Elden Ring Tarnished Edition backhand blades: Setup Guide

Elden Ring Tarnished Edition backhand blades are a fast weapon category designed around unusual attack angles, mobile pressure, and rapid follow-ups. Their animations place the weapon behind or beside the character’s hand, giving the class a distinct identity compared with curved swords, claws, or traditional paired weapons.

The category belongs to the Shadow of the Erdtree content set rather than the base-game weapon roster. Before planning a build, confirm that the relevant expansion content is available in your edition and current save. Weapon availability can also depend on where you are in the expansion’s progression.

Backhand blades are naturally suited to players who enjoy staying close to an opponent, attacking from unexpected angles, and using movement to create openings. They are less comfortable when every exchange becomes a slow shield trade or a long-range spell duel.

The backhand blade family contains three distinct choices. Their shared visual style can make them appear interchangeable, but their combat roles are different enough to affect your entire loadout.

The standard Backhand Blade is the most adaptable option. It works well when you want to experiment with Ashes of War, infusions, and varied attack patterns. Its strength is not one narrow gimmick; it is the ability to adjust your approach around the area, enemy, or opponent.

The Smithscript Cirque is the specialist choice for players who want a weapon that can threaten targets outside immediate melee range. Its thrown attacks can help interrupt recovery, discourage healing, or force movement. Use them as part of a pressure sequence rather than relying on repeated projectiles from a safe distance.

Curseblade’s Cirque is built around a more committed offensive pattern. Its weapon skill creates several hits and can punish enemies that remain in range. The tradeoff is that a committed skill gives opponents a clearer opportunity to retaliate if the opening is misread.

Use this selection guide:

• Choose Backhand Blade if you want the broadest customization.
• Choose Smithscript Cirque if you frequently fight casters, runners, or evasive targets.
• Choose Curseblade’s Cirque if you prefer calculated burst windows.
• Use a paired setup when you understand stamina management and can maintain attack discipline.

A Dexterity-centered setup is the clearest baseline for testing the category because it supports the physical scaling identity shared by the weapons. It also leaves room for supporting attributes such as Vigor, Endurance, and Mind without forcing the build into a complicated hybrid.

Follow these steps before judging a weapon’s performance:

A practical test loop is simple: enter an area with familiar enemies, record how many attacks are needed, then repeat with the same buffs and talismans. This avoids mistaking a favorable enemy matchup for a universally strong setup.

Backhand blades reward active positioning. Their best sequences usually begin with movement, not with standing directly in front of an enemy and trading attacks. Circle around predictable swings, use a short punish, then reset before the opponent’s next action.

In PvE, the fast attack rhythm is useful against humanoid enemies and targets that flinch under repeated hits. Against large monsters, avoid assuming that speed guarantees safety. Their wide attacks can cover the space your animation moves through, and a long skill sequence may leave you in the recovery window.

In PvP, the class is strongest when you vary timing. Alternate between a quick attack, a delayed running approach, a jump attack, and a disengage. Smithscript Cirque throws can encourage an opponent to roll or chase, creating a moment for a close-range punish. Blind Spot-style evasive skills are most effective when used to answer a committed attack rather than activated randomly.

Key combat habits include:

• Keep enough stamina for at least one emergency dodge.
• Stop attacking when the enemy’s poise or hyper armor becomes apparent.
• Use the Smithscript Cirque’s ranged option to influence movement, not merely to deal chip damage.
• Treat a multi-hit skill as a read-based punish instead of a default opener.
• Change direction after a missed attack so opponents cannot easily predict your recovery.

For official expansion information, review the Shadow of the Erdtree page from Bandai Namco, accessed 2026-08-29.

The standard Backhand Blade gives the most room for experimentation, while the Smithscript and Curseblade variants encourage more defined roles. Your ideal Ash of War depends on whether you need mobility, burst damage, status buildup, or a way to punish defensive movement.

Infusions should support the rest of your character rather than replace it. A Dexterity-focused character can prioritize a physical or Dexterity-oriented affinity, while hybrid characters may prefer an elemental option that matches their secondary attributes. Status-focused variants can work, but the value depends on enemy resistance, attack frequency, and whether the weapon’s scaling remains efficient for your build.

When selecting talismans or armor, prioritize the problems you actually encounter. If you regularly run out of stamina, more attack power will not solve the issue. If you survive but fail to punish openings, improve your timing and skill selection before rebuilding the entire character.

The category’s main advantage is flexibility in how it starts an exchange. It can approach with movement, pressure with repeated attacks, or create space with a specialized weapon option. Its main weakness is overcommitment: fast animations still have recovery windows, and aggressive play requires stamina control.

For a reliable first build, begin with Backhand Blade, a Dexterity-centered stat plan, and a moderate defensive loadout. After learning the moveset, compare Smithscript Cirque for spacing and Curseblade’s Cirque for burst-focused encounters.