Elden Ring Guide: Most Powerful Intelligence Weapons After Patch 1.08

TL;DR

  • Dark Moon Greatsword received significant buffs with reduced stamina costs and added frost damage
  • Moonveil Katana maintains high damage despite poise adjustments in recent patches
  • Wing of Astel offers exceptional intelligence scaling with accessible stat requirements
  • Colossal swords like Royal and Ruins Greatswords benefit from improved crouch poke mechanics
  • Each weapon requires specific quest completion or boss defeat for acquisition

Intelligence serves as the cornerstone for sorcery-focused builds in Elden Ring, enabling devastating magical attacks and weapon enhancements. Choosing the right intelligence-scaling weapon can dramatically impact your effectiveness against challenging bosses and in player-versus-player combat scenarios.

 

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The weapon selection spans multiple categories including katanas, greatswords, and curved swords, each offering distinct combat advantages. Understanding your preferred playstyle is crucial when selecting from these diverse magical armaments.

 

Patch 1.08 introduced crucial balance changes affecting weapon performance across the board. Some previously dominant weapons received nerfs while others gained significant improvements, making current knowledge essential for optimal build planning. This guide focuses on the most effective intelligence weapons that remain competitive after recent adjustments.

The Dark Moon Greatsword stands as one of Elden Ring’s most formidable magical weapons following recent enhancements. Its charged strong attacks now consume substantially less stamina while gaining improved damage detection at close range, making it exceptionally powerful in melee combat situations.

 

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This legendary weapon projects magical ranged attacks that inflict substantial damage without consuming any FP, providing exceptional resource efficiency. When combined with character-enhancing items and proper stat allocation, it becomes an absolute game-changer for both PvE content and competitive PvP encounters.

 

Where to find the Dark Moon Greatsword?

Acquiring the Dark Moon Greatsword requires completing Ranni’s extensive questline and presenting her with the Dark Moon Ring. This multi-stage adventure requires significant gameplay investment but rewards one of the most powerful intelligence weapons available.

 

Requirements

Effective utilization demands minimum attributes of 16 Strength, 16 Dexterity, and 38 Intelligence. The substantial intelligence requirement makes this weapon ideal for dedicated sorcery builds rather than hybrid character configurations.

Moonveil Katana has maintained its popularity among the Elden Ring community since launch due to its hard-hitting attacks and distinctive Ashes of War ability. Despite previous adjustments, it remains a top-tier selection for intelligence-focused builds seeking speed and precision.

 

Recent balance changes in patch 1.08 reduced poise damage across all katanas while specifically adjusting Moonveil’s weapon art distribution. The energy wave component lost some poise damage but gained compensation on the physical slash portion, maintaining overall damage output while altering combat flow.

 

Requirements

Wielding Moonveil effectively requires 12 Strength, 18 Dexterity, and 23 Intelligence. These attributes make it accessible for various build types while still requiring substantial intelligence investment.

 

Where to Find the Moonveil Katana?

Obtaining Moonveil involves navigating to the Gael Tunnel underground dungeon located in Caelid. You must defeat the Magma Wyrm boss encounter to claim this exceptional katana for your arsenal.

The Wing of Astel represents an essential acquisition for magic-oriented characters seeking both style and substance. Its curved sword design provides elegant combat animations while scaling remarkably well with intelligence attributes.

 

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This weapon achieves B-level Attribute Scaling with intelligence when upgraded to +10, making it among the finest choices for FP-dependent magical combat styles.

 

Requirements

The Wing of Astel features relatively modest stat requirements at 7 Strength, 17 Dexterity, and 20 Intelligence. This accessibility makes it suitable for various character builds while providing exceptional magical performance.

 

Where to Find the Wing of Astel?

Locating the Wing of Astel requires accessing a chest positioned atop the ruins in southern Uhl Palace Ruins. Navigation involves reaching the northern Ainsel River section and progressing eastward from the northern Uhl Palace Ruins area.

 

From Nokstella, ascend the right-side ladder and maintain course along the right wall pathway. You’ll confront ant adversaries and a T-Posing scythe-wielding enemy before arriving at the walkway situated behind the Malformed Star opponent. The chest containing Wing of Astel rests upon this elevated passageway.

Colossal swords received substantial improvements in the latest update, with enhanced poise damage and corrected behavior mechanics. The most notable enhancement involves the improved crouch poke attack, which was previously nerfed but now returns with superior performance characteristics.

 

The Royal Greatsword distinguishes itself with its devastating Wolf’s Assault weapon art that proves exceptionally effective when utilized repeatedly. The animation now features increased hyper armor throughout its complete duration, providing formidable advantages during challenging boss encounters.

 

In player-versus-player scenarios, this weapon inflicts additional Frost damage, though its extended animations may create vulnerability windows that require strategic management.

 

Requirements

Utilizing the Royal Greatsword demands minimum attributes of 26 Strength, 18 Dexterity, and 22 Intelligence. These substantial requirements position it as an advanced weapon choice suitable for experienced players.

 

Where to find the Royal Greatsword?

Acquiring the Royal Greatsword necessitates finishing Ranni’s questline and emerging victorious against Blaidd in combat. This NPC resides at Ranni’s Rise tower, and defeating him rewards both the greatsword and his complete armor ensemble.

The Ruins Greatsword represents another premier selection for colossal sword enthusiasts following patch 1.08 enhancements. Its comprehensive moveset, substantial poise, and improved crouch poke mechanics establish it as a reliable option across various combat situations.

 

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This weapon’s Ash of War ability covers extensive range and consistently connects with targets while delivering impressive damage output.

 

Its distinctive heavy attack provides competitive advantages over other colossal sword options. For PvE content, the Royal Greatsword may prove superior due to its spammable Wolf’s Assault art, while Ruins Greatsword potentially excels in PvP scenarios requiring careful consideration during selection.

 

Requirements

Effective utilization of Ruins Greatsword requires 50 Strength and 16 Intelligence, making it suitable for strength-focused builds with supplementary intelligence investment.

 

Where to find the Ruins Greatsword?

Securing Ruins Greatsword requires confronting the formidable Misbegotten Warrior and Crucible Knight duo at Redmane Castle Plaza. This epic boss confrontation remains available only during specific timeframes—either preceding the festival or after defeating Starscourge Radahn and exhausting Witch-Hunter Jerren’s subsequent dialogue options.

After thorough evaluation of available options, these weapons represent Elden Ring’s most powerful intelligence-scaling armaments. From the rapid Moonveil Katana to the formidable Royal Greatsword, this selection accommodates diverse combat preferences and playstyles effectively.

 

Whether engaging enemies at close quarters or maintaining distance, these weapons deliver substantial impact. Consider your preferred engagement range, stat investment capabilities, and acquisition requirements when making final selections.

Action Checklist

  • Complete Ranni’s questline to acquire Dark Moon Greatsword
  • Defeat Magma Wyrm in Gael Tunnel for Moonveil Katana
  • Navigate to Uhl Palace Ruins chest for Wing of Astel
  • Defeat Blaidd at Ranni’s Rise for Royal Greatsword
  • Confront Misbegotten Warrior and Crucible Knight for Ruins Greatsword

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