Does Moonveil Katana Scale with Intelligence? A Deep Dive into Elden Ring’s Enchanting Blade
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Yes, the Moonveil Katana in Elden Ring scales significantly with Intelligence (INT). It also scales with Dexterity (DEX), but Intelligence is the primary scaling stat. This means that increasing your Intelligence stat will yield a greater damage increase with the Moonveil Katana compared to increasing your Dexterity. This makes it an excellent weapon for players pursuing an Intelligence-focused build, blending melee combat with sorceries. This guide covers all that the Moonveil Katana offers, from its scaling to best builds.
Understanding Scaling in Elden Ring
What is Scaling?
In Elden Ring, scaling refers to how a weapon’s damage increases based on your character’s stats. Each weapon has specific stats it scales with, indicated by letters (S, A, B, C, D, E) on the weapon’s stat sheet. “S” is the best scaling, while “E” is the worst. A higher scaling grade means that you’ll gain more damage from each point you invest in that stat.
How Moonveil Scales
The Moonveil Katana scales primarily with Intelligence and secondarily with Dexterity. It also requires a base level of Strength. While increasing all three stats will technically increase the weapon’s damage, focusing primarily on Intelligence, followed by Dexterity, yields the most effective results.
Optimizing Your Moonveil Build
Prioritizing Stats
When building around the Moonveil, your stat distribution should prioritize Intelligence. A common approach is:
- Intelligence: Aim for 60 to 80 Intelligence. This range provides the best return on investment for magic scaling and damage output with the Moonveil.
- Dexterity: Aim for 40 to 50 Dexterity. This will provide a good balance between damage output and weapon handling.
- Vigor: Aim for 40 to 60 Vigor. This is crucial for survivability, allowing you to withstand more hits from enemies.
- Mind: Aim for 25 to 40 Mind. This is needed for FP to use the weapon art, Transient Moonlight.
- Endurance: A small investment in Endurance is beneficial for equipment load and stamina, but it’s not a primary focus.
- Strength: Only meet the minimum requirement of 12 Strength to wield the Moonveil Katana.
Transient Moonlight: Moonveil’s Weapon Skill
Moonveil’s unique weapon skill, Transient Moonlight, unleashes a powerful magic-infused slash. Pressing the light attack button (R1/RB) after using Transient Moonlight will result in a fast horizontal slash that is good at hitting multiple targets in front of you. The heavy attack version (R2/RT) is a vertical slash that excels at breaking enemy poise. Both of these attacks also shoot out projectiles that deal magic damage.
Recommended Talismans
Talismans can significantly enhance your Moonveil build. Here are a few recommended choices:
- Radagon Icon: Reduces spell casting time, which can be useful if you incorporate sorceries into your playstyle.
- Graven-Mass Talisman: Increases the potency of your sorceries.
- Marika’s Soreseal/Scarseal: Provides a boost to Intelligence, Dexterity, Arcane, and Faith at the cost of increased damage taken.
- Shard of Alexander: Enhances the damage of your weapon skills, boosting the effectiveness of Transient Moonlight.
- Green Turtle Talisman: Boosts stamina recovery speed, enabling more frequent attacks and dodges.
Weapon Upgrades
Upgrading your Moonveil Katana with Smithing Stones is essential for maximizing its damage output. Fully upgrading the Moonveil to +10 significantly increases its base damage and scaling, making it a formidable weapon in the late game.
Moonveil vs. Other Katanas
While the Moonveil Katana is a popular choice, other katanas in Elden Ring offer unique advantages.
Rivers of Blood
The Rivers of Blood katana is a popular alternative, particularly for builds that focus on Bleed buildup. However, Rivers of Blood scales primarily with Arcane and Dexterity, making it a better choice for characters who have invested in those stats.
Uchigatana and Nagakiba
The Uchigatana and Nagakiba are versatile katanas that can be infused with various Ashes of War, allowing you to customize their scaling and damage type. These are excellent options if you prefer a more flexible build.
Incorporating Sorceries
Since the Moonveil Katana scales with Intelligence, incorporating sorceries into your build can greatly enhance your combat effectiveness.
Recommended Spells
- Carian Piercer: Fast melee attack with long range.
- Carian Slicer: Extremely quick melee attack for staggering enemies.
- Rock Sling: Deals Physical damage and staggers enemies.
- Loretta’s Greatbow: Long range sorcery.
Moonveil Katana FAQs
1. What stats are needed to wield the Moonveil Katana?
You need 12 Strength, 18 Dexterity, and 23 Intelligence to wield the Moonveil Katana.
2. Is Moonveil still good after the patch?
Yes, the Moonveil Katana is still viable after patch updates. While some adjustments to poise damage may have been made, its damage output and weapon skill remain effective.
3. What does Arcane do for Moonveil?
Arcane does not directly increase the attack power of Moonveil. While Moonveil does apply bleed buildup on enemies, Arcane will not improve that build up.
4. Which is better, Intelligence or Dexterity for Moonveil?
Intelligence is the better stat for Moonveil as it offers superior scaling compared to Dexterity.
5. Can you dual wield Moonveil?
No, you can only acquire one Moonveil per playthrough. However, you can dual wield it in New Game Plus.
6. How much poise damage does Moonveil do?
A direct hit from the Moonveil used to fire it will do an additional 15 using the Light Attack variant for a total of 27.5 Poise damage. The Heavy Attack variant deals an additional 17.5 with the Katana itself for a total of 30 Poise damage on a direct strike.
7. What is the best armor for a Moonveil build?
The best armor depends on your preference for poise and weight. The Spellblade Set can increase magic damage. The Bull-Goat Set is a solid choice for poise.
8. What is the best late game katana in Elden Ring?
The Moonveil Katana is a strong contender for the best late-game katana due to its Intelligence scaling, bleed buildup, and unique weapon skill.
9. How do you counter Moonveil in PvP?
One way to counter Moonveil is to keep walking towards them until you see them pull their right hand down, get ready but do not stop walking yet, once you see them bend down roll immediately and R1.
10. Can I use Moonveil with Rivers of Blood?
Yes, you can use Moonveil and Rivers of Blood, but it requires splitting your stats between Intelligence, Dexterity, and Arcane, which may dilute your build’s effectiveness.
11. Does the Spellblade set work with Moonveil?
Yes, the Spellblade Set enhances magic damage, benefiting Moonveil mages who primarily engage in melee combat.
12. Where do I find Moonveil?
The Moonveil Katana is obtained by defeating the Magma Wyrm in Gael Tunnel, located in Caelid.
13. How do I upgrade Moonveil?
You upgrade Moonveil using Smithing Stones at a smithing table or blacksmith. It requires Somber Smithing Stones to upgrade.
14. What other weapons pair well with Moonveil?
Other weapons that scale with Intelligence, such as the Dark Moon Greatsword or the Wing of Astel, pair well with Moonveil.
15. Is Moonveil good for beginners?
The Moonveil Katana can be good for beginners due to its unique weapon skill and the fact that it only requires meeting the minimum stat requirements.
Conclusion
The Moonveil Katana is a powerful and versatile weapon in Elden Ring, especially for Intelligence-focused builds. Its scaling primarily with Intelligence, coupled with its unique weapon skill, makes it a formidable choice for both melee and magic combat. By optimizing your stats, talismans, and sorceries, you can create a devastating Moonveil build that can conquer even the most challenging foes in the Lands Between.
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