In the vast and mysterious world of Elden Ring, there are countless tools and
Elden Ring Runes mechanics available to help players carve their path through The Lands Between. Among the most important—but sometimes overlooked—are Whetblades, special Key Items that grant you unprecedented control over your weapons. These ancient tools empower you to tailor your weapon’s affinity, directly influencing how your damage scales with your stats and, in some cases, adding elemental or status effects to your attacks.
Whether you favor the brute strength of a colossal greatsword or the elegant precision of a curved blade, Whetblades offer the flexibility to align your weaponry with your build. Mastering them is key to maximizing your damage potential and customizing your playstyle. In this guide, we’ll delve deep into the role Whetblades play in Elden Ring, how they affect weapon affinities, and why no Tarnished should ignore their power.
What Are Whetblades in Elden Ring?
Whetblades are unique items found throughout Elden Ring. Unlike typical upgrade materials, they don’t enhance your weapon’s base damage or improve its scaling directly. Instead, they expand your ability to modify weapons by changing their affinity—a system that determines how a weapon scales with your stats (Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Faith, or Arcane) and, in some cases, what type of additional damage (Fire, Magic, Holy, etc.) it deals.
In practical terms, applying an affinity reshapes your weapon’s identity:
A Heavy affinity boosts Strength scaling, making your weapon hit harder as you invest in Strength.
A Keen affinity increases Dexterity scaling, favoring agile builds.
Other affinities, such as Flame Art or Magic, add elemental damage and scale with Intelligence or Faith.
With Whetblades, you unlock access to these affinities when applying Ashes of War at any Site of Grace. Without them, your options are limited. But with the right Whetblade in your possession, you can fine-tune your arsenal to fit your exact build and strategy.
How Weapon Affinities Work
Weapon affinities alter three key aspects of a weapon:
Stat Scaling: They dictate which character attributes (Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Faith, Arcane) increase your weapon’s damage output.
Base Damage: Affinities often trade off raw physical damage for scaling bonuses or additional damage types.
Secondary Effects: Some affinities apply elemental effects (Fire, Magic, Lightning, Holy) or status buildup (Bleed, Poison, Frostbite).
For example, applying the Blood affinity to a weapon will:
Increase its Hemorrhage (Bleed) buildup, causing devastating blood loss damage when the gauge fills.
Modify its stat scaling, usually favoring Arcane for damage bonuses.
Each affinity can radically alter your weapon’s performance. The freedom to switch affinities thanks to Whetblades gives you the power to:
Adapt your weapon to your stat investment.
Tackle enemies with specific weaknesses.
Experiment with different builds on the fly.
Why Whetblades Are So Important
Without Whetblades, you’re restricted to default affinity options when applying Ashes of War. This limits your ability to customize your weapons, forcing you into certain playstyles or weapon choices that might not align with your preferred build.
Whetblades remove these limitations. By collecting all six Whetblades scattered across The Lands Between, you unlock every affinity option available for your weapons. Whether you’re experimenting with a Dexterity-Faith hybrid build or going all-in on Arcane status effects, Whetblades open the door to limitless possibilities.
Types of Whetblades and the Affinities They Unlock
There are six Whetblades to collect in Elden Ring, and each one unlocks different affinities. Here’s an overview of what each Whetblade does:
1. Whetstone Knife
Unlocks Affinities: Standard, Heavy, Keen, Quality
Location: Found early in Limgrave, in a cellar at the Gatefront Ruins.
Use: Introduces you to the basic affinity system, allowing you to shift scaling between Strength, Dexterity, or a balanced Quality build.
2. Iron Whetblade
Unlocks Affinities: Heavy, Keen, Quality (with expanded scaling adjustments)
Location: Found in Stormveil Castle, in an armory room near the Rampart Tower Site of Grace.
Use: Gives you finer control over basic affinities, letting you enhance scaling without significant trade-offs.
3. Glintstone Whetblade
Unlocks Affinities: Magic, Cold
Location: Raya Lucaria Academy, in a room near the Debate Parlor.
Use: Enables Magic damage scaling with Intelligence or Cold, adding Frostbite buildup to your attacks.
4. Red-Hot Whetblade
Unlocks Affinities: Fire, Flame Art
Location: Redmane Castle in Caelid, after Radahn Festival or by exploring the castle.
Use: Adds Fire damage or Flame Art scaling with Faith—perfect for Pyromancer-style builds.
5. Black Whetblade
Unlocks Affinities: Poison, Blood, Occult
Location: Nokron, Eternal City, beneath Caelid. Found in the Night’s Sacred Ground.
Use: Adds devastating status effects like Bleed and Poison, or Occult scaling for Arcane builds.
6. Sanctified Whetblade
Unlocks Affinities: Holy, Lightning
Location: Leyndell, Royal Capital, inside the Fortified Manor.
Use: Grants access to Holy and Lightning damage types—great for Faith-based or hybrid builds.
How to Use Whetblades
Once you’ve found a Whetblade, it’s automatically added to your inventory of Key Items. You don’t need to equip it or use it manually. Instead:
Rest at a Site of Grace.
Select the Ashes of War option.
Choose the weapon you wish to modify.
Select your desired Ash of War, then choose the Affinity unlocked by the corresponding Whetblade.
This system allows you to customize and re-customize your weapons freely—at no cost, as often as you like—letting you adapt to new challenges without being locked into one specific build.
Tips for Mastering Whetblades and Affinities
Experiment with Combinations: Don’t hesitate to try different Ashes of War and affinities on various weapons. Some combinations can create powerful synergies that fit your playstyle perfectly.
Adapt to Boss Weaknesses: If you’re struggling with a particular boss, switching affinities to exploit weaknesses (Holy against undead, Lightning against dragons) can make a huge difference.
Mind the Trade-offs: Some affinities increase one type of scaling while reducing others. For example, Keen boosts Dexterity scaling but lowers Strength scaling and base damage. Consider how your stats complement these changes.
Synergize with Status Builds: The Black Whetblade’s Blood affinity works wonders for Arcane builds focused on Bleed damage. Combining this with Bleed-focused weapons or spells can result in explosive damage.
Conclusion: Whetblades Are Key to Weapon Mastery in Elden Ring
In Elden Ring, few things are as satisfying as forging the perfect weapon. Whetblades are the tools that make this possible. They grant you the freedom to shape your arsenal, whether you’re wielding massive Strength-based weapons, nimble Dexterity blades, or devastating elemental instruments of destruction.
Collect all six Whetblades to unlock the full range of weapon affinities and buy Elden Ring Runes give yourself the power to adapt, strategize, and dominate every encounter The Lands Between has to offer. No matter what build you choose, mastering Whetblades ensures your weapons will always be as versatile and deadly as you are.
