As a seasoned Elden Ring adventurer with countless hours under my belt, I can confidently say that the Backhand Blade and its Ash of War: Swift Slash skill have become my go-to weapons in the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion. The ease of acquisition, combined with the impressive distance covered by the Swift Slash skill, makes it a game-changer for those looking to close gaps quickly and deal some serious damage.
In the original version, Elden Ring offered a diverse selection of weapons, but with the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, players now have even more weapon options, including novel types such as hand-to-hand combat and great katanas. Among these new additions, the Backhand Blade has garnered significant praise for several reasons. This unique weapon is accessible early in the game, can be upgraded using standard smithing stones, and possesses a potent Ash of War called Swift Slash.
The Backhand Blade already comes with the Blind Spot skill, which is similar to but follows up with an attack behind the target. While this is an excellent skill, the Ash of War: Swift Slash can be a better pick. The Swift Slash skill launches the character forward into enemies, slicing through them and creating a vacuum of slices. The distance covered by the skill is impressive, as it can help you close the distance quickly and is easy to spam. Here’s how you can get the in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree.
Elden Ring Swift Slash Skill Location Guide
To acquire the Ash of War known as ‘Swift Slash’, you’ll first need to assist Hornsent in overcoming Needle Knight Leda within Shadow Keep. After successfully defeating her, Hornsent will grant you the Ash of War: Swift Slash. To trigger this event, it’s essential to advance in both characters’ questlines. In a blind playthrough, there’s a risk of overlooking the opportunity to participate in this invasion or missing out on obtaining the Ash of War: Swift Slash altogether.
Luckily, there are just a few actions required for you to aid Hornsent and acquire the Swift Slash ability. Here’s how you can get the Ash of War: Swift Slash:
- Defeat Rellana, Twin Moon Knight, to move Hornsent from Gravesite Plain to Scadu Atlas.
- Go near Shadow Keep to break Miquella’s Charm.
- Talk to Needle Knight Leda near Highroad Cross site of grace.
- Suggest Hornsent as her target.
- Talk to Hornsent near Highroad Cross site of grace.
- Talk to Needle Knight Leda again to hear her decision to kill Hornsent.
- Assist Hornsent in defeating Needle Knight Leda at Shadow Keep.
To move forward with Hornsent’s storyline, it’s essential that you conquer Rellana, the boss of remembrance. After her defeat, you will locate Hornsent near the exit of the boss arena. Additionally, Needle Knight Leda can be found in this area, who tasks you with venturing to Shadow Keep, a location situated north of Highroad Cross site of grace.
Approaching Shadow Keep, a notification appears indicating that a powerful artifact, the Great Rune, has been shattered. This event causes Miquella’s enchantment over his followers to dissipate, leading some of them to leave while others remain loyal. As Miquella’s magic fades, Needle Knight Leda becomes concerned about the loyalty and sincerity of the remaining followers. You will need to converse with Needle Knight Leda and propose Hornsent as a potential suspect for suspicion.
1. Following my recommendation to speak with Hornsent, let’s engage in conversation with him until there’s nothing more to discuss. Then, make your way to the place of tranquility and converse with Needle Knight Leda once more to learn about her intentions towards Hornsent, which may include an attack.
After that, you’ll need to make your way into Shadow Keep and conquer the Golden Hippopotamus boss to access the main gate site of grace for Shadow Keep. Subsequently, follow the western path all the way to its end where you’ll find a bridge with flaming boats. Adjacent to this bridge, there will be a stairway descending towards a colossal door that leads back to the main gate site of grace within Shadow Keep.
Here, you’ll spot the symbols to aid Hornsent or Needle Knight Leda at the base of these stairs. If you decide to help Hornsent and vanquish Needle Knight Leda, you’ll receive the Ash of War: Swift Slash as a prize.
As a gamer, I learned the hard way that taking on Messmer the Impaler before wrapping up Hornsent’s questline can prevent me from getting the Ash of War: Swift Slash.
Is Ash of War: Swift Slash Good or Not?
Ash of War: Swift Slash is a powerful weapon skill only applicable to and . Unfortunately, this skill is exclusive to the Backhand Blades weapon class, which only features two regular weapons and a Somber weapon. The Backhand Blade is the best weapon for Swift Slash as it can be obtained quite early and easily in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC.
Ash of War: Swift Slash can be buffed in multiple ways. Just like almost all Ashes of War, Swift Slash gets bonus damage from the Shard of Alexander talisman. Since it’s a multi-hitting skill, you can use or to get an attack bonus from successive hits. When fighting against enemies prone to Bleed, you can also go with Blood infusion and use for an attack boost when blood loss happens.
Initially, the Ash of War: Swift Slash was exceptionally powerful upon the release of Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. But, over time, its strength has been scaled back slightly, making it just above average now. It’s still viable for both PVP and PVE gameplay, but it doesn’t perform as impressively as it once did.
Read More
- BCH PREDICTION. BCH cryptocurrency
- LUNC PREDICTION. LUNC cryptocurrency
- BTC PREDICTION. BTC cryptocurrency
- MNT PREDICTION. MNT cryptocurrency
- Best Goomba Characters In Mario Games, Ranked
- USD PHP PREDICTION
- SOL PREDICTION. SOL cryptocurrency
- Top gainers and losers
- USD RUB PREDICTION
- METIS PREDICTION. METIS cryptocurrency
2024-08-07 06:06