Claw Talisman Elden Ring: Location, Patch 1.09 Nerf & Best Jump Attack Builds (PvE vs PvP)

Claw Talisman Elden Ring: Location, Patch 1.09 Nerf & Best Jump Attack Builds (PvE vs PvP)

The Claw Talisman in Elden Ring is one of the most straightforwardly powerful accessories in the entire game. Equip it, jump, swing — and watch your damage numbers climb. It boosts the damage of both jumping light attacks and jumping heavy attacks by 15% in PvE, making it a cornerstone of some of the most brain-meltingly effective builds in the Lands Between. But Patch 1.09 changed the story for PvP players, slashing the bonus in half. Whether you're a new Tarnished hunting it down for the first time or a veteran rethinking your PvP loadout, this guide covers everything: exact location, the full patch history, stacking synergies, and the strongest jump attack builds for both PvE and PvP.

What Is the Claw Talisman? Stats & Lore

The Claw Talisman depicts a claw and an assassin — a nod to the Ravenmount Assassins, a secretive order of killers who dress as birds of prey to ambush their targets. It's a flavourful piece of lore that fits perfectly with the talisman's function: rewarding aggressive, airborne attacks.

Effect: Increases the damage of jumping light attacks and jumping heavy attacks by 15% (reduced to 7.5% in PvP after Patch 1.09). This applies to all weapon types — from curved swords to colossal weapons — as long as the attack is a jump attack.

Scenario	Damage Bonus
PvE (all patches)	+15%
PvP before Patch 1.09	+15%
PvP after Patch 1.09	+7.5%

The talisman stacks multiplicatively with the Raptor's Black Feathers chest armor (which grants a ~10% jump attack bonus), meaning the combined multiplier is approximately 27% in PvE and 18% in PvP. That multiplicative stacking is what makes jump attack builds so devastatingly effective.

Claw Talisman Location: How to Get It in Stormveil Castle

The Claw Talisman is found in Stormveil Castle, the first major legacy dungeon in Elden Ring. The good news: you can grab it as soon as you've beaten Margit the Fell Omen and entered the castle. You don't need to defeat Godrick first. The bad news: the route involves a rooftop parkour sequence with hostile Warhawks (giant eagles) that will absolutely try to ruin your day.

Step-by-Step Route from Rampart Tower Site of Grace

1. Rest at the Rampart Tower Site of Grace inside Stormveil Castle. This is the most convenient starting point.
2. Exit through the southern door from the Site of Grace, then turn right and climb the spiral staircase upward.
3. Enter the outer hallway and follow it around until you reach an exit leading to the castle rooftops.
4. Use the pile of sandbags to climb up onto the wall, then jump across to the ledge of the attached tower.
5. Jump over to a nearby tower whose crown has been destroyed. Drop down into this tower, then down again onto a roof — watch out for the Warhawk patrolling here.
6. Cross the small connecting rooftop to the next building. You'll see a broken pillar leaning against a wall — climb up it.
7. Sneak around the ledge (more soldiers patrol here) and climb the ladder at the end.
8. At the top of the ladder, loot the corpse to receive the Claw Talisman.

The whole sequence takes about 3–5 minutes once you know the route. The Warhawks are the biggest hazard — they can knock you off ledges. Either kill them carefully or sprint past them. Given how early you can acquire this talisman and how long it stays relevant, the effort is absolutely worth it.

Patch 1.09 Nerf: What Changed and Why It Matters

Before Patch 1.09, the Claw Talisman granted a flat 15% damage bonus to jump attacks in all scenarios — PvE and PvP alike. Combined with the Raptor's Black Feathers, power-stanced weapons, and bleed status effects, this created PvP situations where a single jump attack could delete a significant portion of an opponent's health bar. The community was vocal about it, and FromSoftware responded.

The Patch 1.09 Change

Patch 1.09 reduced the Claw Talisman's PvP effectiveness from 15% to 7.5%, cutting the bonus exactly in half for player-versus-player encounters, via the Elden Ring Fandom Wiki. The PvE bonus was left completely untouched at 15%.

This was part of a broader wave of PvP balance adjustments in Patch 1.09, which also nerfed Seppuku's bleed buildup — a common pairing with jump attack builds. The intent was clear: jump attacks were too oppressive in invasions and duels, particularly when combined with fast multi-hit weapons that could chain bleed procs.

Patch 1.05 Bug Fix (Historical Note)

Earlier, Patch 1.05 fixed a separate bug where the Claw Talisman's effect was not being applied to the Starscourge Greatsword's jumping light attack when the weapon was two-handed. Since the Starscourge Greatsword is a paired weapon held in both hands simultaneously, the game wasn't registering the talisman bonus correctly. This was corrected in 1.05, making the Starscourge Greatsword a legitimate option for jump attack builds going forward.

Is the Claw Talisman Still Worth Using in PvP?

Yes — but with adjusted expectations. A 7.5% damage bonus on jump attacks is still meaningful, especially when stacked with the Raptor's Black Feathers (10% bonus, unaffected by the nerf). In PvP, the combined bonus from both pieces is approximately 18%. That's not nothing, but it means you can no longer rely on a single jump attack to one-shot opponents. Jump attacks in PvP are now more of a pressure tool and stance-break option rather than a pure nuke.

Jump Attack Mechanics: Why They're So Strong

Before diving into builds, it's worth understanding why jump attacks are so powerful in Elden Ring beyond just the talisman bonus:

• Poise damage: Jump attacks deal significantly more poise damage than regular attacks, making them excellent for breaking enemy stances and triggering critical hits.
• Partial i-frames: The lower half of your character has a brief window of invincibility during the jump animation, allowing you to dodge low-sweeping attacks from bosses.
• Multi-hit on power-stanced weapons: Power-stancing two weapons and performing a jump attack triggers both weapons simultaneously, multiplying status buildup (like bleed) at a rapid rate.
• Stamina efficiency: Jump attacks often deal more damage per stamina spent compared to standard heavy attacks, especially with colossal weapons.

These properties make jump attacks the backbone of some of the most efficient PvE strategies in the game, and the Claw Talisman amplifies all of them.

Best Synergies: What Stacks with the Claw Talisman

The Claw Talisman doesn't work in isolation — its true power comes from stacking it with complementary gear. Here are the key pieces:

Raptor's Black Feathers (Chest Armor)

Found in Sage's Cave on the west side of Altus Plateau, behind multiple illusory walls. This chest armor grants approximately +10% jump attack damage and stacks multiplicatively with the Claw Talisman for a combined ~27% bonus in PvE. It's the single most important gear piece to pair with the Claw Talisman.

Gravebird's Blackquill Armor (Shadow of the Erdtree DLC)

Introduced in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, this chest armor functions identically to Raptor's Black Feathers — granting a ~10% jump attack bonus. If you own the DLC, you have a second option for the chest slot that may offer better defensive stats depending on your build.

Raptor Talons (Claws Weapon)

The Raptor Talons weapon has an innate 7.5% bonus to jumping light attacks and a 6.6% bonus to jumping heavy attacks baked into the weapon itself. Using them as your primary weapon means you're stacking three separate jump attack bonuses simultaneously.

Millicent's Prosthesis

This talisman increases Dexterity by 5 and raises attack power with successive hits — +4% after 3 hits, +6% after 6 hits, +11% after 9 hits, via the Elden Ring Fandom Wiki. Since jump attacks on power-stanced curved swords hit multiple times per swing, this talisman ramps up quickly and synergizes beautifully with fast multi-hit weapons.

Rotten Winged Sword Insignia & Winged Sword Insignia

These talismans also raise attack power with successive attacks (the Rotten version has a higher cap). They stack with Millicent's Prosthesis for an even steeper damage ramp during extended combo sequences.

Lord of Blood's Exultation

Raises attack power by 20% for 20 seconds whenever blood loss occurs nearby. Pair this with bleed-infused weapons and you'll be triggering it constantly during boss fights, turning every bleed proc into a damage amplifier for your next jump attack.

White Mask (Helm)

Raises attack power by 10% for 20 seconds when blood loss occurs nearby — similar to Lord of Blood's Exultation but for the head slot. Often used alongside it in bleed-focused jump attack builds.

Best Jump Attack Build for PvE (The Bleed Destroyer)

This is the definitive PvE jump attack build — widely regarded as one of the most powerful and accessible setups in the entire game. It combines bleed status, multi-hit jump attacks, and stacking damage multipliers to delete bosses at a shocking pace.

Weapons

Dual Bandit's Curved Swords (Blood affinity) or Dual Gargoyle's Twinblades (Blood affinity with Seppuku). The Bandit's Curved Sword is the more accessible option — farmable from Bandits in the Weeping Peninsula early in the game. Its jump attack hits four times per swing when power-stanced, which means bleed builds up at an insane rate. The Gargoyle's Twinblade variant is harder to obtain (requires NG+ or co-op for a second copy) but hits even harder per swing.

Alternative: Dual Bloodhound's Fangs — the Bloodhound's Fang has an innate jump attack bonus built into the weapon itself, making it a natural fit. Requires NG+ for two copies.

Armor

• Head: White Mask (Mohgwyn Palace area — raises ATK when blood loss occurs)
• Chest: Raptor's Black Feathers (Sage's Cave, Altus Plateau — +10% jump attack damage)
• Hands/Legs: Mix for poise or fashion — Bull-Goat Greaves work well for poise if you want to trade hits

Talismans

• Claw Talisman — +15% jump attack damage
• Lord of Blood's Exultation — +20% ATK on blood loss nearby
• Rotten Winged Sword Insignia — stacking ATK bonus with successive hits
• Millicent's Prosthesis — +5 DEX and stacking ATK bonus with successive hits

Stats (Target Level ~150)

• Vigor: 60
• Mind: 15–20
• Endurance: 25–30
• Strength: 18 (minimum for Bandit's Curved Sword)
• Dexterity: 40–50
• Arcane: 60–80 (primary scaling stat for Blood affinity)

Flask Tears

• Thorny Cracked Tear — raises attack power with successive attacks (stacks with your talismans)
• Greenburst Crystal Tear — boosts stamina recovery for more jump attacks per window

How to Play

Activate your Flask of Wondrous Physick before engaging. Jump attack repeatedly — each swing hits four times, rapidly building bleed. Once bleed procs, Lord of Blood's Exultation and the White Mask both activate, spiking your damage for the next several seconds. Keep jumping and the cycle repeats. Most bosses susceptible to bleed will die before they can mount a meaningful counterattack. Community testing confirms this setup can defeat Mohg, Lord of Blood in under 10 seconds, via r/EldenRingBuilds.

Best Jump Attack Build for PvP (Post-Patch 1.09)

PvP jump attack builds need to be rethought after Patch 1.09. The 7.5% PvP bonus on the Claw Talisman is still worth slotting, but the strategy shifts from "one-shot with a jump attack" to "use jump attacks for stance breaks and pressure while dealing respectable damage."

Weapons

Dual Twinblades (Blood or Occult affinity) remain strong in PvP. Their jump attacks are fast, hard to read, and deal multi-hit damage that still builds bleed effectively. The Gargoyle's Twinblade and Black Gargoyle's Twinblade are top-tier options. Alternatively, Halberds are excellent for PvP jump attacks — their long reach makes it extremely difficult for opponents to roll away, and the jump attack's arc covers a wide area.

Armor

• Head: White Mask or a helm with good poise
• Chest: Raptor's Black Feathers (still worth it for the 10% bonus)
• Legs/Hands: Prioritize reaching 51–59 poise so you can trade hits without being staggered mid-jump

Talismans

• Claw Talisman — still a 7.5% bonus in PvP, worth the slot
• Lord of Blood's Exultation — bleed procs happen frequently in PvP, making this consistently active
• Rotten Winged Sword Insignia — the stacking attack bonus ramps up quickly in PvP exchanges
• Bull-Goat's Talisman — increases poise, helping you complete jump attacks without being interrupted

PvP Strategy

In PvP, jump attacks serve a different purpose than in PvE. Use them to break your opponent's poise and open them up for a critical hit. The jump animation also has partial lower-body invincibility, letting you dodge low sweeps. Mix jump attacks with running attacks and Ashes of War to keep opponents guessing. Don't spam jump attacks predictably — experienced PvP players will punish the landing recovery. Use them as a mix-up tool rather than your primary damage source.

Strength Build Alternative: The Colossal Bonk

Not every jump attack build needs to rely on bleed. Pure Strength builds using dual Giant-Crusher Hammers or dual Colossal Swords deliver some of the highest single-hit jump attack damage in the game, via Dual Shockers. A jump heavy attack from power-stanced Giant-Crushers can stagger almost any enemy in the game and deal enormous raw damage.

For this style, swap Millicent's Prosthesis and Rotten Winged Sword Insignia for Shard of Alexander (boosts Ash of War damage) and Two-Headed Turtle Talisman (faster stamina recovery). You'll need heavy investment in Endurance since colossal weapons drain stamina quickly, but the payoff is absurd poise-breaking power.

Claw Talisman vs. Other Damage Talismans: Is It Worth the Slot?

With four talisman slots available (after collecting all Talisman Pouches), you're always making trade-offs. Here's how the Claw Talisman competes:

Talisman	Effect	Best For
Claw Talisman	+15% jump attack damage (PvE)	Any jump attack build
Shard of Alexander	+15% Ash of War damage	AoW-focused builds
Ritual Sword Talisman	+10% ATK at full HP	Careful, tanky playstyles
Two-Handed Sword Talisman	+15% two-handed attack damage	Single colossal weapon builds
Millicent's Prosthesis	+5 DEX, stacking ATK up to +11%	Fast multi-hit builds

For a dedicated jump attack build, the Claw Talisman is almost always worth the slot in PvE. Its 15% bonus applies to every jump attack regardless of weapon type, HP level, or combo state — it's unconditional. In PvP, the calculus is closer, and you might consider swapping it for a defensive talisman like Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman depending on your playstyle.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Claw Talisman work with all weapon types?

Yes. It applies to jump attacks from every weapon category — daggers, curved swords, greatswords, colossal weapons, halberds, spears, and even fist weapons. The only requirement is that the attack must be a jump attack (light or heavy).

Does the Claw Talisman stack with Raptor's Black Feathers?

Yes, and they stack multiplicatively. In PvE, the combined bonus is approximately 27% (1.15 × 1.10 = 1.265, rounded). In PvP post-Patch 1.09, the combined bonus is approximately 18% (1.075 × 1.10 = 1.1825).

Was the Claw Talisman nerfed in PvE?

No. Patch 1.09 only reduced the PvP effectiveness from 15% to 7.5%. The PvE bonus remains at 15% and has never been nerfed.

Can I get the Claw Talisman before fighting Godrick?

Yes. The talisman is located on the rooftops of Stormveil Castle and can be retrieved without defeating Godrick the Grafted. You only need to have entered the castle (i.e., defeated Margit).

Is there a second copy of the Claw Talisman?

No. There is only one Claw Talisman per playthrough. You cannot duplicate it or find a second copy. If you want it in NG+, you'll need to retrieve it again from Stormveil Castle.

Final Verdict: Should You Use the Claw Talisman?

In PvE, the answer is an unqualified yes. A free 15% damage bonus on one of the most spammable attack types in the game, available before you've even cleared the first major castle, is exceptional value. It fits into virtually every physical damage build and requires zero stat investment. Stack it with Raptor's Black Feathers and you're looking at a 27% jump attack bonus before any weapon infusions, status effects, or other talismans enter the picture.

In PvP, the Claw Talisman is still viable but no longer dominant. The 7.5% bonus is meaningful, and jump attacks remain a useful tool for stance-breaking and mix-ups. But you're no longer going to one-shot experienced players with a single leap. Treat it as one piece of a broader PvP toolkit rather than the centerpiece of your strategy.

The Claw Talisman is one of Elden Ring's best-designed accessories: easy to understand, rewarding to build around, and available early enough to shape your entire playthrough. If you haven't grabbed it from that Stormveil Castle watchtower yet, close this guide and go get it right now.