Mastering the Black Flame: Choosing the Right Weapon in Elden Ring

The best weapon for a Black Flame build in Elden Ring depends heavily on your playstyle and stat distribution. However, if you’re optimizing for the Black Flame Tornado Ash of War, the Godskin Peeler is, without a doubt, the top choice. Its innate Twinblade moveset, combined with the Ash of War’s scaling and damage type, makes it a powerhouse against bosses and enemies with large health pools. However, versatility and other considerations might shift your preferences. Let’s delve into why this is the case and explore other viable options for maximizing the potential of Black Flame in Elden Ring.

Understanding the Power of Black Flame

Before diving into specific weapon recommendations, it’s crucial to understand what makes Black Flame so potent. Black Flame deals fire damage on impact, followed by a percentage-based damage-over-time (DoT) effect. This DoT, while not affected by scaling, makes it incredibly effective against bosses and enemies with substantial health bars. The initial impact scales with Incantation Scaling and Faith, making a Faith-focused build the most effective way to utilize Black Flame.

The Black Flame Tornado Ash of War amplifies this by unleashing a whirling vortex of Black Flame, repeatedly applying the DoT effect and dealing considerable initial damage. Because the final attack animation depends on the weapon’s inherent stats, it is crucial to find the right weapon, and this is where the Godskin Peeler is at its strongest.

The Godskin Peeler: A Tornado of Black Flame

The Godskin Peeler is a Twinblade weapon, dropped by the Godskin Apostle in Windmill Village, Altus Plateau. Here’s why it shines with the Black Flame Tornado:

• Innate Twinblade Moveset: Twinblades are known for their rapid attacks, and the Godskin Peeler is no exception. This allows for quick application of the Black Flame Tornado and maximizes the DoT effect on enemies.

• Superior Scaling Potential: The Godskin Peeler can be infused with various Ashes of War, allowing you to tailor its scaling to your build. Infusing it with Flame Art will make it scale primarily with Faith, maximizing the damage output of Black Flame Tornado.

• Weapon Art Synergy: The Godskin Peeler’s moveset flows smoothly into and out of the Black Flame Tornado, allowing for aggressive and fluid combat.

• Availability: While it requires defeating a mid-game boss, it’s accessible relatively early in the game, allowing you to incorporate it into your build sooner rather than later.

Alternative Weapon Choices for Black Flame

While the Godskin Peeler is the optimal choice for the Black Flame Tornado, other weapons can also effectively utilize Black Flame incantations, like the Black Flame Blade, the Black Flame Fireball, and the Black Flame Ritual. Here are some notable alternatives:

• Godslayer’s Greatsword: This weapon comes with the Queen’s Black Flame weapon art. It scales with Strength, Dexterity, and Faith. It’s an excellent choice for those who prefer greatswords and a more balanced stat distribution. It’s found at the top of the Divine Tower of Caelid.
• Gargoyle’s Blackblade: Another greatsword option, this weapon is acquired from the Black Blade Kindred in Forbidden Lands. It has an innate Faith scaling and deals holy damage, which is useful against some enemies. Its weapon art is not focused on Black Flame, but the innate scaling and damage make it a viable option for those who want to use Black Flame incantations.
• Sacred Scythe: This weapon, acquired from defeating the Black Knife Assassin in Black Knife Catacombs, inherently deals holy damage and scales with Strength, Dexterity, and Faith. Like the Gargoyle’s Blackblade, it allows you to weave Black Flame incantations into its moveset.
• Any weapon with Flame Art infusion: Any weapon that you like can be changed using the Flame Art Ash of War, improving the scaling with Faith. This can allow you to use weapons with unique movesets that better suit your playstyle.

Considerations for Your Build

When choosing your Black Flame weapon, consider the following:

• Stat Distribution: How have you invested your stat points? If you’ve heavily invested in Faith, weapons with Faith scaling or those that can be infused with Flame Art will be your best bet.

• Playstyle: Do you prefer fast, aggressive attacks, or slower, more deliberate strikes? Twinblades like the Godskin Peeler favor the former, while greatswords like the Godslayer’s Greatsword favor the latter.

• Weapon Skills: Do you want to focus on the Black Flame Tornado, or do you want to use other weapon skills? Choose a weapon that complements your preferred playstyle.

• Incantation Variety: Are you relying solely on Black Flame spells, or are you incorporating other incantations into your build? A more diverse spell list might benefit from a seal with a broader range of boosts. The Godslayer’s Seal boosts all Godslayer Incantations, making it a cornerstone of any Black Flame build.

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Conclusion

While the Godskin Peeler, equipped with the Black Flame Tornado Ash of War, stands out as the best weapon for maximizing the potential of Black Flame in Elden Ring, ultimately, the best weapon for you depends on your individual playstyle and build. Experiment with different options, find what feels most comfortable and effective, and embrace the power of Black Flame to conquer the Lands Between.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What exactly is Black Flame in Elden Ring?

Black Flame is a type of fire damage in Elden Ring that inflicts a percentage-based damage-over-time (DoT) effect on enemies in addition to the initial fire damage. This makes it particularly effective against bosses and enemies with high health pools.

2. What stats affect Black Flame damage?

The initial impact damage of Black Flame scales with Incantation Scaling and Faith. The damage-over-time (DoT) effect, however, does not scale and is a fixed percentage of the enemy’s maximum health.

3. How do I get the Black Flame Tornado Ash of War?

The Black Flame Tornado Ash of War can be obtained by defeating the Godskin Apostle boss in the Dominula, Windmill Village area of Altus Plateau.

4. Can I put Black Flame Tornado on any weapon?

No, Black Flame Tornado can only be applied to Twinblades, Twinblades that are not unique and can have Ashes of War applied to them.

5. Is Black Flame good against all bosses?

Black Flame is most effective against bosses with large health pools due to its percentage-based damage-over-time (DoT) effect. However, it may be less effective against bosses resistant to fire damage.

6. What is the best seal for a Black Flame build?

The Godslayer’s Seal is the best seal for a Black Flame build as it boosts all Godslayer Incantations, which include all the Black Flame spells.

7. How can I increase the damage of Black Flame incantations?

You can increase the initial damage of Black Flame incantations by increasing your Faith stat and using a seal with high Incantation Scaling. However, remember that the damage-over-time (DoT) effect does not scale.

8. What are some good talismans for a Black Flame build?

Some good talismans for a Black Flame build include:

• Ritual Sword Talisman: Increases attack power when at full health.
• Sacred Scorpion Charm: Increases Holy damage, useful if you use the Gargoyle’s Blackblade.
• Faith-knot Crystal Tear Boosts the faith stat for 3 minutes.

9. Is Black Flame Blade worth using?

Yes, Black Flame Blade can be a valuable addition to a Black Flame build. It adds fire damage and a percentage-based DoT effect to your weapon attacks, making it effective against high-health enemies.

10. What’s the difference between Black Flame and regular fire damage?

The main difference is that Black Flame applies a percentage-based damage-over-time (DoT) effect, while regular fire damage only deals immediate damage. This makes Black Flame more effective against enemies with large health pools.

11. Is Black Flame effective in PvP?

Black Flame can be effective in PvP, particularly the Black Flame Blade incantation. The DoT effect can pressure opponents and force them to play defensively.

12. What are the requirements to use Black Flame spells?

The specific requirements vary depending on the incantation, but generally, you’ll need a decent amount of Faith to cast Black Flame spells effectively. For example, the Black Flame incantation requires 20 Faith.

13. Can I dual-wield Godskin Peelers with Black Flame Tornado?

Yes, dual-wielding Godskin Peelers with Black Flame Tornado on both weapons can be incredibly powerful, allowing you to unleash a devastating barrage of Black Flame damage.

14. How does Black Flame interact with enemy resistances?

Enemies resistant to fire damage will take reduced damage from the initial impact of Black Flame spells. However, the DoT effect will still apply, although its effectiveness may be reduced depending on the enemy’s specific resistances.

15. Can I combine Black Flame with other damage types?

Yes, you can absolutely combine Black Flame with other damage types. Many weapons with innate elemental damage or those that can be infused with elemental ashes of war can synergize well with the Black Flame. For example, a weapon with innate bleed buildup combined with Black Flame Blade can inflict both bleed and Black Flame DoT, creating a powerful combination.