Elden Ring features a variety of weapons and build options for players to experiment with and have fun. FromSoftware has a staple weapon, which appears in all of its games in one form or another. In Elden Ring, this weapon is known as the Dark Moon Greatsword.

The Dark Moon Greatsword is an Intelligence-based weapon and is capable of dealing ranged damage at very low FP consumption. It has high physical damage with its archetype, allowing it to damage multiple enemies at once. This guide will detail the best combination of Talismans, stats, and equipment to allow the Dark Moon Greatsword to shine the brightest.

Elden Ring Best Halberds Mash Up
Elden Ring: Halberds Tier List

Halberds may not be the best weapons in Elden Ring, but they offer some good damage and reach, making them a good option for quality builds.

By 

How To Get The Dark Moon Greatsword In Elden Ring

How to Obtain Dark Moon Greatsword

The Dark Moon Greatsword requires players to finish Ranni the Witch’s Questline, which is quite complex. Below is a quick rundown of acquiring the Dark Moon Greatsword.

  • After defeating Radahn, players must visit Nokron, where they must retrieve the Fingerslayer Blade.
  • Once they give it to Ranni, players should head to Renna's Rise and take the teleporter to Ainsel’s River.
  • Here, they will also find a Ranni doll which they can speak to 3 times.
  • It will prompt them to defeat an invading enemy. Upon defeating this enemy, players will be given the Discarded Palace Key.
  • Players can use this key to unlock a chest in the Raya Lucaria Grand Library that will reward them with the Dark Moon Ring.
  • Then, players can travel to the Grand Cloister and fight Astel, Naturalborn of the Void.
  • Afterward, players should go to the Cathedral of Manus Celes, where a cutscene will play, and they will be rewarded with the Dark Moon Greatsword.

Dark Moon Greatsword Overview

Dark Moon Greatsword Overview

The Dark Moon Greatsword is one of the nine Legendary Armaments in Elden Ring and has an incredible Weapon Skill, which allows it to be buffed at the cost of FP.

While it is buffed, a strong attack with this weapon will release a projectile that scales with Intelligence and deals massive damage. The Dark Moon Greatsword also comes with an intrinsic 55 Frost buildup.

It cannot be enhanced with further Ashes of War or Consumables and requires Somber Smithing Stones to upgrade.

Stat Requirement & Scaling For Dark Moon Greatsword

Stat Requirements & Scaling

Dark Moon Greatsword is mainly an Intelligence-based weapon, though it also scales with Dexterity and Strength. It requires 16 Strength, 11 Dexterity, and 38 Intelligence to wield. It comes with an initial scaling of D in Strength and Dexterity and C in Intelligence.

Intelligence boosts the Projectile damage of this weapon, whereas Dexterity and Strength improve its Physical damage. Upon fully upgrading the Dark Moon Greatsword, it will get a D scaling in Strength and Dexterity, with a B scaling in Intelligence.

Dark Moon Greatsword

Physical Damage

Magic Damage

Strength Scaling

Dexterity Scaling

Intelligence Scaling

Standard

82

98

D

D

C

Standard+1

93

112

D

D

C

Standard+2

105

126

D

D

C

Standard+3

117

140

D

D

C

Standard+4

129

154

D

D

B

Standard+5

141

169

D

D

B

Standard+6

153

183

D

D

B

Standard+7

165

197

D

D

B

Standard+8

177

211

D

D

B

Standard+9

189

225

D

D

B

Standard+10

200

240

D

D

B
Elden-Ring-14-Best-Flame-Spells,-Ranked
Elden Ring: 19 Best Flame Spells, Ranked

Elden Ring pyromancers will be especially interested in the following flame spells. Equip a variety of these spells for maximum damage!

By 

Stats To Prioritize For Optimizing Dark Moon Greatsword

Intelligence is the priority with the Dark Moon Greatsword because, while using this weapon, players want it to be in a buffed state so they can take as much advantage of it as possible. Leveling up Intelligence to 60 is essential. After that, players can focus on getting either Strength or Dexterity to 40.

This weapon does not consume much FP, so focusing on the Mind stat is not a good decision. In fact, players will be better off focusing on Vigor and Endurance, which increase Health and Stamina, respectively.

First Priority

Intelligence and Strength/Dexterity

Second Priority

Endurance and Vigor

Synergetic Weapons & Spells For Dark Moon Greatsword

Synergetic Weapons and spells for dark moon greatsword elden ring

Dark Moon Greatsword is perfectly fine on its own, but considering the high intelligence requirement it has, players can easily take advantage of other spells in the game that have high Intelligence requirements. Players can choose the spell according to their own preference.

Carian Regal Scepter is the best staff to use alongside Dark Moon Greatsword, as it requires 60 Intelligence, which is the goal of this build. If players decide to go with the Cerian Regal Scepter, they can take full advantage of the Ranni's Dark Moon sorcery, increasing its damage by 10%. Ranni's Dark Moon requires 68 Intelligence rather than 60, so players should keep that in mind if they're planning on using it.

Synergetic Talismans For Dark Moon Greatsword

Synergetic Talismans For Dark Moon Greatsword, elden ring
  • Cerulean Amber Medallion: This medallion gives the player a flat 7-11% increase in the total amount of FP available to the player. This pairs particularly well with Greenburst and Greenspill Crystal Tears, making the player an inexhaustible unit.
  • Magic Scorpion Charm: The Magic Scorpion Charm has its downsides in the form of reduced damage negation, but the increased magic damage that it provides in return is well worth the investment, especially in an Intelligence heavy build like this.

If the player has trouble dealing with the reduced damage negation from the Magic Scorpion Charm, they can equip the Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman to balance it out, and give them an edge in the defense department.

  • Shard of Alexander: One of the foundational talismans of the game that remains powerful to this day, the Shard of Alexander is a must-have in any weapon-centric build since it increases the amount of damage a weapon skill will deal by a great amount (+15%).
  • Erdtree’s Favor/Godfrey's Crest: If players want to flesh out their overall build and take a more balanced approach, they should go with Erdtree's Favor. This talisman will increase the overall carry capacity, HP, and FP. It's a good option regardless of the build. Meanwhile, Godfrey's Crest will increase the total skill damage that the player will dish out, creating a highly damage-centric build with little focus on defense.

Wondrous Physick Synergy For Dark Moon Greatsword

Wondrous Physick Synergy For Dark Moon Greatsword
  • If players want to spam spells with impunity, they can go for a combination of Greenburst Crystal Tear and Greenspill Crystal Tear. Greenburst will increase FP recovery time, whereas Greenspill will increase the total amount of FP available to the player. Choosing both isn't advisable, but it's a good idea to take at least one and pair it with a different crystal.
  • Magic-Shrouding Cracked Tear is a great option for players looking to further enhance the Magic damage of the Dark Moon Greatsword. Alternatively, players can also equip the Intellegence-Knot Crystal Tear to achieve a similar effect.
Rating block community and brand ratings Image
Elden Ring Tag Page Cover Art
Elden Ring
Display card tags widget Display card system widget
Display card community and brand rating widget
10 /10
Display card open critics widget Display card main info widget
Released
February 25, 2022
Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end

WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
PHYSICAL
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

Developer(s)
From Software
Genre(s)
RPG, Action
The Erdtree in Elden Ring
6 Images