Poisoned Hand Build Guide in Shadow of the Erdtree

There are a handful of status effects in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, but one of the more overlooked ones is poison. This effect sits at a comfortable middle spot where it is less powerful than some, but more powerful than other status effects in the game. However, with a new method to reset this status, it has become much more viable in PvE.

Poisoned Hand is one of the most powerful poisoning weapons in the game. It can incur the effect on a boss in just 4–5 hits if you have sufficient Arcane. Combine this with Ash of War: Poison Flower Blooms Twice, and you have an incredibly powerful method of dealing damage to elite enemies and bosses alike. We’ve got all the tips for making a great Poisoned Hand build below.

Best Stat Spread for Poisoned Hand

Dump Everything Into Arcane

The Poisoned Hand is a fist weapon that does numerous quick strikes one after the other. It’s a great weapon for causing status effects, and it scales with Arcane. This combination means that increasing the Arcane stat increases the poison buildup with each strike, making it an inescapable venomous machine in the right hands.

First, dump as many points into arcane as you can spare. The damage of the weapon scales with it as well. Secondly, put some points into vigor and endurance to make your life a little easier. Having 25 Faith is good as well, since you can use Golden Vow .

Best Talismans for Poisoned Hand in the Elden Ring DLC

Options Galore

The Ritual Sword Talisman isn’t the best choice here, since you’ll be trading hits a lot with enemies. You can exchange it for a utility talisman like Carian Filigreed Crest , Two-Headed Turtle Talisman , or even a defensive Talisman depending on the damage type that the boss you’re facing does. The Kindred of Rot’s Exultation gives the player a buff whenever there is poison or rot in the vicinity, making it perfect for this build.

However, if you feel that you can’t get multiple hits off on the enemy enough times to warrant getting the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia, you should swap it out with a talisman that buffs the type of attack you do the most. The Lacerating & Retaliating Crossed-Tree Talismans are good options since they buff dashing and rolling attacks, respectively.

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Best Wondrous Physick Mixture for Poisoned Hand in Shadow of the Erdtree

Jack of All Trades

Since there aren’t any Crystal Tears that directly increase status buildup or poison damage, you can go for the ones that fit your build and playstyle. Opaline Hardtear is always welcome in any build, the Greenburst Crystal Tear is good if you don’t have the Two-Headed Turtle Talisman, and you can even use the Thorny Cracked Tear to increase the damage of consecutive strikes even further.

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General Gameplay with Poisoned Hand in SOTE

Poison and Burst

Poison causes damage over time, but it needs a lot of time to tick down a boss’ health. This makes it less powerful than rot, or even the debuff from black flames. However, the DLC introduced a new Ash of War that lets you detonate the poison effect, using the build up as a way to deal further damage and removing it from the enemy in the process.

This gives players the option to use poison as a two-part bomb which can be set off with a weapon skill. First, you’ll want to equip the Ash of War with a suitable weapon, such as the Venomous Fang , though it can work with any weapon that fits your build. Then, equip that weapon to your main-hand, and equip the Poisoned Hand to your off-hand. Double-hand the Poisoned Hand and use it to incur the poisoned status effect. Then, switch to the main hand weapon and use its skill to detonate the poison effect. Rinse and repeat until the boss is dead at your feet.