Elden Ring - Backhand Blades

Backhand blades exist for one dodge attack, Blind Spot, an evasive stab at 145% attack rating that slips past a guard, and that skill rather than the damage numbers is the entire reason to commit to the class.

Combat

Pros

• Blind Spot is innate on the Backhand Blade. The wielder dashes forward and to the side while dodging, then stabs for 145% attack rating while slipping past the opponent's guard, combining offense and invincibility frames in one input.
• Dexterity scaling is the best of any fast Dexterity class. Both the Backhand Blade and the Smithscript Cirque reach S Dexterity at maximum Keen, while curved swords, katanas, great katanas and twinblades never exceed A.
• Backhand blades are paired by nature, so two-handing equips a duplicate in the off-hand and the dual moveset comes without farming a second copy, unlike twinblades, which are one per playthrough.
• The Backhand Blade and Smithscript Cirque weigh 2.0, tied with the lightest curved swords.

Cons

• This is the smallest weapon class of its kind, leaving almost no room to respec around a weapon that does not click.
• The attack ceiling is the lowest of the fast Dexterity classes, at 264 at maximum Standard upgrade on Curseblade's Cirque, against 289 for curved swords, 294 for katanas, 301 for twinblades and 379 for great katanas.
• Curseblade's Cirque is the only one with innate bleed, at 45, and it is also the one that cannot be infused.
• Backhand blades deal less damage against other players, except for the Smithscript Cirque's throwing attacks, and normal attacks from a crouch are slower, which blunts the class's strongest PvP tool.

Builds

Dexterity leads and keeps leading.

• This class keeps paying past 60 Dexterity, because Keen reaches S, while Strength stays at the requirement of 9 to 10.
• Curseblade's Cirque needs 22 Dexterity, while the Backhand Blade needs only 13, so it is usable the moment a character enters the Land of Shadow.
• The Smithscript Cirque also scales with Intelligence and Faith, both at E with requirements of 11 each, which is a token rather than a build.

Best Weapons

Weapon	Image	Attack	Weight	Str	Dex	Int	Fai	Arc	Why Take It
Curseblade's Cirque		108	4.5	9	22	-	-	-	Curseblade's Cirque hits harder than the other backhand blades at 108 physical, with C Dexterity scaling and 45 blood loss buildup, plus far better guarding than the rest of its class: 55 physical negation and a 45 guard boost at +0. Its multi-hit guard counter makes that guard pay off. It weighs 4.5 and cannot be infused.
Backhand Blade		105	2	10	13	-	-	-	Backhand Blade is the infusable backhand blade, reaching S Dexterity at max upgrade on Keen at only 2.0 weight. Blind Spot is its native skill, so the class's signature dodge-stab comes built in, and a Keen or Blood infusion lets it follow a pure Dexterity or bleed build without giving up that skill.
Smithscript Cirque		100	2	9	14	11	11	-	Smithscript Cirque is the throwing backhand blade and the only one with Intelligence and Faith scaling. It has a 25 guard boost against the Backhand Blade's 15 at the same 2.0 weight, and its throwing attacks keep their full damage against other players, which makes it the PvP pick of the class.

Notes

• Swift Slash dashes forward while dodging, slicing with both blades for 92% attack rating, and it can be charged for more power and distance.
• Poise damage at maximum Standard upgrade runs from 90 on the Backhand Blade and Smithscript Cirque to 116 on Curseblade's Cirque, the highest of any fast Dexterity weapon.
• In PvP, normal attacks deal more poise damage.
• The Backhand Blade and Smithscript Cirque take Ashes of War, while Curseblade's Cirque uses Somber Smithing Stones and cannot be buffed.

All Backhand Blades

Name	Image	Physical	Magic	Fire	Light	Holy	Crit. Boost	Weight	Str.	Dex.	Int.	Fai.	Arc.	Sell Price	Skill
Backhand Blade		105 40.0	0 30.0	0 30.0	0 30.0	0 30.0	100 15	2.0	D 10	D 13	0	0	0	100	Blind Spot
Curseblade's Cirque		108 55.0	0 39.0	0 39.0	0 39.0	0 39.0	100 45	4.5	E 9	C 22	0	0	0	200	Deadly Dance
Reverse-Bladed Sword		115 37.0	0 28.0	0 28.0	0 28.0	0 28.0	100 13	3.0	D 9	D 11	0	0	0	0	Blind Spot
Smithscript Cirque		100 40.0	0 30.0	0 30.0	0 30.0	0 30.0	100 25	2.0	D 9	D 14	E 11	E 11	0	500	Blind Spot