In Elden Ring, many weapons appear deliberately underpowered, novelty items meant to amuse rather than dominate. Varre's Bouquet is presented exactly this way: a blood-soaked bouquet of roses wielded like a mace, gifted by the unsettling White Mask Varre. On the surface, it looks like a gimmick weapon with poor base damage and questionable scaling. Yet beneath that appearance lies one of the most quietly broken weapons in the game-so effective within Elden Ring Runes its niche that FromSoftware never dared to buff it, likely knowing how easily it could become oppressive.

Why Varre's Bouquet Is So Strong

The power of Varre's Bouquet does not come from raw damage numbers. Instead, it derives from exceptional bleed scaling combined with fast strike speed and synergy with Arcane-focused builds. At higher upgrade levels, the weapon's Hemorrhage buildup becomes absurd relative to its weight and stamina cost. Bleed in Elden Ring is percentage-based damage, meaning it scales naturally into late game and New Game Plus without requiring high base attack values.

What makes Varre's Bouquet particularly dangerous is how consistently it procs bleed. Enemies with large health pools-bosses, invaders, and late-game elites-melt rapidly once Hemorrhage triggers repeatedly. Against these targets, the bouquet's low base damage becomes irrelevant. The bleed does the real work.

Weapon Skill and Scaling Advantages

Varre's Bouquet uses Blood Tax, a multi-hit thrusting skill that rapidly stacks bleed while restoring HP on hit. This creates a feedback loop: you deal damage, build Hemorrhage, and heal yourself simultaneously. In sustained fights, especially against humanoid enemies, this turns the weapon into a self-sustaining pressure tool.

The weapon scales primarily with Arcane, making it ideal for bleed-centric builds that already invest heavily into the stat. When paired with Seppuku-infused offhand weapons, Lord of Blood's Exultation, and White Mask helm bonuses, Varre's Bouquet becomes deceptively lethal. Every bleed proc boosts attack power, accelerating the next proc even faster.

Why FromSoftware Never Buffed It

Varre's Bouquet sits in a delicate balance space. On paper, it looks weak. In practice, it is already borderline oppressive in PvP and extremely effective in PvE against bleed-susceptible enemies. Buffing its base damage or scaling would push it from "hidden gem" into outright meta dominance.

FromSoftware likely recognized that the weapon's strength lies in systems design rather than raw stats. Because bleed is already one of the strongest mechanics in Elden Ring, any direct buff to the bouquet would risk trivializing large portions of the game. As a result, the weapon remains unchanged-quietly powerful, but not obvious enough to spark widespread outrage.

How to Get Varre's Bouquet

Obtaining Varre's Bouquet requires progressing through White Mask Varre's questline. After completing his tasks and invading players or NPC phantoms, you eventually gain access to Mohgwyn Palace. Upon concluding Varre's storyline, the bouquet is rewarded directly.

Notably, this weapon becomes available relatively early compared to its effectiveness. Players who understand bleed mechanics can acquire it well before the game's difficulty spikes, allowing it to carry builds deep into the endgame.

How to Use Varre's Bouquet Effectively

To maximize Varre's Bouquet, players should focus on:

High Arcane investment

Talismans that boost attack after bleed (Lord of Blood's Exultation)

Fast, aggressive playstyles that maintain pressure

Pairing with bleed-enhancing gear and buffs

It excels in close-range combat where repeated hits are guaranteed. While it struggles against bleed-immune enemies, most of the game's toughest foes remain vulnerable.

Conclusion: Quietly One of Elden Ring's Best Weapons

Varre's Bouquet is a masterclass in deceptive design. What appears to be a novelty weapon is, in reality, one of Elden Ring's most broken tools when cheap Elden Ring Runes used correctly. Its reliance on bleed mechanics rather than raw damage explains why it never received buffs-and why it never needed them. For players willing to look past appearances, Varre's Bouquet offers devastating power wrapped in roses and blood.