Is Godslaying Greatsword Good? A Comprehensive Guide

Yes, the Godslaying Greatsword is generally considered a very strong and effective weapon in Elden Ring, particularly for builds focused on Strength, Faith, or Quality (Strength/Dexterity). Its unique weapon skill, “Queen’s Black Flame,” deals significant fire damage, applies a powerful DoT (Damage over Time), and boasts excellent range, making it effective against a wide variety of enemies, including bosses. However, its effectiveness depends on the specific build, player skill, and the encounter.

Understanding the Godslaying Greatsword

The Godslaying Greatsword, a curved greatsword acquired from defeating Godskin Apostle at the bottom of the Divine Tower of Caelid, is renowned for its unique capabilities and striking visual design. Beyond its impressive physical damage, the Greatsword truly shines because of the “Queen’s Black Flame” skill. To fully understand its usefulness, we must consider the damage type and the scaling.

Weapon Stats and Scaling

• Attack Power: The Godslaying Greatsword boasts respectable physical attack power, which scales primarily with Strength (C scaling) and Dexterity (D scaling), encouraging a quality build.
• Faith Scaling (D): Crucially, it also possesses Faith scaling, allowing players to significantly boost the damage output of its weapon skill.
• Critical Hit: Possessing a critical hit modifier of 100.
• Weight: Weighing in at 11.5 units, it is quite heavy.

Queen’s Black Flame Weapon Skill

This weapon skill is a sweeping attack that launches a projectile of black flame. This projectile explodes on impact, dealing fire damage upfront and applying a potent Damage over Time effect. The DoT is particularly effective against enemies with large health pools, like bosses.

• Range: The projectile covers a considerable distance, making it ideal for engaging enemies from a safe range.
• Area of Effect: The explosion has a respectable area of effect, allowing you to hit multiple enemies simultaneously.
• FP Cost: It requires a moderate amount of FP (18 FP) to cast, meaning you can use it several times before needing to replenish your FP.

Strengths of the Godslaying Greatsword

The Godslaying Greatsword’s popularity stems from several key strengths:

• High Damage Potential: When properly scaled, the Greatsword can deliver impressive damage both through regular attacks and its weapon skill.
• Effective Against Bosses: The Queen’s Black Flame DoT is especially effective against bosses, chewing through their health bars.
• Versatile: The Greatsword’s combination of physical and fire damage allows it to handle a wide range of enemy types.
• Good Range: The range of the Queen’s Black Flame skill provides a safe means of damage output.

Weaknesses of the Godslaying Greatsword

While a powerful weapon, the Godslaying Greatsword is not without its limitations:

• Weight: Its weight can be a burden for players with lower Endurance stats, affecting their equip load and mobility.
• Stat Requirements: The Greatsword requires a significant investment in Strength, Dexterity, and Faith, making it less accessible to pure caster builds.
• Vulnerability Window: The cast animation can be slow, potentially leaving you vulnerable to attacks. You need to time its usage carefully.
• Ineffective Against Fire-Resistant Enemies: As the weapon deals fire damage, it will be less effective against enemies resistant or immune to fire.

How to Maximize the Godslaying Greatsword’s Potential

To truly unleash the Greatsword’s power, consider these strategies:

• Stat Allocation: Prioritize Strength and Faith to maximize both physical and fire damage output. Dexterity is also important, but less so than Strength and Faith.
• Talismans: Equip talismans that boost attack power (e.g., Ritual Sword Talisman, Godfrey Icon), increase Faith scaling (e.g., Sacred Scorpion Charm), or reduce FP consumption (e.g., Carian Filigreed Crest).
• Armor: Choose armor that provides a good balance of protection and weight, allowing you to maintain a medium or light equip load for better mobility.
• Buffs: Use buffs like Flame, Grant Me Strength or Golden Vow to further increase your damage output.

Who Should Use the Godslaying Greatsword?

The Godslaying Greatsword is an excellent choice for players who:

• Enjoy a Strength/Faith or Quality build.
• Prefer a weapon with good range and area of effect.
• Want a weapon that is effective against bosses.
• Are willing to invest in the necessary stats and equipment.

Godslaying Greatsword Build Example

• Class: Confessor or Prophet
• Stats (Level 100):
  • Vigor: 45
  • Mind: 25
  • Endurance: 30
  • Strength: 50
  • Dexterity: 25
  • Intelligence: 9
  • Faith: 40
  • Arcane: 7
• Talismans: Ritual Sword Talisman, Godfrey Icon, Sacred Scorpion Charm, Green Turtle Talisman
• Armor: Blaidd’s Set or any set that provides good protection while allowing for medium roll
• Spells: Golden Vow, Flame, Grant Me Strength

This build offers a good balance of damage, survivability, and utility. It allows you to deal significant damage with both the Godslaying Greatsword’s regular attacks and its Queen’s Black Flame skill.

Godslaying Greatsword vs. Other Weapons

The Godslaying Greatsword is not the only powerful weapon in Elden Ring. Here’s how it stacks up against some other popular options:

• Blasphemous Blade: The Blasphemous Blade is another popular Faith-scaling weapon. It offers similar healing capabilities and deals fire damage. However, the Blasphemous Blade’s weapon skill has a shorter range but heals the user, while the Greatsword’s skill has much longer range and deals percentage-based damage.
• Dark Moon Greatsword: The Dark Moon Greatsword is a popular Intelligence-scaling weapon. It deals magic damage and has a powerful ranged attack. If you’re an Int/Str build then the choice is clear, however the Godslaying Greatsword’s skill can deal damage to a group of enemies while the Dark Moon Greatsword will only damage one enemy (unless they’re in the projectiles path.)
• Rivers of Blood: Rivers of Blood is a popular Dexterity/Arcane weapon. It deals bleed damage and has a fast attack speed. However, the Godslaying Greatsword’s skill may be more useful when fighting bosses due to its range.

Conclusion

The Godslaying Greatsword is a powerful and versatile weapon that can be incredibly effective in Elden Ring. Its unique weapon skill, Queen’s Black Flame, deals significant fire damage and applies a potent DoT, making it particularly useful against bosses. While it requires a significant investment in Strength, Dexterity, and Faith, the damage potential and versatility it offers make it a worthwhile choice for many players. However, remember to consider its weaknesses, such as its weight and vulnerability window, and adjust your build and playstyle accordingly. Ultimately, whether the Godslaying Greatsword is “good” depends on your individual preferences and playstyle, but its inherent power and unique capabilities make it a weapon worth considering for any aspiring Elden Lord.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What are the stat requirements for the Godslaying Greatsword?

• The Godslaying Greatsword requires 20 Strength, 22 Dexterity, and 20 Faith to wield effectively.

2. Where can I find the Godslaying Greatsword?

• You obtain the Godslaying Greatsword by defeating the Godskin Apostle located at the bottom of the Divine Tower of Caelid.

3. What does the “Queen’s Black Flame” skill do?

• “Queen’s Black Flame” is the unique weapon skill of the Godslaying Greatsword. It unleashes a sweeping attack that launches a projectile of black flame, dealing fire damage and applying a potent Damage over Time (DoT) effect.

4. Is the Godslaying Greatsword good for PvP?

• Yes, the Godslaying Greatsword can be effective in PvP due to its range, damage output, and the DoT effect of Queen’s Black Flame. However, its slower attack speed and predictable moveset can be exploited by skilled players.

5. Does the Queen’s Black Flame scale with Faith?

• Yes, the damage of the Queen’s Black Flame weapon skill scales with the user’s Faith stat. Investing in Faith will significantly increase its effectiveness.

6. What talismans are recommended for a Godslaying Greatsword build?

• Recommended talismans include the Ritual Sword Talisman, Godfrey Icon, Sacred Scorpion Charm, and Green Turtle Talisman. These talismans enhance attack power, skill damage, Faith scaling, and stamina recovery.

7. What are some good armor sets to use with the Godslaying Greatsword?

• Armor sets that provide a good balance of protection and weight are recommended. Blaidd’s Set is a good option, but any set that allows you to maintain a medium equip load is suitable.

8. Is the Godslaying Greatsword effective against all bosses?

• While effective against many bosses, the Godslaying Greatsword is less effective against those resistant or immune to fire damage. Consider having a backup weapon for such encounters.

9. Can the Godslaying Greatsword be infused with Ashes of War?

• No, the Godslaying Greatsword cannot be infused with Ashes of War. Its weapon skill, Queen’s Black Flame, is fixed and cannot be replaced.

10. How does the Godslaying Greatsword compare to the Blasphemous Blade? * The Godslaying Greatsword provides damage to a wider range. The Blasphemous Blade heals you after use.

11. Is the Godslaying Greatsword viable for a pure Strength build?

• While the Godslaying Greatsword can be used in a Strength build, it benefits significantly from Faith investment due to the scaling of its Queen’s Black Flame skill. A Strength/Faith hybrid build is generally more effective.

12. What are some good incantations to use with a Godslaying Greatsword build?

• Recommended incantations include Golden Vow, Flame, Grant Me Strength, and Black Flame Protection. These incantations provide buffs that enhance damage output and defense.

13. How important is Mind for a Godslaying Greatsword build?

• Mind is important for managing FP consumption. Queen’s Black Flame costs FP each use. The appropriate investment in Mind will depend on the player’s playstyle.

14. Does the Godslaying Greatsword benefit from charged heavy attacks?

• Yes, the Godslaying Greatsword’s charged heavy attacks deal significant damage and can stagger enemies. However, it can also leave the player open to attacks during charging.

15. What is the best way to deal with fire-resistant enemies when using the Godslaying Greatsword?

• The best way to deal with fire-resistant enemies is to switch to a weapon that deals a different type of damage, such as physical or magic damage. Having a backup weapon is essential for dealing with these situations.