You finally did it. You climbed the literal branches of a crumbling world-tree, traded blows with a god’s shadow, and somehow survived the most beautiful, frustrating boss fight in FromSoftware history. The Elden Beast is dead. Your reward? A twisted, golden spine of a blade that looks like it was plucked straight from the nervous system of a deity. It’s called the Sacred Relic Sword, and honestly, it’s the most polarizing weapon in the entire Lands Between. Some players think it’s a "cheaty" way to play, while others won't even start New Game Plus without it.
The truth is somewhere in the middle.
It’s not just a trophy. It’s a tool. If you’ve spent any time on social media or Reddit’s r/EldenRing, you’ve seen the videos. A player stands on a cliffside, swings a glowing sword, and a massive wave of gold erases an entire army of frog-men. That is the Sacred Relic Sword in its natural habitat. It’s the ultimate endgame reward that fundamentally changes how you interact with the game's economy. But beyond the meme-tier rune farming, there’s a surprisingly deep weapon here that rewards specific builds and a bit of mechanical know-how.
Why Wave of Gold is the Only Move That Matters
Let’s get the obvious stuff out of the way first. You want this sword because of the "Wave of Gold" weapon art. It’s absurd. Basically, you swing the sword and a literal tsunami of holy energy spreads out in a massive cone, traveling further than almost any other projectile in the game. It doesn't just hit hard; it passes through enemies. It ignores shields. It knocks back smaller foes.
Most people head straight to the Palace Approach Ledge-Road in Mohgwyn Palace the second they get this thing. You know the spot. The Albinaurics—those grey, cartwheeling aliens—are just sitting there, minding their own business. One press of the L2 (or LT) button and you’ve just cleared thirty of them in four seconds. In a high-level New Game Plus run, that’s tens of thousands of runes in the blink of an eye. It makes the grind for Level 150 or 200 actually feel possible for people who have jobs and families.
But don’t make the mistake of thinking this is only for farming. In the DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, there are several gauntlets where you’re swarmed by shadows or man-flies. The Sacred Relic Sword turns those nightmare encounters into a casual stroll. It provides a level of crowd control that no "Bonk" build or Katana-wielder can match.
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Getting the Sword: The Final Hurdle
You can't just stumble into this. To get the Sacred Relic Sword, you have to beat the game. Period. You need the Elden Remembrance, which drops from the Elden Beast after you finish the fight at the Erdtree’s core. Take that soul to Enia at Roundtable Hold and trade it in.
One thing people often forget? You have a choice. You can get Marika's Hammer or the sword. Unless you are a die-hard Strength build enthusiast who loves smashing things with a literal stone mallet, you pick the sword. Every single time. If you want both, you’ll need to track down a Wandering Mausoleum with a bell to duplicate the Remembrance, but let's be real: the sword is the priority.
The Build: Making Holy Damage Actually Work
Holy damage has a bit of a bad reputation in Elden Ring. Most of the late-game bosses—Radagon, the Beast, Maliketh—have massive resistance to Holy. It’s like trying to put out a fire with a flamethrower. However, for 90% of the rest of the game, Holy is actually pretty decent.
If you want to maximize the Sacred Relic Sword, you need to lean into Faith. The weapon scales with Strength (D), Dexterity (B), and Faith (C) at +10. Don't be fooled by the C-scaling in Faith; it’s what fuels the Wave of Gold damage.
- Dexterity: This is your primary physical scaling. Aim for 40-60.
- Faith: This is the engine. You want at least 50 Faith to see those massive numbers on your weapon art.
- Talismans: You need the Shard of Alexander. No excuses. It boosts the power of skills by 15%. Pair it with the Sacred Scorpion Charm for extra holy damage, though keep in mind that talisman makes you take more physical damage. It's a glass cannon trade-off.
- The Flask: Use the Holy-Shrouding Cracked Tear. It’s a temporary 20% boost to your holy output.
I've seen players try to run this with a pure Strength build. It’s a waste. You’re using a scalpel like a sledgehammer. Play to the sword’s strengths. It’s a finesse weapon that happens to have a nuclear option attached to the hilt.
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The PVP Controversy: Is It Toxic?
If you invade someone and they’re standing at the top of a staircase with a Sacred Relic Sword, you’re probably going to have a bad time. In the early days of the game, Wave of Gold was a nightmare in 3v1 situations. The wave is so wide that if three people are spamming it, there’s literally nowhere to roll.
However, in a 1v1 duel? It's actually kind of mediocre. The wind-up for the wave is long. Like, "I can go make a sandwich while you're charging that" long. Any experienced player is going to see that golden glow, wait for the timing, and roll right through the wave. Since the recovery time on the swing is also pretty slow, you’re basically begging to be backstabbed or hit with a jumping heavy attack.
Honestly, the Sacred Relic Sword is a "noob stomper." It punishes players who panic and roll backward. If you’re fighting against it, roll forward. The wave passes through you, and suddenly you’re in the face of a guy holding a sword he doesn't know how to swing properly because he’s spent the last ten hours killing frogs.
Misconceptions and Nuance
A lot of guides tell you that holy damage is useless in the DLC. That’s just not true. While the final bosses of Shadow of the Erdtree do have high resistances, many of the annoying "trash mobs" and even some field bosses are quite susceptible. The Sacred Relic Sword is surprisingly effective against the Putrescence Knight and certain undead enemies that plague the lower levels of the Map.
Also, let’s talk about the physical moveset. It’s a Greatsword. It has the standard Greatsword "swing-swing-poke" rhythm. While it’s not as fast as a Claymore, it has decent reach. It’s a beautiful weapon, visually. The way the light catches the twisted metal is stunning. Sometimes, in a game that’s as dark and oppressive as this one, it’s nice to carry something that looks like it belongs in a cathedral rather than a sewer.
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How to Optimize Your Rune Farm
Since most people use this for the Mohgwyn Palace farm, let’s optimize it. You shouldn't just be swinging blindly.
- Gold Scarab Talisman: This is non-negotiable. It increases rune gain by 20%. You find it in the Abandoned Cave in Caelid.
- Gold-Pickled Fowl Foot: These are craftable. Use them. They stack with the Scarab.
- Positioning: Stand exactly at the top of the ramp. Don't go down. Aim slightly to the left. One wave should clear the first two clusters. A second wave clears the stragglers.
- Reset: Sit at the site of grace immediately. Don't wait for the "Rune" pop-up to finish. The runes are credited the moment the enemy dies.
If you’re efficient, you can pull in millions of runes per hour. Is it boring? Yes. Is it necessary if you want to try out every single weapon in the game without spending 400 hours on a single character? Absolutely.
The Verdict on the Sacred Relic Sword
It’s the ultimate "End of an Era" weapon. It represents the moment you stopped being the victim in the Lands Between and started being the master. It’s not the best boss-killing weapon. It’s not the best PVP weapon. But as a general-purpose tool for exploration, farming, and clearing out the clutter of the world, nothing else touches it.
It feels earned. After the stress of the Elden Beast, having a "Delete" button for standard enemies feels like a fair reward.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Build:
- Check your stats: If your Faith is below 40, go to Rennala and respec. The Sacred Relic Sword is a Faith weapon first, everything else second.
- Locate the Shard of Alexander: If you haven't finished Alexander’s questline, do it. The damage difference for Wave of Gold is staggering with that talisman equipped.
- Upgrade to +10 immediately: Use your Somber Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone. The scaling jump from +9 to +10 is one of the more significant ones for this specific blade.
- Test the reach: Go to the Gatefront Ruins and see exactly how far that wave goes. Learning the maximum distance will save your life in the DLC when you're trying to thin out mobs from a distance.
The Sacred Relic Sword is your reward for surviving the madness. Use it to fund your next build, explore the corners of the map you skipped, and finally reach those high-level soft caps. Just don't expect it to carry you through a duel with a skilled invader who knows how to dodge.