The Ultimate Guide to Talismans for Colossal Swords in Elden Ring
Fast answer first. Then use the tabs or video for more detail.
- Watch the video explanation below for a faster overview.
- Game mechanics may change with updates or patches.
- Use this block to get the short answer without scrolling the whole page.
- Read the FAQ section if the article has one.
- Use the table of contents to jump straight to the detailed section you need.
- Watch the video first, then skim the article for specifics.
Choosing the right talisman for a colossal sword build in Elden Ring can be the difference between staggering success and frustrating defeat. These massive weapons, known for their staggering power and slow swings, demand a particular set of buffs to maximize their potential. While there isn’t one single “best” talisman that fits every situation, a combination of several, carefully chosen, can significantly boost the effectiveness of your colossal sword.
The Top Talismans for Colossal Sword Users
The key to maximizing a colossal sword’s impact lies in bolstering attack power, managing equip load, and enhancing the overall survivability of your character. With that in mind, here are the talismans that stand out for colossal weapon builds:
- Great-Jar’s Arsenal: This is perhaps the most crucial talisman for any serious colossal weapon build. It vastly increases maximum equipment load, allowing you to wield the heaviest swords and armor without compromising your agility. Maintaining a medium or light equip load is essential for dodging effectively. Without this talisman, your build is severely limited.
- Roar Medallion: For those who frequently use heavy attacks, the Roar Medallion is a game changer. It increases the damage of heavy attacks by 15%. Colossal swords already boast high damage outputs, and this talisman pushes those numbers even higher, making charged attacks and weapon skills even more devastating.
- Erdtree’s Favor (All Versions): This talisman offers a potent combination of increased HP, stamina, and equip load. More HP means more survivability. More stamina allows for more swings and dodges and more equip load makes carrying heavier weapons and armor easier. It’s a highly versatile talisman that complements virtually any build, and its benefits are amplified in a colossal weapon setup due to the inherently high weight of the equipment.
- Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman: For those who find themselves needing a little extra survivability, this talisman provides a significant boost to physical damage negation. This makes your character much more resilient when facing off against bosses or hordes of enemies, enabling you to remain in the fight longer and deal damage with your colossal weapon.
- Winged Sword Insignia/Rotten Winged Sword Insignia: These talismans are excellent for aggressive players who rely on sustained attacks. They increase attack power with successive hits. While colossal swords are generally slower, these talismans can help bolster your damage during multi-hit weapon skills and against enemies with larger health bars. The Rotten Winged Sword Insignia offers greater bonus, but is trickier to obtain.
These talismans combined create a build capable of dishing out immense damage, maintaining mobility and remaining resilient in combat. The ideal combination can depend on your playstyle and the challenges you are facing, so experiment with a mix of these talismans.
FAQ: Maximizing Your Colossal Sword Build in Elden Ring
To further refine your understanding of optimizing colossal sword builds, here’s a list of frequently asked questions:
1. What is the strongest colossal sword in Elden Ring?
The Greatsword boasts the highest base physical damage at 164, making it a top contender for the strongest colossal sword. However, other swords like the Starscourge Greatsword and Maliketh’s Black Blade offer unique skills and scaling that could make them more effective depending on your build and preferred play style.
2. Can you dual-wield colossal swords in Elden Ring?
Yes, you can dual-wield colossal swords, and it’s a viable strategy, particularly after the 1.07 patch which buffed their power. Dual wielding colossal weapons increases attack speed, although each attack is slightly less powerful than a single attack. It also allows for powerful jumping attacks, which are incredibly effective at staggering and applying status effects.
3. How does equip load affect colossal weapon usage?
Equip load determines your movement speed and dodge roll effectiveness. Being at a “Heavy Load” makes you sluggish and drastically reduces your invulnerability frames during rolls. Colossal weapons are heavy, so maximizing equip load through the Great-Jar’s Arsenal and Erdtree’s Favor talismans is essential for avoiding a heavy load.
4. Is the Great-Jar’s Arsenal Talisman really necessary?
For a truly optimized colossal weapon build, the Great-Jar’s Arsenal Talisman is practically mandatory. It’s a primary contributor to build optimization, allowing players to carry both heavy armor and weapons without compromising mobility.
5. What is the best armor for a colossal sword build?
Radahn’s Armor Set is a popular choice for colossal weapon builds. Its high physical defense and poise make it an effective choice for players who want to trade blows with enemies, even if it’s heavy. Other options include heavier armor sets for maximum protection, as long as you can remain under the “Medium Load” threshold.
6. How does the Roar Medallion enhance colossal swords?
The Roar Medallion specifically increases the damage of heavy attacks, charged attacks, and weapon skills, which are core components of a colossal weapon’s offensive strategy. The increase in damage can be dramatic, further cementing a colossal weapon user’s already high damage potential.
7. What other talismans complement colossal swords?
Besides those already mentioned, the Green Turtle Talisman can improve stamina recovery, the Claw Talisman enhances jump attacks, and the Lord of Blood’s Exultation is useful if you are inflicting blood loss on enemies. The Old Lord’s Talisman can increase the duration of buffs applied before battles, such as Golden Vow, or buffs that are on weapons.
8. How important is the Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman?
The Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman significantly increases physical damage negation, making it highly beneficial if you are engaging in melee combat often. This added layer of protection allows players to be more aggressive without suffering from significant damage penalties.
9. Do status effect talismans work with colossal weapons?
Yes, if your colossal weapon has a status effect, talismans such as Lord of Blood’s Exultation, can enhance the effectiveness of those status effects, which can be very potent on colossal weapons.
10. How many talismans can you equip in Elden Ring?
You can equip up to four talismans at once, so carefully planning is needed to make the most out of your build.
11. Are there any talismans that reduce damage taken from bosses?
The Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman and its upgraded versions (Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman +1 & +2) provide strong physical damage negation, useful against both bosses and standard enemies. Pearldrake Talismans and their +1/+2 versions are best for non-physical damage.
12. Can you stack the same talisman?
No, you cannot stack the same talismans in Elden Ring.
13. How do you get more talisman slots?
You get more talisman slots by acquiring Talisman Pouches throughout the game. These are awarded by progressing in the main storyline.
14. Is the Winged Sword Insignia worth it on a colossal sword?
Yes, for some, the Winged Sword Insignia/Rotten Winged Sword Insignia can be beneficial. Even though they might not match the pace of lighter weapons, their boost to consecutive attacks is still quite useful when applying strong heavy attacks and weapon skills.
15. Is the Silver Scarab Talisman good for a colossal weapon build?
The Silver Scarab Talisman, which increases Item Discovery, isn’t directly related to combat effectiveness, making it more suitable for farming specific items. While not optimal for boss fights, its benefits shine when farming materials needed for upgrades.
By understanding how these talismans synergize with colossal swords, you can craft a powerful build that can tackle even the most formidable challenges in Elden Ring. Experiment, optimize, and become the colossal weapon master you were always meant to be!