What is affinity damage elden ring

There’s a wide range of weapons that you can equip as you progress through the Lands Between in Elden Ring. But to fight stronger bosses, you need weapons of higher scaling. You can increase the scaling of a weapon by applying the Ashes of War and affinities onto the weapon. Speaking of affinities, they not only increase the power scaling but also adds status and damage effects. You can apply affinities once you have obtained Whetblades for the affinities. As there are over 12 affinities, players are fairly confused about which affinities to choose. So, here’s our guide on whether to choose standard or quality affinity in Elden Ring.

While the Standard affinity scales the weapon’s attributes to its default stat, Quality affinity balances its Strength and dexterity attributes. Though the quality affinity balances the weapon’s Strength and Dexterity, it lowers the base damage. So, Quality affinity can increase the scaling damage of these attributes but reduce base damage. In addition to that, the Quality affinity also applies some passive effects depending on the Ashes of the war.

Although choosing a suitable affinity for a weapon is solely your choice to decide. It differs and depends on the stats of a weapon you are applying it onto. If the strength and dexterity attributes are already balanced out, we suggest going for the Standard affinity. Always look at the numbers of the Base damage and the Scaling when applying affinity to a weapon.

Scroll till the end to find out all the affinities and their effects.

Elden Ring Weapon Affinities

These are all the different types of affinities you can apply to a weapon:

• Standard: It is the normal default state.
• Sacred: Although it balances out the Holy damage and faith attributes, it decreases all other scaling and base damage.
• Quality: Balances out the Strength and Dexterity scaling while lowering other attributes.
• Poison: It increases Strength, Dexterity, and Arcane scaling. Also adds a Poison build-up status effect.
• Occult: Though increases Arcane scaling decreases other attributes and scaling.
• Magic: Balances out the Magic and Intelligence scaling at the cost of physical base damage. While increasing Magic defense lowers all other defenses.
• Lightning: Boosts the Dexterity and adds Lightning damage. But decreases the base damage and other attributes.
• Keen: Increases the Dexterity attributes but reduces other attributes.
• Heavy: While it increases the Strength attributes, it reduces all the other attributes.
• Fire: It adds to Fire damage and boosts the Fire defenses. But reduces the base damage and another scaling.
• Cold/Frost: Enhances the Intelligence scaling but reduces other scaling and base damage.
• Blood: Increases the Arcane scaling but decreases other attributes and scaling. Adds a Blood loss or Hemorrhage status build-up.

That’s everything on whether to choose a Standard or quality affinity in Elden Ring. If you liked this guide, check out our other guides on how to get & use ashes of war, crossbow vs bow, and two-handed vs dual wield in Elden Ring right here on Gamer Tweak.

There are various ways to use special skills and upgrades on your character and weapons. For weapons, you will have to increase their affinity to be able to use these special skills. In this guide, we will see more about what affinities are and what they do in Elden Ring.

Elden Ring Weapon Affinities Explained

Affinities are special skills that you can unlock and upgrade on your weapons. It can help deal elemental damage or status elements on your enemies. Upgrading the affinity can also alter with the scaling value, so you can set it accordingly. Here we will see more about affinities and what they are in Elden Ring.

Read More: Elden Ring’s Weapon Upgrades Explained

To upgrade your weapon’s affinity, you will need Ash of War. It is an item that is dropped from bosses, or you can find them in the Lands Between, or purchased from merchants. But to apply the Ash of War, you will also need Whetstone. Various Whetstones give bonuses along with the stats from the Ash of War. There are different types of Ash of War to collect in Elden Ring as well. Fortunately, you can get one Whetstone Knife early in the game and you can probably get your hands on the Storm Stomp Ash of War first.

Now that you have your Whetstone and Ash of War, you will need to know what affinities it will imprint on your weapon. There are 12 affinities in total in Elden Ring, and below is a list of all of them.                                                                                           

• Standard: No affinity, default weapon stats.
• Heavy: Increase in Strength scaling, decrease in all other attributes.
• Keen: Increase in Dexterity scaling, decrease in all other attributes.
• Quality: Balances Dexterity and Strength scaling, decrease all other attributes.
• Magic: Increases Intelligence scaling with split in physical/magical damage, decreases all default scaling
• Sacred: Increases Faith Scaling with split in physical/holy damage, decreases all default scaling
• Fire: Increases physical/fire damage, decreases all default scaling
• Lightning: Increases Dexterity scaling with split in physical/lightning damage, decreases all default scaling.
• Cold: Increases Intelligence scaling with Frostbite attacks, decreases all default scaling
• Blood: Increases Arcane scaling with Bleed attacks, decreases all default scaling
• Occult: Increases Arcane scaling and prevents undead enemies to auto-revive, decreases all default scaling
• Poison: Increases Dexterity, Arcane, and Strength scaling with Poison attacks

That’s all there is to know about weapon attributes in Elden Ring. If you liked this guide you can check out our other guides as well.

I get that affinities are properties you add to your weapon like poison, lightning, etc. So does this mean affinity damage negation is pretty much just elemental damage negation, or is there something I’m not understanding?

Affinities define the damage your weapon has, and a build cannot be complete without a proper affinity in Elden Ring. This guide will explain how the affinities work and how to change them in Elden Ring.

One of the many ways of increasing a weapon’s damage is through affinities. There are different types of affinities available in the game, and they all have different effects on the weapon.

If you use the right weapons with the right class and add just the perfect affinity, you’ll have yourself a build that is unmatchable.

Weapon Affinities

There are twelve different affinities available in Elden Ring. The affinities and their effects are defined below.

Whether you pick up a weapon, craft it, or purchase it, they’ll all have affinities.

Standard Affinity

Standard affinity offers nothing. It’s basically a weapon without any affinity with its standard stat scaling.

Heavy Affinity

With this affinity, the strength scaling of the weapon is enhanced. However, all other attribute scaling is reduced.

Keen

With this affinity, the dexterity scaling of the weapon is enhanced. However, all other attribute scaling is reduced.

Quality

If you want both the dexterity and strength scaling of the weapon to be enhanced with a balance, then this affinity is for you. However, all other attribute scalings will be reduced.

Magic

You can opt for this affinity if you’re willing to enhance the intelligence scaling of your weapon at the expense of its default scaling. For example, the weapon’s damage type would divide between physical and magical damage.

Fire

Your weapon will be capable of doing both fire and physical damage. However, this would happen at the expense of weapon’s default scaling.

Lightning

The dexterity scaling of your weapon will improve at the expense of its default scaling. Your weapon will now have physical as well as lightning damage.

Sacred

Faith scaling is enhanced at the expense of weapon’s default scaling. In addition, the weapon will now have physical and holy damage.

Cold

This affinity allows you to attack the enemies with frostbite using your weapon. Other than that, the intelligence scaling of your weapon is enhanced at the expense of the weapon’s default scaling.

Blood

With this affinity, you’ll be able to make the bleed attack and enhance the Arcane scaling of your weapon.

Occult

This affinity is the same as Blood, only that it also prevents the dead from rising again.

Poison

Strength, Dexterity, and Arcane scaling of the weapon increases, and it becomes capable of making poison attacks.

How to Change Affinities in Elden Ring

Whetstones allow you to change your weapon’s Affinity by applying Ashes of War. There are four different kinds of Whetstones available, and you’ll unlock them as you progress through the game.

The very first Whetstone that you’ll unlock is Whetstone Knife.

Whetstone Knife

Found near Gatefront Ruins in Limgrave, Whetstone Knife allows you to upgrade your weapons. What upgrade is done to the weapon depends on the Ashes of War that you use.

Iron Whetblade

Found at Stormveil Castle in Limgrave, Iron Whetblade allows you to add Heavy, Keen, and Quality affinities to your weapon. The rest of the upgrades are dependent on what Ashes of War you use.

Glintstone Whetblade

Found near the Academy of Raya Lucaria in Liurnia, Glinststone Whetblade allows you to add Magic and Frost affinities to your weapon.

Black Whetblade

Found near Nokron, The Eternal City, Black Whetblade allows you to add Black, Occult, and Poison affinities to your weapon.