Pickaxe is a very exotic Great Hammer in Elden Ring DLC. It has a very large damage output and scales with Strength and Dexterity. In this guide, we’ll talk about how to farm this Pickaxe in the game, and talk about the characteristics of the weapon itself, which you may find interesting even if you are a veteran player of Elden Ring.

To farm this weapon, you obviously need to know which enemy will drop it, and the only one who can do that is Miner who wields them. This is important because there is another type of Miner, called Glintstone Miner, also known as the Sorcerer Miner, and they are equipped with Digger’s Staff. Don’t make a mistake, otherwise you will not only not get Pickaxe you need but also waste your time and hard-earned Elden Ring Runes.

Ruin-Strewn Precipice

If your character is at an intermediate level, the best place to get Pickaxe is at Ruin-Strewn Precipice Site of Grace, which is located on the map.

From this Site of Grace, you’ll want to head back to the tunnel to the southeast instead of taking the lift. There are six Miners in this area. Once you reach the open room here, head left immediately. After you see the first Miner, note that there are three more to the east. Next, you’ll need to head toward another tunnel, ignoring Vulgar Militia in the small room to the right, as they’re not doing anything right now.

After killing the three Miners, head up the stairs in the middle of the room, and then don’t go any further. Kill the two Miners that are hanging out there and watch to see if they drop anything. If not, run back to Site of Grace and repeat the process until you get Pickaxe.

However, if one of them happens to drop something, quickly grab their body and run back to Site of Grace. There’s an invisible trigger on the wooden platform here that will make all four Vulgar Militia in the area come and attack you. It is highly recommended that you simply ignore them, as they will only distract you from farming Pickaxe.

This is a very simple and straightforward farming route. And since there is a Site of Grace nearby, it is very necessary to spend Elden Ring Runes in advance to get some consumables that increase Item Discovery.

Limgrave Tunnels

If you choose to farm Pickaxe with a newly created character, the best place to farm will be another choice, which is Limgrave Tunnels.

There are two areas in this place that can be farmed. If you are going to use any consumables to increase Item Discovery, then you can start from Site of Grace and head to the next area. There are 5 Miners there, 3 on the wooden walkway and 2 on the ground.

You need to kill Miner on the walkway, then go down and kill Miner in the alcove on the wall and another Miner resting near some crates. After checking the loot, run back to Site of Grace and repeat this operation until you get Pickaxe.

But if you don’t plan on using consumables to increase Item Discovery, then go deeper into the tunnel until you reach the first lift, from which you must jump down to continue through this dungeon.

There are also 5 Miners in this area, but they are closer to each other. Kill the first Miner in front of you, then check the other one on the right. After that, go left and kill the remaining three Miners.

Once you’ve completed the task, the next thing you have to do is to end your character’s life by jumping into the elevator shaft. After that, choose to respawn at Stakes of Marika, and you will be taken to the same area you just cleared. Repeat the operation until you get Pickaxe you want. Don’t forget to restore your runes on each run.

Farming Tips

Now let’s recommend a few things that can make this farming process easier. Since Miners are protected by something like a hard stone skin, they are really resistant to physical damage. So obviously, it is extremely unwise to attack them with some melee weapons.

In addition, since the most effective physical damage against them is Strike, and they are not very resistant to elemental damage, especially Fire. So we can take advantage of this and deal with Miners faster.

If you start with Astrologer or Prisoner, you can rush to the farming site because the two Sorcery that come with them are very effective against Miners, and using Sorcery is the most effective way to eliminate them.

Now, if you start with Prophet or Confessor classes, you can use Catch Flame to fight against Miners. Prophet class has this Incantation from the beginning, but Confessor does not. To get it, you need to get it from Brother Corhyn in Roundtable Hold for 600 Elden Ring Runes.

Fire is definitely the most effective damage against Miners, but the small disadvantage here is that Catch Flame is a melee range Incantation. So you have to keep an eye on your position at all times, otherwise you will die unexpectedly if you are not careful.

Finally, a method that works for all classes and does not require upgrading a single attribute is to use a melee weapon that deals elemental damage and strike damage. There are two weapons to choose from here. The first one is Mace, which you can get from Twin Maiden Husks for 800 runes. The second option is Club, sold by Nomadic Merchant located near Coastal Cave, and is worth 600 runes.

About Pickaxe

Finally, let’s talk about this Pickaxe itself. First of all, it is the only Great Hammer that can cause Pierce Damage. This is the only type of physical damage it causes. The second thing is that you can’t power stance this Pickaxe with other Great Hammers. We don’t know if this is because Pickaxe is set to the wrong category, or just Greataxe Moveset is more suitable for it, but this is how Pickaxe works in the game.

The above is our complete guide to farming this Pickaxe in Elden Ring DLC. You can customize your farming route and method according to your character. If you want to get some special weapons faster, then you can choose to enter IGGM Discord. There are often some lucky draws in the giveaway channel here. Pay attention and participate in it on time. Maybe you will be the next lucky person!

Here, we bring you a deadly Samurai Build that wields a massive Nodachi that overwhelms its targets with maximum thrust damage and bleed procs. Even the strongest and toughest bosses in the game are no match for this build.

So if you’re looking for a powerful Samurai, Bleed Great Katana Build is the one for you. In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to maximize this build, explain the challenges this build can face, and help you overcome them. Let’s get straight into it!

Gameplay

This build masters the art of wielding Great Katana and performs Goring Thrust, dealing massive amounts of damage to its targets and causing them to bleed in the process. But what makes it even more terrifying is mastering Bloodflame Incantations and using these spells to your advantage.

This Bleed Great Katana is one of the most powerful builds in the game, making boss fights seem trivial and common enemies drop like flies. This build focuses on Strength and Dexterity as its main stats.

Stats

Let’s move on to the build’s stats.

We allocated 50 points to Vigor to give the user a fair amount of survivability in combat. As always, if you feel that you really need more health when adapting to the gameplay of this build, you are welcome to adjust it to 60 points at any time.

This setup requires a small amount of Focus to perform optimally, so we allocated 20 points to Mind. And for Endurance, 25 points is just right for this play style.

Strength and Dexterity will be the main offensive attributes in this build, so we allocated 69 points to Strength and 63 points to Dexterity.

In addition, Faith was increased by 25 points so that we can cast critical buffs later. Finally, Intelligence and Arcane did not increase any points.

Gear

It’s time to build gear, and Great Katana is making a comeback. This Great Katana requires 14 Strength and 18 Dexterity for the user to properly use the weapon. Meanwhile, it has B scaling for Strength, and B for Dexterity if the user sets it to Quality.

Of course, you can also infuse the weapon with Quality Affinity to get better scaling, and thus a higher attack rating.

Now, for the Ashes of War of Great Katana, we will be setting it up with Repeating Thrust. While Ash of War looks simple and straightforward, in this configuration it will deal a lot of damage while maintaining ease of use.

Pressing L2 once will allow the user to perform a fierce multiple-hitting thrust that will cause the enemy to take continuous damage. This set of thrusts will not only deal tremendous damage as mentioned above, but will also effortlessly bleed the target, causing even more damage.

Continuing with the secondary weapon of this build, you can use Finger Seal to be able to cast critical buffs and offensive spells later on. You can get this base Seal at Twin Maiden Husks for 800 Elden Ring Runes.

Spells

Next up, we have the spells we suggest. The first on the list is Flame Grant me Strength, which grants an additional 20% Physical Attack Boost and Stamina Recovery Buff.

The second buff is, of course, Golden Vow. This buff increases overall damage by 15% and adds 10% damage negation, which is very helpful for this build.

Next up is Bloodflame Blade, so we can drastically speed up the rate at which our targets bleed. It pairs well with Ash of War: Repeating Thrust, since this skill has a multi-attack animation. On the other hand, fire damage is just a bonus, and we’ll be relying on raw firepower with this configuration.

Bloodboon will also make a comeback, since it fits the theme of the build and serves a diversity purpose. Like in the past, you can cast Bloodboon before approaching the boss, so you can increase your blood loss faster. This spell isn’t necessary, though, since you can mainly focus on dealing with Repeating Thrust alone and call it a day.

Talismans

Next up we have Talismans you need for this build. As always, first up is Shard of Alexander, which increases skill damage by 15%.

The next Talisman for this build is Lord of Blood’s Exultation, as you’ll be dealing with fast and frequent bleed procs in this build. When it’s active, you can easily knock out a target and end the fight.

If the enemy isn’t bleeding, you can swap out Lord of Blood’s Exultation for a Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman for increased survivability, or a Two-Headed Turtle Talisman for increased stamina regeneration.

For the third and final slot, we’re dealing with fast multiple-hitting attacks as the major source of damage for this build, slotting in Millicent’s Prosthesis and Rotten Winged Sword Insignia are the best choices for this build. All of your attacks are fast and multi-hitting, so you can easily keep the attack boosts from these Talismans.

Best Wondrous Physick Combination

For Flask of Wondrous Physick Combination, slotting in Thorny Cracked Tear is a smart move for this build. Pair it with Bloodsucking Cracked Tear because the health loss in this configuration is not that devastating, since the enemies will die quickly, anyway. This will allow the user to have a glass cannon playstyle.

However, if you find that the health loss per second from Bloodsucking Cracked Tear is too much, you can equip Greenburst Crystal Tear to restore stamina faster.

Armor Set

Continuing with its Armor Set. Since this build is a dark and edgy samurai theme, we equipped Iron Kasa as a headdress, Death Knight pieces as armor and gloves, and finally Leather Boots as greaves. This hybrid set works well and is definitely worth your time in the long run.

Pros & Cons

Finally, let’s talk about the pros and cons of this Bleed Great Katana from all aspects.

Pros

First, start with the pros. First of course is the insane damage output of this build. Without counting bleed procs, Repeating Thrust can already deal a ton of damage in this setup. Enemies that are resistant to bleeding will still die faster than with other setups.

The amazing damage of this build is made even better by the fact that the build is able to deal bleed procs. Repeating Thrust can easily increase and deal bleeding to a target. Therefore, this makes the game a bit too easy.

Also, dealing a ton of damage while keeping the build easy to use is also a huge plus. Mastering the timing of Repeating Thrust is pretty easy in my opinion. Repeating Thrust can stun enemies during the animation, so most of the time, humanoid targets can’t do anything with this setup.

The last plus is the super high FP Efficiency of this build, which only requires 7 Focus Points per Repeating Thrust.

Cons

Moving on to the cons. To be honest, this is one of the setups that I can’t think of too many cons for. If you equip Bloodsucking Cracked Tear, without any HP Regen buffs, you’ll have this glass cannon playstyle that anyone can adapt to instantly.

However, even without Bloodsucking Cracked Tear equipped, the user still does a ton of damage compared to other builds.

The second downside is the lack of variety in the build. If you decide to focus on maxing out the attack rating of Great Katana, you’ll have very few stats to play with.

Conclusion

Overall, Bleed Great Katana Build is one of the best melee builds we have at the moment. It’s incredible to be able to deal huge burst damage with just one or two skill casts, while also maintaining the overall ease of use of the build.

If you’re the type of player who likes to take it easy with violent sword thrusts and bleed procs while wanting focused and simple gameplay, this build is for you. If you want to find some like-minded players to discuss build ideas with, join IGGM Discord, where you'll not only have the latest news you want to know, but also giveaway events from time to time to participate. Looking forward to seeing you here!

One of the newest Greataxes in Elden Ring DLC, Death Knight’s Longhaft Axe comes with a skill that gives it a hard-hitting power, and it’s also a satisfying weapon to play with thanks to its devastating lightning leaping attacks and lightning strikes.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to get the most out of this weapon, explain the challenges you can face with this weapon, and help you overcome them, ultimately learning how to build a Lightning Emperor build.

In addition, I’ll cover Lightning Emperor’s playstyle, the latest gear for this build, and tips for using the game, among other things. So if you want to get the most out of your Death Knight’s Longhaft Axe, then this guide is definitely for you.

Gameplay

Lightning Emperor is able to manipulate the power of lightning, dealing with fierce leaping attacks and devastating Lightning Spears. With a variety of play styles, this build is highly versatile, allowing the user to be effective in almost any combat situation.

Additionally, we have the powerful Lightning Incantations that deal most of AOE and ranged attacks, and punish enemies with Death Knight’s Longhaft Axe’s jumping attack, breaking their stance in the process.

Lightning Emperor does most of its damage from melee range, so if you want an exceptionally strong melee gameplay experience, this build is for you.

Stats

Now that the basic gameplay of this build is covered, let’s take a look at its stats.

First, let’s start with Vigor. I assigned 50 points to Vigor because the user is likely to get hit while performing the weapon’s unique skill animation. However, if you think you really need more health when adapting to the gameplay of this build, you can adjust it to 60 points.

Next is Mind, which I assigned 29 points to. Because both Incantations in this build require a lot of Focus, you can bump it up to 35 if you like.

Next is Endurance, which I assigned 30 points to Endurance. This build uses up a lot of stamina when performing its most powerful movesets.

Strength and Faith will be the main stats for this build, so I’ve allocated 70 points to each.

While the lightning properties unleashed by Death Knight’s Longhaft Axe scale with Dexterity, I feel that increasing Dexterity would be a waste of points, and focusing on Strength and Faith would be more beneficial. By focusing on Strength and Faith, you’ll ensure that you’re performing at your best in both melee and ranged combat.

Weapons

With stats covered, let’s move on to Lightning Emperor’s equipment.

Main Weapon: Death Knight’s Longhaft Axe

Start with the major weapon of the build, the aforementioned Death Knight’s Longhaft Axe. This greataxe requires 23 Strength, 10 Dexterity, and 18 Faith to properly use the weapon.

Moving on to the unique ability of Death Knight’s Longhaft Axe, Blinkbolt: Long-hafted Axe. Just like Death Knight’s Twin Axes, pressing L2 will cause the user to blink, transforming into a fast-hitting lightning attack as a gap-closing ability.

It’s worth noting that in the middle of Blinkbolt animation, the user will get I-Frames. Therefore, we can use Blinkbolt while dodging an incoming attack and counterattack with an available follow-up attack.

Now, based on user inputs, pressing R1 will cause the user to perform a normal Light Attack combo after a Lightning Strike. Pressing R2 key will allow the user to perform a fierce leaping overhead attack that not only deals huge damage but also heavy stance damage.

After the tip of the axe hits the target, a Lightning Strike is summoned for additional damage. Note that this will be your primary damage attack in melee range.

Secondary Weapon: Gravel Stone Seal

Moving on to the secondary weapon for this build, we will only be using Gravel Stone Seal for this build. This Seal will allow us to access the key buffs of this build and enhance our Dragon Cult Incantations later on.

Spells

Let’s move on to the spells. The first on the list is Flame Grant Me Strength Incantation, which grants an additional 20% of Physical Attack Boost and Stamina Recovery Buff.

The second buff is, of course, Golden Vow. This buff increases overall damage by 15% and adds 10% damage negation, which is very helpful for this build.

Knight’s Lightning Spear is one of the newest and coolest lightning spells. In addition to its ideal damage multiplier, its amazing range also provides great flexibility in combat. Not only can it easily hit fast-moving targets at super speed, it can also make enemies flinch and even deal stance damage.

Talismans

Spells are out of the way. Now let’s take a look at Talismans I recommend for this build.

The first Talisman on the list is our core, Shard of Alexander. This can increase skill damage by 15%, especially when performing our Blinkbolt skill.

Since this build relies heavily on lightning attacks, it is very necessary to slot in Lightning Scorpion Charm to get 12% more lightning damage.

We will be using Knight’s Lightning Spear in this build, so I recommend slotting in Flock’s Canvas Talisman, as this Talisman can increase the effectiveness of your spells by 8%.

As always, you can easily replace Flock’s Canvas with Dragoncrest Greatshield to get an additional 20% physical damage negation. It will improve your overall survivability, especially if you are not used to the play style of this build.

The last Talisman of this build is the mandatory Two-Headed Turtle Talisman. As mentioned before, all moves in this build consume a lot of stamina, so if you want to damage your opponent every time you start, it is normal to consume stamina.

Armor Set

Finally, let’s talk about the armor set of Lightning Emperor.

We equipped Elden Lord Crown as a headpiece, Cleanrot Set as an armor piece, and Gauntlets and Greaves. With this combination, I achieved the look I was going for. Of course, you can definitely style it to your aesthetic, as long as you have enough Elden Ring Runes.

If you don’t mind the look and want to further optimize your damage, wear the full Death Knight Set to get an additional 8% damage bonus to Dragon Cult Incantations.

Pros And Cons

Knowing the pros and cons of this build can improve your gameplay.

Let’s start with the pros. The first pro I can think of is the versatility and dynamic gameplay of the build. Switching out Knight’s Lightning Spear in a ranged fight and using Blinkbolt skill to get up close is an easy and fun way to play.

As mentioned above, casting Knight’s Lightning Spear will be your usual method of dealing damage at a distance, and you’ll tend to use up a lot of Focus in the process. But Blinkbolt skill only consumes 13 Focus peruse, so you’ll keep a healthy Focus management when switching attacks.

One of the biggest advantages of this build is its huge stance damage because of Blinkbolt’s overhead attack. If you take advantage of the burst opening, you can easily knock enemies down.

Now for the cons. I found that the damage dealt by Blinkbolt Overhead attack is not very high. You may not notice this when playing DLC, but once you use it in the base game, you can easily see its damage output.

Considering the stamina cost of this skill, I hope it gets a buff in the future. I’m not saying it’s trash, just don’t expect it to be top-tier in terms of damage.

Also, its skill tracking is poor against fast-moving humanoid targets with fast sideways abilities. Again, you won’t notice this on normal bosses, especially large ones.

The last thing I can think of is how stamina-consuming this setup is when doing full combos. But you can only notice it if you’re dealing the highest damage possible with each opening.

Conclusion

Overall, Lightning Emperor is a nice and fun build that offers dynamic gameplay. It offers good options in both melee and ranged combat. Players who like to play the role of Lightning God will definitely like this build!

As always, if you want to find some like-minded players, you might as well join IGGM Discord. What’s more, we will also post some giveaway activities here from time to time. So hurry up and get involved!

Bonny Gaol is one of the optional mini-dungeons you’ll encounter when you begin your Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree journey. It’s tucked away in the secluded area of ​​Scadu Altus and is a tough nut to crack. However, just like the other gaols, Bonny Gaol is still a dungeon worth exploring because there’s some really nice loot and amazing rewards waiting to be collected at the end of the quest.

One of the great loot you can find at Bonny Gaol is Night Armor Set, which is the same set of armor worn by Jolan, the main NPC in DLC.

In this guide, let’s take a look at Bonny Gaol location, a full walkthrough for completing the dungeon, including where to get Armor of Night Set, Shield of Night, Hefty Cracked Pot, Curseblade Meera Spirit Ashes, and Stalwart Horn Charm +2.

Getting To Bonny Gaol

First, we’ll cover how to get to Bonny Gaol, starting at Moorth Ruins Site of Grace in Scadu Altus.

From there, we’ll move a short distance east and a little south to find a ramshackle entrance to the ruins below. We’ll have to be careful when entering the ruins, as it’s possible to die from fall damage. Note that there’s still some value in the insignificant items in the ruins, so feel free to explore. Not only can you enrich your build with these items, but you can also trade them with other players for additional Elden Ring Runes, killing two birds with one stone.

Once we get close to the bottom of the ruins, there should be a tunnel leading southeast, out of the ruins, to Bonny Village Site of Grace. Bonny Gaol isn’t far away. To get there, head south from Bonny Village Site of Grace and cross the wooden bridge. Be careful, there are Spider Scorpions on the way to Gaol, but there aren’t actually any in Gaol.

How To Complete Bonny Gaol?

This dungeon is relatively short, but it does require a little backtracking and trickery.

Hefty Cracked Pot

Going down the main path, we’ll first drop two hanging jars to reach a secluded area. As we head to the southeast room, be careful of the jumping Jar Innards. New enemies added to Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. These weird creatures are contained in giant jars. Keep an eye out, you’ll also find a Hefty Cracked Pot here.

The enemies here are annoying, though, so we should deal with them first before going to the sigil to the west and standing on it. It should glow and summon the hanging jars to come down. But if it doesn’t work the first time, jump on it and these jars will take us back to the top floor, and from there we can follow the path to the west.

Stalwart Horn Charm +2

Behind the door that needs to be opened, there is a chute that we can jump down. Once down, we’ll move east and go through the tunnel system.

At this point, keep an eye out for the annoying corpse oozes on the ceiling. At the end of this path, there is a ladder that we can climb to get Stalwart Horn Charm +2.

Armor Of Night Set & Shield Of Night

We will then retrace the previous route back to the tunnel system. This time, we will move a short distance west and then turn south. We can run along this path the rest of the way out of the tunnel system.

Continuing forward, we can pick up Lost Ashes of War on the way, but nothing else of note.

Once we exit a large cave, we will go west, down a staircase and through a door. After going through another door that needs to be opened again, we will jump onto the hanging pot to the north, but be sure to stay on it as it descends. If it doesn’t start to rise on its own, jump on it.

It should lead us to a higher area where Armor of Night Set can be found. We will then also need to keep an eye out for Jar Innards that swoop in as we follow the southern passage to get Shield of Night.

Curseblade Meera Spirit Ashes

Next, we need to enter the cave again and go down the slope to the west room where there is an enemy sitting on a chair.

We then jump down the cave and land in a river of blood. Go west towards a tunnel full of slime enemies. Then turn south to another tunnel and jump down at the end. Continue running east past Living Jars and then drop down to another area full of hanging jars.

Go north past the enemies and eventually reach a platform full of black shadow enemies. Go west until a jar elevator appears and take it to the bridge full of enemies below. Once you defeat or ignore them, you will drop down to the lower platform. Going west, we can find a fogged gate.

Behind it is Curseblade Labirith boss fight from Elden Ring. It moves the same as the one seen when the player enters Land of Shadow, except that Curseblade Labirith will release black shadows and become invisible. Therefore, it is recommended that you try to stay in the corner and lure the boss to come to you and show up.

Once you defeat it, you will get its Curseblade Meera Spirit Ashes as a reward.

The above is the complete route to complete Bonny Gaol dungeon. Although this is just an optional dungeon and will not have a big impact on your major story, the rewards you can get from completing it are definitely worth your effort! Come and try it out!

One of the newest Katanas in Shadow of the Erdtree, Star-Lined Sword, is known for its unique skill attack combination. If you’re looking to build an effective build for this Katana, don’t miss this guide.

Here we’ll go over the playstyle for this Cosmic Samurai Build, the gear to use, the best Talismans, and tips for using the game. Let’s get straight to it!

Build Basics

First, let’s go over the basics of this build. Cosmic Samurai is unique in terms of gameplay, as this build utilizes Damage Overtime Tactics while also utilizing Star-Lined Sword’s skills to perform hard-hitting combos.

You’ll see fast high damage numbers when performing combos. It’s also versatile in a lot of situations because of having more ranged spells on its gear.

Stats

Cosmic Samurai has high Dexterity and Intelligence, and as usual has a little Faith Stat to use spells that enhance attack and defense. Let’s take a look at how the attribute points are distributed for this build:

First start with Vigor. I have allocated 45 points to it because you need to dodge properly with this setup. However, if you think this is too low, you can increase it to 50, especially if your Scadutree Blessing is low.

Next is Mind, which has 35 points allocated to it, because when using this build, you will be casting a lot of spells and skills, so you need to allocate at least 35 points and above.

Next comes Endurance, which has 25 points allocated to it. The unique skill of Star-Lined Sword consumes a lot of stamina, but I think 25 points is enough.

You need 10 points of Strength to use Star-Lined Sword, so be sure to allocate at least 10 points.

Next up is Dexterity, and since this is our key attribute, it is assigned 69 points.

While keeping an eye on Intelligence, another 60 points should be invested here so that our Sorceries can wreak havoc on our enemies.

Next up is Faith, with 25 points allocated to Faith so that you can use attack and defense boosting spells to increase the offensive capabilities of the build.

Finally, we didn’t assign any points to Arcane because we didn’t need to.

Gear

Now that the basic playstyle and build stats are covered, let’s move on to Cosmic Samurai’s gear.

Main Weapon: Star-Lined Sword

Starting with the chief weapon for this build, the aforementioned Star-Lined Sword. This Katana requires 10 Strength, 23 Dexterity and 21 Intelligence so that you can use it properly.

In terms of scaling, it has a Strength of D, Dexterity of B, and finally Intelligence of D. This is why we focus on Dexterity in the stat distribution, while having Intelligence will further boost the power of this Katana. In addition, it has an innate blood-loss build-up, which is a delightful bonus. It just shouldn’t be prioritized.

Weapon Skill: Onze’s Line Of Stars

Star-Lined Sword is indeed an interesting Katana because it is able to perform a heavy-hitting combo attack when performing Onze’s Line of Stars. This is a unique skill that allows the user to perform a series of attacks, up to three combos, when L2 button is pressed.

Secondary Weapon: Carian Regal Scepter

Moving on to the secondary weapon of this build, I used Carian Regal Scepter mainly because of its appearance and because it fits the theme of this build. It also has an S scaling in terms of Intelligence, and we can also use it to boost the effectiveness of our Sorceries.

In addition, we can also access the attack buff of this build by using Finger Seal, which only costs you 800 Elden Ring Runes.

Pros And Cons

Next, let’s talk about the pros and cons of this Star-Lined Sword.

There’s no doubt that the entire heavy-hitting combo will hit the enemy like a truck when the user manages to do it. Since this skill increases its effectiveness after each subsequent attack, anyone can see the amazing range of Onze’s Line of Stars, especially when performing the skill’s combo finisher.

This skill can also make ordinary enemies flinch easily when you cleave with its ranged attacks, especially when dealing with humanoid-type targets. This makes this weapon a satisfying weapon to use in the field or in dungeons.

Ordinary enemies can barely do anything to this weapon, so you’ll have the upper hand in most cases, and clearing enemies is a breeze for this weapon.

Of course, like any other weapon, it also has its drawbacks. Onze’s Line of Stars is definitely powerful, but it’s difficult to complete the long attack animation in most cases. Its combo transitions are quite slow, so there are situations where humanoid-type enemies can act or counterattack even when you’re performing a full combo.

I was surprised to find that Sword of Night’s fully charged attack is much easier to pull off than Onze’s full combo, so you can see how long the preparation time is.

Also, since its attacks get stronger after consecutive follow-ups, its initial attack is pretty weak. Especially since you’ll be using the first set of attacks most of the time, and that’s the only thing you can do, especially against fast-moving targets.

If you want to extend your combo, you’ll be under attack from enemies most of the time, so you can only perform the initial L2 attack. You can easily see that this skill is difficult to maximize, especially when the bosses in DLC are very aggressive and don’t leave you a little time to counterattack.

Spells

Enough with the weapons. Let’s move on to the spells I recommend.

As always, our top pick is Flame Grant me Strength, which grants an additional 20% physical attack boost and stamina recovery buff.

The second buff in the list is of course Golden Vow. This buff increases overall damage by 15% and adds 10% damage negation, which is very helpful.

Since this build revolves around the power of stars, Stars of Ruin is a great fit for this build. This is a rechargeable spell that will serve as the main area attack for this build.

Additionally, I recommend inserting Founding Rain of Stars, which adds a lot of fun to this build. What I usually do is cast it before the target gets close to me, and when it explodes, it rains stars on the target, dealing continuous damage.

It is worth noting that you can use Onze while Sorcery is still active. It easily increases the damage. However, only use this combo if you are confident that you can pull it off, as its usage varies from boss to boss.

Talismans

For the best Talismans for this build, Shard of Alexander is still our top pick. This can increase skill damage by 15%, especially when performing Onze’s Line of Stars.

Since Onze’s Line of Stars leaves you vulnerable, Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman is a great addition to this build. Its 20% damage reduction can increase your chances of survival, especially if your Scadutree Blessing is low.

I still use Rotten Winged Sword Insignia and Millicent’s Prosthesis combo, because I prefer to deal with super high-attack damage when successfully executing Onze’s full combo. But you can always replace Millicent’s Prosthesis with Magic Scorpion Charm to deal more damage.

Armor Set

Now that the main gear is done, let’s move on to Cosmic Samurai’s Armor Set.

For this build, I’m wearing Land of Reeds Helm to preserve the identity of the build, and the rest are Oathseeker’s armor pieces. It really gives a space samurai feel, not to mention that this armor looks really cool in terms of details.

Gameplay

Finally, let’s talk about the gameplay and optimization tips for this Cosmic Samurai Build.

Optimize Your Opener

The first tip on the list is to optimize your opener as usual. Before or at the start of a fight, I usually cast Golden Vow and Flame Grant Me Strength. This is followed by popping my Flask of Wondrous Physick for an overall attack boost and dealing as much damage as possible in this burst opener.

Use Onze’s Line Of Stars Wisely

Next, I must remind you to use Onze’s Line of Stars wisely. As mentioned above, the full combo of this skill is difficult to pull off, and it is wise to stick to the skill’s first attack animation and rely on it instead of doing normal attacks.

Depending on who the boss you are facing, mastering this skill takes time and patience. When you use this build, you will know when to perform its full combo, mostly when the enemy is staggered or doing an attack with a long recovery time.

Switch Talisman Appropriately

When your Scadutree Blessing is high enough, you can swap out Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman for something like Graven-Mass Talisman to increase the effectiveness of your sorcery.

Regardless, Cosmic Samurai is a fun build, especially when exploring. By following this guide, you will be able to use it to its full potential and help you gain a foothold in Elden Ring DLC!

Spinning Gravity Thrust is one of the craziest newest Ashes of War builds from Elden Ring DLC, and it’s so powerful that I made an OP build specifically centered on it, Berserker Samurai Build.

Here I’ll cover the play style for this Berserker Samurai, what gear to use, the best Talismans, helpful gameplay tips, and the pros and cons of this build. So if you’re looking for an effective build for this Ash of War, this guide is for you.

Build Basics

Berserker Samurai’s insane damage output can instantly break almost any boss in the game, with bleed procs raw firepower. This is a super aggressive build that trades hitting and taking damage to deal as much damage as possible in a short period, so this build theme really matches its playstyle.

Berserker Samurai has high Dexterity and Arcane, and a little Faith Stat, with access to attack and defense boosting spells as mentioned above, to improve its overall firepower and survivability.

Pros & Cons

Speaking of pros to this setup, aside from the insane damage output of this weapon and Ash of War, as mentioned before, Spinning Gravity Thrust makes it like a sitting duck as it makes the target flinch and nearly stuns them.

Humanoid Types are pretty much powerless compared to this setup. And giant targets or bosses will definitely die faster than anything because of its jaw-dropping firepower and Bleed procs.

However, every setup has its weaknesses and drawbacks, and Berserker Samurai is no exception. The first one I want to talk about is the obvious issue with Ash of War, which is that its long animations make you more vulnerable to attacks. Since you’re already in mid-air, you’ll be dodging ground attacks more often, but you’ll still take damage most of the time, especially if you’re still adjusting to Ash of War’s timing.

While the idea is that you will take damage to deal massive damage to your opponent, if you over-abuse Spinning Gravity Thrust, 90% of the time it will result in your death.

Ash of War has a very slow acceleration animation, so when you are facing fast-moving targets, you will find yourself often missing a lot of targets or hitting the air.

The last thing I want to say about its disadvantages is that Spinning Gravity Thrust consumes a lot of Stamina. This means that you will be using up Stamina most of the time, especially when rushing to the target, which is the regular play style of this build.

Gear

Now that the basic play style and overview are over, let’s move on to the gear that Berserker Samurai needs.

Main Weapon: Great Katana

Let’s start with the chief weapon of this build, Great Katana. This Katana requires 14 Strength and 18 Dexterity to use effectively, and this time we will infuse it with Blood. In terms of scaling, it will have D for Strength, C for Dexterity, and lastly D for Arcane. Now this may seem bad, but trust me, this weapon is more than enough to wipe out an enemy in seconds.

Weapon Skill: Spinning Gravity Thrust

Moving on to the core of this build, Ash of War Spinning Gravity Thrust. This is one of the deadliest Ash of War I have seen so far. What it does is it lifts the user into the air and performs a violent multi-hitting spinning thrust attack that not only does a ton of damage per attack, but it also causes the target to flinch during the attack.

In addition to its insane damage multipliers, you also trigger Bleeds when using Ash of War, which makes its damage even more insane.

Pressing L2 allows you to fire Ash of War, and pressing L2 again after the first animation finishes will perform another set of animations, but the second set of animations will have a powerful Sweeping Finisher that will knock the target back.

Secondary Weapon: Dragon Communion Seal

Moving on to the secondary weapon of this build, I am using Dragon Communion Seal here in case we need to slot Arcane Scaling offensive Incantation later. I’m only using Seal for the attack buffs for this build, but you can definitely use any Seal you want as long as you have enough Elden Ring Runes.

Spells

With the weapons out of the way, let’s move on to the spells I recommend.

The first is Flame Grant me Strength, which grants an additional 20% Physical Attack Boost and Stamina Recovery Buff.

The second buff is of course Golden Vow. This buff increases overall damage by 15% and adds 10% damage negation, which is very helpful.

Talismans

Next, let’s look at the best Talismans for this build.

The first Talisman on the list is once again Shard of Alexander. This can increase skill damage by 15%, especially when performing Witching Hour Slash skill, so be sure to slot this one.

Since we’re dealing with Bleed procs a lot with this build, I recommend using Lord of Blood’s Exultation. It will give you another 20% attack damage if blood loss procs are happening nearby. This happens all the time, so it will help you deal a ton of damage.

Of course, since we’re dealing with fast multi-attacks, as usual, slotting in Millicent’s Prosthesis and Rotten Winged Sword Insignia is optimal for this build.

You’ll always have the multi-attack buff active when performing Spinning Gravity Thrust, so make sure to prioritize these Talismans. However, I’ll have other Talisman suggestions later that will suit different combat situations.

Armor Set

Now that the main gear is done, let’s move on to the best Armor Set for Berserker Samurai.

For this build, I’m wearing Land of Reeds Helm to preserve the identity of the build, in addition to using White Reed Armor and White Reed Gauntlets, and finally Land of Reeds Greaves.

However, you can also choose to wear Rakshasa Set for a higher Attack Rating, as this Armor Set provides a damage boost overall. In summary, you can wear whatever you want, as long as you have about 51 poise, which is enough most of the time.

Stats

Then, let’s move on to Berserker Samurai’s stats.

First, we start with Vigor, which I have assigned 60 points to. Since this build will be engaging enemies in melee combat, you will be taking damage quite often, so having 60 Vigor is essential for this build.

Next is Mind, which I have assigned 20 points to. Now, you may find this quite low, especially with 26 FP required to use Spinning Gravity Thrust. However, enemies and bosses usually die quickly after 1 to 4 spins, so I don’t need more than that. In the event that the boss survives after 2 to 4 spins, you can also finish the fight by opening the flask easily.

Next, talking about Endurance, I have assigned 30 points to it. Even though Spinning Gravity Thrust will drain your stamina in a few seconds, it’s actually OK to only have 30 points. As mentioned, enemies die very quickly.

Then you also need to have at least 14 Strength to effectively wield Great Katana.

Since Dexterity is our main stat for this build, I have allocated 75 points in total. And since we have equipped Millicent’s Prosthesis, it can even go up to 80.

Next is Intelligence. We don’t need these, so it will be 10 points.

Then Faith has been allocated 25 points, giving you access to the previously mentioned Flame Grant me Strength and Golden Vow.

Finally, we have allocated 45 points to Arcane so that we can have more Attack Rating, while increasing our blood loss to 132 so that we can ensure that it triggers more often.

Gameplay

Now that the stats are taken care of, let’s move on to the gameplay and optimization tips for Berserker Samurai.

Optimize Your Opener

First, you need to optimize your opener as usual. Before or at the beginning of the battle, I usually cast Flame Grant me Strength and Golden Vow, and finally Bestial Vitality.

Next, we can turn on Flask of Wondrous Physick for damage reduction and multi-attack boost. With all the buffs active, this build will be super aggressive and do as much damage as possible in this opening.

Use Spinning Gravity Thrust Properly

I know this build is a Berserker, however, if you miss Ash of War too many times as mentioned before, you will pay the price with death because of its overly long animation.

Beyond that, you still need to master the timing of casting Ash of War. Unfortunately, getting good at it requires experience, and its usage varies from boss to boss. However, most of the time you will win the fight because of its damage output.

Use Gear Wisely

Now for the last tip, I recommend swapping Millicent’s Prosthesis for Crusade Insignia when exploring the overworld or dungeons, so that you can get a lasting buff while you’re on the landscape. Of course, if you think you need more protection, swap the aforementioned Talisman for Dragoncrest Greatshield.

Berserker Samurai is a difficult Samurai build to master, and its satisfying violent thrusts can wipe out enemies in seconds. If you want to melt bosses with ease, don’t miss this guide. See you next time!

Thiollier is a key NPC in Elden Ring, and he has an important questline that runs throughout Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. Here, we’ll cover the entire Thiollier Questline and the many unique rewards that can be obtained along the way. Let’s get straight into it!

Finding Thiollier

The first thing we need to do is find Thiollier. From Gravesite Plain Sites of Grace, we’ll move northeast, across Ellac Greatbridge, and to Castle Front.

We can then move southeast along the main path, which will eventually branch off into a side path that will take us to Pillar Path Cross. We can find Thiollier nearby.

After speaking all of Thiollier’s dialogue, we’ll be able to obtain poison-related items from him.

Obtaining Thiollier’s Concoction

Next, we can head to Main Gate Cross, where we’re going to talk to another NPC, Moore. If we choose “Talk to Moore” option, he should give us Black Syrup Key Item.

Then, on the way back to Thiollier, we can choose “Give Black Syrup”, then “Ask about Black Syrup”, and finally “I’m weary of life”. This will give us Thiollier’s Concoction. Of course, we can also get more of this consumable from Thiollier for 30,000 Elden Ring Runes each. However, I only know of one legitimate use for it.

At some point during Dragon Communion Priestess Quest, before fighting Bayle, it is possible to give Thiollier’s Concoction to her in order to use her as Spirit Summons after defeating Bayle, instead of her Priestess Heart and Flowerstone Gavel weapon. Unfortunately, I haven’t tested this myself yet.

Talking To Needle Knight Leda

Anyway, to progress further on Thiollier’s quest, we need to approach Shadow Keep and talk to Thiollier. He should say that Miquella’s charm for him is gone, and that he is haunted by the memory of St. Trina.

If we want, we can do something completely optional. We can go to Highroad Cross Site of Grace and talk to Needle Knight Leda. She will ask for our help in finding those who betrayed Miquella. We should be able to advise Thiollier, but we don’t actually have to.

From my testing, doing so will not prevent us from completing Thiollier’s quest, but if we want to play it safe, we can just not make any suggestions or talk to her at all.

Instead, to advance Thiollier’s quest line, all we have to do is rest twice at Site of Grace. After doing that, we can talk to Thiollier again and he will tell us that he is heading south.

Get Southern Shore Map

Next, we need to head south to Cerulean Coast, which is located in Southern Shore region. Let’s move on to how to get the corresponding map for the region.

We will start at Castle Front Site of Grace and move southeast, this time along the east side of the main road. Behind a few Soldiers of Messmer, there is a series of steep but climbable descents that lead to Ellac River.

Once down the hill, we can enter a cave system to the south, near an enormous pink Miranda Flower. We will then head southwest through the caves, free to explore along the way.

We can pick up a Revered Spirit Ash before discovering Ellac River Cave Site of Grace. From there, we will continue south through the cave system.

Note that there are several platforming sections here that need to be handled with caution to avoid death from fall damage. Another enormous threat is the lines of Gravebirds along the way.

Despite the dangers, we should eventually reach Ellac River Downstream Site of Grace. From here, it’s a little further south to exit this cave.

That being said, we still need to continue moving south, passing a few Lightning Sheep and a Furnace Golem. We can then turn west and walk through a forest to reach Cerulean Coast. We still need to continue moving south to find a map of this area.

Be careful of Ghostflame Dragon here, though, which will swoop down near the center of the field. It’s much more powerful than the one found in Gravesite Plains. Not far from the dragon, we’ll find Southern Shore Map, and further ahead, one of Miquella’s Crosses, as well as Cerulean Coast Cross Site of Grace.

Heading To Stone Coffin Fissure

From here, we’ll continue moving south. Near the southern end of this area, we’ll find a large fissure with a series of drop-offs that will require careful climbing to reach the bottom and discover Site of Grace.

Next, we’ll head south from Stone Coffin Fissure Site of Grace and head into the lower reaches of this area. There’s a loose rock here that will break off when we step on it, and we’ll somehow land safely on the ground below.

Before descending further, we can move northwest from Fissure Cross and descend into a secluded area. Watch out for falling putrescent oozes. We can then move a short distance east to find Velvet Sword of St. Trina.

We can then return to the last Grace and begin our descent in earnest. This time, we’ll head north, making our way from coffin to coffin.

There are a few Gravebirds guarding the path here, as well as a nasty Lookout Stone enemy that periodically fires lasers with pinpoint accuracy. If you want to play it safe, just take your time through this section, dealing with Lookout Stones as you go.

Eventually, we should reach Fissure Waypoint Site of Grace. From here, we’ll move northeast and jump onto a natural stone path. There’s a Shade form of a Lionel Misbegotten up ahead, so we might want to deal with Skeleton Warriors before moving on.

Anyway, Lionel Misbegotten shade drops a Multilayered Ring of Light incantation when defeated, and from there it’s a short distance southeast to reach Fissure Depths Site of Grace.

Defeat Putrescent Knight Boss

Next, we’ll head southwest along Coffin and jump off the end to reach the boss chamber. Note that there’s a summon sign for Thiollier near where we land, so be prepared for a fight.

Putrescent Knight Boss isn’t particularly powerful, but it’s also capable of dealing a lot of damage quickly. One of its blue flame moves is particularly dangerous, but can be avoided if timed correctly. After we’ve won, we’ll gain Remembrance of Putrescence, and Garden of Deep Purple Site of Grace will appear nearby.

Main Quest

Next, we can rest for a while at Site of Grace, then head west along the tunnel. We should find Thiollier talking to himself, and we can pick up St. Trina Disciple’s Cookbook [3] nearby.

We’ll need to talk to Thiollier a few more times until he doesn’t have anything new to say. Next, we’ll need to return to Site of Grace and rest there a total of three times. Once we’ve done that, we can return to Thiollier, who will once again be talking to himself. We can talk to him again, but he won’t have much to say.

For the next part, we will die a few times. We need to approach St. Trina and Imbibe Nectar, which will lead to our death. Then we need to repeat this step, Imbibe Nectar 4 times in total.

After the fourth Imbibe Nectar, a new event should be triggered, and we can then be resurrected at Site of Grace. We can then go and talk to Thiollier once more and convey the words of St. Trina. He will tell us to stop, but despite this, we should try to do it again.

After talking to Thiollier until his dialogue runs out, we can return to Site of Grace and rest there. Trying to return to St. Trina will trigger another battle, which is fairly easy. After we win, we will obtain St. Trina’s Smile Talisman, which increases attack power when sleep is triggered nearby.

If we return to the cave and talk to Thiollier, he will ask us a question, but we can’t answer it yet. Instead, we need to Imbibe Nectar 2 more times from St. Trina, or until she has nothing new to say.

Then we can return to Thiollier and deliver St. Trina’s last words, talking to him until there is no new dialogue. If we go to Site of Grace to rest and return to Thiollier, he will not do much except sighing when talking to him.

The last steps of Thiollier Questline take place at the same time as the last part of the major story of DLC. We need to reach a place called Enir-Ilim. Reaching this location requires defeating the ultimate boss in Shadow Keep, as well as the last boss in Ancient Ruins of Rauh area. After that, burn Sealing Tree in Church of the Bud, which will bring us to Enir-Ilim.

Given that the end of this questline is completed after defeating the last boss of DLC, which is extremely difficult, I recommend exploring Shadow Realm and collecting as many Scadutree Fragments and Revered Spirit Ashes as possible before continuing.

Summon Thiollier For Final Boss Fight

If you have completed all the steps in this guide, you should be able to summon Thiollier to assist you in the next boss fight. This is the second to last boss fight, and there are many rewards for completing it.

Heading to Divine Gate Front Staircase, and following the stairs up, we will find a summoning sign for Thiollier, as well as a summoning sign for Ansbach, assuming we have not betrayed him at any point.

I am not sure if summoning Thiollier is necessary to complete his quest, but I did summon him for the fight. If you want to take the risk and not summon him for the fight to see if you can still complete the quest, then that is your choice.

As mentioned before, the ultimate boss is very difficult. For myself, I am level 225, using Heavy Armor and Fingerprint Shield to block his worst attacks, as well as top-level Talismans, focusing on improving my defense, stamina regen, and casting speed.

Even so, it took me a few hours to finally defeat both Promised Consort Radahn and Radahn Consort of Miquella. If anyone has found a strategy that works particularly well against Radahn, I’m sure many others would be very grateful to you for sharing it.

Rewards

Anyway, once the last boss is defeated, we can move on to touching the memories left behind. We can find Thiollier’s body near the entrance to the arena and pick up Thiollier’s Hidden Needle Weapon and his Armor set.

Finally, we can return to St. Trina near Garden of Deep Purple and pick up Legendary St. Trina’s Blossom Head Armor, which will slightly increase your max FP. It also emits a faint glow, so that’s great.

That’s it for my complete guide for this Thiollier Questline. Have a great day!

The arrival of Shadow of The Erdtree DLC has dropped a lot of new gear, especially some Samurai-related weapons. If you enjoy destroying anything with wild swings and inflicting bleeding on your enemies, then this Raging Rakshasa Samurai Build is definitely what you are looking for.

In this guide, we will cover the play style of this build, what gear to use, the best amulets, useful gameplay tips, and more. So that eventually you will master the enormous power of the newest weapons in DLC and delete everything that stands in your way.

Gameplay

Raging Rakshasa relies heavily on the power of Rakshasa’s Great Katana, hence the name. Swinging this Great Katana violently is able to deal a lot of raw damage and apply additional bleeding effects, making it even more deadly.

In addition, when making said swings, players will also gain a huge Hyper-armor to focus more on destroying enemies, especially bosses.

Raging Rakshasa also has high Strength and Dexterity, and a little Faith Stat that grants attack and defense boosting buffs. Its overall gameplay is simple but very effective.

Weapons

Now that the basic gameplay is out of the way, let’s move on to the gear you need to complete Raging Rakshasa.

Main Weapon: Rakshasa’s Great Katana

Let’s start with the major weapon of the build, which is Rakshasa’s Great Katana, one of the newest weapons added in DLC. This Great Katana requires 12 Strength, 27 Dexterity, and no Arcane Scaling, which is really weird in my opinion, and it’s D scaling for Strength and B for Dexterity.

Not only does Rakshasa’s Great Katana look really exceptional, but it also offers a devastating skill, Weed Cutter. This skill cuts the target horizontally and removes it like a weed, so its name matches its ability. As long as they have Stamina, the user can extend the use time of Weed Cutter, and it only costs 8 FP per use, which is crazy.

This skill hits like a truck every time it swings, and since it has an additional bleed effect on top of the original damage, you’ll be dealing a ton of damage in a matter of seconds.

Additionally, the user will gain Hyper-armor in the middle of the animation, allowing them to defend against or face normal attacks.

While it sounds OP, it has its downsides. While having Hyper-armor is good, the user will also take more damage in the process. And I think the animation of Weed Cutter is very slow, and if you don’t use it correctly, you’ll be vulnerable.

Secondary Weapon: Finger Seal

Moving on to the secondary weapon for this build, I recommend using Finger Seal. While any Seal will work, Finger Seal is the easiest one for us to get. And by equipping Seal, we can get the buff later.

Finger Seal is the starting equipment for Confessor and Prophet classes. If you don’t choose either of these classes, you can also choose to get it directly from Twin Maiden Husks for 800 Elden Ring Runes.

Spells

With the weapons out of the way, let’s move on to the suggested spells.

Flame Grant Me Strength

I mentioned that we’ll be getting buffs when using this build, so the first one on the list is Flame Grant me Strength, which provides an additional 20% Physical Attack Boost and Stamina Recovery Buff.

Golden Vow

The second buff on the list is, of course, Golden Vow. This buff increases overall damage by 15% and adds 10% Damage Negation, which is very helpful for us to offset the negative effects of Weed Cutter.

Related: The Best Route To Quickly Complete Ymir And Jolan Questline In Elden Ring!

Talismans

Next, let’s get to the best Talismans for this build.

Shard of Alexander

The first Talisman on the list is our major hit, Shard of Alexander, which increases skill damage by 15%, especially when performing Weed Cutter. So be sure to slot this one.

Lord Of Blood’s Exultation

Since we deal with Bleed procs a lot with this build, I recommend slotting Lord of Blood’s Exultation. This Talisman will provide another 20% attack damage if blood loss procs occur near the user, which happens all the time when using this build.

Two-Headed Turtle Talisman

Next on the list is Two-Headed Turtle Talisman, which greatly increases Stamina Recovery. This is an upgrade from Green Turtle Talisman, and it will become the main Talisman I use in my build.

My gameplay and strategy always revolves around super aggressive gameplay and strategy, so most of the time, I’m completely running out of stamina. Therefore, the faster my stamina recovers, the more damage I can do to the enemy. What’s more, there are a lot of times you’ll find yourself with no stamina, especially after using Weed Cutter skill.

Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman

For the next Talisman, I recommend slotting Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman for an extra 20% Physical Damage Negation. There’s a good chance you’ll be taking a ton of damage, especially when using Weed Cutter skill, so the damage reduction this Talisman provides will greatly help you survive. Not to mention that almost every enemy in DLC can take 1 or 2 shots and die, so you need this talisman.

Stats

Let’s move on to the stats for Raging Rakshasa.

Starting with Vigor, 50 points have been assigned to it. Since I’m used to Glass Cannon Builds, I rarely assign a lot of points to Vigor, however, since this build is more likely to go head-to-head with enemies, I think 50 points are best.

If you’re really good at the game, you can lower it. But if you’re still tuning in, make sure to assign 50 points, otherwise you’ll have trouble resisting the impact of all the enemies in DLC.

Next up is Mind, which has 25 points assigned to it. You can at least bump it up to 20 if you want and add it to your other stats since this build doesn’t require that much FP and Weed Cutter is very cheap to use.

Talking about Endurance next, we have allocated 30 points to it since the intended gameplay for this build is super aggressive. You will be facing off against bosses most of the time and will continue to use Weed Cutter skill, so I feel 30 points is enough for now. Of course, Endurance being an offensive stat, the more you have, the more damage you will be able to do.

In addition, you will also want to have at least 50 Strength and 79 Dexterity so that you can match up well with Rakshasa’s Great Katana. These two are the key attributes of this build, so pay attention to them. 

Next is Faith. We allocated 25 points so that you can use the aforementioned Golden Vow and Flame Grant me Strength.

Finally, since we don’t need Intelligence and Arcane, no points were allocated to them, they remain at 10 points.

How To Optimize This Build?

Now that stats are out of the way, let’s move on to Raging Rakshasa’s gameplay and optimization tips.

Prepare Wakizashi

The first tip I have for you is to prepare Wakizashi and fuse it with Ash of War: Golden Vow. Now, this tip is only for when you don’t want to invest up to 25 points into Faith.

While it’s relatively weak, with it you can still increase your damage by 11.5% and increase damage negation by 7.5% across the board. Of course, feel free to use any dagger, I just used Wakizashi to match the theme of the build.

Improve Your Opener

Secondly, optimizing your opener is also crucial. When the fight starts, I usually use Flask of Wondrous Physick first to make my continuous attacks more powerful. And, to get more damage negation, I will choose to cast Golden Vow to deal more damage and damage reduction. Finally, pop Flame Grant me Strength for more attack boosts, then rush the boss and start executing Weed Cutter skill.

Use Weed Cutter Wisely

The third tip is to manage Weed Cutter skill wisely. You can still die if you use this skill carelessly, so use it intentionally and leave time to use the skill.

Gear Up Properly

For the last tip, if you are playing well and don’t need damage reduction, you can swap out Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman for something like Rotten Winged Sword Insignia to get more damage.

You can also remove Opaline Hardtear and choose something like Strength-knot Crystal Tear, or get more stamina regeneration by equipping Greenburst Crystal Tear.

That’s all about Raging Rakshasa Samurai Build. More top builds are coming soon as more new gear emerges. Try to choose the one you like best and start your adventure!

Do you feel like you’re a complete mess in Elden Ring Shadow of The Erdtree DLC? You keep dying, you don’t see any progress, and it feels like you’re stuck in an endless loop. Don’t worry, we have some tips that will help you conquer those brutal bosses and greatly improve your Elden Ring experience. So buckle up, grab your controller, and let’s dive into the chaos together.

Why Should You Learn About It?

I’ve seen many people who have tried this game say that their controllers didn’t respond when they tried to dodge attacks, and they died again and again, which was really frustrating. Of course, if they really don’t understand how Dodge mechanic works, they can also come to this conclusion because the game doesn’t really explain this step, but leaves it up to you to discover it.

In fact, the main reason why you encounter these problems is that you simply don’t understand the combat system, especially Dodge mechanic. Once you master it, you’ll be dodging attacks like a pro and turning those frustrating deaths into glorious victories.

Let’s break down how to master Dodge Rolls and finally make some actual progress in Elden Ring.

How Dodge Mechanic Works?

First, one solution is to play defensively and use a shield. A shield will block all attacks, but you will still take some damage, and it will cost you a lot of stamina, which means you have to invest a lot of Elden Ring Runes in upgrading your stamina.

If you want to play in any other way, in any other classes, then you have to learn the most used mechanic in the entire game, Dodge mechanic.

Let’s first familiarize yourself with how Dodge mechanic works. When you press Dodge button, you move backwards. Please note that this is a small step and is not an effective way to avoid damage.

However, if you press Dodge button while pressing the button to move in any direction, your character will start rolling on the ground in that direction, avoiding damage. This triggers an iframe or a second invincibility state.

Now the problem is that I haven’t seen anyone else explain how this mechanic actually works. This is probably because most people find it intuitive and natural to do so.

When you dodge, you are supposed to be invincible and you shouldn’t take any damage, or at least you think it should be that way. But you usually get hit again and again. This is because when you dodge, the character does a specific animation where it rolls on the ground and backs up. In that animation, the moment of invincibility is in the middle of it.

When you dodge rolls, you will see an animation where your character jumps up on the ground during the first and last phases of the animation. At this point, you are not invincible, so you will definitely get hit in those seconds.

That’s why you will hear everyone saying that you have to learn the boss’s moves so that you can press Dodge button one second before the boss starts to attack you. When he swings his weapon, your Dodge animation should happen exactly when the attack should hit you.

Note that the animation should happen in the middle of that second for you to become invincible, one second earlier or later, and you will get hit.

Players who understand this mechanic and learn how to read and remember the boss’s moves can easily win the game, and in some cases, they are so good at it that they can go the entire game without getting hit once.

Other Factors Affecting Dodge Rolls

There are some other factors that affect Dodge Rolls, and that is the weight of your character. If you have heavy armor and weapons equipped, your weight will increase, making you heavier, so your Dodge Rolls will be slower. The lighter you are, the faster your Dodge Rolls will be.

You can find this stat in the character menu, increase Endurance points until you can sustain a certain weight capacity. This is why you often see a lot of players playing naked, because taking off the armor makes them lighter and faster.

Another thing that can affect your Dodge Rolls and the combat itself is the attack animation. For example, if you swing your sword, the swing will also have an animation, and if you press Dodge button in the middle of the swing, you will not dodge until you complete the attack animation.

This is why a lot of players, even excellent players, if they get hit, others will say that they were too greedy and attacked too many times before dodging.

So the key to mastering this mechanic is that you have to be familiar with and read the enemy’s movements in order to stop your attack in time so you can dodge.

Watch Out For Delayed Attacks

Some enemies are designed to intentionally delay attacks and trick you into pressing Dodge Rolls button too early. So keep an eye out for those movements. Don’t get frustrated every time you die, but instead stay calm and learn from every encounter. The sooner you start paying attention to his body movements, the sooner you’ll get used to his attacks and defeat him with ease.

Now there are a lot of things that could be added to the mechanic, but if you can understand this as a new player, you’ll have a good chance of making progress throughout the game. Don’t get me wrong, the difficulty of these games is no joke. You’ll need patience and perseverance, but once you get the hang of it, the sense of accomplishment is unmatched.

For a Samurai build who wants to level up quickly in the latest expansion, I prefer to prioritize finding one of the newest weapons that fits our play style, Great Katana. Many players are also looking forward to getting this weapon. If you want to get Great Katana as early as possible in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree without being spoiled, then don’t miss this guide.

In this guide, I tell you the best way to get the earliest Great Katana in the game, as spoiler-free as possible so that you can get a fresh experience before venturing into the core of DLC. At the same time, here I also provide my first impressions of Great Katana. Without further ado, let’s get started!

Great Katana Breakdown

Great Katana is a new weapon in Shadow of the Erdtree. This Heavy weapon is a sound choice for those who like to use Katana but want to stance-break more effectively and deal more damage at the same time.

Great Katana scales primarily with Strength and Dexterity, making it one of the best weapon choices for Dexterity and Arcane Builds.

In addition, this weapon comes with Ash of War: Overhead Stance. When using Ash of War, you can enter a stance that holds Katana high above your head. Normal attacks will push you forward for a downward slash, while heavy attacks will do a series of overhead slashes.

Location

To get this super cool weapon, we still need to access DLC. You need to first defeat Starscourge Radahn, then go to Mohgwyn Palace and defeat Mohg, Lord of Blood.

Once you’ve completed both of these steps, you can interact with Miquella’s Cocoon, which is located in Mohgwyn Dynasty Mausoleum, where you’ll fight Mohg, thus entering Land of Shadow and starting DLC.

Although we need to enter DLC to get this weapon, luckily, we don’t have to fight any bosses in Land of Shadow.

Once you enter DLC area, we just need to head straight to it. This is a real Godsend, as it’s not far from your first Site of Grace, Gravesite Plain.

From Gravesite Plain Site of Grace in DLC, we need to head north. To speed things up, you can ignore all the enemies you may encounter along the way. Of course, if you’re not in a hurry, you can just hack and slash around to collect some Elden Ring Runes.

Our goal is to reach a lake located just north of our current location. Now, if you look at the map, you’ll see that there are three large lakes around this area, but the one we need to go to is the middle one.

Once you reach the location, you’ll notice a sleeping dragon. You don’t need to fight this mini-boss, as you can get around it by crouching down. Note that there is a corpse near the dragon, and that’s the corpse we need to loot. Slowly crouch down close to the corpse and loot it to get Great Katana. It’s totally simple and easy.

Personal Impressions

Great Katana looks and feels great when wielded. I knew this weapon would resonate with me the first time I saw it, and it didn’t disappoint. All of its current moves are really refreshing.

Its normal attack reminds me of Monster Hunter’s Longswords, especially when performing an upward swing. Its basic skill Overhead Stance is definitely familiar and Sekiro players will notice it immediately because it is similar to Ichimonji Combat Arts. There is no doubt that this skill hits like a truck.

However, because of its long preparation time, doing this stance may be intimidating to some people. But since I go for skill, I am happy with it. Of course, if you don’t like this skill, you can always change it.

Not to mention that we will see a lot of new Ashes of War in DLC area, which makes this weapon have a longer range, so I think it will be a deadly tool when playing PVP.

As for damage, Great Katana hits hard at the maximum upgrade, but its slow attack speed is very obvious. When dealing with fast-moving targets or bosses, such as Maliketh, the Black Blade and others, the safest attack we can perform per opening is two or three hits.

Conclusion

Overall, Great Katana feels really good so far and it hasn’t been disappointed. I can’t wait to build around it, and just thinking about the different Samurai theme setups we can get from it makes me excited.

So, expect me to provide an early Samurai Build in case you want to use such a build for your first play with this weapon in DLC. My major goal is to get you to master this weapon, so stay tuned.

Anyway, I hope you found this quick guide useful. Of course, this is not a be-all and end-all guide for Great Katana, as we’re sure to discover more potential for this legendary weapon as time goes on. Do you think this DLC is worth trying so far? If you already own this weapon, please share your experience with us!