Elden Ring: Do You Know How To Defeat Golden Hippopotamus? - Locations & Steps

FromSoftware’s extensive Faith builds have been a favorite for many players, including dozens of incantations, seals and weapons. We can see this trend in Elden Ring as well. Among them, as a powerful weapon, Black Steel Greathammer is also expanded through Faith builds. This article will provide detailed information about how to build Black Steel Greathammer to make it a powerful weapon. It is undeniable that we will encounter various difficulties and dangers in the game and getting some Elden Ring Runes will reduce the bumps of the journey absolutely. Players can find Black Steel Greathammer by finding Black Knight in Church of Consolation in southeastern Gravesite Plains. Black Steel Greathammer is very compatible with STR/FAI builds, and you can use them together. Strengths And Weaknesses Of Black Steel Greathammer Strengths: Fast move, buffable and infusible, together with fabulous stance damage Weaknesses: Low Range and only obtainable very late in-game The true power of Black Steel Greathammer is unleashed when infused into a Flame Art or Sacred in a Faith-focused build. Players can adjust scaling with its Ash of War infusion. This is its biggest advantage. Similar to Black Knights, Black Steel Greathammer also has a special Guard Counter. After the counterattack, a circle of holy light will appear on the ground with an explosion effect. The attack power is proportional to Faith. Best Stat Distribution For Black Steel Greathammer As mentioned earlier, Black Steel Greathammer is powerful when combined with a STR/FAI build. As a versatile weapon, Faith is the best stat distribution for Black Steel Greathammer. Strength is another stat distribution that has a perfect fit. However, in a Strength-focused build, the overall damage output of Black Steel Greathammer is slightly less. Best Talismans For Black Steel Greathammer Curved Sword Talisman: Increases 20% Guard Counter damage Greatshield Talisman: Decreases 20% stamina damage taken while being blocked Two-Headed Turtle Talisman: Upgrades the speed of stamina recovery speed by 22.5% Crimson Seed Talisman +1: Enhances HP restoration from Flask of Crimson Tears by 30% Best Shields For Black Steel Greathammer Black Steel Greathammer can only be used to its full potential when Guard Counters are employed. Players can choose to use Guard Counters with a shield. In an emergency, dual wielding is also an option. However, considering that it can only cause physical damage negation of 76 under normal circumstances, it is not recommended to use Guard Counters with dual wielding. As for which shield is better to choose, the key factor lies in the player’s Endurance and maximum equipment load. The weight of the shield is often positively correlated with its defensive capabilities. Therefore, heavier shields should theoretically be the first choice for players. However, considering practical factors, for example, their weight is often not suitable for most builds. Medium shields take into account both weight and defense value and are widely used by most players. Serpent Crest Shield and Brass Shield are two best medium shields, sharing of great significance. Serpent Crest Shield owns the highest guard boost in the category of medium shields, together with extremely lightweight, which can be obtained by solving Incursion Painting in Land of Shadow. And on the other hand, Brass Shield is one of the most balanced shields in the game, which could be farmed by the soldiers along the way back in Limgrave. It is the best replacement of Serpent Crest Shield for players. If players have necessary Endurance to wield a Greatshield, those two shields are the most appropriate options for them: Verdigris Greatshield: Best Greatshield definitely, which can be acquired by completing Moore’s questline, taking place of the crown from Fingerprint Stone Shield. Haligtree Crest Greatshield: A lighter variant among those Greatshields with a sharp difference of weight. Best Incantations For Black Steel Greathammer Players can choose the appropriate incantation based on their own situation. The following are two incantations that directly improve the effectiveness of Black Steel Greathammer: Golden Vow: Boosts attack and defense for self and allies by 15% and 10% separatively. Flame, Grant me Strength: Upgrades physical and fire-affinity attack power by 20% There are also some incantations that are also worth recommending, such as Pest-Thread Spears, Flame of Frenzy and Knight’s Lightning Spear. Best Crystal Tears For Black Steel Greathammer Deflecting Hardtear: Upgrades spontaneous guard, receiving a 5-minute long buff that enhances the damage of Guard Counters. Greenburst Crystal Tear: Temporarily boosts the speed of stamina recovery. If being equipped with two-Headed Turtle Talisman, boundless stamina will be given for three minutes. Let’s enjoy the game first. Moreover, if you would like to embrace more game resources, please access to iGMeet discord. It boasts a Giveaway channel where relevant product gift messages will be released sometimes. Please participate in the discord group to know more details. The above is some sharing about Black Steel Greathammer build, mainly referring to its strengths and weaknesses, and which stat distributions, shields, incantation, and crystal tears could make it a weapon with particular significance. Hope you have a fabulous game journey.

In Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, there is an NPC called Twin Maiden Husks. When you give her a special item, Bell Bearing, you will expand your shop a little. Although you don’t need to find all Bell Bearings in DLC, there may be some players who like to collect them all. If you are one of them, this guide will help you by detailing the location of some Bell Bearings. Most of Bell Bearings in Shadow of the Erdtree are hidden in pots, so you need to use ranged attacks to break the pot. So before you start your search, please prepare your ranged weapons. Greasemonger's Bell Bearing If you want to get Greasemonger Bell Bearing, you’ll need to start at Grace Ruins on High Road in Church District of Skad Altas. From there, head southeast for a short distance, then head south at the right point, keeping the cliff face to your right. Continue along this south path, and you’ll eventually reach a cliff face with a pot hanging from it. You can use your ranged weapon, such as a bow, to shoot the pot. Eventually, Greasemonger’s Bell Bearing will fall to the ground. Herbalist's Bell Bearing In theory, you can find the pot containing Herbalist’s Bell Bearing on the road between Pillar Path Waypoint Site of Grace and Dragon’s Pit in Scadu Altus. However, in actual gameplay, you’ll find that you’re surrounded by two cliffs on this road, which is actually difficult to move, so you need to be extremely careful. The pot is on the western wall. Igon's Bell Bearing You can get Igon’s Bell Bearing directly by completing Igon’s questline, without breaking any pots or containers. If you think it’s more cost-effective to kill this NPC directly than to complete his quest line - in addition to obtaining Igon’s Bell Bearing, there are also a lot of Elden Ring Runes, so you can kill him first without following the rules. Moldmonger's Bell Bearing Moldmonger’s Bell Bearing is a bit tricky to get. You need to go to Ruins of Unte in Shadow of the Erdtree, then head south across the water and follow the path along the cliffs toward the waterfall. During this expedition, you will need to use Torrent to jump over gaps. This path will eventually lead you to Rescluses’ River Downstream Site of Grace. Remember to look up the cliffs to the northeast to find the pot containing Moldmonger’s Bell Bearing. It is important to note that you need to use the small platform extending from the southeast of Recluses’ River Downstream Site of Grace to reach the location where Moldmonger’s Bell Bearing falls. Moore's Bell Bearing Moore is an NPC in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. He can be found at Main Gate Cross Site of Grace in Gravesite Plain. He is unique among the other NPCs that can obtain Bell Bearings because you can obtain his Bell Bearing in several ways. First you need to kill a Forager Brood in Shadow of the Erdtree, then go to the place mentioned above and talk to Moore. Then kill another Forager Brood to allow Moore to invade. After that, you can return to Main Gate Cross and pick up Moore’s Bell Bearing. When you see the message “Somewhere, a great rune has broken.” in Shadow of the Erdtree, you still have to go to Main Gate Cross to find Moore and tell him: “Put it behind you.” After you complete the critical path of the entire DLC, you can force a battle with Moore, and you will eventually find Moore’s Bell Bearing on his body. The premise is the same as the second method, but this time you need to tell Moore: “Remain sad forever.” This will trigger a different ending - you will eventually find his body north of Church of Crusade in Scadu Altus. But the ending is still the same. You can find some Elden Ring Runes and Moore’s Bell Bearing on his body. Mushroom-Seller's Bell Bearing (1) This Bell Bearing is also located near Castle Front Site of Grace in Gravesite Plain. Once you reach this location, descend into Poison Swamp. You will need to cross this area to reach a small freshwater pool. Be careful of poison. Enter a cave along the southwest edge of the pool and walk west until you reach Ellac River Cave Site of Grace. You can take a break here to adjust, but be careful not to stay there too long. The exit is on the west side of the cave, and once you are out of the cave, ride north across the water. This path will take you to a waterfall, but don’t go in. Instead, turn west at the end and keep going until you reach a grassy path. This path will allow you to follow the cliff face. As you walk, keep an eye out for the pot containing Mushroom-Seller’s Bell Bearing (1). Spellmachinist's Bell Bearing To get Spellmachinist’s Bell Bearing, you must first go to the top of Rabbath’s Rise. When you enter the top, don’t think that this Elden Ring Item will be given to you so easily. You also need to jump down from the walkway to get closer to the corpse with Spellmachinist’s Bell Bearing. This guide only introduces some of the more important Bell Bearings in Shadow of the Erdtree. The remaining hidden models are waiting for your own exploration!

Curved Swords have always been a staple in Elden Ring, and since the early days of the game, there have been countless players who have liked this weapon. Curved Swords are often linked to Dexterity and are often proportional, making them ideal for use when you are using Bleed builds and swift attacks. Shadow of the Erdtree DLC successfully continues this tradition, and also adds some new weapons to Tarnished’s arsenal, allowing players to better choose different weapons according to different combat situations. This guide will introduce you to some very useful Curved Swords in Shadow of the Erdtree, and you can choose Curved Swords you want in battle at your discretion. Dancing Blade Of Ranah Dancing Blade of Ranah is one of the best Curved Swords in Shadow of the Erdtree, as it scales with your Dexterity. If you want to rely on this attribute to play in the DLC, then Dancing Blade Of Ranah will be a good choice. You can get this powerful weapon by killing Dancer of Ranah in Southern Nameless Mausoleum. But it should be noted that Dancing Blade Of Ranah cannot be enhanced or infused with Ashes of War, and can only be upgraded with Somber Smithing Stones. When you use Dancing Blade Of Ranah, you can actually feel it from the name. Its skill - Unending Dance allows you to initiate a dance-like action and swing the blade while bouncing. When you are surrounded by enemies, you can use it to protect yourself from being approached by enemies. Spirit Sword Spirit Sword is also a new Curved Sword in Shadow of the Erdtree. It looks more powerful than the regular Curved Sword, and in addition to Dexterity, it is also related to Intelligence and even Strength. It has multiple uses and is very cost-effective! In addition, this sword is said to be a medium for communicating with spirits, so in addition to Physical Damage, it can also cause considerable Magic Damage. When you switch from an enemy that cannot resist physical damage to an enemy that is vulnerable to magic damage, you don’t need to change weapons, just use Spirit Sword. Spirit Sword can be found in Cerulean Coast, specifically between Cerulean Coast West and Cerulean Coast Site of Grace. If you see several half-people areas during your exploration, then you are not wrong, which means you are not far from the location of the Spirit Sword. Like the other Curved Swords in this guide, the Spirit Sword cannot be enhanced or infused with Ashes of War, and can only be upgraded with Somber Smithing Stones. Falx Falx is also mainly adjusted by Strength and Dexterity. It is a pair of Curved Swords that can be used in both hands at the same time. When Hornsent invades Rauh Ancient Ruins Site of Grace, you need to defeat it and you will pick up Falx from its corpse. If you like dual-wielding the scimitars of Warrior profession in the DLC and want to try different weapons, then Falx can perfectly match your requirements. Although Falx does not cause Elemental Damage to the enemy, its Physical Damage of up to 107 can make the enemy unable to parry. Its special skill, Revenger’s Blade, allows you to sprint forward a long distance and slash the enemy in the shape of an X. In addition, Falx paired Curved Swords has a passive effect that allows the enemy to accumulate bleeding unconsciously, which is very timesaving and labor-saving. Similarly, it cannot be enhanced. Horned Warrior’s Sword Horned Warrior’s Sword also adjusts its damage primarily through Strength and Dexterity, followed by Faith, and is one of the most complete Curved Swords in Shadow of the Erdtree. This weapon is usually found in the hands of Horned Warriors in the Lands of Shadow. You can choose to kill Horned Warrior in Belurat Tower Settlement swamp to obtain this weapon, or directly obtain it from any Horned Warrior who can wield this weapon. It doesn’t hurt. Like other Curved Swords, it cannot be enhanced or infused with Ashes of War. However, since this is a paired weapon and is also the most powerful part of the build, you only need to find one to get a pair of Horned Warrior’s Swords. Its skill is also very special. When you use Horn Calling, you will drive the sword into the ground and summon a very powerful and piercing horn in front of the enemy, which is very suitable for temporarily incapacitating enemies when they get too close. Horned Warrior’s Greatsword Speaking of some very powerful Curved Greatswords, we have to mention Horned Warrior’s Greatsword, which is much larger and heavier than the regular non-Greatsword version. This means that you need more Strength to pick it up, especially when using it one-handed. Compared to similar weapons, Horned Warrior’s Greatsword does not require farming, and only requires you to defeat Wind-Aspected Horned Warrior at the end of Enir Ilim. Although you can take it to the exchange to exchange for 200 Elden Ring Runes, it is better to keep it. Because not only does it have powerful special skills, especially when used with special amulets such as Millicent’s Prosthesis, it can unleash a lot of damage and even destroy the most powerful enemies, but it also scales equally with Strength, Dexterity, and Faith, making you a very balanced state. Freyja’s Greatsword The last one comes up, but it is definitely not the least important. Freyja’s Greatsword is mainly related to Strength, and secondarily to Dexterity. You will encounter Redmane Freya carrying it many times when exploring Lands of Shadow, but to obtain it, you need to defeat Freyja directly in Enir Ilim. Freyja’s Greatsword weighs 14 and requires your Strength attribute to reach 25, but its Physical Damage is as high as 146, which is very suitable for players who like Strength builds. They usually want to have a heavy weapon with good attributes and a weapon with 360-degree coverage. Freyja’s Greatsword will meet all their requirements. Have you chosen your favorite Curved Swords? If you have already chosen, then enter Shadow of the Erdtree DLC and start your exploration!

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!