For some,Dark Souls 3is a game where magic comes to life and is a viable tool for taking on enemy after enemy. Starting out as a magic user can be a daunting task though if someone doesn’t know where to start. What spells are better than others and, more importantly, what weapon should be equipped?
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There are tons of weapons to choose from inDark Souls 3, but not every weapon is worthy of being imbued with magic. Also, what of the weapons that already have magical capabilities? This article aims to guide those who wish to finally make take that plunge into the world of magic and gain a better understanding of what weapons will help them the most.
Updated on August 09, 2025, by Mark Sammut:When pursuing amagic build in Dark Souls 3, players are absolutely spoiled for choice when it comes to weapons. It also goes beyond just picking an item, as infusion plays a significant role in determining a weapon’s proficiency. Ideally, players should attempt to upgrade an arsenal of weapons so that they can pick and choose the aptest option for any given enemy. It might take a couple of playthroughs but eventually, the Ashen One will be able to take on all foes without breaking much of a sweat. This guide covers thebestmagic weaponin Dark Souls 3, and their stats have been added to each entry.
Note:Outside of Regular builds, only the stats for weapon variants that inflict Magic damage have been included. However, depending on the player’s needs, it might make more sense to infuse a Fire Gem or craft a Lightning weapon.
This weapon may take a little while to get unless a player has a friend who is willing to drop it, but the Greatsword of Judgement is one of thebest magic weapons inDark Souls 3. It istransposed from the Soul of Pontiff Sulyvahnwhich requires making it to Anor Londo. It may be a long trek, but it is worth the reward of having a natural Intelligence-scaling weapon that is comparable to theMoonlight Greatswordwithout the vortex. This weapon is great if the Ashen One is planning to have some physical attributes along with their intelligence.
Possessing virtually the same moveset as the Bastard Sword, theGreatsword of Judgement is relatively easy to use and has versatile attacks. Both the weak and strong attacks have horizontal and vertical slashes with decent range, which makes it a great weapon in most kinds of environments. Be sure to take advantage of its weapon skill,Stance of Judgment, for it can unleash a wicked thrust when a weak attack is used or a wave of energy if a strong attack is performed.
TheLothric Knight Swordis able to be gotten pretty early on in the game. Players can get this weapon byfarming the Lothric Knights just before the Vordt of the Boreal Valley boss arena. When given the Crystal infusion, it gets an S-scaling in intelligence which makes it extremely useful for magic builds. Another great thing about this weapon is that it haspretty low stat requirements for Strength and Dexterity. Keep in mind that this weapon does have a low drop rate, but it is worth the farm.
With thrusts, horizontal slashes, and vertical slams, this sword is one that offers many combat options. The Lothric Knight Sword is also very quick and has a greater range than expected, particularly with its thrust attacks. Furthermore, because of these thrusts, it can deal substantially more counterattack damage than other straight swords.
This is another weapon that is acquired later on inDark Souls 3rightbefore thePontiff Sulyvahnboss fight. It drops from theFire Witchesthat use this weapon to cast pyromancies. Despite its appearance, Immolation Tinder can be used to cast sorceries as well as deal significant damage. It has a good range, which is useful for staying away from enemies as well as a decent spell buff when fully upgraded. It requires some leveling in both Dexterity and Strength but with an A-scaling in Intelligence, it is one of thebest magic weaponswithout the need for infusion.
As a halberd that is capable of casting spells, Immolation Tinder occupies an interesting niche. The polearm moveset is great for out-spacing foes who draw too close, while the ability to cast pyromancies and sorceries allows the wielder to deal with any ranged threats. Few enemies can escape immolation when facing this portable pyre, especially when its Punitive Flame skill lets loose a twisting serpent of fire.
As the name implies, the Great Corvian Scythe drops from theCorvians in the Road of Sacrifice. This weapon has the longest reach out of any of the other scythes inDark Souls 3and when infused with Crystal, it gains an S-scaling in Intelligence. This weapon is great for anyone who wants to roll Dexterity as well as Intelligence in their next build.
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In case someone was wondering if this weapon could get any better, it also has thebleed effectto help them tear enemy health down faster. The only negative with this weapon is that the bleed effect also applies to its wielder, so be careful when using it.
Since scythes naturally have a longer range than many other melee weapons, the Great Corvian Scythe can keep foes at bay with wide, arcing slashes. Against humanoid foes, its weapon skill,Neck Swipe, can be deadly as well but guarantees a critical strike on the target.
Onikiri and Ubadachi is a pair of katanas that players receive prettylate in the gameas they are traversingLothric Castle. More specifically,these swords are dropped by Black Hand Kamui in the Grand Archives. This pair of katanas are another great choice for anyone wanting to do a dextrous magic build since they scale primarily with Dexterity. If given the Crystal infusion, these deadly weapons gain an S-scaling in Intelligence allowing them to hit hard for any magic user.
Much to the joy of ninjutsu aficionados, these paired blades are ideal for rapid and aggressive assaults. Able to unleash combos composed of swift slashes intermingled with thrusts, Onikiri and Ubadachi’s string of attacks can cause the enemy’s bleed bar to build up very quickly. However, since the offhand blade is very short, wielders need to get very close to their enemy for maximum damage output. An ideal way to approach an adversary is to use the weapon skill,Onislayer, which slashes forth with both swords to deal massive health and poise damage that can interrupt plenty of attacks with a high chance to stagger foes.
The Crystal Sage’s Rapier is a fantastic weapon to use for any magic user. It has a long reach and can stunlock enemies with ease. It can be obtained pretty early in the game fromtransposing the Soul of the Crystal Sage. When fully upgraded, the Crystal Sage’s Rapier has an A-scaling in Intelligence and doesn’t require high Strength or Dexterity to wield. Even if this weapon isn’t for a particular player, they can still reap the benefits that the rapier offers due to it increasing its user’sitem discovery. Unfortunately, it can’t be used to cast spells as well.
Thrusting swords offer many different strategies in battle. They can be wielded alongside a shield and combined for thurst attacks launched while the user’s guard is raised. They can be used two-handed for unorthodox, and unpredictable, offenses. When its Stance is used, players can follow up with either a tricky backstep leading into a lunge or unleash a flurry of piercing pokes.
Friede’s Great Scythewas added in theAshes of AriandelDLC and is acquired bytransposing the Soul of Sister Friede. This weapon is ideal for sorcerer builds with an A-scaling in both Dexterity and Intelligence when fully upgraded. It also has a strong weapon art that slashes enemies multiple times while also stacking frostbite on them. This weapon is excellent for those who want to have high Dexterity (which is beneficial to any sorcerer) because of its massive damage potential.
Contrary to other polearms where the user needs to strike a foe with the bladed portion of the weapon to do full damage,Friede’s Great Scythe remarkably deals full damage even when connecting with the armament’s shaft. This in combination with the unique conjuring of the ethereal offhand scythe makes for combat maneuvers that are difficult for enemies to counter. In addition, the innate Frost build-up and the magic damage inflicted make it tough to even defend against properly.
Everyone who has played aDark Soulsgame knows about the Moonlight Greatsword. After all, it has been in every game in the series. This is one of thebestDark Souls 3weaponsfor anyone that is looking to invest their time into a magic build due to its great weapon art and innate magic ability.
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Each heavy attack causes a wave of light to shoot out of the blade and the weapon art unleashes a vortex of magical energy. While it doesn’t have the greatest Strength scaling inDark Souls 3, it is mainly used with Intelligence and almost no scaling from any other stat.
The Moonlight Greatsword’s moveset is comparable to the Greatsword of Judgment and should be used in a similar manner for the best results. With wide horizontal slashes and punishing vertical slams, this mage-oriented blade can shut down enemies at close range very effectively.Its longer-ranged magical moves need to be charged before being unleashed, so wielders need to time their attacks well to avoid missing their target.
However, there is a better way to take advantage of the Moonlight Greatsword’s 126 physical and monstrous 238 magical damage.The hitboxes of the ranged attacks and the actual blade stack together, meaning that if both hit an enemy simultaneously, they’ll take significantly more damage. A great way to use this with little repercussion is to don heavy armor and poise through lighter enemy attacks in order to charge and launch your own attacks with near impunity.
Think of the Crescent Moon Sword as a miniature, curved version of the Moonlight Greatsword. It is obtained fromkilling Ringfinger Leonhard when playersinvade himusing the Black Eye Orb after they have eliminated Aldrich. It is a worthwhile weapon for any sorcerer build since its weapon art allows users to fire off projectiles like the Moonlight Greatsword while also allowing them to attack at a faster rate. It scales primarily off of Dexterity with a little less scaling from Intelligence.
Appearing much like a shotel, one would expect their player model to leap about like one of the agile skeleton enemies down in the Catacombs of Carthus, thoughit actually possesses a moveset closer to the Falchion. As such, its running attacks can deliver a stunningly quick upward slash that has no telegraphing for an excellent way to initiate close-ranged combat.
The Heysel Pick is dropped, appropriately, fromYellowfinger Heysel when she invades the Ashen One in the swamp. It primarily scales off of Intelligence, which makes it good for anyone wanting to solely focus on the magic aspect of the game with a very smallStrength requirement. It is also another weapon that can function as a catalyst to cast sorceries, allowing players to wield a shield as well. The Heysel Pick holds a place as one of thebest magic weapons inDark Souls 3for its functionality with sorcery builds.
Technically classified as a hammer, it offers surprising amounts of poise damage in addition to its other traits. At close range, players can use the Heysel Pick to stab at foes with its (very odd for a hammer) thrust-type damage. When afar, use the Steady Chant skill to boost one’s magical potency before blasting enemies with sorceries. Either way, the Ashen One’s adversaries don’t stand a chance.
Dark Souls 3is available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
