ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition Best Dagger: Crit Build

When you think about the elden ring best dagger, you're not just looking for the fastest attack speed in the game — you're hunting for the highest critical multiplier, the right Ash of War, and a weapon that scales cleanly with your Dexterity investment. The Misericorde holds the crown with a 140 critical rating, but the Reduvia and Black Knife offer entirely different playstyles that can outperform it in specific encounters. This guide breaks down every top-tier dagger in the Tarnished Edition, ranks them for critical builds, and maps out the exact somber smithing stone locations you need to max them out. For more detail, see a full Dexterity build around your dagger, covered in our related guide.

Dagger Tier List for Critical and Status Builds

Daggers occupy a unique niche in ELDEN RING because they excel at parry ripostes, backstabs, and quick status application rather than sustained damage per second. While a Greatsword might deal 800 damage per swing, a dagger's 200 damage per hit lands three times in the same window — and when you land a critical hit, the multiplier does the heavy lifting. The Tarnished Edition doesn't change the dagger roster, but community testing confirms that the crit-focused playstyle remains one of the most rewarding ways to approach bosses with readable attack patterns.

The Misericorde sits at the top of the elden ring best dagger conversation because its 140 critical rating translates to roughly 40% more riposte damage than any other dagger in its class. You can find it inside Stormveil Castle — after defeating the Grafted Scion at the start, head to the dark room with the banished knight and loot the corpse near the window. The Reduvia, meanwhile, is a ranged bleed dagger dropped by Bloody Finger Nerijus in Limgrave, and its unique weapon skill fires a blood blade that scales with Arcane.

According to community reports aggregated on the ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition official page, the Black Knife applies destined death — a percentage-based health drain that makes it invaluable against high-HP bosses like Fire Giant or Elden Beast. Players who prioritize raw critical damage over utility still prefer the Misericorde, but the Black Knife's weapon skill alone can carry you through late-game content when paired with the right talismans.

Ranking the Top Three Daggers for Riposte Damage

When you're planning a parry-focused build, the dagger choice matters less than the critical multiplier and the Ash of War you attach. The Misericorde's 140 crit rating means a single parry riposte can deal 2,500+ damage at +25 with the Dagger Talisman equipped — enough to one-shot most mid-game enemies and chunk bosses for a third of their health bar. The Reduvia trades that raw crit power for bleed buildup, which procs for 15% of the target's max HP regardless of your weapon level.

The Black Knife occupies the middle ground with a 110 crit rating and the Blade of Death skill, which reduces the target's max HP by 10% over five seconds while dealing holy damage. Community wiki data suggests that the Black Knife's skill damage scales primarily with Faith, making it the best dagger for hybrid Faith/Dex builds that want both critical potential and a ranged option. If you're running a pure Dexterity build, however, the Misericorde with Keen infusion and Lightning Grease outperforms everything else in the dagger category.

Upgrade Paths and Somber Smithing Stone Locations

The elden ring best dagger becomes a late-game powerhouse only after you invest in upgrades, and that means understanding the difference between regular smithing stones and somber smithing stones. The Misericorde and Great Knife use regular smithing stones, which means you can find them scattered across the open world in mines and tunnels. The Reduvia, Black Knife, and Cinquedea all require somber smithing stones, which follow a separate upgrade track with different locations and drop rates.

For somber smithing stones, the most efficient early-game route starts in Limgrave Tunnels, where you can find Somber Stone [1] and [2] on corpses and from the Miner enemies that drop them at a reasonable rate. The Raya Lucaria Crystal Tunnel in Liurnia provides Somber Stone [3] and [4], while Sealed Tunnel in Altus Plateau is your best source for Somber Stone [5] and [6]. According to player-verified data from the Fextralife community wiki, the Somberstone Miner's Bell Bearing — found in the Mountaintops of the Giants — lets you purchase unlimited Somber Stones [1] through [4] from the Twin Maiden Husks at Roundtable Hold.

If you're upgrading the Misericorde instead, smithing stone locations follow a different pattern. The Smithing-Stone Miner's Bell Bearing in Raya Lucaria Crystal Tunnel unlocks unlimited Smithing Stones [1] and [2], while the second bell bearing in Sealed Tunnel covers [3] and [4]. The third bell bearing, located in Zamor Ruins in the Mountaintops, unlocks [5] and [6] — enough to reach +18 on any regular dagger. For the final push to +25, you'll need Ancient Dragon Smithing Stones, which are limited per playthrough and should be saved for your primary weapon.

Where to Find Somber Stones for the Reduvia and Black Knife

Getting the Reduvia to +10 requires a specific sequence of somber smithing stone locations that many players miss on their first playthrough. Start in Limgrave Tunnels for Somber Stone [1] — there are three on corpses inside the mine, with two more dropped by the Rock Pile enemies near the boss door. Next, head to Raya Lucaria Crystal Tunnel for [2] and [3], then Altus Tunnel for [4] and [5]. The Mountaintops of the Giants has [6] and [7] scattered across the Giants' Gravepost and inside the Guardian's Garrison.

For the Black Knife, you'll need to reach +9 before the final boss because the last upgrade requires an Ancient Dragon Somber Smithing Stone — one of the rarest materials in the game. The first one is found in Crumbling Farum Azula on a corpse near the Dragon Temple rooftop, while a second is hidden in the Consecrated Snowfield inside a chest guarded by two Land Squirts. The third requires completing Millicent's questline in the Haligtree and receiving it as a reward. If you want to plan your upgrade spending carefully, the ancient dragon smithing stone guide covers every location and the best weapons to prioritize.

Best Ashes of War and Infusions for Dagger Builds

The elden ring best dagger build depends heavily on the Ash of War you slot into your weapon, because daggers have some of the most versatile skill options in the game. For critical-focused builds, Parry is the obvious choice on your off-hand dagger — it lets you riposte enemies after deflecting their attacks, and the Misericorde's 140 crit rating turns every successful parry into massive damage. On your main-hand dagger, Bloody Slash or Seppuku adds bleed buildup, while Flame of the Redmanes provides stance-breaking potential that sets up critical hits.

The infusion choice matters just as much as the Ash of War. For a pure Dexterity build, Keen infusion gives you the highest physical damage scaling, while Lightning infusion trades some Dexterity scaling for elemental damage that bypasses physical resistance. The Blood infusion converts your dagger into a status-focused weapon that scales with Arcane, and it pairs exceptionally well with the Great Knife because that weapon already has innate bleed buildup. If you're running a hybrid build, Flame Art infusion on the Misericorde adds Faith scaling and fire damage, which works well with the Flame of the Redmanes skill.

Community testing reported on Reddit suggests that the Misericorde with Keen infusion and Parry is the strongest critical setup in the game, capable of dealing over 3,000 damage on a single riposte at +25 with the right talismans. The Dagger Talisman (found in Stormveil Castle) increases critical damage by 17%, while the Assassin's Crimson Dagger restores HP on critical hits — a combination that makes you nearly unkillable against parryable enemies. For status builds, the Lord of Blood's Exultation talisman boosts attack power by 20% whenever bleed procs, which turns the Reduvia into a DPS monster against bosses with large health pools.

Parry Timing and Critical Hit Windows

Mastering the parry window is the difference between a dagger build that feels underwhelming and one that trivializes boss fights. The parry frames on a dagger's Parry skill activate roughly 0.2 seconds after you press the button, so you need to start the animation slightly before the enemy's attack connects. Against crucible knights and banished knights, the parry window is generous enough that you can react to the wind-up and still land the deflect. Against faster enemies like dogs or soldiers, you'll need to predict the attack rather than react to it.

The critical hit window after a successful parry lasts about 1.5 seconds, and walking into the enemy's front arc before pressing R1 ensures you trigger the riposte animation rather than a normal attack. You can also backstab enemies by attacking their rear arc, though daggers have a slightly shorter backstab range than other weapon classes. For bosses that can't be parried — like Radagon or Maliketh — the dagger build shifts to status application and hit-and-run tactics, relying on bleed procs and the Black Knife's destined death effect to chip away at their health bars.

Dagger Build Recommendations for Different Playstyles

The elden ring best dagger isn't a single weapon — it's a system of choices that adapts to your preferred playstyle. The pure critical build focuses on the Misericorde, Parry, and the Dagger Talisman, with enough Dexterity to hit the soft cap of 60 and the Claw Talisman to boost jump attacks when you can't parry. The bleed build uses the Reduvia or Great Knife with Blood infusion, Arcane scaling, and the Lord of Blood's Exultation, relying on rapid hits to proc bleed and melt boss health bars.

For the critical riposte build, you'll want to pair the Misericorde with a medium shield that has the Parry skill — the Buckler is the best choice because it has the most generous parry frames in the game. The Dagger Talisman and Claw Talisman are non-negotiable, and you should add the Green Turtle Talisman for stamina regeneration so you can chain parries without running out of endurance. This build excels against humanoid enemies and knights, but struggles against giant bosses that can't be parried — which is why many players carry a second dagger for status application.

The bleed build takes a different approach, using the Reduvia's unique weapon skill to apply bleed from range while closing distance for melee hits. The Winged Sword Insignia increases attack power with successive hits, and the Millicent's Prosthesis adds a further 11% boost plus 5 Dexterity — a combination that makes the Reduvia's rapid attacks hit harder with every swing. For the Faith hybrid build, the Black Knife's Blade of Death skill deals percentage-based damage that scales with Faith, and the Godfrey Icon boosts charged skill damage while the Shard of Alexander increases all skill damage by 15%.

Talisman Loadouts and Armor Pairings

Your talisman loadout should complement your dagger's strengths while covering its weaknesses. The critical build needs the Dagger Talisman for the 17% crit boost, the Assassin's Crimson Dagger for HP recovery on ripostes, and the Claw Talisman for jump attack damage — the fourth slot is flexible, but the Green Turtle Talisman is the safest choice for stamina management. The bleed build benefits from the Lord of Blood's Exultation, Winged Sword Insignia, and Millicent's Prosthesis, with the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia as a late-game upgrade that stacks with the standard version.

Armor matters less for dagger builds than for tankier weapons, but poise still plays a role in whether you can trade hits during your attack animation. The Bull-Goat Set provides the highest poise in the game, while the Raptor's Black Feathers chest piece boosts jump attack damage by 15% — a strong option for the critical build when you're not parrying. For the bleed build, the White Mask increases attack power by 10% whenever bleed procs nearby, which stacks with the Lord of Blood's Exultation for a combined 30% attack boost during bleed-heavy fights.

Mastery Tips for Dagger Critical Builds

Once you've mastered the basics, the elden ring best dagger build opens up advanced techniques that push your damage output beyond what most players achieve with larger weapons. Power-stancing two daggers — one with Parry and one with Bloody Slash — lets you apply status effects while retaining critical potential, and the jump attack with dual daggers deals four hits in a single animation, which procs bleed and poison quickly. The running R2 attack on daggers has surprising range and can backstab enemies from behind without needing to be perfectly aligned.

Against parryable bosses like Margit, Godrick, and Malenia, the critical build excels because their attacks have clear wind-up animations that are easy to read. Malenia is particularly vulnerable to parry spam — her Waterfowl Dance can be interrupted with a well-timed parry, though the timing window is tight and requires practice. Godrick has several attacks that leave him open for ripostes, especially his storm stomp and axe slam, which have long recovery animations. For non-parryable bosses like Radagon and Elden Beast, switch to the Reduvia or Black Knife and focus on status application rather than critical hits.

The Black Knife's Blade of Death skill is particularly effective against Elden Beast because the percentage-based damage ignores its massive physical resistance, and the destined death effect reduces its max HP by 10% over five seconds — a significant chunk against a boss with 20,000+ HP. Malenia is vulnerable to bleed, so the Reduvia with Seppuku can proc bleed twice per combo, dealing 30% of her max HP in status damage alone. For Fire Giant, the Black Knife is the best choice because his legs are resistant to physical damage, but the destined death effect chips away at his health regardless.

PvP Considerations and Invasions

In player-versus-player combat, daggers occupy a high-risk, high-reward niche that rewards skilled players who can land parries and punish mistakes. The Misericorde's 140 crit rating turns a single parry into a one-shot kill against most players at meta level 150, especially when combined with the Dagger Talisman and a Lightning infusion that exploits low lightning resistance. The Reduvia's ranged attack is a strong opener in invasions because it applies bleed from distance, forcing opponents to close the gap and play into your parry setup.

The Black Knife is less common in PvP because its skill has a slow wind-up that skilled players can dodge, but the destined death effect is devastating when it lands — reducing the opponent's max HP for the rest of the duel. Power-stanced daggers with Seppuku and Bloody Slash are popular in invasions because the fast attack speed makes it difficult for opponents to roll-catch, and the bleed buildup punishes players who rely on heavy armor. According to community reports, the best PvP dagger setup is Misericorde with Parry in the off-hand and Reduvia in the main hand, giving you both critical potential and ranged pressure.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the elden ring best dagger for critical hits?

The Misericorde is the best dagger for critical hits because it has a 140 critical rating — the highest in the game — which translates to roughly 40% more riposte damage than any other dagger. You can find it in Stormveil Castle, and pairing it with the Dagger Talisman and Parry Ash of War creates devastating riposte damage.

How do I upgrade the Reduvia dagger?

The Reduvia requires somber smithing stones to upgrade, starting with Somber Stone [1] from Limgrave Tunnels and progressing through Raya Lucaria Crystal Tunnel, Altus Tunnel, and the Mountaintops of the Giants. The final upgrade to +10 requires an Ancient Dragon Somber Smithing Stone, which is a limited resource per playthrough.

Where can I find somber smithing stones early?

The best early-game source for somber smithing stones is Limgrave Tunnels, where you can find Somber Stone [1] and [2] on corpses and from Miner enemies. Raya Lucaria Crystal Tunnel provides Somber Stone [3] and [4] once you reach Liurnia, and the Somberstone Miner's Bell Bearing in the Mountaintops lets you purchase unlimited stones.

What is the best Ash of War for a dagger build?

The best Ash of War depends on your build: Parry for critical riposte builds, Seppuku or Bloody Slash for bleed builds, and Flame of the Redmanes for stance-breaking potential. Each Ash of War requires a different infusion — Keen for Dexterity builds, Blood for Arcane builds, and Flame Art for Faith hybrids.

Can daggers be viable for endgame bosses?

Yes, daggers are viable for endgame bosses when built correctly. The Black Knife's destined death effect handles high-HP bosses like Elden Beast, the Reduvia's bleed melts Malenia, and the Misericorde's critical rating punishes parryable bosses like Godrick and Margit. The key is matching your dagger to the boss's weaknesses.