In Elden Ring, critical hits are one of the most satisfying ways to deal massive damage, whether you're backstabbing an unsuspecting enemy or landing a well-timed riposte after a parry. For Tarnished players looking to optimize their builds around critical strikes, there are several items in the Lands Between that can significantly boost your potential. From Talismans to Ashes of War and even armor, here are 14 Elden Ring items that enhance critical damage and how to best use them.
- Dagger Talisman
One of the most straightforward options, the Dagger Talisman increases critical hit damage by 15%. It’s particularly useful for players who favor weapons with high critical stats, like daggers or rapiers. You can find it in Volcano Manor, making it accessible relatively early for aggressive builds.
- Ritual Sword Talisman
Though not directly increasing critical damage, this talisman boosts overall attack power when your HP is full. Pairing it with critical hits lets you start an encounter with devastating efficiency. It complements a hit-and-run or ambush strategy well.
- Misericorde
This dagger has the highest critical rating (140) in the game, making it the go-to offhand weapon for anyone planning to fish for criticals. Combine it with weapon buffs or bleed effects to further amplify its lethality.
- Black Knife
This legendary dagger not only offers a solid critical hit rating but also deals damage over time thanks to its unique blade effect. It’s excellent for bosses and high-health enemies where you want your critical hits to have lingering impact.
- Lionel’s Set
While not directly boosting critical damage, Lionel’s armor offers exceptional poise. This can allow you to tank through incoming hits while setting up parries or backstabs, giving you more opportunities for critical strikes.
- Royal Knight’s Resolve (Ash of War)
This Ash of War increases your next attack's damage, which includes critical hits. Activating it before a riposte or backstab can result in colossal damage numbers. It's a favorite for one-shot builds in PvP and PvE alike.
- Flaming Strike
Used correctly, Flaming Strike adds fire damage to your weapon and buffs your attack power, indirectly raising the output of critical hits. It’s especially potent when combined with high-critical weapons like the Misericorde.
- Assassin’s Crimson Dagger
This talisman restores HP upon landing a critical hit. While it doesn't increase damage directly, it enables more aggressive play by letting you sustain through well-timed criticals. Excellent for dual-wielding or rogue-style builds.
- Assassin’s Cerulean Dagger
Similar to the Crimson Dagger but restores FP instead of HP. For builds that rely on frequent weapon skills or sorcery/melee hybrids, this is a subtle but useful support item that rewards consistent parrying and backstabs.
- Crepus’s Vial
This item silences your movement, helping you approach enemies unseen for a clean backstab. While it's more of a utility item, it's invaluable for players who want to maximize their critical opportunities in stealth scenarios.
- Blue Dancer Charm
Boosts attack power when equipped with light load, which can synergize with builds focused on quick movement and stealth for consistent critical damage. It’s not a direct crit booster, but the bonus can make a difference in execution-heavy builds.
- Red-Feathered Branchsword
Like the Ritual Sword Talisman, this boosts attack power but when your HP is low. High-risk, high-reward players who rely on last-minute parries or surprise backstabs can benefit from this in PvP or boss fights.
- Bloodhound’s Fang
This curved greatsword has decent crit potential and comes with a powerful weapon art that lets you dodge and counter in one move. It's a good hybrid weapon for players who want a bit of everything—damage, mobility, and style.
- Raptor’s Black Feathers
This chest piece increases jump attack damage, which can be chained into critical strikes or used to startle enemies before landing a riposte. It's often used in crit-based PvP builds that rely on explosive burst damage.
Whether you're a backstab enthusiast or a parry master, enhancing your critical damage in Elden Ring can turn a good build into a great one. Many of the items listed above are accessible without needing to grind endlessly or over-level, making them attractive options even for mid-game builds. Of course, for those who want to experiment with multiple setups, it’s always helpful to have access to cheap Elden Ring runes and cheap Elden Ring items to streamline the process.
Building around critical damage adds a unique playstyle to the game—one that rewards timing, patience, and positioning. And when it all comes together, there’s nothing quite as satisfying as watching an enemy collapse from a single, well-placed blow.