Elden Ring‘s Legendary Magic Blade: Mastering the Moonveil Katana
As a seasoned tarnished who has spent over 500 hours traversing the Lands Between, I‘ve tested my mettle with all manners of armaments. But none capture my imagination like the mythical moonveil katana. Ethereal and elegant yet devastatingly effective, it stands tall among Elden Ring‘s extensive arsenal.
In this guide, I‘ll share comprehensive details on the moonveil – how to obtain it, properly wield it, and unleash its full potential for magic-infused glory. Whether new tarnished or grizzled veteran, useful tidbits await!
Origin Story of the Moonveil
"Katana imbued with an enchanted magical glintblade said to have originated from the Eochaid family of Caria Manor. The Eochaids were also known as the dancing blades."
This weapon‘s description hints at a ritual origin tied to the royal Carian bloodline and their unique gravity magic. The Eochaids likely channeled mystical forces through their armor and blades to empower their sword dance performances.
As evidenced by the Carian Regal Scepter and Adula‘s Moonblade, gravitational lunar sorceries were central to Carian culture. The moonveil seeks to capture eclipses and flowing blades in physical form, coalescing otherworldly magic into an instrument of lethal elegance.
Location – Journeying to Gael Tunnel
Our quest begins venturing northwest into Caelid‘s Dragonbarrow region, seeking out the subterranean Gael Tunnel. Brave the beasts at its maw and delve into the earth. Slay the Mad Pumpkinheads and misbegotten along the path before facing the Magma Wyrm Makar boss.
Gael Tunnel Entrance in NW Caelid
This serpentine monstrosity guards the legendary katana, coiling amongst slag and sorcerous silver. Quell its undulations using icy sorceries to safely retrieve the moonveil from a glowing chest beyond.
Stats and Scaling – Intelligence Magic Swordsmanship
Here are the moonveil‘s base attributes and scaling:
| Stat | Requirement | Scaling |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | 13 | E |
| Dexterity | 18 | D |
| Intelligence | 23 | C |
| Faith | – | – |
| Arcane | – | – |
In terms of damage output, the moonveil has:
- Physical: 73
- Magic: 87
Total AR comes out to 160 right away, concentrated into swift katana strikes. But with greater investment in Intelligence and Dexterity, substantial magic swordsmanship emerges.
At +10 upgrade with 60 Intelligence and Keen affinity, the magic portion exceeds 230+ on top of physical hits! Such tremendous scaling cements the moonveil as a top-tier choice for Intelligence builds.
Compared to all katanas that require some Intelligence investment, the moonveil possesses the highest magic damage scaling and requirements. It represents the pinnacle of spellblade armaments optimized for Intelligence.
Moveset – Enchanted Blade Dance
Wielding the moonveil in combat intertwines magic and melee mastery. It shares the same katana moveset found throughout FromSoft games – rapid slashes, running and rolling attacks, and strong charged heavies. But the unique Transient Moonlight skill changes the game completely.
Transient Moonlight
By expending FP, magically-charged blades extend the moonveil‘s reach tremendously. It manifests spectral katanas through elegant sweeps or a powerful overhead slam with additional poise damage. Against distant or airborne foes, this skill inflicts devasting punishment.
Charged heavy into Transient Moonlight forms the ultimate magical combo. Alternatively, activating the skill after landing jump attacks or baiting whiffs creates massive opportunity for damage. This unique ranged gravity magic perfectly complements the standard melee moveset.
Moonveil‘s Transient Moonlight in Action
Upgrade Path – Boosting the Moonveil‘s Power
The moonveil scales up to +10 using Somber Smithing Stones. These special smithing stones are rarer than the standard variant but each one provides more levels.
Early sombers can be found inLimgrave tunnels while later stones appear in Altus Plateau mines and beyond. Bell bearings also unlock unlimited stone purchases.
With the right affinity applied, investment into Intelligence and Dexterity can produce over 500+ attack ratingempowering the moonveil to new heights!
Recommended affinities:
- Magic – Pure intelligence scaling for maximum spellblade damage
- Cold – Combine intelligence and dexterity scaling with frost buildup
- Keen – Dexterity focused but still benefits from intelligence
PvE Destruction – Slicing Through Enemies
The fruits of our magical katana mastery fully bloom slicing through PvE enemies. By mixing up standard combos, Transient Moonlight, and ranged sorceries, few foes can stand against us for long.
Against magma wyrms, crytallians, and other magic vulnerable creatures, the glintblade shreds through health bars with impunity. Burst potential from the weapon skill also enables interrupting dangerous enemy actions.
Moonveil Destroys Magic Weak Bosses
Ruler of the Night sorcery perfectly supplements the moonveil as well. The aerial magic blades have tremendous range ideal for softening up distant enemies or punishing openings. Having both melee and ranged options ensures we dictate the flow of battle to our advantage.
Counterplay In PvP Duels
While extremely potent in PvE, the moonveil sees prolific use in PvP thanks to its speed, range and damage. Facing this glintblade can be demoralizing, but countermeasures exist!
Weakness – Lack of Hyperarmor
Without poise, the moonveil loses out on trades. Heavier weapons like colossal swords can tank hits to land devastating strikes. Bull Goat armor helps ensure winning exchanges using hyperarmor.
Evade Burst Damage
The moonveil depends on landing Transient Moonlight and initial R1s to trigger damaging combos. Carefully dodging these opening strikes reduces follow-up damage significantly. Bloodhound Step Ash of War also helps avoid entire sequences.
Apply Pressure
Staying aggressive limits the moonveil‘s range advantage, forcing them into close quarters where moveset options narrow. Weapons with wide arcs like halberds excel here, enabling perpetual attacks.
Anticipating baited attacks for parry opportunities can also pay dividends against overzealous moonveil users. Patience is key!
Wrapping Up Our Journey
And there we have it. This comprehensive guide covered all aspects of acquiring, optimizing, and wielding Elden Ring‘s legendary moonveil katana to spectacular effect. Boasting high intelligence scaling, ranged magical strikes, and katana fluidity, it stands tall as one of the most versatile and deadly weapons in the entire game.
Whether new Tarnished or NG+7 veteran, the glintblade enables enforcing one‘s will against friend and foe alike with stylistic lethality. I hope my 500+ hours of firsthand experience offered helpful tips and cemented the moonveil‘s excellence!
May your quest to become Elden Lord be filled with magical glory and moonlit grace. Now brandish those transient blades and let none stand in your way!
