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In this detailed guide, we'll dive into the exciting new weapon type introduced in Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC: the Light Greatswords (or "Light Gr Swords"). As a weapon type, these greatswords have a fluidity and depth that distinguishes them from other heavy-hitting weapons, primarily due to the unique mechanics of their moveset.

In this article, we'll explore the distinct characteristics of the Light Greatswords, break down their attack animations, and discuss how to weave combos for maximum damage potential. So, let's dive into why these weapons could be your next favorite choice for both PvP and PvE combat.

What Are Light Greatswords?

Light Greatswords are a versatile weapon class that excels in dexterity builds, allowing for swift but powerful attacks. What sets them apart from other weapon types is their unique ability to skip over parts of their light attack chain when used in specific ways, offering various combo opportunities. This weaving mechanic enables players to skip one or more light attacks in the chain, which can greatly increase the speed and effectiveness of your combos.

If you've tried this weapon type and found it clunky, it may be because you're not fully familiar with the intricacies of the combo system that these weapons employ. Once you master the weaving of attack sequences, you'll find them incredibly fluid and adaptable, offering immense potential in both PvE and PvP settings.

The Moveset Breakdown: Mastering the Weave

Light Greatswords rely heavily on skipping attack chains to execute effective combos. Many of the Light Greatsword's attack animations skip over the first hit of the light attack chain. For instance, some weapons, like the Spear, allow their running light attack to skip the first hit entirely, while others do not. In the case of Light Greatswords, most of their attacks bypass several steps in the light attack chain, which creates openings for devastating combos.

Here's a quick breakdown of common skips in the moveset:

  • One-handed light attack: Skips over several parts of the light attack chain, depending on whether it's a regular light attack, a running attack, or a dodge attack.

  • Two-handed light attack: Similar to the one-handed version but typically skips fewer hits, giving more controlled combos.

  • Heavy attacks: These tend to skip even more steps in the light chain, allowing you to jump straight into higher damage outputs.

Light Greatsword Examples: A Deeper Dive

Let's take a look at specific examples of Light Greatswords available in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, starting with Rana's Twinblade and Lea Sword.

Rana's Twinblade

The Rana's Twinblade is an unusual paired weapon that deals physical and magic damage on its main hand while the off-hand deals physical and fire damage. This combination of damage types creates a unique situation where the weapon might seem underwhelming in raw numbers but is bolstered by its versatility against various enemy types. However, due to a possible bug, these elemental damage types aren't fully optimized, which makes it challenging to maximize their damage potential without relying heavily on infusion options or buffs.

To make the most out of Rana's Twinblade, it's essential to power stance and use cold infusion, scaling with dexterity and intelligence. This grants access to both powerful physical damage and status inflictions, like frostbite, which pairs well with the weapon's fast multi-hit combos.

Lea Sword

The Lea Sword is another standout in the Light Greatsword category. Unlike many of its counterparts, this weapon is primarily dexterity-scaling but has an intriguing weapon art called Miso Piercer. While this art looks like a typical faith-based magic projectile, it's a piercing weapon attack that can remove both buffs and debuffs from enemies, making it a tactical option in PvP scenarios where status effects play a significant role.

A good way to maximize this weapon's effectiveness is by focusing on pierce damage, which allows for powerful counter hits. However, note that Miso Piercer does not have high stance damage, making it more suitable for players looking to disrupt enemy setups in PvP rather than for raw damage output.

Infusions and Builds: Which Path to Choose?

The Myay Light Greatsword is notable for being the only infusible weapon in this category. Its versatility with different infusions (flame, sacred, magic) makes it an excellent choice for spellblade builds. While it scales slightly better with dexterity than strength, both paths are viable depending on your build's overall requirements.

For those seeking status effect builds, frost or bleed infusions are powerful options due to the Light Greatsword's ability to weave together multiple hits rapidly. Pairing this with the Twinblade Talisman, which boosts damage based on successive hits, can turn you into a status-proc machine.

Ash of War: Wing Stance

One of the key aspects of the Light Greatsword moveset is the Wing Stance Ash of War, which is exclusive to the Myay Light Greatsword. This unique weapon art allows for fluid transitions between light and heavy follow-up attacks:

  • Light follow-up: Hits multiple times and deals substantial status damage, making it ideal for proccing status effects like bleed or frostbite.

  • Heavy follow-up: Focuses more on stance damage, helping break through enemy defenses or poise in boss fights.

A unique interaction occurs when pairing Wing Stance with Rana's Cameo, as you can chain light attacks without losing the buff from the Cameo, keeping your stance for extended periods. Mastering this technique can significantly increase your DPS while maintaining buffs, especially in prolonged boss fights or PvP engagements.

Power Stancing and Skipping Attack Chains

Power stancing Light Greatswords offers another level of complexity, as it changes how the attack chains function. While two-handing weapons generally allow for a more stable, defensive approach, power stancing Light Greatswords lets you combine the unique attack animations of each hand into devastating multi-hit combos.

The ability to skip attack chains also extends to power stanced attacks. The power stance heavy attack, for instance, skips multiple hits and directly lands the final, often most damaging, attack in the chain. In both PvE and PvP, knowing which attacks skip ahead can help you maximize damage per second (DPS) while keeping your enemy on their toes.

For example, the power stance rolling attack skips directly to the final hit, allowing you to immediately hit hard after dodging an attack. Similarly, the jumping attack skips several hits, giving you a quick way to deliver heavy damage from a safe distance.

PvP and PvE Strategy

In PvP, Light Greatswords shine when used with precise timing and knowledge of the skip mechanics. For instance, avoiding the last hit of an attack chain, which has a long animation, can keep you from being punished by an opponent's counterattack. Learning to weave together the most effective attacks from your moveset while skipping unnecessary animations is the key to making this weapon class work in competitive play.

For PvE, these weapons excel against bosses that leave narrow windows for attacking. The ability to skip attack chains allows you to squeeze in more hits without over-committing to long animations. Additionally, power stancing and using Ashes of War like Wing Stance can further enhance your versatility in handling different boss patterns and phases.

Conclusion: Elevate Your Gameplay with Light Greatswords

The Light Greatsword class is an exciting new addition to Elden Ring's weapon roster, bringing a level of depth and flexibility rarely seen in other weapon types. Whether you're power stancing to create powerful, multi-hit combos or utilizing the unique Wing Stance Ash of War to maximize status damage, mastering the weave mechanics will undoubtedly take your gameplay to the next level.

So, if you've tried the Light Greatswords before and felt they were too clunky, now is the perfect time to revisit them with this deeper understanding. Remember, the key to success with these weapons is in understanding their unique combo potential and skipping attack chains to execute efficient, powerful combos. Happy slaying, Tarnished!

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