Choosing Your Arsenal: The Best Weapons to Vanquish Malenia in Elden Ring
Malenia, Blade of Miquella, is arguably the most challenging boss in Elden Ring. Her relentless aggression, the devastating Waterfowl Dance, and the life-steal mechanic make her a formidable opponent. Selecting the right weapon is crucial for survival and victory. While there isn’t one “best” weapon, the optimal choice depends on your build, playstyle, and comfort level. Broadly speaking, effective weapons fall into these categories: Colossal Weapons, Weapons with Staggering Abilities, Frost/Fire Inflicting Weapons, and Bleed Weapons. More specifically, popular choices include Blasphemous Blade, Maria’s Executioner Sword, Cold Banished Knight’s Halberd (with Giant Hunt Ash of War), and Katanas like Hand of Malenia. Utilizing weapons that capitalize on her weaknesses – namely staggering, Frostbite, Fire damage, and Bleed – will significantly increase your chances of success. The Black Knife Tiche summon also deserves a mention as its cursed blade move will do significant DPS and offset a lot of her healing.
Understanding Malenia’s Weaknesses and Your Strengths
Before diving into specific weapon recommendations, it’s crucial to understand Malenia’s vulnerabilities. She is susceptible to staggering, Frostbite, Fire damage, and Bleed. Additionally, she can be interrupted during many of her attacks, especially in Phase One. Knowing this allows you to tailor your weapon choice and strategy accordingly.
Consider your own build and playstyle. Are you a strength-focused player who prefers heavy weapons? Or a dexterity build relying on speed and agility? Perhaps you are more comfortable with magic, incantations or arcane builds. Choose weapons that synergize with your existing stats and preferred combat style. Experiment with different weapons in the arena (using larval tears if needed) to find what feels most natural and effective.
Leveraging Colossal Weapons for Staggering
Colossal weapons are excellent for staggering Malenia, particularly in Phase One. Their powerful attacks can interrupt her moves, creating openings for critical hits. Weapons like the Greatsword or Guts Greatsword (as players often call it) can break her poise relatively easily. Focus on jump attacks and charged heavy attacks to maximize stagger potential. A great Ash of War to consider would be Lion’s Claw. Remember that while face-tanking with these is a strategy, it does require you to endure her healing so you have to also do enough damage to outpace her self-healing.
Weapons with Unique Staggering Abilities
Some weapons have unique abilities that excel at staggering Malenia. The Blasphemous Blade‘s Taker’s Flames weapon art can knock her down and keep her down for a considerable time. Ordovis’s Greatsword, with its Ordovis’s Vortex Ash of War, is another solid option for instantly staggering her. These skills create opportunities for critical hits and sustained damage.
Exploiting Frost and Fire
Malenia is weak to both Frostbite and Fire damage. Inflicting Frostbite deals a percentage of her maximum health and reduces her defenses. You can then remove the Frostbite debuff with Fire damage and reapply it for a cyclical damage strategy. Weapons infused with Frost or Fire, or those that naturally inflict these status effects, are invaluable. The Cold Banished Knight’s Halberd with Giant Hunt and Fire Scorpion Charm are examples of weapons and talismans that follow this approach, as well as the Omen Cleaver.
Harnessing the Power of Bleed
Bleed is another effective status effect against Malenia. Weapons with innate Bleed buildup, such as the Rivers of Blood or the Hand of Malenia, can quickly trigger the Bleed effect, dealing significant burst damage. Combining Bleed with other strategies, like staggering, can create a devastating offensive. Just be prepared for it to take a few tries as it is not an easy encounter.
Considering Specific Weapon Choices
- Blasphemous Blade: Its Taker’s Flames weapon art provides excellent stagger and damage.
- Maria’s Executioner Sword: Reportedly can four-shot her at high Arcane with specific talisman setups, focusing on damage buffs.
- Cold Banished Knight’s Halberd (with Giant Hunt): Great for inflicting Frostbite and staggering.
- Rivers of Blood: A powerful katana for Bleed builds.
- Hand of Malenia: Another excellent katana, particularly for dexterity and Bleed builds.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Weapons and Malenia
1. What level should I be before fighting Malenia?
The recommended level for facing Malenia is 120 at a minimum, ideally 125+, with weapons upgraded to +23 or higher. However, build optimization and player skill are more important than level alone.
2. Is Malenia weak to any particular damage type?
Malenia is specifically weak to Frostbite, Fire damage, and Bleed. These status effects can significantly improve your chances of success. She is also highly susceptible to being staggered.
3. What is the best summon to use against Malenia?
Black Knife Tiche is considered one of the best summons for this fight. Her dodging ability minimizes health regeneration for Malenia, and her cursed blade deals substantial damage.
4. Can I parry Malenia’s attacks?
Yes, Malenia’s attacks can be parried. However, it requires precise timing and is a risky strategy. Many players have successfully defeated her using only parries, but it’s not recommended for a first-time encounter.
5. Is it possible to beat Malenia with a greatsword?
Yes, absolutely. Greatswords, particularly colossal greatswords, are effective due to their high stagger potential. Focus on jump attacks and charged heavy attacks to break her poise.
6. What is the easiest strategy for beating Malenia?
One of the easier strategies involves using a Greatshield Ash, staggering tactics, and the Bloodhound’s Step Ash of War. This combination allows you to avoid many of her attacks while capitalizing on her staggerability.
7. Does armor matter when fighting Malenia?
Yes, armor matters. Prioritize armor with high physical damage reduction, especially against Slashing and Piercing damage. Also, consider armor with high resistance to Scarlet Rot.
8. Can you beat Malenia as a mage?
Yes, but it’s challenging. Mages should rely on spells that inflict Frostbite or Bleed, and use summons like Black Knife Tiche to distract Malenia and create openings.
9. Is Hand of Malenia a good weapon for a Bleed build?
Yes, the Hand of Malenia is an excellent choice for Dexterity and Bleed builds. Its unique weapon art and innate Bleed buildup make it highly effective against Malenia.
10. How does Malenia’s lifesteal mechanic work, and how can I counter it?
Malenia heals herself with every hit, even when attacking shields. To counter this, use strategies that minimize her attacks, such as staggering, dodging, and using summons that can avoid her attacks.
11. What talismans are most useful against Malenia?
Useful talismans include the Ritual Shield Talisman (reduces damage when at full health), the Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman +2 (increases physical damage negation), and talismans that boost attack power or status effect buildup. Also consider the Fire Scorpion Charm if you are using fire attacks.
12. What stats does the Hand of Malenia scale with?
The Hand of Malenia primarily scales with Strength and Dexterity.
13. Is there a “cheese” method for beating Malenia?
Yes, there are several “cheese” methods, often involving specific weapons or Ashes of War that exploit Malenia’s AI or weaknesses. However, using these methods may diminish the sense of accomplishment.
14. How many Elden Ring players have actually defeated Malenia?
As of some reports, roughly around 31.7% of players on PS5 have beaten Malenia. This statistic highlights the challenge she presents to most players.
15. Is Malenia harder than Radagon?
Most players consider Malenia to be harder than Radagon due to her aggressive attacks, lifesteal mechanic, and the infamous Waterfowl Dance.
Final Thoughts
Defeating Malenia requires patience, practice, and a strategic approach. Experiment with different weapons, builds, and strategies to find what works best for you. Remember to exploit her weaknesses, manage her lifesteal, and utilize summons when necessary. And don’t be afraid to fail! Each attempt is a learning opportunity that brings you closer to victory.
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