Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree comes packing with 8 all-new weapon types. These range from Light Greatswords to some unorthodox weapons, which we haven’t seen in any of From Software’s other games. Amongst the new weapons added in the Elden Ring DLC are martial arts or, more precisely, hand-to-hand arts weapons.
This DLC weapon feels like it was yanked right out of Sekiro’s Combat Arts. What makes this weapon stand out, and where can you get them? All will be answered in this guide.
Martial Arts or Hand-to-Hand Arts Weapons in Elden Ring
These “magical” hand wraps will turn your character into a martial arts expert, just like Bruce Lee! Instead of wielding a sharp blade or heavy weapon, your character will unleash lightning-fast kicks and punches, leaving enemies no time to react. It’s all about fast, thrilling combos that will give you the upper hand in every battle.
This is one of the more exciting weapons for experimenting with and concocting creative builds around in Shadow of the Erdtree. Now you can play out the lone martial arts wanderer fantasy in Elden Ring.
Fortunately and unfortunately, only two martial arts/hand-to-hand arts have been discovered so far: Dryleaf Arts and Dane Footwork. Maybe there are more, but we have yet to find them. Let’s go over how you can get your hands on them.
1. Dryleaf Arts
The Dryleaf Arts are the first hand-to-hand arts you can get in the Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree.
The weapon’s lengthy combo and badass jump attack allow you to play aggressively. The chargeable Palm Blast weapon art is quite a haymaker. Additionally, the low low stat requirements of 8 STR and 8 DEX qualify almost any build to play with this weapon.
However, getting this weapon isn’t as straightforward as we might like. It is locked behind Dryleaf Dane’s (NPC) side quest, which you can miss if you are not vigilant.
How to get Dryleaf Arts?
Before going to meet Dryleaf Dane, you must first pick up the Monk’s Missive. This purple item is found next to the Highroad Cross Site of Grace in Scadu Altus. You need this item to unlock the “May the Best Win” emote. Don’t dismiss it; you will need it later.
The beeline way to get here is through Castle Ensis. Be careful of this route since Rellana, Twin Moon Knight boss, is blocking your way. Defeat her, and it’s smooth sailing from there to the Highroad Cross Site of Grace.
On the other hand, there is another longer yet safer path to this location if you are not up for facing the boss.
From the Castle Front Site of Grace, take the path to the east. This way will lead you through a poison swamp. Keep going straight until you see a shack near a cliff. The exact location and path are seen in the picture above.
When you are here, look for a stack of stones. Break them, and it will unlock a Spiritspring right next to them.
Use it to jump up and then use the next Spiritspring to reach the Fort of Reprimand. You don’t need to access the fort, interact with the Site of Grace, and jump down. From here, take the route we have marked above to reach the Highroad Cross Site of Grace.
Pick up the Monk’s Missive and acquire the May the Best Win gesture.
Now ride for the Moorth Ruins Site of Grace.
Here, you will meet Dryleaf Dane. The NPC won’t interact with you. You need to use the May the Best Win gesture in front of him. This will teleport you to an arena and trigger a mini-boss fight against Dryleaf Dane.
The NPC will fight using the Dryleaf Arts. This weapon is quite fast but has no range. A long weapon will make quick work of this boss. Once you defeat them, you will be sent back to your world, and on the ground, you will find the Dryleaf Arts for the taking.
2. Dane’s Footwork
Dane’s Footwork is very similar to Dryleaf Arts. It has the same stat requirements; however, it scales better with stats as you upgrade it. The main difference, as the name suggests, is that this martial arts weapon adds more footwork to its combo.
It effectively turns you into Hwoarang from Tekken. The weapon is more flashy than its more hands-focused counterpart. If you love martial arts role-playing, then this weapon is a must-have.
How to get Dane’s Footwork?
Progress through the main quest normally, and once you have defeated Romina, Saint of the Bud, and burned the Sealing Tree, you will be transported to Enir-Ilim.
Here, right before the final boss of Shadow of the Erdtree, you will have to locate the NPC, Needle Knight Leda. Interacting with her will initiate a boss fight.
It is a long trek from the beginning of the area to the boss fight, so I will post a video below to make it easy for you to follow:
This is a gank boss fight in which you must face Redmane Freyja, Hornsent, Dryleaf Dane, Moore, and Needle Knight Leda. It is not an easy fight, so you have to come prepared.
Once you beat them all and return to your world, the whole arena will be dotted with the corpses of your defeated foes. Loot them all for some amazing haul.
Amongst them will be the body of Dryleaf Dane. Grab the glowing item in front of the corpse, and you will receive the Dane’s Footwork hand-to-hand arts weapon.
The hand-to-hand arts/ martial arts are exclusively related to Dryleaf Dane’s questline. Follow the quest, and you will unlock the only two weapons of this kind. Although this weapon is weak compared to the other weapons in Shadows of the Erdtree, its spectacle in action is enough for everyone to give it a go.
Who doesn’t want the “everybody was kung fu fighting” to play in the background while they unleash their punches?