How to Get the Cleanrot Knight Sword in Elden
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How to Get the Cleanrot Knight Sword in Elden Ring
Cleanrot Knight Sword Farming TipsThe Cleanrot Knight Sword is one of the more visually distinctive straight swords in Elden Ring — its design ties directly to Malenia’s Cleanrot Knight order, and its Spinning Slash Ash of War gives it aggressive gap-closing capability that most straight swords lack. The farming grind is the main barrier: low drop rates without Item Discovery investment can stretch to 50+ runs, but with Silver Scarab, Silver Tear Mask, and a Fowl Foot active simultaneously most players have the sword within 20–30 minutes of focused farming. The DLC locations in the Cerulean Coast are the most efficient source if you have Shadow of the Erdtree, offering cleaner environments and slightly higher enemy density than the Elphael run. Once you have it, upgrade it to +25 with the appropriate affinity for your build and the Spinning Slash becomes a reliable tool in both PvE and PvP for closing distance on enemies that try to stay outside your swing range.FAQ
⚡ Quick Answer
How to Get the Cleanrot Knight SwordThe Cleanrot Knight Sword is a rare drop from Cleanrot Knights — found in Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree and the Lake of Rot in the base game, and in the Cerulean Coast and Shadow Keep areas of Shadow of the Erdtree. Equip the Silver Scarab Talisman and use a Silver-Pickled Fowl Foot to maximise Item Discovery before farming. Expect 10–20 runs at 250+ Discovery to get the drop.
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Reach the Shadow Realm to access DLC Cleanrot Knights. The fastest Cleanrot Knight farming in the DLC requires entering Shadow of the Erdtree first — defeat Mohg, Lord of Blood and interact with Miquella’s withered arm to enter. Once inside, progress through the Shadow Keep until you reach the Cerulean Coast region east of the main path, where multiple Cleanrot Knights patrol in open areas and can be reset easily by resting at the nearest Site of Grace.
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Alternative: farm Cleanrot Knights in Elphael (base game). If you have not purchased Shadow of the Erdtree, Cleanrot Knights are available in the base game at Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree — the final legacy dungeon before Malenia. Multiple Cleanrot Knights guard the corridors and the outer ramparts. The Prayer Room Site of Grace in Elphael is the best farming anchor — several Cleanrot Knights respawn within a short run from it. This location is available without the DLC but requires completing the Haligtree path via the Consecrated Snowfield.
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Maximise Item Discovery before each run. The Cleanrot Knight Sword has a low base drop rate — boosting Item Discovery significantly shortens farming time. Stack these before starting: Silver Scarab Talisman (+75 Discovery, found in the Hidden Path to the Haligtree) · Silver Tear Mask (+8 Arcane) · Silver-Pickled Fowl Foot (consumable, +50 Discovery for 3 minutes). With all three active and base Arcane around 20, you can push Discovery above 280 — roughly tripling the base drop rate compared to default stats.
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The farming loop: Site of Grace → kill → reset. Rest at your chosen Site of Grace to respawn the Cleanrot Knights. Kill every Cleanrot Knight in the route — prioritise the ones closest to the Grace for the fastest loop. If a Cleanrot Knight drops the sword it appears in your inventory automatically. Do not exit to the menu between kills — the Fowl Foot timer continues through rests but stops if you close the game. A single loop should take 60–90 seconds; most players get the drop within 15–25 runs at high Discovery.
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Check weapon stats and upgrade path. The Cleanrot Knight Sword is a Straight Sword with base scaling in Strength (D) and Dexterity (C), requiring 11 Strength and 16 Dexterity to wield. It comes with the Spinning Slash Ash of War and can be infused with any Whetstone Knife upgrade at a Site of Grace to change its scaling and damage type. It upgrades with regular Smithing Stones up to +25 and responds well to a Keen or Quality affinity depending on your build.
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Use the Spirit Calling Bell to help kill Cleanrot Knights faster. Cleanrot Knights are moderately tanky and punish greedy play with their spear combos and Scarlet Rot buildup. Summoning a Spirit Ash during the farming run makes each kill safer and faster — the Mimic Tear or any high-HP summon works well here. Speed through the route without getting caught in long fights — you want kills per minute, not a clean duel each time.
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Raise Arcane stat to boost Item Discovery passively: every point of Arcane adds directly to Item Discovery. If you are farming for this sword and have spare levels, invest 5–10 points into Arcane temporarily — each point is worth roughly 1–2 Discovery. Combined with the Silver Scarab and Silver Tear Mask this is the most efficient way to push Discovery above 300 for very fast drop rates on dedicated farming sessions.
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Lake of Rot Cleanrot Knights are accessible earlier but harder: the Lake of Rot in Ainsel River contains Cleanrot Knights reachable before Elphael, but the Scarlet Rot environment makes farming there tedious without Preserving Boluses or high Immunity. Only use this location if you specifically need the sword before reaching the Haligtree. The Ainsel River route gets you there, but Elphael or the DLC are strictly better farming zones.
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The Cleanrot Knight Sword scales best with a Keen affinity: applying Keen affinity at a Whetstone Site of Grace shifts the scaling to Dexterity (B) and removes the Strength scaling entirely — ideal for Dexterity builds. At +25 Keen with 80 Dexterity it outputs competitive damage for a straight sword and benefits from all Dex-scaling buffs like the Two Fingers Heirloom talisman. Quality affinity (C/C Str/Dex) is the better choice for Quality builds wanting both stats.
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Watch for Scarlet Rot buildup during the farming route: Cleanrot Knights deal Scarlet Rot buildup with their spear attacks — in the Elphael environment this stacks with environmental sources. Keep Preserving Boluses or a high-Immunity armor piece equipped during the farming run. Getting Rotted mid-loop wastes time and the Fowl Foot consumable timer. The DLC Cerulean Coast location is cleaner — no environmental Rot buildup from the ground.
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Kill all Cleanrot Knights in the route, not just the first one: every Cleanrot Knight in your farming loop is an independent roll for the drop — killing 4 per run quadruples your chances compared to killing just 1. Map out the full route from the Site of Grace and commit to clearing every Cleanrot Knight on it before resting. The extra 30–45 seconds per loop is always worth it for the increased drop probability.
Where do Cleanrot Knights drop the Cleanrot Knight Sword?
Cleanrot Knights can drop the Cleanrot Knight Sword in Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree (base game), the Lake of Rot (base game), and the Cerulean Coast and Shadow Keep areas of Shadow of the Erdtree (DLC). Elphael’s Prayer Room Site of Grace is the best base-game farming anchor. The DLC Cerulean Coast is the most efficient location if you have Shadow of the Erdtree.
How do you increase the drop rate for the Cleanrot Knight Sword?
Stack Item Discovery before farming: equip the Silver Scarab Talisman (+75 Discovery), wear the Silver Tear Mask (+Arcane), and use a Silver-Pickled Fowl Foot consumable (+50 Discovery for 3 minutes). Investing points into Arcane also raises Discovery passively. With all three active at 20+ Arcane you can push Discovery above 280, roughly tripling the base drop rate.
What are the stats and requirements for the Cleanrot Knight Sword?
The Cleanrot Knight Sword is a Straight Sword requiring 11 Strength and 16 Dexterity. It scales with Strength (D) and Dexterity (C) at base, upgrades with regular Smithing Stones to +25, and comes with the Spinning Slash Ash of War. Applying Keen affinity shifts it to a Dexterity (B) scaling weapon, making it ideal for Dex builds.
Do I need Shadow of the Erdtree to get the Cleanrot Knight Sword?
No — the Cleanrot Knight Sword drops from Cleanrot Knights in the base game at Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree and the Lake of Rot. Shadow of the Erdtree adds additional Cleanrot Knight farming locations in the Cerulean Coast and Shadow Keep, but the sword itself is obtainable without the DLC as long as you have progressed to the Haligtree area.