Swift slashes and thrust let you tear enemies apart, choose wisely.

When you play Bloodborne focusing on a Skill build, you want your weapon to pack a punch, to tear your enemies apart using quick slashes and thrusts, and to rip their insides apart with high-damage visceral attacks. Fun! Personally, I love Skill builds and I do a run every now and then just to have a kick out of the game again, as the fast gameplay of a Skill weapon brings a freshness compared to a slow, hard-hitting Strength weapon. Skill builds are very fun and every player should do a playthrough of one. The recommended runes are not set in stone, so you can use Clawmark runes to further boost your visceral damage.

11. Ludwig’s Holy Blade (early game)

How to get Ludwig’s Holy Blade

A niche pick among all of the weapons on the list, Ludwig’s Holy Blade is a quality weapon, meaning that it benefits from both Strength and Skill, but I’m putting it here because it deals a lot of damage, and everyone loves damage. Fight me. Untricked, it is a standard longsword, but tricked, it becomes a massive greatsword with good stagger potential. To get it, you need to climb Oedon Chapel, the area that opens up to the right side of the Cathedral Ward lamp, and in a chest, there will be the Radiant Sword Hunter Badge, which will unlock the blade in the messenger shop.

What makes Ludwig’s Holy Blade great:

• High versatility between both Strength and Skill
• Quick, fluid longsword attacks
• Can scale with Arcane as well
• Gaining damage from Strength and Skill
• Longsword has Righteous damage

Ludwig’s Holy Blade stats:

• Base: 100 physical damage | Skill scaling: D
• Ludwig’s Holy Blade +3: 130 physical damage | Skill scaling: D
• Ludwig’s Holy Blade +6: 160 physical damage | Skill scaling: C
• Ludwig’s Holy Blade +10: 200 physical damage | Skill scaling: B

10. Threaded Cane (early game)

One of the starting weapons of the workshop, the Threaded Cane is an underappreciated gem. It is employed by Hunters who prefer class and dignity when flogging the beasts. Untricked, it is a simple sword, but tricked, it transforms into a bladed whip that is great for crowd control and serrated damage. Especially good for fighting beasts. To get it you simply need to go to the Hunter’s Dream for the first time and it will be available for free. Pair with the Hunter attire found in Cathedral Ward for added dapper points.

What makes the Threaded Cane great:

• Serrated damage
• Good skill scaling
• Good crowd control
• Untricked form deals Righteous damage

Threaded Cane stats:

• Base: 78 physical damage | Skill scaling: C
• Threaded Cane +3: 99 physcial damage | Skill scaling: B
• Threaded Cane +6: 120 physical damage | Skill scaling: B
• Threaded Cane +10: 156 physical damage | Skill scaling: A

9. Blade of Mercy (early game)

How to get the Blade of Mercy

Eileen the Crow is an NPC hunter that tries her best to help you through the Hunt, giving you advice and overall, just being a helpful ally. So, we’re gonna kill her for her weapon. Sad, but necessary to gain the Blade of Mercy. You can also go through Eileen’s questline to gain an emote, the Hunter rune and Bold Hunter’s Marks, but you can just take this route, as well. The Blade of Mercy has very high Skill scaling (natural S at +10) and very high attack speed.

What makes the Blade of Mercy great:

• High attack speed, good for fast combat and Dirty/Murky blood gems
• Very high Skill scaling, adding further damage
• Innate Arcane scaling, being a siderite weapon
• Combos allow for high mobility

Blade of Mercy stats:

• Base: 60 physical damage | Skill scaling: C
• Blade of Mercy +3: 78 physical damage | Skill scaling: B
• Blade of Mercy +6: 96 physical damage | Skill scaling: A
• Blade of Mercy +10: 120 physical damage | Skill scaling: S

8. Saw Spear (early game)

How to get the Saw Spear

The counterpart of the Saw Cleaver, it is a Skill-oriented weapon that has serrated damage in both forms, making it ideal for murdering beasts. It is found in the pre-sewer area of central Yharnam, on one of the hanging corpses, near where you meet Eileen.

What makes the Saw Spear great:

• Serrated damage in both forms
• Good for Skill/Arcane builds
• Very similar to the Saw Cleaver, but focused on Skill
• Increased damage for transforming attacks

Saw Spear Stats:

• Base: 85 physical damage | Skill scaling: D
• Saw Spear +3: 109 physical damage | Skill scaling: D
• Saw Spear +6: 133 physical damage | Skill scaling: C
• Saw Spear +10: 170 physical damage | Skill scaling: C

7. Reiterpallasch (mid game)

How to get the Reiterpallasch

When you first get to the area in front of Cainhurst Castle, you will have to run past the Bloodsuckers and through the main gate. From there, on your right, there will be a chest in the corner of the room containing the Reiterpallasch, a rapier with a built-in gun, allowing you to slash and thrust, but also shoot bullets from your main hand, adding more Bloodtinge flair!

What makes the Reiterpallasch great:

• Can be used to dual-wield firearms
• Combines Bloodtinge and Skill
• Simple transformation attacks
• Elegant and fluid moveset

Reiterpallasch stats:

• Base: 75 physical damage | Skill scaling: C
• Reiterpallasch +3: 96 physical damage | Skill scaling: B
• Reiterpallasch +6: 117 physical damage | Skill scaling: B
• Reiterpallasch +10: 150 physical damage | Skill scaling: A

6. Beasthunter Saif (mid game)

How to get the Beasthunter Saif

Combining high attack speed, mobility and the signature Old Hunter flair, the Beasthunter Saif is an extremely good weapon for pure Skill builds. It plays similarly to the Saw Cleaver, but with higher attack speed and the transformed version features long, sweeping attacks that have high stagger potential and good crowd control. Also a good PvP option, due to the moveset. Note* doesn’t have the cool screaming dialogue that the Hunter’s Nightmare hunters have ☹

What makes the Beasthunter Saif great:

• High attack speed in tricked form
• Wide, sweeping untricked form attacks
• Initial tricked R1 is a dash as well
• Dynamic, fluid moveset

Beasthunter Saif stats:

• Base: 90 physical damage | Skill scaling: D
• Beasthunter Saif +3: 117 physical damage | Skill scaling: D
• Beasthunter Saif +6: 144 physical damage | Skill scaling: C
• Beasthunter Saif +10: 180 physical damage | Skill scaling: B

5. Simon’s Bowblade (late game)

How to get Simon’s Bowblade

One of the weapons that changes the dynamic of a normal playthrough, Simon’s Bowblade starts out as a saber-like weapon in its untricked form, but transformed into a bow when tricked. It serves well as a Skill weapon due to the scaling, but also as a Bloodtinge weapon, since the bow form consumes one Quicksilver Bullet per shot, which scales with Bloodtinge like any other firearm.

What makes Simon’s Bowblade great:

• Good moveset, quick and efficient
• Transforming attacks incorporate bow shots
• Skill and Bloodtinge scaling
• Quick charged R2
• Bow charged R2’s to the back can stagger enemies

Simon’s Bowblade stats:

• Base: 80 physical damage | Skill/Bloodtinge scaling: C/C
• Simon’s Bowblade +3: 104 physical damage | Skill/Bloodtinge scaling: B/B
• Simon’s Bowblade +6: 128 physical damage | Skill/Bloodtinge scaling: A/A
• Simon’s Bowblade +10: 160 physical damage | Skill/Bloodtinge scaling: S/S

4. Church Pick (late game)

How to get the Church Pick (late game)

The Church Pick is a favorite weapon among PvP and PvE players alike. It’s Skill-focused, a longsword in the untricked form and a large war pick in the tricked form with a great moveset and multiple damage types in one. It features Serrated, Righteous and Thrust damage depending on the form you use. To find it, you need to get the Underground Cell Key and got to the prison right after the Underground Corpse Pile, where an NPC Hunter wielding the pick will be. Once you get the weapon, you will be able to execute a myriad of slashing and thrusting attacks, much to the dismay of enemies.

What makes the Church Pick great:

• Multiple damage types
• Solid, fluid moveset
• Strong transforming attacks
• Vertical tricked L2 attack, good for vertical reach

Church Pick stats:

• Base: 88 physical damage | Skill scaling: D
• Church Pick +3: 112 physical damage | Skill scaling: C
• Church Pick +6: 136 physical damage | Skill scaling: C
• Church Pick +10: 176 physical damage | Skill scaling: B

3. Chikage (late game)

How to get the Chikage

The renowned knights of Castle Cainhurst employ the Chikage in battle, and it’s a good idea for you to do the same. It utilizes the user’s own blood to attack, which is terribly unsanitary in hindsight, but cool nonetheless. This weapon has Skill and Bloodtinge scaling, so it’s a very good pairing for a Skill build, as the added Blood damage can be a great help when fighting enemies. You can get the weapon after defeating Martyr Logarius and talking to Annelise, Queen of the Vilebloods. She will give you the Cainhurst Badge and you can purchase the Chikage at the bath messengers.

What makes the Chikage great:

• Skill coupled with Blood damage
• Unique transforming attacks
• Rapid poison bonus in tricked form
• High Bloodtinge scaling, but only in tricked form

Chikage stats:

• Base: 92 physical damage | Skill/Bloodtinge scaling: D/C
• Chikage +3: 119 physical damage | Skill/Bloodtinge scaling: D/B
• Chikage +6: 146 physical damage | Skill/Bloodtinge scaling: C/A
• Chikage +10: 184 physical damage | Skill/Bloodtinge scaling: B/S

2. Burial Blade (late game)

After you have completed the main game bosses, all that’s left is Gehrman, the First Hunter. Successfully killing him will get you the Old Hunter Badge, which will allow you to purchase the Burial Blade in the messenger shop for 60,000 blood echoes. The weapon itself is Skill focused, of course, and you get a wide range of sweeping attacks in the untricked form, as well as very long range, effective attacks in the tricked form.

What makes the Burial Blade great:

• Decent attack speed
• Wide attacks in the untricked form
• Extremely long range tricked charge attacks
• Bonus damage quickstep, backstep and rolling attacks
• Fluid moveset

Burial Blade stats:

• Base: 80 physical damage | Skill scaling: C
• Burial Blade +3: 104 physical damage | Skill scaling: C
• Burial Blade +6: 128 physical damage | Skill scaling: B
• Burial Blade +10: 160 physical damage | Skill scaling: B

1. Rakuyo (late game)

How to get the Rakuyo

Once you defeat the mangled beast that was Ludwig, vanquish the Living Failures, and clash blades with Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower, you will arrive at the Fishing Hamlet, a fish person and shark behemoth-infested village where everything wants to kill you and it’s really damp. The Rakuyo is guarded by two sharks in the well in the middle of the Fishing Hamlet. Killing both, (yes, both of them) will give you the Rakuyo, an incredibly good Skill weapon with a great moveset and scaling. It allows you to recall the fight you had with Lady Maria with deadly accuracy.

What makes the Rakuyo great:

• Strong moveset
• Area of effect attacks
• High attack speed
• Smooth combos

Rakuyo stats:

• Base: 82 physical damage | Skill scaling: C
• Rakuyo +3: 106 physical damage | Skill scaling: B
• Rakuyo +6: 130 physical damage | Skill scaling: B
• Rakuyo +10: 164 physical damage | Skill scaling: A