Death Knight’s Longhaft axe is a new weapon in Elden Ring introduced with the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. A greataxe with a decayed golden ring, this weapon can summon the capital’s dragon cult lightning.
Once wielded by Godwyn’s faithful, Death Knight’s Longhaft Axe can be obtained by killing a specific boss. Let us help you acquire this weapon and craft an amazing hybrid Strength/Faith build around it in Elden Ring.
Death Knight’s Longhaft Axe Location
Death Knight’s Longhaft Axe in Elden Ring can be obtained by killing a Death Knight inside the Scorpion River Catacombs. This boss wields the same weapon and drops it upon defeat.
Scorpion River Catacombs are in the Scadu Altus area and can be accessed by going northwest from the Highway Cross site of grace.
This will take you to the Ancient Rauh Base site of grace. From the base, follow the path west to reach the Temple Town Ruins site of grace.
From the Temple Town Ruins, go north through the ravine, avoiding the Kindred of Rot enemies in your path. This will take you to the Ravine North site of grace. Drop down from the cliff and hug the wall to the left.
Avoid the scorpions and mosquitoes in this area and keep going left until you come across the entrance of Scorpion River Catacombs. Go through the dungeon to locate the second Death Knight Boss in Elden Ring.
Death Knight is a moderately difficult boss that can be defeated with a specific build and lightning resistance. Make sure to follow our guide precisely to improve your odds against the boss.
Once defeated, the Death Knight boss of Scorpion River Catacombs drops 130,000 Runes and the Death Knight’s Longhaft Axe in Elden Ring.
Death Knight’s Longhaft Axe Stats and Requirements
Death Knight’s Longhaft Axe is a Strength/Faith-based weapon which requires 23 Strength, 18 Faith, and 10 Dexterity to wield.
It has D scaling with Strength and Faith, and E scaling with Dexterity. At the highest upgrade level, only Strength scaling changes to B while the other two remain the same. This makes it an ideal weapon for Strength builds only.
The unique skill for this Greataxe is Blinkbolt: Long-Hafted Axe. This skill allows you to move towards an enemy with lightning speed at a cost of 8 FP. The movement uses iframes, which allow you to avoid any damage.
If you press the heavy attack button (R2/RT) at the end of movement, you can do a charged-lightning slam attack at the cost of 13 FP. This attack is not affected by Claw Talisman, despite being a jump attack.
You can’t apply any Ash of War to this weapon. Consumables, greases, and magic can’t be applied to this greataxe either. Death Knight’s Longhaft Axe can be upgraded up to +10 with the help of Somber Smithing Stones.
At the base level, this weapon does 113 Physical and 73 Lightning damage, which can be increased up to 276 Physical and 178 Lightning at the highest level.
It weighs 11.5 and can be sold to any merchant in the game. We strongly recommend against selling this weapon as it is unique and can be obtained once per playthrough.
Death Knight’s Longhaft Axe Best Build
For this build, we will be using a fully upgraded Death Knight’s Longhaft Axe. A this is an endgame build with a level 180+ character, distribute your stats as follows.
- Vigor: 60
- Mind: 25
- Endurance: 35
- Strength: 55
- Faith: 70
Use a fully upgraded Gravel Stone Seal to cast the following incantations.
- Golden Vow
- Flame, Grant me Strength
- Knight’s Lightning Spear
- Lightning Spear
- Ancient Dragon’s Lightning Strike
Equip the following talismans to make this build even more OP.
- Two-Handed Sword Talisman. Increases the attack power of two-handed weapons.
- Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman. Increases the defense against physical attacks.
- Lightning Scorpion Charm. Increases the attack power of Lightning attacks by 12% at the cost of a 10% decrease in physical defense.
- Shard of Alexander. Increases the attack power of skills by 15%.
- Flock’s Canvas Talisman. Increases the efficiency of incantations by 8%.
For the armor set, the only choice here is the Death Knight armor set, as it enhances the skill attack of Death Knight weapons.
Mix the following crystal tears in the Flask of Wondrous Physick.
- Lightning-Shrouding Cracked Tear. Increases the attack power of Lightning attacks for a short duration.
- Opaline Hardtear. Increases the defense against all types of attacks.
This Death Knight’s Longhaft Axe build relies heavily on the usage of weapon skill and spellcasting. With this Godwyn’s faithful build, you can summon the power of ancient dragons to erase your enemies in a few hits.
The only drawback with this build is defense. You won’t be using a shield, and you must be careful when handling bosses and difficult foes. Remember to learn their attack patterns so you can dodge the attacks.
