Malenia’s Great Rune: A Deep Dive into Elden Ring’s Most Controversial Blessing
Malenia’s Great Rune offers a unique, though often debated, effect in Elden Ring. Rather than a straightforward stat boost, it allows you to recover health after taking damage by landing attacks on enemies. Specifically, after being hit, you’ll have a five-second window where your attacks will restore a small amount of health. While seemingly appealing, its practicality, especially compared to other Great Runes, is a constant point of contention within the Elden Ring community. Let’s delve into the specifics of this rune, explore its strengths and weaknesses, and address some frequently asked questions.
Understanding the Mechanics of Malenia’s Great Rune
The core function of Malenia’s Great Rune revolves around aggressive health recovery. It’s designed to reward players who can consistently trade blows and land attacks in the heat of combat. However, the amount of health restored per hit is relatively small, requiring multiple consecutive attacks to noticeably replenish your health bar.
The five-second window is also a crucial element. It demands a proactive approach, forcing players to immediately retaliate after taking damage. Hesitation or defensive maneuvers within this window render the rune’s effect useless.
Furthermore, a significant drawback of using Malenia’s Great Rune is that it reduces the effectiveness of Flasks of Crimson Tears and other forms of healing by roughly 25-30%. This is a substantial trade-off, as it impacts your overall survivability and reliance on traditional healing methods.
The Controversy: Is Malenia’s Great Rune Worth It?
The biggest point of debate surrounding Malenia’s Great Rune is its actual usefulness. While the concept of healing through aggression is intriguing, the execution falls short for several reasons:
- Low Healing Return: The amount of health restored per hit is often insufficient, especially against high-damage enemies. It’s difficult to out-heal incoming damage, making the rune less effective in extended fights.
- Healing Reduction Penalty: The decrease in Flask effectiveness is a significant deterrent. Flasks are a primary source of healing in Elden Ring, and sacrificing their potency can be detrimental.
- Situational Utility: The rune’s effectiveness is highly dependent on the enemy and the player’s build. Fast-attacking weapons or builds that already prioritize aggression may benefit more, but even then, the benefits are debatable.
- Competition with Other Great Runes: Compared to the consistent stat boosts offered by Godrick’s Great Rune or the health increase from Morgott’s Great Rune, Malenia’s effect feels niche and less impactful.
Many players argue that the downsides outweigh the potential benefits, making Malenia’s Great Rune one of the least desirable options in the game. However, some players enjoy the challenge and unique playstyle it encourages.
Optimizing Malenia’s Great Rune (If You Dare!)
If you’re determined to make Malenia’s Great Rune work, consider these strategies:
- Fast-Attacking Weapons: Weapons with quick attack animations, such as daggers, straight swords, or katanas, can maximize the number of hits within the five-second window.
- High Attack Power: While the healing is a percentage of damage dealt, higher overall damage naturally translates to more health restored.
- Talismans for Attack Power: Equip talismans that boost attack power, such as the Ritual Sword Talisman or the Marika’s Soreseal, to enhance healing potential.
- Aggressive Playstyle: Embrace a relentless, offensive playstyle. The rune rewards constant aggression and punishes hesitation.
- Consider Hybrid Healing: Find alternative healing options to offset the flask reduction. Spells or incantations that heal can supplement the effect of the great rune.
Despite these optimization tips, remember that Malenia’s Great Rune remains a challenging choice, requiring a specific playstyle and build to achieve even moderate effectiveness.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some frequently asked questions about Malenia’s Great Rune in Elden Ring:
1. Does Malenia’s Great Rune stack with other healing effects?
No, it doesn’t stack in the traditional sense. The healing reduction applies to all forms of healing, including spells and incantations. Therefore, the net healing received is still affected by the penalty.
2. How much health does Malenia’s Great Rune restore per hit?
The amount of health restored is a small percentage of the damage dealt. The exact percentage isn’t explicitly stated in-game but is generally estimated to be between 1-2% of the damage inflicted.
3. Can Malenia’s Great Rune restore health from critical hits?
Yes, critical hits will also trigger the health restoration effect, healing a percentage of the higher damage output.
4. Does the five-second window reset if I take another hit?
No, the five-second window does not reset. It remains active for five seconds after the initial damage taken.
5. Does Malenia’s Great Rune work on all enemies?
Yes, the rune’s effect applies to all enemies, provided you can land attacks within the five-second window.
6. Is Malenia’s Great Rune useful in PvP?
Generally, no. The small amount of healing and the healing reduction make it less effective than other runes in PvP situations. Skilled players can easily avoid attacks during the five-second window. As the article you provided mentioned it will only work on “a disabled person that doesn’t know how to run away or dodge roll.”
7. Where do I activate Malenia’s Great Rune?
Malenia’s Great Rune is activated at the Isolated Divine Tower located near Leyndell, Royal Capital.
8. Is Malenia’s Great Rune affected by faith scaling?
No, the healing effect is not affected by faith scaling or any other stats. It’s solely based on the damage dealt.
9. Does the healing reduction from Malenia’s Great Rune affect health regeneration effects like the Blessed Dew Talisman?
Yes, the healing reduction applies to all sources of healing, including passive health regeneration effects like the Blessed Dew Talisman.
10. Can I stack Malenia’s Great Rune with other runes?
No, you can only equip one Great Rune at a time.
11. What happens if I die while using a Rune Arc with Malenia’s Great Rune equipped?
Upon death, the Great Rune’s effect is deactivated. You must consume another Rune Arc to reactivate it. The Arc’s benefits are lost upon death.
12. Is Malenia’s Great Rune worth using on a specific build?
It may be worth considering on builds that focus on constant aggression and fast-attacking weapons, but even then, it’s a situational choice. There are many different views that need to be considered.
13. How does Malenia’s Great Rune compare to Godrick’s Great Rune?
Godrick’s Great Rune is generally considered superior due to its consistent stat boosts, making it more versatile and beneficial for a wider range of builds. As mentioned in the provided article “Giving a flat +5 boost to all stats, Godricks Great Rune will outperform both Radahns and Morgott’s respective boosts for a good portion of the game, depending on how the player distributes their stat points gained from level-ups.“
14. Can I see how much health I’m restoring with Malenia’s Great Rune?
There is no visible indicator showing the amount of health being restored per hit.
15. What are some alternative Great Runes to consider instead of Malenia’s?
Consider Godrick’s Great Rune for a general stat boost, Morgott’s Great Rune for increased HP, or Radahn’s Great Rune for increased HP, FP, and stamina.
Conclusion: A Rune for the Daring, Not the Practical
Malenia’s Great Rune is undoubtedly one of the most unconventional and controversial Great Runes in Elden Ring. While its unique healing mechanic offers a different approach to combat, its drawbacks and limitations often outweigh its potential benefits. The rune is ultimately a niche choice, best suited for players who enjoy a challenge and are willing to build around its specific requirements. The majority of players will find more consistent value in other Great Runes that provide straightforward stat boosts or other more reliable effects.
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