Elden Ring - Beast Claws

Beast claws come down to a single decision: on a Strength build Red Bear's Claw is the answer, and on anything else the Beast Claw is the infusable option left.

Combat

Pros

• Red Bear's Claw reaches B Strength and 254 physical at max standard upgrade from only 20 Strength and 10 Dexterity, the highest physical figure of any claw-type weapon, ahead of the Bloodhound Claws' 242.
• The Beast Claw is fully infusable with Smithing Stones and is the only weapon in the game that can carry Ash of War: Savage Claws or Ash of War: Raging Beast.
• Beast claws can perform feint attacks, a mechanic ordinary claws lack and the class's distinguishing trait.
• At 3.0 and 4.0 weight they fit any equip load, even next to a colossal weapon.

Cons

• Variety is thin, with no elemental option and no status beyond the 45 bleed on Red Bear's Claw.
• Neither weapon has native Intelligence, Faith or Arcane scaling at +0, and Arcane exists only through an Occult or Blood infusion on the Beast Claw.
• Red Bear's Claw is Somber, with no infusion, no magic buffs and no consumable buffs, so it stays exactly as it drops.
• The class ceiling is claw-tier, 254 at max standard upgrade against the Duelist Greataxe's 416, so it competes on speed and stance pressure rather than damage.

Builds

Strength removes the guesswork, because on a Strength build Red Bear's Claw always outperforms a Heavy Beast Claw.

• At 66 Strength and 11 Dexterity, a +10 Red Bear's Claw reaches 491 attack rating against 466 for a +25 Heavy Beast Claw, so the only question on Strength is whether Red Bear has fallen yet, and a Heavy Beast Claw fills the gap until then.
• For every other build the Beast Claw is the option and infusion is the whole build: Occult +25 gives B Arcane and 211 physical, Blood gives 202 with 82 bleed, Cold gives B Strength with 169 physical, 144 magic and 105 frost, and Keen gives B Dexterity.
• Entry is cheap either way, at 13 Strength and 11 Dexterity for the Beast Claw and 20 Strength and 10 Dexterity for Red Bear's Claw, so the next chunk of damage per level comes from the scaling stat and upgrade level rather than from clearing a requirement.

Best Weapons

Weapon	Image	Attack	Weight	Str	Dex	Int	Fai	Arc	Why Take It
Red Bear's Claw		104	4	20	10	-	-	-	Red Bear's Claw is the hardest-hitting beast claw at 104 physical, with C Strength scaling and 45 blood loss buildup, which makes it the Strength pick. At +10 with 66 Strength it reaches about 491 attack rating, ahead of a Heavy Beast Claw at max upgrade, and Red Bear Hunt creates a vacuum of continuous damage with up to two follow-ups.
Beast Claw		98	3	13	11	-	-	-	Beast Claw is the flexible half of the class. It upgrades with regular Smithing Stones, takes every affinity, can be buffed, and is the only weapon that can hold Savage Claws or Raging Beast. Occult brings B Arcane, Blood pushes bleed to 82 and Cold adds magic and frostbite, all on the cheapest requirements in the class.

Notes

• Red Bear's Claw is permanently locked to Red Bear Hunt, which creates a vacuum dealing continuous damage, with repeated inputs allowing up to two follow-up attacks.
• Stamina damage at max standard upgrade is 72 on the Beast Claw and 78 on Red Bear's Claw, the same band as ordinary claws and well under Hand-to-Hand's 100 and the 90 to 118 of fists.
• Both weapons belong to the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion.

All Beast Claws

Name	Image	Physical	Magic	Fire	Light	Holy	Crit. Boost	Weight	Str.	Dex.	Int.	Fai.	Arc.	Sell Price	Skill
Beast Claw		98 35.0	0 20.0	0 20.0	0 20.0	0 20.0	100 20	3.0	D 13	D 11	0	0	0	100	Savage Claws
Red Bear's Claw		104 38	0 22	0 22	0 22	0 22	100 22	4	C 20	E 10	0	0	0	200	Red Bear Hunt