Shadow of the Erdtree introduces many overkill player abilities and new weapons that are shaking up the meta right now. From standout spells to over-tuned new weapon types, some new attacks have fallen to disappointment while others have quickly become supreme.
After finishing the DLC as thoroughly as possible and keeping my eye on the emerging PvP meta, I have a great idea of the new gear emerging supreme. Here’s a rundown of the most powerful new abilities of Elden Ring and the mark they’ve left, particularly on PvP.
Ash of War: Wing Stance
Wing Stance is one of those rare abilities that gives as good as it looks. It’s an Ash of War that applies to a new weapon type, Light Greatswords. It can only be applied to Milady but it’s a pairing made in heaven. This weapon is extremely damaging for its weight class. The flourishes of its moveset lack the plain function of straight swords or thrusting swords, but Wing Stance is an awesome addition to its moveset.
It’s a Stance AoW that can follow into two different attacks. R1 results in a three-hit attack. While it’s long overall, it’s arguably the most accessible attack-chain move in the game, with poise damage better than double slash.
But the R2 is incredible and by far the most useful aspect of this setup. It’s a jump followed by a lunging thrust attack with fantastic reach, speed, and damage. For the cost of taking the time to enter the stance, you unleash a superior (mostly) version of piercing fang. As knowledgeable players will know, thrust is a unique commodity as it deals significantly more damage to enemies in the middle of their attack.
What’s more, the FP cost is quite generous, and the jump can be used to avoid many attacks. When facing assaults that stick to the ground or projectiles, if you time it right you can dodge and flow quickly into the powerful thrust. A great AoW against both bosses and ranged players.
While the R2 steals the show, don’t forget this is a stance move with two very different attack paths. Use the R1 as a defensive mix-up when a player starts accounting for the R2 by getting in your face. One attack covers you at close range while the other covers you at long range; one attack activates ‘consecutive attack’ buffs while the other provides instant damage. Most stances are not as flexible as this.
Talismans that will bolster this AoW include Shard of Alexander, Spear Talisman, Rellana’s Cameo, and Millicent’s Prosthetic.
Ash of War: Rolling Sparks
Rolling Sparks is a great move for sheer damage. It’s an instant kill against light enemies and even players, and not the only one. It does require nuanced use to be effective against players, but you can’t deny the utility of quickly annihilating opponents in a 1v3 situation.
It’s an Ash of War that only applies to Perfumer Bottles. There are many weapons in this new category, so you’ll want to find those with the most damage scaling, like the Lightning Perfumer Bottle. Just like Light Greatswords, it’s a weapon whose damage is over-tuned for its minimal weight cost. Essentially Rolling Sparks can be used to concentrate much of its damage into one spot.
Typically the AoW creates a long blanket of explosions. As you can imagine, it hits enemies multiple times for great damage, though the timing is a bit delicate. However, if you direct it at your feet, all the explosion clusters trigger quickly at one point. This technique doesn’t have the reach for most bosses, but for players pressuring you, it’s a devastating surprise.
What makes this so frightening is that Perfumer Bottles weigh so little. So you can just stow it in your equipment list and unleash it when least expected. Keep in mind that two-handing the bottles allows you to dual-wield them. The regular moveset isn’t as good, but it’s still a great option for close group encounters.
Bolster the AoW with Shard of Alexander, Perfumer’s Talisman, and Lightning Scorpion Charm.
New Weapons: Bloodfiend’s Arm
Bloodfiend’s Arm is an extraordinary weapon for arcane bleed. It’s not just a much-needed option for strength/arcane builds. It’s also an instant-kill weapon when infused with Bleed.
Colossal Weapons always have a lot of Bleed Buildup when you infuse them because they’re so slow to hit anyway. Many enemies get killed before the Bleed even takes effect, while players are a pain to hit reliably in the first place. But what if the Bleed was so high that you could Hemorrhage them in one hit before they have time to adapt?
With this infusion, the regular Bleed of Bloodfiend’s Arm is higher than any other weapon. On top of this, its R2 is a fast slam with an additional Bleed effect. Heavier attacks never deal more status affliction, but not in this case.
The attack has serious poise, damage and insane Bleed, so without exaggeration, it will instant-kill. Most of the damage is in the Hemorrhage. Players with high bleed resistance or shields may survive, but not for long if you make the attack work. AoWs like Endure or Royal Knight’s Resolve excel when you want to supplement a regular move like this.
You can bolster the weapon with Lord of Blood’s Exultation, Axe Talisman, and the Two-Handed Sword Talisman. That’s basically it, considering the Hemorrhage does all the work for you. It’s a perfect opportunity to use utility talismans like Crimson Amber Medallion +3.
Related: How to Reach the Most Interesting Area of Shadow of the Erdtree Early
New Weapons: Spear of the Impaler
Spear of the Impaler is a Greatspear rewarded from the Remembrance of Messmer. It is the most iconic weapon from the DLC’s promotional material, and thankfully, it’s as strong as you’d think. It has many unique benefits going for it, the first of which is it’s a fire-infused Greatspear with good scaling. Secondly, it’s Ash of War is insane. Messmer’s Flame is an element unique to Messmer, and it’s essentially dark fire that snakes forward with great reach. The AoW has three parts: first, you spin in the air, releasing a long wave of Messmer’s flame; then, you lunge and unleash a super fast flurry of fiery thrusts; and finally, you thrust into the ground, creating a small field of thrusting spears.
It’s a deeply intense and relentless AoW, and the last part is immensely damaging. It’s hard to dodge because it has a lot of mobility and tracking. While it is a long attack that’s hard to set up against bosses, players are less likely to interrupt it and get punished for fleeing or abusing spells. It’s a great way to use FP quickly, and you can stop it after the first or second input if the situation calls for it. I recommend using only the first part when you need effective area damage quickly and otherwise, using the whole chain for the damage at the end.
Thirdly, it’s an excellent throwing weapon. All of its R2 attacks (except for the jumping R2) allow you to throw the spear before it materializes back in your hand. The stamina requirement is very steep for the modest damage, but its utility is undeniable. If you use it to engage an enemy, you avoid the stamina cost, you can use it to finish enemies after a spell, and it chains quickly into regular melee attacks. It’s a great addition to horseback fighting, and when you charge the attack, it leaves a pool of fire that helps against slow enemies. It’s one of the few weapons that works well for spellcasters due to its range. Either way, it’s a great PvP mixup that can catch opponents out of their roll.
Bolster the weapon with the Shard of Alexander, Smithing Talisman, Spear Talisman, and Winged Serpent Helm.
Shield: Verdigris Greatshield
While Dueling Shields are the most remarkable new shields on offer in the DLC, this Greatshield makes the most impact on overpowered strategies. It dethrones Fingerprint Stone Shield for the most Guard Boost. Guard Boost dictates how much you can block before depleting your stamina, so it’s this single stat that makes or breaks shields. Verdigris Greatshield has 82 boost at 28 weight while Fingerprint Stone Shield has 77 boost at 29 weight (unupgraded). The tradeoff is its damage defense is worse but not so bad that it isn’t worth it. Keeping your guard up is the best way to avoid alarming damage all the time, even if you have to deal with chip damage.
The immensely reliable defense of Verdigris Greatshield places it straight into the hall of fame as the king of shields. While not many players make good use of shields, go to summon a friend for the final boss, and you’ll see this thing everywhere. This shield is something of the best strategy for tackling all the hectic bosses of the DLC. They have made dodging so demanding that blocking strategies are on the up, and there’s no better blocking tool than this. The best defense is an unbreakable defense.
Pair this with a Rot or Poison weapon, and you’ve got a build that’s a league above basically everything else within boss fights. Watch the status affliction deal damage for you from behind your portable fortress. But keep in mind this is one item that isn’t good for PvP at all. Gear as heavy as this requires massive stat investment and fattiness, which will put you at a disadvantage against cunning players. They can respond with abilities that are designed to break your guard, and they’re trained to avoid status. You can still make them work, but Greatshield playstyles are designed for bosses more than anything.
Bolster it with Greatshield Talisman, Verdigris Discus, and Viridian Amber Medallion +3.
Crystal Tears: Crimsonburst Dried Tear/Glovewort Crystal Tear
These 2 new Crystal Tears promote a playstyle that no other gear has before. They aren’t as powerful as the other picks on this list, but for many players, they’re perfect for how they enjoy the game.
If you didn’t know, Crystal Tears are powerful buffs that restock every time you die, just like healing flasks. You can find new DLC variants by killing Furnace Golems. Crimsonburst Dried Tear provides a healing aura for allies around you rather than yourself, while Glovewort Crystal Tear buffs the damage of your Spirit Ashes. Players finally have great accessible options to help the allies they fight with. Before, your only option was to invest in Healing Incantations that are very hard to position and wasted on yourself. Now coop enjoyers who always outlast their allies can provide direct support to prop them up.
Meanwhile, players who enjoy using the Spirit Ashes (Pokemon Summons) for more cinematic fighting benefit from both Crystal Tears. Spirit Ashes typically serve a harassing role, dealing very little damage, so the buff is welcome compensation. However, Crystal Tears aren’t designed to turn the tide of battle. Shout out to Heal from Afar; the new ranged Healing Incantation that can act as your main tool for keeping allies alive rather than yourself. A new essential for any Pokemon run.
This support approach may seem niche, but it’s actually a game-changer for online encounters. Whether your party is fighting a boss or an invader, if the Host dies, you lose, and your time is up. This can lead to infuriating situations where the sudden assassination of the Host ends an online situation you put your all into as a helper. Hosts may be reckless or lack Vigor. At least now, more direct tools exist to protect players that won’t protect themselves.
The Guide Hall won’t let anyone stop us from progressing deeper into Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree to bring you guides, not even the fearsome Divine Beast Dancing Lion! We’ll have more for you from the Shadow Lands shortly!