How to get Dryleaf Arts in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree

Dryleaf Arts is a new weapon introduced in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree that lets players pull off some flashy martial arts maneuvers. The devs provided glimpses of this new weapon type through pre-release trailers and players have been excited to try it out ever since.

The weapon can be tricky to find since it’s directly linked to a quest but we have you covered. Here’s how to get Dryleaf Arts in the Elden Ring DLC.

Where to find Dryleaf Arts

To get Dryleaft Arts, you’ll need to challenge Dryleaf Dane to a duel and defeat him.

The fight against Dane isn’t too difficult. Like most human NPCs, he doesn’t have a ton of poise so you can interrupt his attacks. His moveset consists of quick combos with an array of punches that can catch you off-guard. So, keep your distance, observe his attacks, and then look to counter. Make sure to roll away from his Palm Blast attack, which he charges for a second before executing.

To get to the duel itself, you’ll first have to defeat Rellana, Twin Moon Knight, and access the Scadu Atlas region. Once you’re there, head to the Highroad Cross site of grace which will most likely be the first site you’ll discover after arriving in the region.

You’ll find the Monk’s Missive note and the May the Best Win gesture here. Reading the note will reveal that Dryleaf Dane is waiting for you at a location east of the grace site. It also mentions that you need to challenge him to a duel if you wish to pursue “the way of the warrior.”

Follow his instructions and head east. Eventually, you’ll arrive at Moorth Ruins where you’ll find the NPC standing near a Miquella’s Cross. Interacting with him draws no response, so just perform the May the Best Win gesture in front of him and you’ll trigger the duel.

Once Dryleaf Dane is defeated, you’ll be transported back to the cross where you’ll be able to pick up the Dryleaf Arts weapon.

Overview & stats

Dryleaf Arts are the new hand-to-hand fighting style introduced with Shadow of the Erdtree. The weapon’s attack chain consists of rapid punches and flashy kicks that feel really satisfying to pull off. Light attacks lead into Heavy attacks seamlessly and their quickness can help dish out big damage within seconds.

With that said, jumping into combat with your fists leaves you vulnerable to being punished. So, you’ll have to be careful while launching into long combos, especially against the DLC’s grueling bosses.

Check out the base stats for Dryleaf Arts:

• Attack Power
  • Physical – 80
  • Critical – 100
• Guard Damage Negation
  • Physical – 35
  • Magic – 20
  • Fire – 20
  • Lightning – 20
  • Holy – 20
  • Boost – 20
• Scaling
  • Strength – D (Requires 8)
  • Dexterity – D (Requires 8)
• Ash of War
  • Palm Blast

Best build

Since the Dryleaf Arts weapon is all about pace and maneuverability, it’s paired best with a DEX build but it also works well if you’re pooling points in Strength instead. First, make sure to level up the weapon to +25 and have STR and DEX leveled up to at least 40.

For the Ash of War, we recommend going with the Dryleaf Whirwind. You’ll find this skill near a waterfall just ahead of the Rauh Ancient Ruins, East site of grace. The skill sees the Tarnished unleash a flurry of kicks that deal devastating damage, making it an ideal pick for the weapon.

Using Dryleaf Arts combos will leave you open to getting punished so you’ll have to boost your damage negation stats. For this, we suggest incantations like Golden Vow. The build hinges on your attack power so make sure to buff it using Flame, Grant Me Strength.

For talismans, we have Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman, Shard of Alexander, Rotten Winged Sword Insignia, and Shattered Stone Talisman. Our picks boost the powers of successive attacks, including the potency of kicking skills, while the Dragoncrest Talisman buffs physical damage negation significantly.

With all the pieces in place, all that’s left is the armor. This one’s all about preference just don’t go too heavy or max out the equip load.

Dryleaf Arts isn’t the only new weapon in Elden Ring. So, make sure to check out all the new Backhand Blades, and the Ancient Meteoric Ore Greatsword.