Elden Ring: How About This New Great Katana Weapon In Shadow Of The Erdtree? - Locations & Personal Opinions
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!
Jun-21-2024
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Elden Ring: Choose The Best ...
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!Jul-11-2024
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Elden Ring: How To Master D ...
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.Jun-24-2024
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Elden Ring: These New Range ...
In Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree, besides providing players with a new area, some new bosses, and some new armor, some ranged weapons have been added, including bows, crossbows, and Repeating Crossbow, which allow you to defeat enemies without getting in close contact in combat. Among the new ranged weapons in DLC, there are bows with high damage and great scaling, and some of them can fire multiple arrows after a single reload. In addition, there are some Talismans that are more effective when used with some of them. Here are the new ranged weapons added to Shadow of the Erdtree. Repeating Crossbow Status Requirements: 13 Strength & 15 Dexterity Max Damage (+10): 259 For Physical Repeating Crossbow does exactly what it says, firing multiple arrows in rapid succession when using Repeating Fire skill, which means it can deal continuous damage to enemies. Like the other Crossbows in Elden Ring, it doesn’t follow any of your stats, but if you feed it enough Somber Smith Stone, it can go from a backup weapon to your major weapon. Want to know where this powerful weapon is? You need to go to Site of Grace south of Moorth Highway and then walk north. Here you can find Repeating Crossbow next to Ghostflame Dragon and some Elden Ring Runes. Igon’s Greatbow Status Requirements: 23 Strength & 16 Dexterity Max Scaling (+25): C Strength & E Dexterity Max Damage (+10): 294 For Physical If you want to use your Strength build to fight the enemy, Igon’s Greatbow will be your best choice. Not only because of its excellent scaling and high base damage but also because it has Igon’s Drake Hunt, a wonderful skill in the game. In this weapon, because it is an advanced version of Through and Through, you can twist the bowstring to increase its power. In addition, you can also match it with Igon’s Harpoons to get the maximum damage to the enemy. Unlike Repeating Crossbow, Igon’s Greatbow only needs Smith Stones to upgrade, so the upgrade conditions of this weapon are simpler. Since it is Igon’s Greatbow, you must summon Igon. However, you don’t summon it to fight it, but to let it help you defeat Bayle The Dread, a dragon entrenched in Jagged Peak. After you win, Igon will leave its bow and armor to you. Spread Crossbow Status Requirements: 11 Strength & 17 Dexterity Max Damage (+25): 272 For Physical Spread Crossbow provides you with the easiest way to counter the various status effects generated by the boss. This is because the most basic attack of Tarnished is to fire multiple arrows at once, and can make the boss suffer sleep or blood loss effects depending on the type of arrows. Its skill, Kick is not surprising, but fortunately its upgrade material is also Smith Stones that can be found everywhere, which can make it slightly more useful. However, you still need to be careful that you need to have enough arrows equipped, because Spread Crossbow will consume arrows very quickly. Spread Crossbow is guarded by Messmer Soldiers on the right side of Ellac Greatbridge. You need to cross the bridge (or river) and defeat them to obtain this weapon. Ansbach’s Longbow Status Requirements: 9 Strength & 43 Dexterity Max Scaling (+10): D Strength & D Dexterity Max Damage (+10): 181 For Physical Thanks to its ability, Fan Shot, Ansbach’s Longbow is one of the best Longbows in the game. It can fire 8 arrows at once, and with some stats, even the biggest bosses will be affected by bleeding or rot. Although it may seem that this weapon requires very little Strength, don’t forget that you need to reach 43 Dexterity to use it. Check your Dexterity now! Like Repeating Crossbow, as long as you use enough Somber Smith Stones, you can get a better chance of winning in battle. Before you can get Ansbach’s Longbow, you need to make sure you have completed Ansbach’s quest in Shadow Keep. Completion here means that it is possible to kill him directly or help him fight invaders. Bone Bow Status Requirements: 8 Strength & 11 Dexterity Max Scaling (+10): D Strength & D Dexterity Max Damage (+10): 161 For Physical Although Bone Bow is not as outstanding in terms of damage compared to other weapons, it can stand out in Light Bow category with its own skill Rancor Shot. Light Bow allows players to fire a series of energy-infused arrows and is difficult to miss. In addition, its long range and lightweight are also plus points for it. Somber Smith Stones mentioned above are also its upgrade materials. Remember to pick up more Somber Smith Stones during the exploration process. The location of Bone Bow is in Belurat Tower Settlement you will see when you first enter DLC, or more specifically, in a tower with a broken spiral staircase. The process of taking it is not smooth sailing, but don’t worry, Spider-Scorpions inside are no match for you. Hopefully, these ranged weapons will play an important role in your battles. Have fun playing Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree and exploring more stories!Jun-30-2024
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Elden Ring: These Talismans ...
What are the two most important things in Elden Ring? Builds and Talismans. You can create the best builds, but you still need the most effective talismans to make them even better. The most popular build among players right now is the bleed build, and many players have even said they will continue to use it in the upcoming Elden Ring Shadow of The Erdtree DLC, which will be released on June 21st. It is also one of the most powerful builds in the game. Therefore, if you want to make a bleed build, you will definitely want to know which are the best bleed build talismans. This guide will introduce 8 talismans that can play a big role in bleed builds. This way you can not only experience the thrill of battle, but also accumulate more Elden Ring Runes faster. Lord Of Blood’s Exultation If you are going to make a blee build, you have to have Penultimate Medallion to increase the expected damage of this build. Lord of Blood’s Exultation is a very useful talisman that increases your attack power by 20% for 20 seconds. Getting a medallion for bleed build in Elden Ring is not a straightforward task. You’ll need to explore Leyndell as you progress through the game. First, you’ll need to head to the bottom of Subterranean Shunning Ground and reach Leyndell Catacombs. The medallion is at the bottom of this area, but you’ll need to defeat Priest of Blood Esgar before you can get it. Shard Of Alexander Iron Fist Alexander is one of the cutest NPCs you’ll find in Elden Ring, and it looks a lot like a jar. You’ll first encounter it in the northern part of Stormhill, and after you help it crawl out of the ground, it’ll reward you with Shard of Alexander. Shard of Alexander Medallion increases the attack power of your skills by 15%, and if you’re using Rivers of Blood Katana, you can use this talisman to deal more damage to your opponents. Erdtree’s Favor Erdtree’s Favor talisman can help you increase your HP by 3%, stamina by 7%, and Equip Load by 5%. When you’re using a dagger or Uchigatana to bleed build, you can focus on dex builds to bleed build faster. This talisman has three different variants in three locations. Those aforementioned ability boosts are found in Fringefolk Hero’s Grave and make up the first variant. The second variant is found in Subterranean Shunning-Grounds and gives you 3.5% more HP, 7% more stamina, and 5% more Equip Load. The third variant is found in Leyndell and gives you 4% more HP, 10% more stamina, and 8% more Equip Load. Regardless of which variant you get, it’s a very good talisman. Read More: Elden Ring: Choose The Ten Best Incantations To Do More Damage In Endgame! Rotten Winged Sword Insignia Rotten Winged Sword Insignia is one talisman that players consider essential to making a great bleed build in Elden Ring. This talisman increases the power of each attack by three times, depending on the number of attacks you make, so the power of each attack increases by 6%, 8%, and 13% respectively. Therefore, when you wear Rotten Winged Sword Insignia, you can cause continuous bleed damage to enemies. To get Winged Sword Insignia, you need to talk to Millicent and complete the quest she gives you - to help her defeat her sisters. This side quest is a lengthy experience that takes you through various locations on the map and pits you against the most powerful optional boss in the game: Blade of Miquella Melinia. Claw In Elden Ring, most bleed builds include daggers and Katanas, so it is very necessary to have a talisman to enhance your jump attacks. Claw is such a talisman, which increases your jump attacks by 15%. Claw is probably one of the first talismans you can get while exploring Stormhill Castle. It spawns in Rampart Tower site of grace. You need to go up from the room with the elevator, go outside, and parkour on the ledges until you find a roof with a corpse. Be aware that there is a ruthless Pichone following you at all times, so it is best to kill it before you do anything else. Millicent’s Prosthesis Millicent’s Prosthesis talisman increases your Dexterity by 5 points and has the same properties as Rotten Winged Sword Prosthesis. This means that each of your consecutive attacks will increase your attack damage by 4%, 6%, and 11%. So where can you find this talisman? You need to continue Millicent’s questline and go to Windmill Village to kill Godskin Apostle as she asks. After completing this, she will give you the talisman. If you don’t want to listen to her control, you can challenge her. After defeating her, you will also get Millicent’s Prosthesis talisman. However, in this way, you will miss Rotten Winged Sword Insignia you wanted before. Great Turtle Talisman To stack bleed damage in Elden Ring, you have to move fast and deal damage to enemies. This also requires fast stamina regeneration, which Great Turtle Talisman can help you with. It increases your stamina regeneration by 8 points per second, about 17%, so you can fight enemies for a long time. You need to go to Summonwater Village and find an underground area full of turtles to find Great Turtle Talisman. It is located east of Summonwater Outskirts site of grace, and you need to use two stone shard keys to open the fog gates. Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman The last Elden Ring talisman is Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman. As the name suggests, it is a defensive talisman. Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman can help you reduce the physical damage you take in combat by 20%, even the general damage. Want Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman? You’ll need to head to Miquella’s Haligtree, then to the second half of Elphael in Brace of Haligtree. This Talisman is in a chest on an elevated platform inside a large building to the northeast. You’ll have to parkour as enemies will be attacking you. These are the 8 best Elden Ring talismans for bleed builds. But these talismans can be used individually or in a mix and match. It’s up to you to figure this out! With all that in mind, hopefully you’ll be ready for Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC.Jun-18-2024