Unleashing Hellfire: Choosing the Perfect Weapon for Black Flame Tornado in Elden Ring
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The Black Flame Tornado Ash of War is a powerhouse in Elden Ring, capable of melting even the most formidable bosses with its percentage-based health drain. Deciding which weapon to imbue with this fiery ability can significantly impact your build’s effectiveness. So, what’s the best weapon for Black Flame Tornado? The answer lies in a blend of factors: weapon type compatibility, scaling, and your overall build strategy. Generally, the best weapons to use Black Flame Tornado are polearms and twinblades that can be infused with Flame Art. With that said, the Godskin Peeler twinblade offers a stellar balance of reach, speed, and scaling potential, making it a top contender. Polearms like the Gargoyle’s Black Halberd or the Nightrider Glaive, when infused with Flame Art, also become exceptionally potent options. Let’s delve deeper into the nuances of choosing the right weapon and optimizing your Black Flame Tornado build.
Understanding Black Flame Tornado’s Mechanics
Before we jump into specific weapon recommendations, it’s crucial to understand how Black Flame Tornado functions. This Ash of War consists of two main components:
- The Flame Portion: This is where the magic happens. The swirling black flames inflict percentage-based damage over time (DoT). This damage is independent of your weapon’s attack rating (AR), making it effective even against enemies with high defenses and massive health pools. Faith is the primary scaling stat for this damage.
- The Melee Swing: At the end of the animation, your character performs a melee swing with the weapon. This swing’s damage scales with the weapon’s AR, which is influenced by your Strength, Dexterity, and Faith, depending on the chosen infusion.
This dual-nature means that while Faith is paramount for the DoT effect, weapon scaling still matters for the final swing. The optimal weapon, therefore, should synergize well with a Faith-focused build while providing decent AR.
The Godskin Peeler: A Twinblade Masterclass
The Godskin Peeler is a standout choice for several reasons:
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Weapon Art Synergy: The Godskin Peeler is particularly effective with its default weapon skill, Black Flame Tornado.
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Twinblade Advantages: Twinblades offer a rapid attack rate, which is beneficial for applying the Black Flame DoT consistently. They also excel at jump attacks.
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Scaling Potential: The Godskin Peeler boasts decent scaling in Strength, Dexterity, and Faith, especially when infused with Flame Art. This infusion will prioritize Faith scaling and add fire damage, complementing the Black Flame Tornado’s inherent fire damage.
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Availability: While it requires defeating a challenging boss, it’s accessible relatively early in the game.
Polearms: Reach and Power Combined
Polearms provide excellent range and damage output, making them excellent vessels for the Black Flame Tornado Ash of War. Recommended polearms include:
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Gargoyle’s Black Halberd: This halberd possesses innate fire damage, further amplifying the effectiveness of the Black Flame Tornado. Its solid Strength scaling also ensures a respectable AR for the melee swing.
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Nightrider Glaive: Known for its superior reach, the Nightrider Glaive allows you to engage enemies from a safe distance. Its Dexterity-leaning scaling makes it a good choice for hybrid Faith/Dex builds.
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Treespear: This unique spear has innate faith scaling, along with physical. It can work well with a faith build.
When selecting a polearm, consider your playstyle. If you prefer a more aggressive approach, the Gargoyle’s Black Halberd is an excellent choice. For a more cautious, ranged-focused playstyle, the Nightrider Glaive is ideal.
Other Viable Options
While twinblades and polearms are generally preferred, other weapon types can also be effective with Black Flame Tornado, depending on your build and preferences.
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Scythes (Winged Scythe): The Winged Scythe scales with Faith, Strength, and Dexterity. The Winged Scythe comes with a faith requirement that may be better than others on this list.
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Greatswords (Godslayer’s Greatsword): The Godslayer’s Greatsword comes with the unique weapon art, “Queen’s Black Flame”. This weapon art makes this a great choice for black flame builds.
Talismans and Armor for Maximum Potency
To maximize the effectiveness of your Black Flame Tornado build, consider the following talismans:
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Godfrey Icon: Increases the damage of charged spells and skills, boosting the initial flame tornado.
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Fire Scorpion Charm: Increases fire attack power, further enhancing the damage of the Black Flame Tornado.
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Ritual Sword Talisman: Increases attack power when HP is at maximum, providing a significant damage boost at the start of encounters.
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Radagon Icon: Shortens the casting time of spells and skills, allowing you to unleash the Black Flame Tornado more quickly.
For armor, prioritize pieces that offer a balance of protection and weight. Since you’ll be relying on incantations, maintaining a medium equip load is essential for optimal mobility.
Infusion Considerations
The optimal infusion for your chosen weapon is undoubtedly Flame Art. This infusion scales primarily with Faith, maximizing the damage of the Black Flame Tornado. While other infusions like Fire or Quality may be viable, Flame Art offers the best synergy with the build’s overall focus on Faith.
Mastering the Black Flame Tornado
The Black Flame Tornado Ash of War requires practice to master. Pay attention to the timing of the initial spin and the final swing. Experiment with different weapons and talismans to find the combination that best suits your playstyle. Most importantly, have fun unleashing hellfire upon your enemies!
Unleashing the Black Flame: A Link to Learning
The world of Elden Ring is vast and full of hidden strategies. For those seeking to understand the underlying mechanics of gaming and how they impact learning, consider exploring the Games Learning Society at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/. The GamesLearningSociety.org fosters research and understanding of the powerful relationship between games and education.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What does Black Flame Tornado scale off of?
The flame portion of Black Flame Tornado scales with Faith and the weapon infusion affinity, while the melee swing scales with the weapon’s AR (Attack Rating), determined by Strength, Dexterity, and potentially Faith depending on the infusion.
Is Black Flame good against all enemies?
Black Flame is particularly effective against bosses and enemies with large health pools due to its percentage-based damage. However, enemies resistant to fire damage will take reduced damage from the initial burst and the subsequent DoT.
Can I use Black Flame Tornado on any weapon?
Black Flame Tornado is usable on polearms and twinblades by default. You can apply it to other weapon types if they allow the use of Ashes of War and are compatible with the infusion. However, these weapon types aren’t as optimal.
Does the Black Flame DoT stack?
The burning effect applied by Black Flame Tornado does not stack. However, each hit refreshes the duration of the DoT.
How do I protect myself from Black Flame damage?
You can acquire the Black Flame’s Protection incantation from Sir Gideon Ofnir (or the Twin Maiden Husks if you defeat him in Leyndell, Ashen Capital). This incantation provides significant physical damage reduction.
Is lightning or Black Flame better in Elden Ring?
Both Lightning and Black Flame have their uses. Lightning is generally more effective against enemies weak to lightning damage, while Black Flame excels against high-health bosses due to its DoT.
What is the best seal for Black Flame spells?
The Godslayer’s Seal is the best seal for Black Flame spells, as it boosts all godslayer incantations, including Black Flame and Black Flame Blade.
Does Black Flame Blade stack with Black Flame Tornado?
No, Black Flame Blade is a weapon buff, and Black Flame Tornado is a skill you activate. They stack.
What are some alternative weapons for a Black Flame build?
Besides the Godskin Peeler and recommended polearms, the Godslayer’s Greatsword is another excellent option, as it comes with the unique “Queen’s Black Flame” weapon art.
Is Black Flame Tornado effective in PvP?
Black Flame Tornado can be effective in PvP, particularly against opponents who are slow or predictable. However, skilled players may be able to dodge the attack or interrupt the animation.
What stats should I prioritize for a Black Flame Tornado build?
Prioritize Faith to maximize the damage of the flame portion of the skill. Also, invest in Vigor for health, Mind for FP, and Endurance for stamina and equip load. Strength and Dexterity should be leveled according to your weapon’s requirements and scaling.
Where can I find the Black Flame Tornado Ash of War?
The Black Flame Tornado Ash of War is dropped by a lesser Godskin Apostle boss in the Windmill Village area of Altus Plateau.
What is the best armor set for a Black Flame build?
There isn’t a single “best” armor set, but prioritize pieces that offer a balance of protection and weight. Consider the Godskin Apostle set for its thematic appropriateness, but any armor that allows you to maintain a medium equip load is viable.
How do I infuse my weapon with Flame Art?
You’ll need the Flame Art Cookbook [1], found in the Redmane Castle area of Caelid, and the black whetblade for the option of using it on weapons. Then, apply the Flame Art infusion at a site of grace using the relevant Whetblade.
Does Black Flame work on the Elden Beast?
Yes, Black Flame is highly effective against the Elden Beast due to its massive HP pool and vulnerability to percentage-based damage.