Is the Dung Eater a Good Summon in Elden Ring? A Deep Dive
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The short answer is: it depends. The Dung Eater Puppet Spirit Ash is a niche summon that can be effective in certain situations, but it’s far from being a universally “good” or “best” summon in Elden Ring. It possesses some unique qualities, notably its Bleed buildup and surprising tankiness, but it also has some significant drawbacks. Whether or not it’s a “good” summon for you depends on your playstyle, your build, and the specific challenges you’re facing. Let’s delve deeper into the specifics and explore whether or not this unsettling summon deserves a place in your arsenal.
Understanding the Dung Eater Puppet
The Dung Eater Puppet is acquired through a specific questline involving Seluvis and, naturally, the Dung Eater himself. This already makes it a less accessible summon than others, requiring you to navigate a potentially missable and morally questionable set of choices.
Strengths:
- Bleed Build-Up: The Dung Eater Puppet’s primary strength lies in its long-range scream attack that inflicts substantial Bleed buildup. This can be incredibly effective against enemies vulnerable to Bleed, allowing for consistent damage over time.
- Tankiness: The Puppet is surprisingly tanky, possessing a decent amount of health and defense. This allows it to draw enemy aggro and survive longer than many other summons.
- Disruption: His attacks, particularly the scream, can disrupt enemy attacks and animations, creating openings for you to exploit.
- Unique: It’s just a fun, albeit unsettling, summon to use.
Weaknesses:
- Low Damage Output: The Dung Eater Puppet is not a heavy damage dealer. Its attacks are relatively weak, meaning it’s reliant on the Bleed effect for its overall effectiveness.
- Slow Attacks: Many of its attacks are slow and telegraphed, making them easy for enemies to dodge.
- Limited Mobility: The Puppet is relatively slow and has limited mobility, making it vulnerable to fast-moving or ranged enemies.
- Niche Applicability: Its effectiveness is heavily dependent on the enemy’s vulnerability to Bleed. Against enemies that are resistant or immune to Bleed, the Dung Eater Puppet is significantly less useful.
- Questline Requirements: Getting the summon is a hassle.
Comparisons to Other Summons
To truly assess the Dung Eater Puppet’s value, it’s helpful to compare it to other popular and powerful summons in Elden Ring.
Mimic Tear:
The Mimic Tear is often considered the strongest summon in the game, even after nerfs. Its ability to replicate your character’s build, weapons, and spells makes it incredibly versatile and powerful. The Dung Eater Puppet cannot compete with the Mimic Tear’s raw damage output and adaptability.
Black Knife Tiche:
Black Knife Tiche is another top-tier summon, known for its high damage, mobility, and ability to reduce enemy maximum HP with its Destined Death blade. Tiche offers a much more aggressive and damaging alternative.
Lhutel the Headless:
Lhutel the Headless is a popular choice for a tank summon. While the Dung Eater Puppet is tanky, Lhutel’s superior armor, greatshield, and teleportation abilities make it a more reliable option for drawing and holding aggro.
Other Considerations:
Summons like the Banished Knight Oleg offer a balance of damage and survivability, while summons like the Spirit Jellyfish can inflict Poison buildup. The Dung Eater Puppet’s niche Bleed application is unique, but other summons often offer more well-rounded utility.
Situations Where the Dung Eater Puppet Shines
Despite its limitations, the Dung Eater Puppet can be surprisingly effective in certain situations:
- Bleed-Vulnerable Bosses: Against bosses that are highly susceptible to Bleed, the Dung Eater Puppet can significantly contribute to their damage and weaken them quickly.
- Crowd Control: The scream attack can disrupt groups of enemies, creating opportunities for you to reposition or attack.
- Distraction: Its tankiness allows it to draw enemy aggro, giving you time to heal, buff, or plan your attacks.
- Specific Builds: Builds that focus on supporting summons with buffs and healing can make the Dung Eater Puppet more effective.
Conclusion
The Dung Eater Puppet is a situational summon with a unique Bleed-focused playstyle. It’s not the most powerful or versatile summon in Elden Ring, but it can be effective in specific scenarios. If you enjoy experimenting with different summons and exploring niche strategies, the Dung Eater Puppet might be worth considering. However, for players seeking the most reliable and powerful summons, the Mimic Tear, Black Knife Tiche, or Lhutel the Headless are generally better choices. Ultimately, the “best” summon is the one that best complements your playstyle and helps you overcome the challenges you face in the Lands Between.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How do I obtain the Dung Eater Puppet Spirit Ash?
You must give the Seluvis’s Potion to the Dung Eater, then visit Seluvis’s secret puppet chamber underneath his tower and find the Dung Eater Puppet. Talk to Seluvis, and purchase it from him after advancing his questline. This requires finding Starlight Shards and progressing Seluvis’s questline. Keep in mind this can lock you out of other endings.
2. Is the Dung Eater Puppet a good tank?
While the Dung Eater Puppet has decent health and can withstand some damage, it’s not the best tank summon. Lhutel the Headless is generally considered a superior tank due to her higher defense, greatshield, and teleportation abilities.
3. Does the Dung Eater Puppet’s Bleed buildup scale with my Arcane stat?
No, the Bleed buildup from the Dung Eater Puppet’s scream attack is fixed and does not scale with your Arcane stat.
4. Is the Dung Eater Puppet effective against all bosses?
No, the Dung Eater Puppet is most effective against bosses that are vulnerable to Bleed. Against bosses that are resistant or immune to Bleed, its damage output will be significantly lower.
5. How does the Dung Eater Puppet compare to the Mimic Tear?
The Mimic Tear is generally considered a much more powerful and versatile summon than the Dung Eater Puppet. The Mimic Tear replicates your character’s build, weapons, and spells, allowing it to adapt to a wider range of situations.
6. Can I upgrade the Dung Eater Puppet?
Yes, you can upgrade the Dung Eater Puppet using Grave Glovewort at the Roundtable Hold with Roderika. Upgrading the puppet increases its health, damage, and defense.
7. Is the Dung Eater Puppet worth using if I have other top-tier summons like Black Knife Tiche?
It depends on your preference and the situation. Black Knife Tiche is generally a better choice for raw damage output and mobility. However, the Dung Eater Puppet’s Bleed buildup can be useful against specific bosses.
8. Does the Dung Eater Puppet benefit from buffs like Golden Vow or Flame, Grant Me Strength?
Yes, the Dung Eater Puppet benefits from buffs that increase attack power and defense. Applying these buffs can significantly improve its effectiveness.
9. What are the downsides of obtaining the Dung Eater Puppet?
The primary downside is the moral implications of the questline involved in obtaining it. You must give Seluvis’s Potion to the Dung Eater, which is an evil act that can lead to an unfavorable ending to the game.
10. Does the Dung Eater Puppet’s scream attack stagger enemies?
Yes, the Dung Eater Puppet’s scream attack can stagger enemies, creating openings for you to attack.
11. Is the Dung Eater Puppet useful in co-op?
In co-op, the Dung Eater Puppet can be a useful distraction and can contribute to Bleed buildup, allowing you and your allies to focus on dealing damage.
12. Can the Dung Eater Puppet survive against late-game bosses?
While the Dung Eater Puppet can survive for a decent amount of time due to its tankiness, it may struggle against late-game bosses that deal massive damage.
13. Does the Dung Eater Puppet use consumables?
No, the Dung Eater Puppet does not use consumables.
14. How does the Dung Eater Puppet compare to Latenna the Albinauric?
Latenna the Albinauric is a stationary summon that provides ranged support. The Dung Eater Puppet is more of a melee-focused summon that excels at inflicting Bleed. They serve different roles and are effective in different situations.
15. Is it possible to miss the Dung Eater Puppet Spirit Ash?
Yes, it is possible to miss the Dung Eater Puppet Spirit Ash if you fail to complete Seluvis’s questline correctly. The steps need to be done in the proper order, and there are points of no return.