Elden Ring - Straight Swords

The default physical melee class and the one with the widest infusion menu, Square Off is exclusive to it and breaks boss stance faster than the raw attack rating (AR) suggests.

Combat

Pros

• Exclusive access to Ash of War: Square Off. the heavy version breaks enemy Stance so quickly it leaves even bosses open for a critical attack within 2 or 3 hits, this is the class's real damage lever, not its attack rating (AR).
• Highest max-standard physical among ordinary infusible weapons in this group: Broadsword 286, Lordsworn's Straight Sword 281, Longsword 269.
• Describes them as compatible with nearly all Ashes of War, which is the widest build flexibility of the five classes.
• Cheapest stat entry of any melee class here: Weathered Straight Sword 7 Str / 10 Dex, and Longsword, Broadsword and Lordsworn's all at 10 / 10 (items.json).

Cons

• Nothing in the class exceeds 119 physical at +0 (Stone-Sheathed Sword): less reach and less per-hit than Light Greatswords or Heavy Thrusting Swords.
• Two-handing is slightly less reliable than one-handing or dual-wielding, so the class effectively wants a shield or an off-hand.
• Guard boost caps at 33 (Crystal Sword, Rotten Crystal Sword, Regalia of Eochaid) versus Sword Lance's 42.
• Status is thin and mostly sleep: Sword of St. Trina 66 sleep, Velvet Sword of St Trina 42 eternal sleep, Rotten Crystal Sword slight rot (items.json). No native bleed weapon at all.

Builds

Pick the infusion first, then the sword.

• Strength: Broadsword on Heavy reaches A Str at 246, and stays class-best on plain standard at 286.
• Dexterity: Cane Sword on Keen reaches A Dex (202), as do Noble's Slender Sword, Short Sword and Warhawk's Talon.
• Quality: Broadsword B/B at 229.
• Arcane: Broadsword Occult 252 and Lordsworn's Occult 247, both B Arcane.
• Intelligence: Lazuli Glintstone Sword ends at 193 physical / 230 magic (13 Int to start).
• Faith: Coded Sword is A Faith with 208 holy and zero physical, and requires no Str or Dex at all, just 20 Faith.
• The next chunk of damage per level here comes from matching the infusion letter to whichever stat you are already levelling, not from switching swords.

Best Weapons

Weapon	Image	Attack	Weight	Str	Dex	Int	Fai	Arc	Why Take It
Stone-Sheathed Sword		119	3.5	16	8	-	-	-	The only Strike-damage straight sword in the dataset (every other one is Standard/Pierce), 119 physical at +0, the class high, with C Strength and only 8 Dex needed. 's stamina column puts it at 122 against a class range of roughly 80-108, far above anything else in the class.
Broadsword		117	4	10	10	-	-	-	Highest max-standard physical in the class at 286, and A Strength on Heavy infusion (246) or B Arcane on Occult (252). Confessor starting gear, otherwise from a Nomadic Merchant southeast of Coastal Cave.
Lordsworn's Straight Sword		115	3.5	10	10	-	-	-	115 physical at +0 with a 110 critical (unusual for the class: most sit at 100), reaching 281 at max standard, on a 10 Str / 10 Dex requirement. Common soldiers of every faction drop it at 2%, so it is realistically available from the first hour.
Lazuli Glintstone Sword		79 + 94 magic	3.5	8	9	13	-	-	94 magic damage at +0: the most of any straight sword, on a requirement of just 8 Str / 9 Dex / 13 Int, with Glintstone Pebble built in for 8 FP. Ends at 193 physical / 230 magic. The cheapest real weapon a sorcerer can hold.
Coded Sword		85 holy	2.5	-	-	-	20	-	Zero physical damage, 85 holy at +0 rising to 208 with A Faith at max standard, and it requires no Strength or Dexterity whatsoever, 20 Faith is the entire cost. Its Unblockable Blade skill ignores shields.

Notes

• Square Off is class-exclusive: the light-attack version breaks through blocks, the heavy version breaks enemy Stance within 2-3 hits, per 's Straight Swords overview.
• One-handed light attacks are wide horizontal swings good for crowds and evasive enemies; two-handed light attacks are more vertical and bounce off walls less in tight spaces.
• Movesets are not uniform: Short Sword thrusts on every heavy, Broadsword and Cane Sword slash only (with a faster rolling light attack), Warhawk's Talon hits twice on the first heavy, and Lazuli Glintstone Sword and Carian Knight's Sword can block while charging a heavy in exchange for weaker Stance damage.
• The class pairs exceptionally well with shields and as an off-hand for other weapon types, because its fast wide horizontals cover what other movesets miss.
• Patch 1.09 increased running-attack, first-attack and guard-counter speed and reduced recovery; patch 1.13 raised dual-wield poise damage in PVP; patch 1.14 sped up the uncharged first heavy.

All Straight Swords

Name	Image	Physical	Magic	Fire	Light	Holy	Crit. Boost	Weight	Str.	Dex.	Int.	Fai.	Arc.	Sell Price	Skill
Broadsword		117 47.0	0 31.0	0 31.0	0 31.0	0 31.0	100 31	4	D 10	E 10	0	0	0	100	Square Off
Cane Sword		96 41	0 27	0 27	0 27	0 27	100 27	2.5	E 8	D 11	0	0	0	200	Square Off
Carian Knight's Sword		88 36	88 52	0 26	0 26	0 26	100 31	4	D 10	D 10	D 18	0	0	200	Carian Grandeur
Coded Sword		0 13.0	0 22.0	0 22.0	0 22.0	85 58.0	100 27	2.5	0	0	0	B 20	0	200	Unblockable Blade
Crystal Sword		106 44	68 44	0 30	0 30	0 30	100 33	4.5	D 13	E 10	D 15	0	0	200	Spinning Slash
Golden Epitaph		85 25.0	0 15.0	0 15.0	0 15.0	85 40.0	100 30	3.5	D 12	D 10	0	D 14	0	500	Last Rites
Lazuli Glintstone Sword		79 30	94 55	0 25	0 25	0 25	100 30	3.5	D 8	E 9	D 13	0	0	100	Glintstone Pebble
Longsword		110 45.0	0 30.0	0 30.0	0 30.0	0 30.0	100 30	3.5	D 10	D 10	0	0	0	100	Square Off
Lordsworn's Straight Sword		115 45	0 30	0 30	0 30	0 30	110 30	3.5	D 10	D 10	0	0	0	100	Square Off
Miquellan Knight's Sword		105 40	0 28	0 28	0 28	68 40	100 30	3.5	D 11	D 11	0	E 16	0	100	Sacred Blade
Noble's Slender Sword		101 43	0 29	0 29	0 29	0 29	110 30	3.5	E 8	C 11	0	0	0	1000	Square Off
Ornamental Straight Sword		101 42	0 28	0 28	0 28	0 28	110 28	3	E 10	D 14	0	0	0	200	Golden Tempering
Regalia of Eochaid		89 48.0	57 40.0	0 31.0	0 31.0	0 31.0	100 33	5.5	E 12	D 18	0	0	D 15	500	Eochaid's Dancing Blade
Rotten Crystal Sword		102 48	66 38	0 31	0 31	0 31	100 33	4.5	D 13	E 10	D 15	0	0	200	Spinning Slash
Short Sword		102 42.0	0 28.0	0 28.0	0 28.0	0 28.0	100 28	3	D 8	D 10	0	0	0	100	Kick
Stone-Sheathed Sword		119 54	0 33	0 33	0 33	0 33	100	3.5	C 16	D 8	0	0	0	100	Square Off
Sword of Darkness		93 26	0 15	0 15	0 15	93 42	100	4.0	D 14	E 11	0	E 24	0	1000	Darkness
Sword of Light		93 26	0 15	0 15	0 15	93 42	100	4.0	D 14	E 11	0	E 24	0	1000	Light
Sword of Night and Flame		87 36	56 42	56 42	0 26	0 26	100 31	4	E 12	E 12	D 24	D 24	0	1000	Night-and-Flame Stance
Sword of St. Trina		107 39	32 33	0 27	0 27	0 27	100 28	3	D 10	D 12	E 14	0	0	500	Mists of Slumber
Velvet Sword of St Trina		95 37	61 37	0 25	0 25	0 25	100	2.5	E 10	D 12	E 14	0	0	500	Mists of Eternal Sleep
Warhawk's Talon		101 42	0 28	0 28	0 28	0 28	100 30	3	D 10	C 16	0	0	0	100	Spinning Slash
Weathered Straight Sword		103 43	0 29	0 29	0 29	0 29	100 27	3.5	D 7	D 10	0	0	0	100	Square Off