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Is Giant Crusher the Best Strength Weapon?

The short answer? No, the Giant Crusher isn’t universally the best strength weapon in Elden Ring, but it’s undoubtedly one of the most powerful and popular. Its effectiveness is highly situational and depends on your build, playstyle, and the specific challenges you face. While it boasts unparalleled raw damage and stagger potential, its slow swing speed and high weight can be significant drawbacks for some players.

Giant Crusher: The King of Bonk

The Giant Crusher’s allure lies in its sheer, unadulterated power. Few weapons in Elden Ring can match its massive damage output on a single hit. This makes it particularly effective for:

One-shotting weaker enemies: The Giant Crusher can obliterate many early- to mid-game enemies with a single charged heavy attack.
Staggering larger bosses: The immense impact force of the Giant Crusher can quickly build up posture damage, allowing for critical hits and significant damage windows.
Jump attacks: Combined with the Talisman that boosts jump attacks, Giant Crusher jump attacks are devastating.
Pure strength builds: If you’re committed to maximizing your strength stat, the Giant Crusher is one of the best options for showcasing that investment.

However, the Giant Crusher also has its weaknesses:

Slow attack speed: The weapon’s incredibly slow swing speed leaves you vulnerable to enemy attacks and makes it difficult to react quickly to changing situations.
High weight: The Giant Crusher is one of the heaviest weapons in the game, requiring a significant investment in Endurance to avoid fat-rolling. This can limit your armor options and overall mobility.
Limited moveset: While effective, the Giant Crusher’s moveset is relatively simple and lacks the versatility of some other strength weapons.
Not ideal for fast-paced encounters: Against agile enemies and bosses, the Giant Crusher can struggle due to its slow attack speed.

Alternatives to the Giant Crusher

While the Giant Crusher is a top contender, several other strength weapons deserve consideration, each offering a different balance of power, speed, and utility:

Greatsword: A classic choice, the Greatsword offers a good balance of damage, range, and attack speed. It’s versatile and effective in a variety of situations.
Bloodhound’s Fang: While technically a Curved Greatsword and scaling with Dexterity as well, this unique weapon deals excellent damage, causes bleed build-up, and has a unique weapon art that provides both damage and mobility.
Ruins Greatsword: Acquired after defeating the Misbegotten Warrior and Crucible Knight boss fight, it scales with Strength, Intelligence, and Dexterity, making it good for quality builds. Its weapon skill is very potent.
Grafted Blade Greatsword: A colossal sword with incredible stats, and a strong weapon skill, but it is very heavy and requires high stats.
Maliketh’s Black Blade: A powerful weapon obtained by exchanging Remembrance of the Black Blade at Roundtable Hold. It scales primarily with Strength, Dexterity, and Faith. The Weapon Skill is very strong, allowing the user to damage enemies from a distance.
Great Stars: A great hammer with inherent health regeneration on hit. Pairs well with bleed builds.
Warhammer: A solid all-around hammer with good damage and poise break.

Ultimately, the “best” strength weapon is subjective and depends on your individual preferences and playstyle. Experiment with different weapons to find one that feels comfortable and effective for you.

Customizing Your Giant Crusher Build

To maximize the Giant Crusher’s potential, consider these build strategies:

Maximize Strength: Focus on leveling your Strength stat to increase the weapon’s damage. Aim for at least 60 Strength, and ideally 80.
Invest in Endurance: You’ll need a significant amount of Endurance to equip the Giant Crusher without fat-rolling. Prioritize this stat early on.
Prioritize the Talisman that boost jump attacks: This is incredibly useful for taking advantage of the jump attack, which can deal massive damage.
Utilize Ashes of War: The Giant Crusher can be infused with various Ashes of War to add elemental damage or change its moveset. Consider options like Lion’s Claw or Determination.
Consider poise damage: Increase your poise to trade blows easier, and use the weapon’s skill to break enemy poise.

FAQs about Giant Crusher and Strength Builds

H3 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What are the stat requirements for the Giant Crusher? You need 60 Strength to wield the Giant Crusher effectively.
Where can I find the Giant Crusher in Elden Ring? The Giant Crusher is located in a chest behind a carriage in the Outer Wall Phantom Tree area of the Leyndell Royal Capital.
Is the Giant Crusher good for PvP? Yes, but its slow speed can be a disadvantage against skilled players. Utilize its stagger potential and heavy attacks strategically.
What is the best Ash of War for the Giant Crusher? It depends on your playstyle, but Lion’s Claw, Determination, and Royal Knight’s Resolve are all excellent choices.
Can I dual-wield Giant Crushers? Yes, by obtaining a second Giant Crusher in New Game Plus or through trading with another player. The damage is insane.
Does the Giant Crusher scale with any stats other than Strength? It has a small amount of scaling with Dexterity, but Strength is the primary stat to focus on.
What talismans are best for a Giant Crusher build? The Jump Attack Talisman, Green Turtle Talisman (to increase stamina recovery), the Great-Jar’s Arsenal (for equip load), and the Erdtree’s Favor (for health, stamina and equip load) are all good choices.
Is the Giant Crusher viable for endgame content? Yes, but you’ll need to optimize your build and learn enemy attack patterns to compensate for its slow speed.
How can I deal with fast enemies while using the Giant Crusher? Utilize jump attacks and charged heavy attacks to stagger them. Consider using an Ash of War that provides more mobility.
What armor should I wear with a Giant Crusher build? Choose armor with high poise and physical defense, while still allowing you to medium roll (not fat roll).
Is the Giant Crusher good for farming runes? Yes, it can one-shot many common enemies, making it efficient for rune farming.
How does the Giant Crusher compare to other colossal weapons? It generally has higher raw damage, but slower attack speed compared to weapons like Greatsword.
What is the best infusion for the Giant Crusher? Heavy infusion to maximize Strength scaling.
Does the Giant Crusher benefit from buffs? Yes, weapon buffs like Golden Vow and Flame, Grant Me Strength greatly enhance its damage output.
What is the best strategy for using the Giant Crusher against bosses? Learn their attack patterns, focus on staggering them with charged heavy attacks and jump attacks, and take advantage of critical hit opportunities.

In conclusion, while the Giant Crusher isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, its incredible damage and stagger potential make it a formidable strength weapon in Elden Ring. Mastering its unique strengths and mitigating its weaknesses is key to unlocking its full potential. Experiment, adapt, and find the playstyle that works best for you, and you’ll be crushing enemies in no time!

Is Giant Crusher the best strength weapon?