The Ritual Thrusting Shield is a brand-new Thrusting Shield weapon added to Elden Ring via the Tarnished Edition update, also available as part of the Tarnished Pack DLC for all platforms. Blending the defensive capabilities of a shield and the offensive potential of a melee weapon, this unique armament lets players attack and block incoming damage at the same time. It is one of the overpowered new Elden Ring DLC weapons with accessible early-game acquisition and balanced combat performance for both casual and creative builds. Here, let's explore Ritual Thrusting Shield location and best builds to use it.
Elden Ring Ritual Thrusting Shield Stats, Location & Builds
The Ritual Thrusting Shield is a specialized Thrusting Shield added in the Elden Ring Tarnished Edition. Unlike traditional shields that focus solely on defense or standard melee weapons that prioritize offense, it combines reliable blocking and thrusting attacks in one equipment slot. Lore-wise, this shield was originally used in ancient combat rituals held to honor the Erdtree, a sacred practice that has long faded over time. It deals standard and pierce damage, offering flexible offensive pressure while maintaining solid defensive coverage in fights.
Elden Ring Ritual Thrusting Shield Stats
Below are the base stats of the Ritual Thrusting Shield, including attack power, guard resistance, attribute scaling, and equipment requirements. This weapon has no upgrade progression, so its base stats remain fixed throughout the game.
Attack Power: Physical 135, Magic 0, Fire 0, Lightning 0, Holy 0, Critical 100
Guard Resistance: Physical 82, Magic 42, Fire 35, Lightning 52, Holy 50
Guard Boost: 55 (determines stamina consumption when blocking attacks)
Weight: 9.0 (medium-weight armament, requiring moderate stamina investment)
Damage Type: Standard / Pierce
Upgrade Status: Non-upgradable (n/a)
Attribute Scaling: Strength (D), Dexterity (D), Intelligence / Faith / Arcane (No scaling)
Stats Requirements: Strength 13, Dexterity 12
Elden Ring Ritual Thrusting Shield Weapon Skill (Ash of War): Shield Strike
The Ritual Thrusting Shield comes with the fixed default skill Shield Strike, with no FP cost required to use, making it completely sustainable for prolonged combat.
This skill allows players to launch direct offensive strikes using the shield itself. A unique feature of Shield Strike is its combo potential: players can input repeated attack commands after the initial strike to chain up to three consecutive follow-up attacks. These strikes maintain the weapon’s pierce and standard damage properties, letting players press offensive pressure while keeping their shield raised for quick block counters.
Notably, the shield’s basic blocked R1 attacks are faster than regular melee attacks, enabling quick poke damage and responsive guard counter opportunities against enemy assaults.
Elden Ring Ritual Thrusting Shield Location & How to Get
The Ritual Thrusting Shield can be obtained very early in the game at the Caelid Colosseum, it is one of the most accessible new weapons in the Tarnished Edition. No boss defeats are required to collect it.
1. Travel to the Caelid Colosseum located in the Caelid region.
2. Head to the main entrance of the colosseum, where you will find the massive Great-Jar NPC.
3. Proceed into the first interior room directly behind the Great Jar.
4. Locate the corpse resting near the door of the interior bleachers.
5. Loot the corpse to obtain the Ritual Thrusting Shield.
Note: You will need Stone Sword Keys to fully access the colosseum interior area. Watch out for sniper golem enemies in the surrounding area while approaching the location, as they can deal sudden heavy damage.
Elden Ring Ritual Thrusting Shield Builds
Given its dual Strength/Dexterity scaling, medium weight, and fast shield strike combos, the Ritual Thrusting Shield supports two practical and fun build styles, suitable for both meta combat and casual creative gameplay.
1. Basic Guard Counter Build (Beginner-Friendly)
This build focuses on the weapon’s core defensive and counterattack strengths, perfect for new players learning Thrusting Shield mechanics. Prioritize leveling Strength and Dexterity to meet scaling needs, and invest moderately in Vigor for survivability and Endurance for blocking stamina.
The core gameplay loop is simple: block enemy attacks to trigger guard counters, then chain Shield Strike combos for burst physical damage. This build excels against melee-focused enemies and standard bosses, offering stable defense and consistent damage output without high attribute investment.
2. Spinning Weapon Hybrid Build (Creative Casual Build)
For players seeking a unique and entertaining playstyle, the Spinning Weapon hybrid build is a popular choice. This build abandons repetitive block-spam gameplay and leverages the weapon’s pierce damage and fast attack speed for continuous spinning offensive pressure.
Focus on leveling Strength first, with minor investments in Dexterity and Intelligence to complement hybrid damage bonuses. Pair the shield with damage-boosting buffs to enhance spinning attack output. While this build is not the most optimal for high-difficulty boss fights, it delivers highly fluid and fun combat, with surprising stagger potential against regular enemies and mid-tier bosses.
