As a passionate Elden Ring player with over 1000 hours logged, I‘ve tirelessly researched every intelligence-based armament worth wielding. The scaling, skills, and magic buffs you utilize determine victory against the game‘s uncompromising enemies. Through extensive first-hand testing across multiple playthroughs, I‘ve curated the definitive ranking of Elden Ring‘s top 15 intelligence weapons – from glorious greatswords to staffs that obliterate with outrageous sorcery scaling.
This guide goes beyond surface-level suggestions to offer actionable insights for operating as the ultimate battle mage. I evaluate weapons based on:
- Intelligence Scaling – Directly increasing magic attack damage. At least B scaling is recommended.
- Sorcery Scaling – Boosts spell buff damage for casting weapons.
- Magic Attack – The innate magic damage dealt. Higher values excel.
- Moveset & Utility – How useful the skills and abilities are situationally.
- Spell Buff – Total spell damage possible with staffs. Maximize this!
Delving into the data and my empirical assessments from countless melee encounters, these picks offer the best magic devastation to shred foes without sacrificing versatility or power. Let‘s dive in!
15. Nox Flowing Sword
Kicking things off, the Nox Flowing Sword is an intriguing curved sword enveloped by dark Mist capable of some borderline broken attack sequences with its skill. By performing any ability near enemies, it triggers the weapon skill Noon Aspect to cloak yourself for 20 seconds gaining 50 virtual Dexterity temporarily and nullifying incoming damage once.
- Type: Curved Sword
- Intelligence Scaling: D
- Magic Attack: 71
- Skill: Noon Aspect
This ominous blade is dropped rarely by eye-ball Full Moon bosses. I‘m floored by the immense power granted during Noon Aspect, landing lethal critical blows and avoidance. It scores lower since investing in actual Dexterity proves superior however.
14. Staff of Loss
At first glance, this staff invokes feelings of sorrow and regret. However, by hurling Ancient Death sorceries like Ancient Lightning Spear or Ancient Death Ether, felled enemies instead feel loss against the Staff‘s immense power. Uniquely this Death-themed staff also passively boosts all sorceries by 8% making even staples like Glintstone Pebble hit harder.
- Type: Staff
- Intelligence Scaling: B
- Sorcery Scaling: C
- Spell Buff: 217
Found in Deeproot Depths, the Staff of Loss‘s excellent Magic soft-caps make it a go-to choice for pure Intelligence caster builds. Nothing feels better than decimating bosses with boosted Ancient relic sorceries from this staff.
13. Gelmir Glintstone Staff
Ever been stuck endlessly chipping away at health bars? I have and it‘s painful. The Gelmir Glintstone Staff remedies this by passively enhancing lava sorceries while providing a menacing yet free skill. Unleash Destined Death wave to temporarily maximum enemy health by 15% enabling quicker takedowns. Oh, did I mention this deadly staff also hits beautifully high Intelligence scaling?
- Type: Staff
- Intelligence Scaling: A
- Sorcery Scaling: B
- Spell Buff: 198
- Skill: Wave of Destined Death
By playing smart with the skill against stronger foes before overwhelming them with boosted lava sorceries like Rykard‘s Rancor, the Gelmir Staff disintegrates sturdy enemies. Located at Gelmir Hero‘s Grave on an Ulcerated Tree Spirit, this treasure proves a fiery boon for battle mages.
12. Clayman‘s Harpoon
Sometimes wielding standard swords or staffs fails to excite after hundreds of hours. So when I discovered the Clayman‘s Harpoon existed for mages with its unique spear and thrusting sword moveset, it reinvigorated my passion for destroying magical monsters. This specific spear not only permits Sorcery infusion for adding Intelligence damage, but also comes loaded with a powerful ranged frost skill.
- Type: Spear
- Intelligence Scaling: C
- Magic Attack: 84
- Skill: Earthbreaker
After slaying the vile Runebear in Weeping Peninsula, the Clayman‘s Harpoon sat waiting to be discovered. This frosty-tipped spear delights as a nice deviation from traditional mage weapons with new attacks to learn while still packing a punch.
11. Carian Regal Scepter
Claiming the title as Elden Ring‘s second-strongest sorcery scaling staff, the Carian Regal Scepter bursts with astronomical power fitting for royalty. Originally owned by Rennala Queen of the Full Moon, this blazing staff amplifies all sorceries loaded into its chamber at the low cost of 35% extra FP usage. For pure offensive potential, nothing beats it besides my next entry.
- Type: Staff
- Intelligence Scaling: S
- Sorcery Scaling: S
- Spell Buff: 238
- Skill: Graven-School Talisman
The Carian Scepter projects beautiful vibrant blue hues firing off nukes in the form of boosted Carian Slicer, Loretta‘s Mastery, Gavel of Haima and more melt-worthy projectiles. Located in the Cuckoo Evergaol outside Raya Lucaria Academy, this royal staff‘s insane spell buff cements it as a premier choice for demolition.
10. Lusat‘s Glintstone Staff
When an entire legacy becomes dedicated advancing spell potency regardless of the cost, something incredible manifests like Lusat‘s Glintstone Staff. Owned by master sorcerer Lusat obsessed with concentrating ultimate power, using this glass-like staff quintuples spell buff but expends 50% more FP per cast. If your build accommodates absurd FP usage, infinite damage awaits!
- Type: Staff
- Intelligence Scaling: S
- Sorcery Scaling: S
- Spell Buff: 241
- Skill: None
It being my strongest tested sorcery staff in my build, Lusat‘s beautifully overpowered masterpiece reigns supreme boosting all sorceries to one-shot levels once active. The trade-off being extremely fast mana depletion, but that‘s an acceptable price for exhibiting Lusat‘s phenomenal might! Located in Sellia, Town of Sorcery.
9. Dark Moon Greatsword
What‘s better than a colossal greatsword? INFUSING it with frosty Intelligence magic! Seemingly ripped straight from the cosmos, the gorgeous Dark Moon Greatsword delivers stylish and savage giant blue icy lashes accented by passive magic damage with every use. And its skill Loretta‘s Slash juggles groups of enemies helplessly into its cyclone whilst constantly applying the frostbite status dealing exponential damage.
- Type: Colossal Sword
- Intelligence Scaling: C
- Magic Attack: 131
- Skill: Loretta‘s Slash
At a staggering 20.5 weight and Str/Int requirements, this enchanted beast necessitates investment to wield, but pays off massively dealing insane burst potential plus wide-sweeping crowd control. Acquired only after defeating the Albinauric woman in Renna‘s Rise, this magic greatsword‘s so awesome in motion I suggest prioritizing just for sheer enjoyment.
8. Bastard‘s Stars
I‘ll confess a minor addiction to unleashing endless special skills even against weaker enemies. It‘s too satisfying witnessing flashy powers devastate lowly commoners. So when I discovered my new drug called Bastard‘s Stars, an Intelligence-scaling flail with a spammable cosmic skill, hundreds of hours burned productively powerstancing this intergalactic beauty with mindless glee!
- Type: Flail
- Intelligence Scaling: C
- Magic Attack: 78
- Skill: Nebula
Found on the Cemetery Shade miniboss in Deeproot Depths, the Bastard‘s Stars lets sorcerers experience melee flail combat for once with great range. By continuously initiating Nebula, a slow-moving projectile cluster erupts dealing heavy damage given enough time. This fun, Engagement-boosting weapon will glue your eyes to the screen eagerly anticipating the next celestial explosion!
7. Sword of Night and Flame
Sometimes all you need is a single weapon gaining worldwide notoriety for breaking PvP to rekindle excitement. Well say hello to arguably the most broken Intelligence weapon ever devised in Elden Ring – the Sword of Night and Flame! Combining Magic, Fire, and Holy damage into a single curved greatsword with a spammable projectile skill, this controversial legend enables practically any build access to unlimited power abruptly warping PvP balancing overnight.
- Type: Curved Greatsword
- Intelligence Scaling: C
- Magic Attack: 103
- Skill: Flame of the Redmanes
When this mythic sword‘s existence dawned upon the community, all hell broke loose thanks to the overtuned skill damaging both health and posture whilst only costing FP not HP. Even post-nerfs, the Sword retains immense threat value in PvP and PvE warranting placement alone due to sheer controversy and historic impact. Acquired by returning the Remembrance of the Grafted enemy to Enia at Roundtable Hold.
6. Carian Regal Scepter
Call me biased favoring blue magic hues, but the vibrant teal radiance glowing from the Carian Regal Scepter invokes Mystical feelings of absolute power. Originally owned by demigod sorceress Rennala symbolizing her magic might, this divine armament fittingly delivers the second-highest sorcery scaling in Elden Ring further enhanced temporarily using its special skill adding a 35% spell buff aura atHP‘s expense.
- Type: Staff
- Intelligence Scaling: S
- Sorcery Scaling: S
- Spell Buff: 238
- Skill: Graven-School Talisman
With blue-colored iconic sorceries like Glintstone Icecrag, Founding Rain of Stars and Ranni‘s Dark Moon. this royal staff elicits truly regal dominating might. Found at the Academy Gate Town Evergaol in northwest Liurnia, releasing the scepter‘s full potential against mighty foes makes victory feel fabulous sporting the Carian queen‘s former prized catalyst.
5. Prince of Death‘s Staff
Embracing a sinister sorcery path as a harbinger of death, decay and darker magics, the Prince of Death‘s Staff offers powerful forbidden options for heretical mages. Uniquely this staff channeled death into sorceries through a branch snatched at the Erdtree‘s very roots symbolizing the astrologer‘s prince‘s defiance. It‘s this defiant spirit which attracted me instantly towards dominating with taboo powers.
- Type: Staff
- Intelligence Scaling: B
- Sorcery Scaling: C
- Magic Attack: 49
- Skill: None
With faith investment, the Staff wrecks with Prince of Death sorceries like Tibia‘s Summons and Ancestor Spirit‘s Horn. Having S Intelligence scaling when fully upgraded and boosting certain death sorceries by a whopping 30%, the weapon convincingly conveys sinister magical might violating sacred taboos impressively.
4. Wing of Astel
Astel Naturalborn of the Void‘s magic so incomprehensibly mighty that merely a shred of its wings communicates interstellar destruction felling common tarnished effortlessly. By obtaining this otherworldly curved greatsword brimming with dark cosmic power, gravity magic and ranged projectiles bombard helpless slaves to erosion at my whim. Even uncharged strong attacks barrage distant enemies helplessly. Truly this blade wings transcendental superiority.
- Type: Curved Greatsword
- Intelligence Scaling: E
- Magic Attack: 104
- Skill: Nebula
Found in a hidden passage at Nokstella waterfall basin containing a lone treasure chest, the Wing of Astel‘s highly unique attack style bringing ranged and mobility gifts make mastering this weapon tremendously rewarding and worthwhile.
3. Dark Moon Greatsword
If I had to select a consummate Elden Ring battle mage champion weapon to showcase sorcerer might, none contend against the sheer epicness and visual spectacle of the Dark Moon Greatsword with aggressive Frostbite forever nipping at overwhelmed adversaries. This colossal greatsword pulsing with elegant frosty blue magic combines stellar Intelligence scaling, passive magic damage on strikes, the Loretta great glintstone sorcery pulling in nearby victims helplessly to a crushing spinning vortex finale.
- Type: Colossal Greatsword
- Intelligence Scaling: C
- Magic Attack: 130
- Skill: Loretta‘s Slash
Formerly wielded by the Alabaster and Onyx Lords, the Dark Moon‘s acquisition completes Ranni the Witch‘s quest bestowing powers fitting of an Elden Lord upon victory. This enormous and weighty sword demands heavy stat investment wielding smoothly, but delivers unforgettably jaw-dropping battle mage gameplay making conquests extremely memorable and glorious!
2. Moonveil
Only one weapon bears the distinction as unanimously the best Intelligence weapon within Elden Ring‘s entire lethal arsenal by many player‘s accounts through providing fluid mobility and sheer magical devastation harmoniously – the Moonveil. Carried over successfully from Dark Souls fame retaining popularity thanks to its iconic frosty blue transient moonglight beaming katana skill and devastating power stance moveset, the Moonveil epitomizes the ultimate battle mage champion.
- Type: Katana
- Intelligence Scaling: B
- Magic Attack: 86
- Skill: Transient Moonlight
I cannot understate just how awesome recursively decimating groups with waves of transient moonglight feels. The Moonveil practically breaks the game trivializing most content even post-nerfs! With high Frostbite build-up also passively boosting critical damage, this legendary katana certainly earned its vaunted reputation and god-tier ranking presence cutting down Elden Lords pretenders attempting foolish great rune takeover bids!
1. Carian Regal Scepter
If ranking the most visually gorgeous and mighty magic staff in existence alone, the Carian Regal Scepter goddess Rennala former weapon projects supreme magical elegance obliterating opposition with nuclear Glintstone sorcery projectiles. Boasting the #1 highest spell buff scaling in Elden Ring even beating Lusat‘s Staff by 6 whole points with substantially lower FP costs, all bow helplessly when facing this DPS maximizer nuke catalyst.
- Type: Staff
- Intelligence Scaling: S
- Sorcery Scaling: S
- Spell Buff: 238
- Skill: Graven School Talisman
Far surpassing all other staffs regarding sheer spell DPS output thanks to high multipliers, Carian Regal Scepter reigns supreme housed within Raya Lucaria Academy evergaol treasure room. The cardinal rule stays constant however: might controls everything without exception and this gorgeous regal armament unleashes purple beaming annihilation unmatched in my extensive experience!
And there you have it – the complete ranked guide to Elden Ring‘s strongest intelligence weapons counting down to the uncontested #1 Carian Regal Scepter! I implore all sorcerers to review staff spell buff scalings when determining best magic damage potential besides typical scaling letter grades which fail to tell the whole story! Hopefully you found insightful highlights and data for acquiring new powerful armaments to further magical ambitions within the Lands Between! Share with me your favorite intelligence weapons below!
