The developers at FromSoftware.inc are rather daring to allow so much room for customization in Elden Ring. It is currently the most popular game of the decade, with millions of existing players and more joining the family regularly.
Such a player base also means that millions of creative minds are free to do whatever they want in the game. Character building is one such example of customization. Although the classes are pre-defined in the game, you can still manage to polish your character as you wish.
In this regard, the Dark Moon Greatsword is among the most powerful weapons in Elden Ring. So, most players choose it as their main weapon and experiment with different builds to get desirable outcomes. However, you must complete a game-changing questline for Ranni to get started.
Moreover, you must also prepare your character to wield such a mighty weapon right from the beginning. This article provides some of the best Dark Moon Greatsword builds so that you don’t have to experiment on your own.
Table of Contents
Best Dark Moon Greatsword Build
The Dark Moon Greatsword isn’t necessarily the most powerful weapon in Elden Ring. It is a melee weapon with medium range, medium physical damage, and a special Weapon Art. However, when you combine it with the right gear and attributes, it can become powerful enough to assist you even in the Endgame. However, you must start training your character right from the beginning to enjoy the full benefits of this Greatsword. Otherwise, you might end up thinking that you went through all that trouble for nothing.
The most remarkable thing about this Greatsword is its Weapon Art. When you activate the Moonlight Greatsword Weapon Art, the Tarnished charges the sword with the moonlight, increasing the sword’s overall damage and inflicting the opponent with frost buildup.
However, activating the skill consumes a fair amount of FP. Once consumed, the magic attacks don’t cost you anything until the timer runs out. So, having a sufficient character level in Mind is a must for this build.
Secondly, the perfect character class for Dark Moon Greatsword Build is to start with the Astrologer class—one of the S Tier classes on our Elden Ring class tier list. The class mainly focuses on Mind and Intelligence and has some points in Dexterity. So, you will have enough time to earn and invest the character points in upgrading Vigor, Strength, and Faith till you start Ranni’s questline.
Moreover, the Astrologer class offers a better chance at using the Moonlight Greatsword Weapon Art as you can use it multiple times without fully draining the FP bar. Moreover, it would be best to invest a few points in Endurance as well to increase your stamina and resistance against Bleeding buildup.
Astrologer Class Build for Dark Moon Greatsword
First of all, you must meet the minimum requirements of the Dark Moon Greatsword before you can wield it. Here are the minimum requirements:
- Strength: 16
- Dexterity: 11
- Intelligence: 38
Once you start at the First Step Site of Grace after choosing the Astrologer Class, your goal is to meet the minimum requirements. The class starts with the following stats:
- Rune Level 6
- Vigor 9
- Dexterity 12
- Mind 15
- Intelligence 16
- Endurance 9
- Faith 7
- Strength 8
- Arcane 9
As you can see, you have enough Dexterity in the beginning, so your main focus should be on Intelligence. Also, invest a few points in Strength, Endurance, and other traits every now and then. If you progress with this strategy in mind, you will have more than enough points in all traits to start using the Dark Moon Katana.
Minimum Stats for the Astrologer Build
Meeting the minimum requirements alone isn’t enough to benefit from the powers of the Dark Moon Greatsword. So, you must possess the following stats and gear to unleash the true capabilities of the Astrologer build. Therefore, it would be best to have at least these stats and acquire all the items from the recommended gear section:
Stats:
- Dexterity 20 (Primary)
- Endurance 21 (Secondary)
- Faith 25 (Secondary).
- Intelligence 80 (Primary)
- Strength 35 (Primary)
Gear:
- Armor:
- Black Knife Armor Set
- Snow Witch Hat
- Spells:
- Adula’s Moonblade
- Comet Azur
- Loretta’s Mastery
- Renalla’s Full Moon
- Spirit Ashes:
- Mimic Tear Ashes+10
- Talismans:
- Erdtree’s Favor
- Godfrey Icon
- Radagon Icon
- Stargazer Heirloom
- Weapon:
- Darkmoon Greatsword
- Carian Regal Scepter +9
Recommended Stats for the Astrologer Build
You can acquire the Dark Moon Greatsword around the middle phase of the main storyline. So, even having the minimum stats is enough to keep you going for the rest of the phase. However, you must carefully prioritize your Rune Level point investments from this point on. Firstly, you must be clear about what use you want from this mighty sword. In other words, the traits for Dark Moon Greatsword are different for mid-game, PvP, and Endgame sections.
For Mid-game: If you just want to progress in the storyline till you find a better alternative to the sword, you must focus on the Mind trait. According to popular reviews, the Mind should be pushed to at least level 40 for the mid-game phase. It is mainly because the sword’s true power lies in its magic capabilities.
So, you will be using a lot from the FP bar, and keeping it at maximum seems like the better choice. Similarly, you should place Intelligence as your second priority. The reason is that most of the gear and spells for this build scale primarily with Intelligence. Furthermore, you can continue with this upgrading strategy for the PvP mode as well. However, the best deal would be to limit the Mind to level 30 and upgrade Intelligence to level 68.
For Endgame: If you plan to slay the Elden Beast with the Dark Moon Greatsword, your priorities might be a little complicated. There is no exact order of upgrading the traits. However, you have plenty of time between the mid-game and Endgame phases. So, you can easily experiment with the upgrading strategy while keeping the recommended soft caps in mind. For best results, it would be best to at least have the following trait levels before you face the Elden Beast:
- Intelligence: 80
- Vigor: 40
- Endurance: 25
- Mind: 24
After achieving these traits, you can then turn your attention to other character stats. Moreover, you must further upgrade these points to increase your chances against the mighty Elden Beast.
Best Supporting Gear for the Dark Moon Build
The Dark Moon Greatsword is no doubt a great weapon, but it does have some flaws. For instance, the vertical movements of the sword aren’t the best. Say you are fighting against an enemy on stairs or at a different elevation. In this case, you would need some supporting gear and spells to deal with them. Therefore, it would be best to have the recommended supporting weapons with you all the time.
Moreover, the attack speed of this sword is a bit slow as it belongs to the Greatsword family. So, you should familiarize yourself with the sword’s mechanics before setting out to fight a boss. Lastly, you can use supporting spells and armaments to increase your magic strength, attack damage, and summon a few spirits to create distractions. So, here are the best supporting weapons that you should use in your battle strategies when using the Dark Moon Greatsword:
- Weapons:
- Carian Regal Scepter staff (for PvE)
- Azur Glinstone Staff (for PvP)
- Carian Regal Scepter +9 staff (for Endgame)
- Armor:
- Black Knife Armor (for PvE & PvP)
- Blaidd’s Armor Set (for Endgame)
- Spells:
- Loretta’s Mastery (for PvE)
- Carian Slicer & Swift Glinstone Shard (for PvP)
- Comet spell & Asura’s Moonblade spell (for Endgame)
- Talismans:
- Stargazer Heirloom Talisman & Godfrey Icon (for PvE)
- Erdtree’s Favor & Radagon Icon (for PvP)
- Radagon’s Soreseal, Dragoncrest Shield Talisman +2, and Graven-School Talisman (for Endgame)
FAQs
What is the best character class for Dark Moon Greatsword build?
The Dark Moon Greatsword is a normal weapon for physical attacks, but its true power lies in the magic attacks. So, any class that primarily focuses on Intelligence and Mind and provides secondary points in Strength, Endurance, Vigor, and Dexterity would do just fine. In my opinion, the Astrologer is the perfect class for creating a Dark Moon Greatsword build. It starts with suitable points in all traits, and you can then polish your character for the build by investing more Rune points as you progress in the main storyline.
Can I beat the Elden Beast with Dark Moon Greatsword?
Yes, Dark Moon Greatsword is powerful enough to beat the final boss in Elden Ring. However, you must carefully invest the character upgrade points according to a strategy and gather all the necessary armaments before you go into the arena. Moreover, you must acquire a few supporting gears and spells and familiarize yourself with the sword’s mechanics. If you do everything right, the Elden Beast will stand no chance against you.
Which stats should I focus on when preparing for the endgame sequence in Elden Ring?
If you choose to become the Elden Lord with the Dark Moon Greatsword in your hand, you must prioritize your traits. Firstly, you must focus on the Mind and Intelligence stats to make full use of the sword’s magic. Secondly, you shouldn’t forget about other traits as they are equally useful in battle. For starters, you must at least have the following levels in each stat to face the Elden Beast:
- Intelligence: 80
- Vigor: 40
- Endurance: 25
- Mind: 24
Conclusion
The Dark Moon Greatsword is one of the most famous weapons in Elden Ring. It is a sword whose main capabilities lie in its magic attacks. So, to make full use of this mighty weapon, you must mainly focus on Intelligence and Mind in your character. In this regard, the Astrologer Class is the perfect choice for a Dark Moon Greatsword builds.
It starts with high Intelligence, Mind, and Dexterity. So, you can progress through the story to further polish your character. This article explains all the traits, skills, spells, and armaments you need to create the perfect character for this Legendary weapon.
