Weapon Scaling & Affinities

Understand weapon scaling and affinities to maximize your damage output in Elden Ring. Each weapon has inherent scaling with specific stats (Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Faith, Arcane), determining how much bonus damage you gain as those stats increase. Affinities allow you to alter this scaling, tailoring your weapon to your build.

Every weapon in Elden Ring possesses a base damage value and a scaling rating for each of the five primary attributes: Strength (STR), Dexterity (DEX), Intelligence (INT), Faith (FTH), and Arcane (ARC). These scaling ratings are represented by letters: S (best), A, B, C, D, and E (worst). A higher letter grade means the weapon benefits more from increases in that particular stat.

For example, a greatsword might have C scaling in Strength and D scaling in Dexterity. This means it will gain more bonus damage from investing in Strength than in Dexterity. However, some weapons have unique scaling properties or are tied to specific damage types.

Affinities are where the true customization lies. By applying Ashes of War to compatible weapons, you can change their affinity. This process not only grants you a powerful weapon skill but also alters the weapon's scaling:

Affinity	Primary Stat Focus	Effect
Standard	STR/DEX	Balanced physical damage scaling.
Heavy	STR	Greatly increases Strength scaling, reduces others.
Keen	DEX	Greatly increases Dexterity scaling, reduces others.
Quality	STR/DEX	Balances Strength and Dexterity scaling.
Magic	INT	Adds Magic damage and scales with Intelligence.
Cold	INT	Adds Magic damage and Frostbite buildup, scales with Intelligence.
Fire	STR/FTH	Adds Fire damage and scales with Strength and Faith.
Flame Art	FTH	Adds Fire damage and scales with Faith.
Lightning	DEX/FTH	Adds Lightning damage and scales with Dexterity and Faith.
Sacred	FTH	Adds Holy damage and scales with Faith.
Poison	ARC	Adds Poison buildup and scales with Arcane.
Blood	ARC	Adds Bleed buildup and scales with Arcane.
Arcane	ARC	Increases Arcane scaling and discovery rate.

To change an affinity, you'll need the appropriate Whetstone Knife and an Ash of War. The Whetstone Knife is found in the Gatefront Ruins. Once you have an Ash of War that offers an affinity change, select the "Ashes of War" option at a Site of Grace, then choose "Apply Ashes of War." You can then select the desired affinity for your weapon.

Choosing the right affinity is paramount for optimizing your build. A Strength build should aim for Heavy or Quality affinities, while an Intelligence build will benefit most from Magic or Cold. Arcane builds often thrive with Blood or Poison affinities.