Sword of Night can be found at the end of Ymir questline and is the perfect choice for any defensive build that just wants to sit behind a Great Shield and stab you to death. It is a unique Katana in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree.

Sword of Night is a good Katana that can hit pretty hard with a fast attack speed, has real combos in its pocket, and can punish defensive builds with quite ease. If you are struggling with how to build this sword for the best results, read on.

Pros And Cons Of Sword Of Night

Pros

• + Fast Attacks
• + built in Bleed (45)
• + Heavy Attack hits twice in a row
• + Uncharged Ash of War is a combo into Heavy Attack
• + Ash of War cannot be blocked

Cons

• - Single hits deal low damage and low poise damage
• - No armor during Ash of War, so it’s easy to interrupt
• - Ash of War cannot be changed.
• - Shorter range than other swords

A big part of what makes Sword of Night unique is that it has a solid set of moves and a special Ash of War called Witching Hour Slash. This attack can hit three times, charge up for more damage, and cannot be blocked by opponents. It also has true combo functionality, going from an uncharged Witching Hour to an uncharged heavy attack. So if you do a Witching Hour Slash and heavy attack combo, you can deal a ton of damage to your opponent, and if they’re using a low vitality build, it’ll kill them outright.

The strength of Witching Hour also presents a problem for this weapon. Witching Hour Slash animation is long and has no armor, so it’s easy for aggressive opponents to either hit each other or simply knock you out of this Ash of War. While the combo itself does a ton of damage, single hits or your basic heavy attacks don’t do much damage or balance damage.

But these weaknesses don’t stop Sword of Night from being a perfect choice for shielded enemies or players who are looking for a fun Katana and a fun Ash of War. Its strengths will also make it more useful in PvP than in PvE. For PvP, Witching Hour Slash’s multi-hit nature and Sword of Night’s heavy attack make it very useful when picking up the ball. Witching Hour Slash can’t be blocked, so it’s also a perfect weapon for countering opponents who rely too much on Great Shields or heavy evasion.

Recommended Armor

Since Sword of Night can be knocked out easily, it must rely on weapons to keep its balance. As long as you reach a balance of at least 76. You can wear almost any armor with this weapon, which is the ideal breakpoint to keep you protected from most light attacks. If you want to protect against almost all light weapon attacks and most medium weapon attacks, you will need to build a balance of 98 to 125. If you haven’t found your favorite armor yet, you may be interested in IGGM discord group. There will be product giveaways from time to time, including armor, weapons, and various Elden Ring Items, so remember to be active in the discord group!

Recommended Weapon Pair

Pairing it with another weapon can help alleviate the disadvantage of Sword of Night’s lower damage. Having a weapon with a long range but slow swing speed, such as colossal weapons, Great Spears, or Great Katana, can complement Sword of Night well. Because the long-range weapon makes up for sword’s weak range, but Sword of Night’s fast swing speed can cover short distances.

In addition, you can choose to pair Sword of Night with another samurai sword to increase the damage caused. You can wield two Katanas and still use Witching Hour Slash. While your range is still limited, the damage output at close range makes up for it.

Related: Elden Ring: How To Use New Fist Weapons In Shadow Of The Erdtree Effectively? - Locations & Effects

Best Stats For Sword Of Night

Because it can only be expanded through Dexterity, and not its Ash of War or Infusion, you need to have a total Dex of 80 to get the most damage out of this weapon.

Also, having 40 or 45 Arcane points ensures that your Bleed activations deal more damage, allowing you to make the most of Bleed effect in PvE.

Best Talismans With Sword Of Night

The best talismans with Sword of Night can help increase its low damage output or make it more survivable. Here are some amulet options to consider:

Shard Of Alexander

It increases Witching Hour Slash damage by 15%. Have a talisman that can enhance your Ash of War damage. Helping you take full advantage of your damage window when using Witching Hour Slash and punishing greedy shield users, this Talisman should be considered a consistent staple in Sword of Night.

Godfrey Icon

Godfrey Icon adds 15% more damage to a fully charged Witching Hour Slash. This is better for PvE, where you are more likely to land a fully charged Witching Hour Slash on bosses and slower enemies. If used with enough poise and combined with Shard of Alexander, a fully charged Witching Hour Slash will give you an advantage when they try to hit you with your Ash of War.

Bull-Goat’s Talisman

Balance is an important attribute in Sword of Night for players who plan to use Ash of War often. Bull-goat’s Talisman can increase your Balance by 33%, making it a great fit for your build if you want to reach above 98 Balance without giving up Lightweight.

Rotten Winged Sigil Talisman/Millicent’s Prosthesis

Sword of Night attacks quickly, and with three attacks in Witching Hour Slash, it’s pretty easy to keep both Talismans active to deal more damage. Equipping both Talismans at the same time allows you to maximize attack damage without relying on Ash of War, but some builds prefer spare Talisman slots over increased damage on multi-hit attacks.

Two-Handed Sword Talisman

If you plan on using Sword of Night with both hands, Two-Handed Sword Talisman increases its damage by 15%. Bringing its damage to a decent level, but not as good as having a better weapon on the other hand. If you prefer to use Sword of Night’s moveset completely, this Talisman is a must-have.

Sword of Night is a worthy choice. So pick up this blade and brave the world of Elden Ring!