Weaponminor

Torchpole

Torchpole is a fire-tipped spear farmed from soldiers who carry it in Stormveil Castle. It combines spear reach and guarded thrusts with innate fire damage, ordinary upgrades, and Charge Forth, but the exact eligible soldier variants and drop rate require verification.

Importance

minor

Elden Ring · weapon

Key Takeaways

Spear with a built-in torch

Torchpole is a spear whose torch-tipped design gives it both melee reach and a practical light-source function.

Physical and fire damage

Its attacks combine physical and fire damage, so the weapon’s output is checked against both damage defenses rather than one damage type alone.

Marionette Soldier drop

Torchpole is obtained as a drop from Marionette Soldiers, making enemy farming the relevant acquisition route rather than a vendor purchase or quest reward.

Attribute requirements

Using it requires investment in both Strength and Dexterity, so it is not a purely Strength-based spear.

Regular upgrade path

Torchpole follows the regular weapon-upgrade path with Smithing Stones, distinguishing its progression from Elden Ring’s Somber-upgraded unique weapons.

Overview

Torchpole is a standard spear in Elden Ring that replaces the usual spearhead with a burning torch. It combines close-range thrusting with fire damage and can help illuminate dark areas, making it a practical utility weapon as well as a situational melee choice.

The weapon’s defining feature is its built-in flame. Torchpole is not simply a spear with a cosmetic fire effect: its attacks incorporate fire damage, giving it a different damage profile from ordinary spears. Its long-handled form still supports the spacing and forward pressure associated with the spear class.

Torchpole also has a utility role because the lit torch at its tip provides illumination while equipped. That makes it useful when exploring dark spaces without dedicating the character’s active weapon slot to a separate torch, although its combat performance remains the reason to treat it as a weapon rather than equipment alone.

As a spear, Torchpole is suited to players who prefer measured thrusts, reach-based spacing and attacks that can be used while maintaining a guarded stance where the game’s spear mechanics allow it. Its fire component gives it a narrower identity than a conventional physical spear, rather than making it a universal replacement for the class.

Torchpole is a regular Elden Ring weapon rather than a Shadow of the Erdtree-exclusive variant or a named legendary armament. It occupies a specialized place among early and general-purpose spear options: its value comes from combining spear handling, fire damage and illumination, while its usefulness depends on whether those traits fit the encounter and build.

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.

Category
Torches
Damage Type
Fire/Pierce
Primary Scaling
Str E / Dex E
Weight
3.5
Skill
Charge Forth
Str Req
8
Dex Req
10
How to Obtain
Common enemy drop

Figures verified against Consolidated Game Weapons Database.

Compared to similar torches

Weapon	Str Req	Dex Req	Weight	Primary Scaling
Torchpole	8	10	3.5	Str E / Dex E
St. Trina's Torch	8	—	3	Str E
Sentry's Torch	8	10	3	Fai D
Nanaya's Torch	8	—	3	Str E
Steel-Wire Torch	8	12	3	Dex D

Requirements, scaling grades and weight are the game’s own published figures. From Consolidated Game Weapons Database.

How to Obtain

Before you start

Access to Raya Lucaria Academy, including the Academy Glintstone Key needed to enter.

01Travel to Raya Lucaria Academy in Liurnia of the Lakes and defeat Marionette Soldiers found within the academy grounds. Torchpole is a possible enemy drop, so continue defeating these enemies until it is obtained; each individual drop is not guaranteed.
02The weapon is acquired from the Marionette Soldier drop table rather than a vendor, quest, boss reward, or fixed chest. The enemy can be farmed, and no unique quest, DLC, NG+, or one-per-playthrough condition is required once the academy is accessible.

Mechanics and Handling

Thrusting Attacks and Torch Flame

Torchpole uses the standard spear handling of forward-facing thrusts, allowing attacks while maintaining distance and keeping a shield raised in the other hand. Its defining difference is the burning head: the weapon deals fire damage in addition to its physical thrust damage, while the flame also makes it useful as a light source. The fire component is part of the weapon’s attack profile rather than a separate status buildup, so it should not be treated as an automatic source of fire-related status effects.

Charge

Its weapon skill, Charge, drives the wielder forward into a sustained thrust. Holding the skill extends the rush before the finishing attack, making it useful for closing a short gap or punishing an exposed target, but the forward commitment can be difficult to cancel once begun. The skill is a direct attack rather than a projectile or area-of-effect technique, and its value depends on having a clear line toward the target.

Upgrades and Variants

Strengths, Weaknesses and Best Uses

Strengths

Spear moveset supports thrusting attacks while guarding with a shield, letting the user maintain defense during close-range pressure.
Its attached torch provides illumination while equipped, avoiding a separate torch slot during dark-area exploration.
Physical and fire damage give it a damage profile distinct from a purely physical spear.

Weaknesses

The fire component is less useful against enemies with strong fire resistance, reducing its advantage in those matchups.
Its torch utility is situational and does not compensate for the opportunity cost of using a weapon with more specialized damage or skill options.
As a spear, it remains primarily a close-range weapon and offers limited value when spacing or ranged pressure is required.

Best uses

Early exploration where a shield-compatible spear and a light source are useful in the same equipment slot.
Cautious PvE play that combines guarded thrusts with incremental pressure at melee distance.
Encounters where the target is not resistant to fire and the Torchpole's mixed damage profile can contribute consistently.

Compared With Similar Weapons

Compared With Similar Weapons
Weapon	Class and role	Distinct handling	Best fit
Spear	More general-purpose than Torchpole, with a standard physical-damage focus	Flexible spear builds seeking broader upgrade and skill options	—
Partisan	Offers a wider-feeling moveset than Torchpole, including sweeping attacks	Players who want spear reach with better crowd coverage	—
Short Spear	Favors easier handling and straightforward thrusts over Torchpole’s fire-themed identity	Lower-commitment melee setups that still want spear reach	—
Torchpole	Combines thrusting attacks with fire damage and a fixed Charge skill	Players who value its distinctive fire utility rather than maximum customization	—