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Welcome all gamers! As you prepare for the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, which launches on June 21 this year, there are countless Dexterity-based weapons to choose from in Elden Ring, each with unique abilities and advantages. Here are my thoughts on which weapons you should focus on and upgrade to maximize your potential. Let's take a closer look!
First on our list is the Uchigatana. The Samurai is one of the most popular starting classes in Elden Ring. This katana moveset is quick, and the Ash of War: Unsheathe deals an enormous stagger to enemies. If you fancy power stancing, you can even pick up a second Uchi in the Deathtouched Catacombs in Limgrave.
The twist on the Uchi I'm going to recommend is that you go straight to Redmane Castle very early and grab the Red-Hot Whetblade. One of the deadliest starting setups is getting the Ash of War in the Ainsel River and infusing your Uchigatana with the Flame Art.
You could then grab the Flame-Shrouding Cracked Tear from the easier of the 2 minor Erdtree Avatars, put some levels into Faith, buff with Flame, Grant Me Strength, and completely annihilate most of the game. Picking up the Fire Scorpion Charm in Mt. Gelmir will further add to the devastation you can inflict.
If you're running a more Dexterity-centric build, then lightning or keen-infused Uchi will give you very high AR. Running lightning lets you stack more buffs effectively. You can use the Lightning-Shrouding Cracked Tear, Lightning Scorpion Charm, and Golden Vow to multiply your damage.
Next, we have the Nagakiba, another katana and quite similar to the Uchigatana, but with one key difference: its length and consequently, its reach. This moveset also has a thrusting attack on the charged heavy, making it more versatile.
There are 2 common ways to play the Nagakiba: one is making it cold-infused, and the other is lightning-infused. With the cold infusion, you can get a Frostbite buildup paired with your natural Bleed on the Nagakiba. With the lightning infusion, you get a really high AR that scales well with Dexterity.
For an Ash of War, you can use a quick, multi-hit one like the Spinning Slash. The Ash of War: Spinnng Slash paired with Frostbite and Bleed can deal devastating damage, and the AoE of the attack is great. You can also use your Elden Ring Runes to purchase some other buffs to make the game smoother.
Nagakiba's reach is ideal for dealing with dragons, and it simplifies most dragon fights by letting you just poke them in the head until they die. Because using shorter weapons can be a bit annoying, as you'll often miss the hitbox of the dragon.
You can get the Nagakiba off Bloody Finger Hunter Yura right at the beginning of the game in Limgrave, or you can follow his quest line until you get to Altus Plateau and get it from him when he's not doing so well at the Second Church of Marika.
The next one on the list is the Bolt of Gransax, which is the first Somber weapon today. You can get this spear when you visit the Leyndell, Royal Capital. It sits on top of the giant version of itself. You can access the area right after defeating Godfrey.
Being a Somber weapon means it's much easier to upgrade, especially if it's an alt weapon for your run. It works best on a high Dexterity build because lightning damage scales so well with Dexterity.
As a spear, this moveset is great for keeping distance, and the light attacks come out so quickly you can usually react and roll intuitively after attacking. The lightning damage gets boosted by all our buffs and the Lightning Scorpion Charm, with extra boosts when fighting on water, like against the twin Gargoyles.
The Ash of War is not interchangeable, being a Somber weapon, but it's excellent to have some ranged attacks like Lightning Spear in your pocket. Paired with the Shard of Alexander, this can really pack a punch. Not to mention it has a satisfying animation. As a spear, it's great for power stancing. I recommend the Cross-Naginata spear as its partner for Bleed buildup.
Next, we're talking quick attacks and Scarlet Rot buildup with the Antspur Rapier. You can find the Antspur to the west of the Shaded Castle after you kill the NPC Invader Maleigh Marais. The Antspur has a rapier moveset, which is really fun because of the quick recovery, allowing you to get more hits in and still dodge.
The weapon has a natural Scarlet Rot buildup, so it works great on bosses with large health pools like the Fire Giant or Dragonlord Placidusax. Although Placidusax has large resistance to all status buildup, you will eventually proc with enough hits. You can use the Ash of War: Repeating Thrust to further improve the Scarlet Rot buildup.
You can experiment with different infusions to add Bleed, Frost, or Poison. For instance, if you infuse this weapon with Poison, you can have Poison and Scarlet Rot buildup, and then you can buff with the likes of Bloodflame Blade to enhance the Bleed buildup as well.
Finally, the best Dexterity weapon I recommend on this list is the Flamberge. The Flamberge is a greatsword, so naturally, you might think it's for strength builds, but that's not the case. That's what's so fantastic about these games. You just need to hit the required stats to wield the weapon, and then you can infuse the weapon to suit your build.
The setup I recommend is keen-infused with that Dexterity scaling, while still allowing you to have weapon buffs. You can grab the Ash of War: Chilling Mist from the ruins just outside of Ranni's Rise tower in northwest Liurnia. When starting a boss fight, you can buff Flamberge with Bloodflame Blade.
Bloodflame Blade will add Bleed buildup to your weapon, but for weapons that already have a natural Bleed buildup like the Flamberge, it just goes crazy. This setup makes enemies proc blood loss so quickly, and then hitting the Ash of War to proc Frostbite rapidly can be unreal and devastating.
Those are the 5 overpowered weapons ideal for Dexterity builds in the Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. Which one catches your eye? Give them a try to see which suits your play style best.
Join me today as we explore the world of Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, discovering the 5 Arcane builds that will bring excitement and dominance to the Lands Between. This guide has something to offer for both experienced Sorcerers and those new to the Arcane. From devastating spell combinations to awe-inspiring magical weapons, these build will strike fear into your enemies.
The first build features the Ripple Crescent Halberd, a rare drop obtainable from the Albinaurics in Liurnia of the Lakes. It boasts S Tier scaling in Arcane, making it unique. What's remarkable about this weapon is its versatility in applying various status effects with any grease, thanks to its high arcane scaling. Even without grease, it deals with substantial physical damage.
For the build, the Rippled Crescent Halberd is the centerpiece. Additional components include the Dragon Communication Seal for buffs, granting an extra 35% physical damage and 15% damage negation from the Flame, Grant Me Strength, and Golden Vow.
The Spear Talisman and Rotten Wing Sword Insignia are essential, with flexibility in slot number 3. The recommended options are the Ritual Shield Talisman or the Shard of Alexander for maximizing Spinning Slash. To complement the build, the Flask of Wondrous Physick should include the Thorny Cracked Tear and the Greenburst Crystal Tear for successive attacks and additional stamina.
The next is an Arcane build utilizes dual daggers, focusing on the Reduvia weapon alongside the Occult Great Knife to leverage additional blood loss effects. This setup helps alleviate the need for constant spamming of the Ashes of War ability.
This build excels at swiftly dispatching bosses, even those immune to bleeding, because of its high attack speed and respectable physical damage output. Talismans are incorporated to enhance the proc attack power of Ashes of War and provide damage mitigation.
Here’s a breakdown of the essential gear: Reduvia and Occult Great Knife, Dragon Communion Seal, synergize well with Arcane and the White Mask. Then we also need Rotten Winged Sword Insignia, Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman or Green Turtle Talisman for extra stamina, Lord of Blood’s Exultation and Shard of Alexander.
For flask, opt for Thorny Cracked Tear and Greenburst Crystal Tear. Similar to the previous build, the utilization of Flame, Grant Me Strength, and Golden Vow buffs enhances physical damage output.
The next build focuses on utilizing one of the most underrated status effects to swiftly damage your enemies. This build centers on the use of Ashes of War and Poison Moth Flight. By triggering boosts from the Mushroom Crown and Rose’s Kindred, you can achieve a substantial damage increase with the 2 weapons utilized in this setup.
Here's a breakdown of the essential gear: Poison Uchigatana, Coil Shield (for fast Poison procs), Serpentbone Blade (for additional Poison buildup) and Dragon Communion Seal. Mushroom Crown (provides a damage boost when Poison is active), then we need Rotten Winged Sword Insignia, Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman, Kindred of Rot’s Exultation and Shard of Alexander.
For flask usage, opt for Thorny Cracked Tear and Greenburst Crystal Tear. Buffs such as Flame, Grant Me Strength, and Golden Vow enhance physical damage output and complement the build's on poisoning enemies for maximum effectiveness.
The next build centers on Varre's Bouquet, a weapon that can cause significant bleeding if your enemy is susceptible to it. However, adding Frost Grease may be advisable for an extra 20% damage boost when triggering Frost buildup alongside blood loss. You have the flexibility to use any grease on this weapon to build up status effects like Blood and Frost.
For this build, you'll need Varre's Bouquet, along with the Dragon Communion Seal for Flame, Grant Me Strength and Golden Vow. The White Mask provides a boost to bleed proc attack power, while the Lord of Blood’s Exultation, Axe Talisman, Dagger Talisman, and Shard of Alexander complement the build.
To complement the build's with heavy charged R2 attacks, use the Stonebarb Cracked Tear and Thorny Cracked Tear flasks to break your opponent's stance and execute critical strikes effectively.
The final build we have features the Regalia Of Eochaid. It's an Arcane build that relies purely on Dexterity and Arcane, with the weapon scaling equally in both attributes, although it leans slightly more towards the Arcane side. While we primarily focus on the Ashes of War, if you have 2 Regalias or another straight sword, the Dual Straight Sword move set can also be incredibly effective.
The Ashes of War can offer flexibility in combat strategies. Knowing when to fully charge it for maximum damage or to opt for quick bursts of damage is crucial. A fully charged Ashes of War can devastate bosses. Using the Dragon Claw to slam enemies to the ground allows for charging up the Eochaid's Dancing Blade to unleash unparalleled damage upon their recovery.
For this build, you'll need the Regalia Of Eochaid, the Dragon Communion Seal, and suitable armor providing over 51 Poise to withstand hits while charging the Ashes of War. Additional gear includes the Shard of Alexander, Dragon Crest Great Shield Talisman, the Godfrey Icon, and the Rotten Wing Sword Insignia.
For the Flask of Wondrous Physick, utilize the Stonebarb Cracked Tear and the Dexterity-knot Crystal Tear to complement the weapon's dexterity scaling. Buffs include Flame, Grant Me Strength, Golden Vow, and any Dragon Communion Incantations of your choice, with Dragonmaw being a personal preference.
Ever since the announcement of Elden Ring getting a DLC, there’s been rampant speculation online regarding the DLC’s exact release date. However, now it’s time for everyone to cease making blind guesses. FromSoftware has at last unveiled the inaugural gameplay trailer for Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, and it’s absolutely mind-blowing.
In a span of over 3 minutes, viewers are treated to a plethora of new environments, bosses, enemies, weapons, and more. Yet, perhaps the most exciting aspect is the imminent availability. The expansion is set to launch on June 21st for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, and PC.
Accompanying the trailer are numerous previews and interviews featuring director Hidetaka Miyazaki. What can players anticipate, and what elements make Shadow of the Erdtree so captivating? Explore 10 compelling reasons here.
FromSoftware’s biggest expansion to date is Shadow of the Erdtree DLC.
Take into account Bloodborne: The Old Hunters, which offers between 10 to 25 hours of playtime, and Dark Souls 3: The Ringed City, which added roughly 11 to 20 hours of gameplay, according to HowLongToBeat.
Years of fun and replay value have been offered by both expansions, and Shadow of the Erdtree appears to be much larger in scope.
While the Lands Between served as the backdrop for the original game, Shadow of the Erdtree unfolds in a fresh realm known as the Land of Shadow.
It’s not merely a new territory tacked onto the existing world map. It’s an entirely new world. Within this realm, players will uncover its hidden mysteries and seamlessly traverse between its diverse locales.
As showcased in the trailer, these locations span from lava-filled caverns and ruins adorned with hanging pots to expansive grasslands, all beneath the looming presence of the enigmatic Erdtree casting a foreboding shadow.
Speaking with Eurogamer, Miyazaki affirmed that the new map adheres to the structural framework of the base game. However, in terms of scale or sheer surface area, it dwarfs even Limgrave from the original game.
Considering Limgrave’s inclusion of three sub-regions and a Legacy Dungeon, this expansion’s scope is undeniably substantial.
It’s not just about size, though. With the expansion, FromSoftware is also redefining field design.
In contrast to the standard game, where the line between outdoor regions and dungeons is rather apparent, Miyazaki said the team aimed to delve deeper and create a denser, richer level design that blends both kinds of layouts together a little more smoothly. In order to provide a more varied gaming experience, the team has also experimented with something a little more in between the standard open spaces to ride around in agony and dungeons to explore.
To put it briefly, new regions that are distinct from the original game are to be expected. If you want to take on the challenge more easily, be sure to accumulate enough Elden Ring Runes to level up your character!
New weaponry and armor are standard features in any expansion developed by FromSoftware, and Shadow of the Erdtree is certainly no different.
The trailer exhibits a Gladiator-inspired ensemble complete with a striking fur cape, alongside a sleek red dress tailored for those with a keen eye for fashion. However, the allure lies primarily in the assortment of weapons. Although the exact count remains undisclosed, Miyazaki has verified the introduction of eight novel weapon classifications.
These encompass a hefty Japanese sword, a versatile dueling shield described by Miyazaki to Famitsu as blending offense and defense, and throwing daggers engineered for hurling in combat. Additionally, glimpses are offered of innovative selections, such as a fully automatic crossbow equipped with incendiary bolts and a fresh Twinblade paired with a shield.
“I believe even veterans who have extensively utilized existing weapon types in the main storyline will find these additions invigorating and gratifying,” Miyazaki remarks.
The adversaries depicted in the trailer, including the leech-like creature, appear vexing enough, but it’s the bosses that are anticipated to present the greatest challenges.
Miyazaki has confirmed the presence of over 10 new bosses, comprising a horned beast adorned with human body parts that unleash devastating lightning strikes, a porcupine-esque creature boasting a formidable bite, a peculiar skeleton mounted on horseback wielding a boomerang-like weapon, and a towering inferno fueled by burning bodies. Additionally, players can confront Mesmer the Impaler, a formidable adversary utilizing fiery assaults and occupying a pivotal role.
Furthermore, Miyazaki hints at a challenge comparable to that posed by Millennia in the base game, though the identity remains unconfirmed. As always, anticipation builds as we await further revelations, albeit at the cost of numerous defeats.
Lastly, the expansion introduces an array of new spells and abilities, with some showcasing truly remarkable capabilities.
Certainly, the expansion also introduces an array of fresh skills and weaponry, some of which are truly astounding. Among these are:
However, what has been revealed merely scratches the surface, leaving us eagerly anticipating what other marvels await.
During an interview with Eurogamer, Miyazaki affirmed the existence of numerous dungeons, including multiple Legacy Dungeons.
Several of these dungeons are showcased in the trailer, notably a grand, fortress-like structure reminiscent of Stormveil, albeit with the summit appearing dilapidated. Additionally, the arena belonging to Mesmer piques interest as it potentially occupies a distinct dungeon setting.
In summary, the full breadth of available dungeons is yet to be revealed. However, indications suggest a diverse selection awaits, catering to enthusiasts of the original game.
Exploring the Land of Shadow introduces players to fresh faces, some harboring “ulterior motives.”
The addition of these characters implies the potential for new side quests, the possibility of embarking on uncharted quest chains, or the chance to engage with additional vendors. Notably, the official website teases the introduction of fresh plotlines, promising to “enhance players’ RPG freedom.”
These narrative threads might lead to diverse outcomes, dependent on the paths players opt to pursue.
Nevertheless, it’s certain that the decisions made in the expansion won’t alter the outcome of the main storyline.
Moreover, Miyazaki clarified to Famitsu that the “progression of events in the main story will remain unaffected by the DLC’s content,” indicating that no new conclusions for the base game should be anticipated if players opt to embark on the Shadow of the Erdtree adventure first.
Players should anticipate a self-contained narrative within the realm of Shadow of the Erdtree, with resolutions confined to its confines. However, it wouldn’t be unexpected if this tale unveils a couple of earth-shattering revelations along the way.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is priced at $39.99, in contrast to The Ringed City at $14.99 and The Old Hunters at $19.99.
While various factors come into play when comparing the prices of DLCs from previous years with the current one, it’s notable that this expansion is only $20 less than the base price of Elden Ring.
Additionally, there are multiple editions available:
Moreover, players have the option to acquire a limited quantity of physical replicas of Messmer’s helm.
