Elden Ring - Hand-to-Hand Arts

Hand-to-hand martial arts share identical stat blocks at 1.0 weight with 8 Strength and 8 Dexterity, the cheapest thing a character can hold that still reaches 210 attack rating, so the choice between them comes down purely to moveset.

Combat

Pros

• Entry is as cheap as it gets, at 8 Strength, 8 Dexterity and 1.0 weight on both weapons, so the weapon never dictates the build.
• Scaling reaches C Strength and C Dexterity at max standard upgrade, better balanced than any fist except the Caestus and Spiked Caestus, so it works on quality builds without an affinity.
• Both weapons are fully infusable with Smithing Stones and open to every affinity. Heavy +25 gives A Strength, Keen gives B Dexterity, Cold gives B Intelligence with 105 frost, and Poison and Blood give 176 physical with 95 poison or 82 bleed.
• Stamina damage of 100 at max standard upgrade beats any claw (68 to 78) or beast claw (72 to 78) despite the weight.

Cons

• The attack rating ceiling is low, at 210 at max standard upgrade, almost exactly half of the Duelist Greataxe's 416 and below the Bloodhound Claws' 242.
• Both weapons share an identical stat block, with the same 86 physical at +0 and 210 at max standard upgrade, the same C and C scaling, the same 1.0 weight and the same Palm Blast default, so there is no upgrade path inside the class.
• Neither weapon carries innate status or innate elemental damage, so everything has to be bought with an affinity.
• Neither weapon can be enchanted with magic or boosted by consumables, which rules out greases, Bloodflame Blade and weapon-buff incantations.

Builds

Any build works, and that is the point.

• Requirements of 8 Strength and 8 Dexterity mean the class attaches to a build rather than defining one: Heavy for A Strength on a Strength run, Keen for B Dexterity on a Dexterity run, plain Standard and its C and C scaling on a quality build, and Occult or Blood on Arcane.
• Because neither weapon can be buffed with magic or consumables, every point of extra damage has to come from affinity choice, upgrade level, the scaling stat and the Ash of War, with no buff stacking to fall back on, which is the honest reason the class caps lower than fists.
• It costs no stats to commit to, so the real price is the damage ceiling rather than the build.

Best Weapons

Weapon	Image	Attack	Weight	Str	Dex	Int	Fai	Arc	Why Take It
Dryleaf Arts		86	1	8	8	-	-	-	Dryleaf Arts blends palm strikes and kicks into one moveset, with 86 physical, D Strength and D Dexterity and only 1.0 weight. It comes with Palm Blast, upgrades with regular Smithing Stones and can be infused, and it is the version of these martial arts that becomes available in the middle of a run.
Dane's Footwork		86	1	8	8	-	-	-	Dane's Footwork matches Dryleaf Arts number for number but swaps to a kick-based moveset that pairs well with the Shattered Stone Talisman. It deals 86 physical with D Strength and D Dexterity and weighs 1.0. It arrives very late in the expansion, so it suits the endgame or New Game Plus.

Notes

• The ban on magic and consumable buffs separates these weapons from most fists, since the Star Fist, Spiked Caestus and Caestus can all be buffed, while the Golem Fist cannot.
• Their stamina damage of 100 at max standard upgrade sits mid-pack among fists.

All Hand-to-Hand Arts

Name	Image	Physical	Magic	Fire	Light	Holy	Crit. Boost	Weight	Str.	Dex.	Int.	Fai.	Arc.	Sell Price	Skill
Dane's Footwork		86 35	0 20	0 20	0 20	0 20	100 20	1	D 8	D 8	0	0	0	100	Palm Blast
Dryleaf Arts		86 35	0 20	0 20	0 20	0 20	100 20	1	D 8	D 8	0	0	0	100	Palm Blast