You know that feeling when you find a weapon or a skill in a Souls game and suddenly the "impossible" boss feels like a bit of a joke? That’s exactly what happened when players first got their hands on Savage Lion's Claw in the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion. It’s not just a flashy upgrade. It is a fundamental shift in how you trade hits with the terrifyingly fast bosses of the Realm of Shadow.
The original Lion's Claw was already a legendary staple of the Elden Ring meta. It was the "Old Reliable." If a boss was being annoying, you just slapped that on a Greatsword, did a frontflip, and smashed their skull into the dirt. But the DLC introduced a two-hit variation that changes the math entirely. It’s aggressive. It’s risky. It’s incredibly satisfying.
Where Everyone Goes to Find It
First off, don't go looking for this in some deep, dark legacy dungeon. You won’t find it in Shadow Keep or Belurat. Instead, you need to head toward the Gravesite Plain, specifically the northern part of it. There’s a Three-Path Cross site of grace nearby. From there, you’re looking for a specific camp.
Just north of that Cross, you'll stumble upon a campsite where a Black Knight is hanging out. He’s not a major boss with a giant health bar at the bottom of the screen, but he’s a jerk. Beat him, and the Savage Lion's Claw Ash of War is yours. It’s a guaranteed drop. Honestly, it’s one of the easiest "top tier" items to get early in the DLC, provided you don't get poked to death by the knight's spear first.
Why Savage Lion's Claw Feels Different
The main difference is the follow-up. While the standard version is a single, devastating overhead flip, the "Savage" variant allows for an additional input. You do the first flip, slam the ground, and then—if you have the stamina and the guts—you press the button again for a second, even more violent rotation.
This second hit is where the magic happens.
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Poise damage is the secret currency of Elden Ring. Most people focus on the big numbers, the "AR" (Attack Rating). But the real pros look at how quickly a move can break a boss's stance. Savage Lion's Claw excels here because the second hit carries a massive amount of weight. If the first slam doesn't stun them, the second one usually does. It turns the game into a rhythm of "slam, slam, critical hit."
Hyper armor is the other side of that coin. When you are in the middle of that somersault, you are basically a boulder. Small hits from enemies won't even flinch you. You’re committed. You’re going down, and anything in your way is going down with you. This makes it the ultimate "trade" tool. You might take a bit of damage, but you’re dealing three times as much back.
The Gear That Makes It Broken
You can't just slap this on a dagger and expect results. It’s restricted to large weapons—Greatswords, Colossal Swords, Curved Greatswords, Greataxes, and Great Hammers.
If you want to actually see those "one-shot" style numbers, you have to lean into the build. The Shard of Alexander is a non-negotiable. It boosts the power of skills by 15%. That's huge. Then you have the Carian Filigreed Crest to lower the FP cost, because spamming this will drain your blue bar faster than you’d think.
People often forget about the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia or Milicent's Prosthesis. Usually, these are for fast weapons like katanas. However, since Savage Lion's Claw is a multi-hit attack, you can actually proc these buffs if you land both hits of the skill followed by a quick light attack. It’s a niche interaction, but it works.
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And don't sleep on the Two-Handed Sword Talisman. Since you're likely two-handing a giant slab of iron anyway, getting a flat damage increase to your attacks is just free money.
The Downside Nobody Mentions
I’m going to be real with you: it’s easy to get greedy. The animation for the second flip is long. In Shadow of the Erdtree, bosses like Messmer or Rellana don't just stand there and wait for you to finish your gymnastics routine. They move. Fast.
If you miss that second hit, you are wide open. You’re stuck in a recovery animation that feels like it lasts an eternity while a boss is winding up a 10-hit combo. It’s a "commitment" move. You have to know the opening is big enough. If you try to force a Savage Lion's Claw during a tiny window, you’re going back to the Site of Grace.
It also eats stamina. A lot of it. If you don't have at least 30-40 Endurance, you’ll find yourself landing the second hit and then having zero green bar left to roll away. That's a death sentence.
Comparison: Standard vs. Savage
A lot of players ask if they should even switch from the vanilla version. It’s a fair question. The original Lion's Claw is faster. It’s safer. If you just want to "pancake" an enemy and move on, the base version is fine.
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But the Savage version is for those who want to maximize the potential of a single opening. In the DLC, windows of opportunity are rare. You might only get one chance to attack every 10 seconds. In that one window, you want to do as much damage as physically possible. Two flips are better than one. It’s simple math.
Also, the "Savage" version just looks cooler. There’s a certain primal energy to it that fits the theme of the DLC perfectly. You feel like a beast.
Best Weapons to Pair With
- The Greatsword (Guts Sword): The classic. High reach, insane scaling.
- Bloodfiend's Arm: If you want to lean into the "meta" of the DLC, this thing with a Bleed infusion and Savage Lion's Claw is disgusting.
- Anvil Hammer: The fire damage and the sheer weight of this thing make the Ash of War feel like a literal meteor strike.
How to Actually Use It Without Dying
Stop trying to lead with it.
The biggest mistake I see is people running at a boss and immediately pressing L2. Don't do that. Wait for the boss to finish their flurry. Wait for that specific "heavy" slam they do that has a long recovery. That is when you go for the Savage Lion's Claw.
Also, use the Opaline Hardtear in your Flask of Wondrous Physick. Since this Ash of War encourages trading hits, you want as much damage negation as possible. Combine that with heavy armor—think Solitude Set or Bull-Goat—and you become an unstoppable force.
Actionable Strategy for Your Next Session
If you’re struggling with a boss right now, go grab this Ash. Here is the exact checklist to make it work:
- Go to Gravesite Plain. Beat the Black Knight north of the Three-Path Cross.
- Upgrade a Colossal Weapon. Use the "Heavy" infusion if you are a Strength build to get that S or A scaling.
- Equip the Shard of Alexander. If you don't have it, go finish Alexander's quest in the base game. It’s worth it.
- Level your Endurance. Aim for at least 35. You need to be able to roll after the second slam.
- Practice the timing. Go to the Gatefront Ruins in Limgrave and bully some poor soldiers to get a feel for the distance of the jump. It travels further than you think.
Stop playing tentatively. The DLC rewards aggression, but only if that aggression is backed up by massive poise damage. Savage Lion's Claw is the bridge between "surviving" a fight and "dominating" it. It turns the most intimidating enemies in the game into targets for your own personal brand of aerial destruction. Just remember to watch your stamina bar, or you'll find out exactly why they call it "Savage" when the boss hits you back.