Even after all these years, Elden Ring veterans still swear by the Lion's Claw — and honestly, it's not hard to see why. This Ash of War turns a humble melee weapon into a devastating front-flipping blender that can stagger enemies into next week. Whether you're a fresh Tarnished or a seasoned Lord contender, grabbing this skill early can make the brutal lands between feel a bit less punishing.

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What Exactly Is Lion's Claw?

In simple terms, Lion's Claw is both an Ash of War and a Weapon Skill. When you activate it, your character does a quick prepped sword slash, then immediately follows up with a mighty front-flipping heavy slash that smashes down with serious force. The animation looks flashy, but don't let that fool you — this thing hits like a truck and comes with hyper armor for days. Players who love big, chunky weapons will feel right at home here.

Where to Find Lion's Claw in Elden Ring

Alright, let's cut to the chase. The Lion's Claw Ash of War is tucked away inside Fort Gael, which sits on the outskirts of Caelid — you know, that lovely red hellscape filled with giant dogs and rot. The closest Site of Grace is Fort Gael North, so warp there if you've already unlocked it.

Here's the catch: the main gate at Fort Gael is closed tighter than a miser's coin purse. Don't waste time banging on it. Instead, hug the outer walls and look for a ladder. That ladder is your golden ticket into the fort. Climb up, drop down carefully, and you're in business.

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Once inside, you'll spot a Lion Guardian patrolling the ground level. This beast isn't exactly a pushover — it hits hard and moves fast. You've got two choices: stay on the upper ledges and pepper it with ranged attacks, or jump down and go mano-a-mano with melee. Either way, when you finally put that furry menace down, it will drop the Ash of War: Lion's Claw.

Which Weapons Can Use Lion's Claw?

One of the best things about Lion's Claw is how versatile it is. You can slap it on a huge variety of melee armaments, which means you aren't locked into one specific weapon type. Here's a full breakdown of compatible weapon classes:

  • Straight Swords

  • Greatswords

  • Colossal Swords

  • Curved Swords

  • Curved Greatswords

  • Katanas

  • Twinblades

  • Hammers

  • Great Hammers

  • Axes

  • Greataxes

  • Flails

  • Colossal Weapons

That said, if you want the most bang for your buck, the community favorites are Colossal Weapons, Greataxes, Greatswords, and Curved Greatswords. These big boys already deal massive poise damage, and when combined with Lion's Claw's high stance-breaking potential, you'll be sending bosses to their knees like clockwork. 💪

How Lion's Claw Performs in Combat

So is Lion's Claw actually good, or is it just a pretty animation? Spoiler: it's genuinely excellent in the right hands.

The Pros ✅

  • High Poise / Hyper Armor: You can tank through enemy hits while executing the flip, which makes trading blows surprisingly viable.

  • Great Stance Damage: Depending on your weapon, this skill can break enemy posture in one or two uses, opening them up for critical hits.

  • Fast Recovery: After the flip, you recover quickly, letting you dodge or follow up with another attack without getting punished.

  • Versatile Affinity Options: While the standard affinity is Heavy (Strength scaling), you can still apply other affinities like Keen, Quality, or even Fire if your build calls for it.

The Cons ❌

  • Slow Startup: There's a brief wind-up before the slash, so enemies with fast attacks can interrupt you if you're not careful.

  • Mediocre Tracking: If your target sidesteps or rolls at the last second, the vertical slam can whiff completely.

  • Single-Target Focus: Lion's Claw shines in 1v1 fights, but against a group of mobs, the vertical nature of the attack leaves your flanks wide open.

Here's a quick cheat sheet for build considerations:

Build Style Recommended Affinity Why It Works
Pure Strength Heavy Maximizes raw damage and poise break
Quality Quality Balanced scaling for STR/DEX hybrids
Fire/Frost Fire or Cold Adds status buildup to an already strong hit
Bleed Blood Works well on weapons with innate bleed

Tips for Using Lion's Claw Like a Pro

If you want to really cook with Lion's Claw in 2026, keep these tricks up your sleeve:

  1. Bait enemies into attacking first. Because the skill has hyper armor, you can often trade hits and come out on top — but only if you time it after their swing starts.

  2. Use it to close distance. The forward flip travels a decent distance, making it a solid gap-closer against casters or backpedaling opponents in PvP.

  3. Pair it with a heavy weapon for maximum stagger. A Colossal Sword with Lion's Claw can stance-break many bosses in just two or three flips.

  4. Don't spam it blindly in group fights. Mix in normal R1s or a sweeping weapon art when surrounded, then unleash Lion's Claw on the biggest threat.

Final Thoughts

Even in 2026, with all the patches, DLC expansions, and build variety Elden Ring has to offer, Lion's Claw remains a top-tier pick for players who love aggressive, high-poise melee combat. It's easy to get early, works on a ton of weapons, and looks absolutely sick when you land that flip on a boss's face. 😤

So next time you're wandering through Caelid and stumble upon Fort Gael, do yourself a favor — climb that ladder, smack the Lion Guardian, and claim your new favorite Ash of War. Your enemies won't know what hit them — literally.