. It is encountered through exploration and progression rather than serving as starting equipment, so its value is primarily as a specialized mid-to-late adventure option for characters that want an axe moveset with built-in lightning-themed area pressure. The weapon’s exact effectiveness still depends on reinforcement, attributes, and the rest of the character’s setup.
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
- Primary ScalingStr D / Dex D
- Weight5.5
- SkillStormcaller
- Str Req13
- Dex Req13
- How to ObtainSold by Nomadic Merchants / common find
Figures verified against Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
Compared to similar axes
| Weapon | Str Req | Dex Req | Weight | Primary Scaling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stormhawk Axe | 13 | 13 | 5.5 | Str D / Dex D |
| Sacrificial Axe | 14 | 10 | 5.5 | Fai D |
| Jawbone Axe | 16 | 7 | 5.5 | Str D |
| Forked-Tongue Hatchet | 13 | 15 | 5.5 | Str D / Dex D |
| Beastman's Cleaver | 13 | 11 | 5 | Str D |
Requirements, scaling grades and weight are the game’s own published figures. From Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
How to Obtain
- Base-game Elden Ring access to Stormveil Castle; no DLC, vendor purchase, NG+, or specific reinforcement level is required.
- The Nepheli route requires encountering Nepheli Loux; killing her is permanent for that playthrough and prevents further interaction with her questline.
- 01In Stormveil Castle, reach the courtyard area near the Liftside Chamber Site of Grace and search the accessible room off the courtyard. A corpse there holds one Stormhawk Axe; the pickup is a guaranteed item rather than an enemy drop or vendor purchase.
- 02A second Stormhawk Axe can be obtained as a guaranteed drop by killing Nepheli Loux, Warrior. This is an optional NPC-kill route and can remove her from her questline, so use the Stormveil Castle pickup instead if you want to preserve her quest and related rewards.
Availability
Stormhawk Axe is obtainable in the base game and does not require Shadow of the Erdtree. It is not a vendor-stock weapon, so no purchase price applies.
Mechanics and Handling
A compact axe moveset with committed swings
Stormhawk Axe uses the ordinary one-handed axe attack pattern rather than a special birdlike or lightning-based set of normal attacks. Its swings are close-range and commit the wielder to noticeable attack animations, so spacing matters: it is more comfortable when the target is already within melee range than when chasing a mobile enemy. The axe can still be used as a conventional melee weapon when its skill is not appropriate, but its normal attacks are not the main reason to choose this weapon over another axe.
Thunderstorm controls the space around the wielder
The weapon’s fixed skill, Thunderstorm, drives the distinctive handling. The wielder slams the axe into the ground and calls down a lightning storm around their position. This is a close-area attack rather than a thrown projectile, so it rewards using the axe at close quarters and does not remove the need to approach a target. Because the effect is centered on the user, it can threaten several nearby enemies at once, but it is less useful when an opponent remains outside the storm’s area.
The skill has a built-in follow-up
Thunderstorm can be followed by a normal attack, causing the axe to be swung down as part of the continuation. This gives the skill a deliberate two-stage rhythm: the initial activation establishes the storm, while the follow-up keeps the wielder engaged in melee. The follow-up should not be treated as a separate ranged option or as a permanent buff; it is an attack continuation attached to the skill’s use.
Handling considerations
Stormhawk Axe has no firearm-style ammunition, reload, or magazine behaviour. Its important resource consideration is the FP cost of Thunderstorm, while its ordinary attacks remain governed by Elden Ring’s normal stamina and timing rules. The axe’s fixed skill also means its identity is less about selecting an Ash of War and more about deciding when the area attack is worth its resource cost and commitment. Use the normal moveset to finish or pressure targets that stay inside reach, and reserve Thunderstorm for situations where enemies are close enough for the surrounding storm to matter.
Upgrades and Variants
Strengths, Weaknesses and Best Uses
Strengths
- Thunderstorm gives the axe an area-of-effect storm attack, letting it pressure several nearby targets instead of relying only on the hand axe's normal swings.
- The skill can be followed by a broad strong attack, giving the weapon a second offensive sequence after the initial storm.
- Thunderstorm also provides a temporary attack-power benefit, so using the skill can support subsequent close-range damage rather than being only a single burst.
Weaknesses
- As a unique Somber weapon, Stormhawk Axe cannot use Ashes of War or switch affinities, limiting customization and build-specific damage optimization.
- Its hand-axe moveset has less reach than many larger axe and polearm classes, making spacing and approach more important against enemies that outrange it.
- Thunderstorm requires close positioning and commits the character to a visible skill animation; whiffing it wastes FP and can leave the user exposed to attacks outside the storm's effective area.
Best uses
- Close-range PvE encounters with multiple enemies clustered around the player, where Thunderstorm's area coverage matters.
- Aggressive Strength- or Dexterity-oriented play that wants a compact weapon with a distinctive skill rather than a fully customizable Ash-of-War platform.
- Opening a difficult melee exchange with Thunderstorm's temporary attack-power benefit, then continuing with close-range attacks while the effect remains active.
Compared With Similar Weapons
| Weapon | Class / role | Skill and customization | Why choose it over Stormhawk Axe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highland Axe | Infusible and compatible with changeable Ashes of War | More freedom to tailor affinity and skill to a Strength or quality build | — |
| Sacrificial Axe | Infusible; its passive restores FP when enemies die nearby | Better suited to repeated PvE encounters where the FP recovery is useful | — |
| Forked Hatchet | Infusible and carries innate blood-loss buildup | A more direct choice for bleed-focused setups rather than Stormhawk Axe’s fixed skill | — |
| Hand Axe | Infusible and compatible with changeable Ashes of War | Preferable when low weight and customizable skills matter more than Stormcaller | — |
Used In
- Nepheli LouxNepheli Loux is closely associated with the Stormhawk Axe; the weapon's description identifies it as an axe wielded by her.
- Stormveil CastleThe axe is thematically tied to Stormveil's Stormhawks, the warhawks described as ruling the castle.
Lore and Design
The Stormhawk Axe’s item description gives it a direct connection to Stormhawks, the lightning-imbued beasts associated with Godrick the Grafted. It describes these creatures as companions of Godrick and presents them as related to the ancient dragons, while leaving their shared origin in the storms of the Lands Between as a matter of belief rather than a fully explained history.
This makes the axe a small piece of Stormveil Castle’s imagery: it reflects Godrick’s reliance on storm-associated creatures without establishing that the weapon belonged to Godrick personally. The description does not document a named maker, a real-world inspiration, or a developer explanation for the axe’s design. Its significance is therefore primarily textual and factional, linking the weapon to Stormhawks, Godrick’s domain, and the game’s broader dragon-and-storm mythology.
Trivia
- Its item description presents the Stormhawk Axe as a battle axe decorated with a hawk surrounded by wind and lightning, and associates it with the warriors of Stormveil.
- The weapon’s lore connects Stormhawks with tempest imagery and a draconic lineage, tying the axe’s design to the wider Stormveil and storm-related motifs without establishing that the weapon itself belonged to a named character.