Malenia Bleed Build Guide: Slay the Blade of Miquella on PC Malenia, Blade of Miquella, is arguably Elden Ring's most formidable challenge.

Malenia, Blade of Miquella, is arguably Elden Ring's most formidable challenge. Her relentless aggression, self-healing, and the infamous Waterfowl Dance have broken many Tarnished. But fear not, fellow PC gamers! This guide, forged in the fires of countless attempts, will equip you with a potent Bleed build to finally conquer this demigod. We'll focus on optimizing your stats, weapon choices, talismans, and even PC performance to ensure a smooth and victorious fight. Get ready to unleash the power of Bleed and send Malenia crashing down! This is your comprehensive strategy for a Malenia Bleed Build.

Build Optimization: Stats for Success

A dedicated Bleed build thrives on Arcane, which directly influences Bleed buildup. Vigor is crucial for surviving Malenia's relentless onslaught, while Endurance allows for heavier armor and more frequent attacks. Here's a suggested starting point around level 100:

• Vigor: 50
• Mind: 20
• Endurance: 30
• Strength: 20
• Dexterity: 20
• Intelligence: 10
• Faith: 8
• Arcane: 45

These stats provide a solid foundation. You'll primarily be scaling Arcane and Dexterity with your chosen weapons. Feel free to adjust these based on your playstyle and weapon requirements. This stat distribution allows you to weild Rivers of Blood, and an Occult infused weapon for maximum bleed damage!

Weapon Selection: Rivers of Blood and Seppuku Uchigatana

The key to this build is a dual-wield setup focusing on rapid Bleed buildup. The Rivers of Blood katana is your primary weapon (right hand), while an Occult Uchigatana (left hand) infused with the Seppuku Ash of War provides a significant Bleed boost. Rivers of Blood's weapon art, Corpse Piler, is essential for dealing damage and staggering Malenia.

Upgrade both weapons to +10 (Somber) and +25 (Standard) respectively, to maximize their damage output. These weapons synergize incredibly well with Arcane scaling, delivering massive damage when Bleed procs.

Alternative Bleed Weapon Options

Though Rivers of Blood is a fantastic option, it may not be for everyone. Here are some alternative weapons that work in a Bleed build for Malenia:

• Eleonara's Poleblade: This twinblade scales with Arcane, and has a unique Weapon Art.
• Bloodflame Blade: Applying Bloodflame Blade to a fast weapon can quickly build up bleed, and stacks with the fire damage for additional damage.

Talismans: Boosting Bleed and Survivability

Talismans are critical for maximizing your damage output and survivability. Here's the optimal setup:

• Lord of Blood's Exultation: Increases attack power when Bleed occurs in the vicinity. Essential for a Bleed build.
• White Mask: Further boosts attack power when Bleed occurs nearby. Synergizes perfectly with Lord of Blood's Exultation.
• Green Turtle Talisman: Increases stamina recovery speed. Crucial for maintaining aggression and dodging attacks.
• Marika's Soreseal: Boosts Mind, Intelligence, Faith, and Arcane at the cost of increased damage taken. Equip this after summoning your Mimic Tear to maximize their health.

Phase 1 Strategy: Aggression and Staggering

In Phase 1, Malenia relies on her standard attacks and the dreaded Waterfowl Dance. Your strategy is to maintain medium distance, bait her attacks, and punish with the Corpse Piler weapon art from Rivers of Blood.

The goal is to stagger her and interrupt her attacks, especially Waterfowl Dance. Time your Corpse Piler to connect as she begins her animation for a chance to knock her out of it. Bleed will quickly proc, dealing massive damage.

Phase 2 Strategy: Malenia, Goddess of Rot

Phase 2 transforms Malenia into the Goddess of Rot, adding Scarlet Rot to her repertoire. Be extremely cautious of the Rot buildup. Use the Flame Cleanse Me incantation to remove Rot buildup immediately. This is crucial for survivability.

Repeat the Phase 1 strategy, but prioritize dodging her Dive Bomb attack. This attack is highly telegraphed, but covers a large area. Roll into her as she dives to avoid the blast. Use the Rivers of Blood weapon art when she is vulnerable after the attack.

Countering Scarlet Rot

Scarlet Rot can be deadly. The Flame Cleanse Me incantation requires 12 Faith. If you do not have this much faith, the Preserving Boluses are your next best bet.

Dealing with Waterfowl Dance: Dodge or Stagger

Waterfowl Dance is Malenia's most dangerous attack. The primary goal is to stagger her mid-animation with Corpse Piler. However, if dodging is necessary, here's the strategy:

1. Sprint away on the first flurry to create distance.
2. Roll through the second flurry.
3. Roll again to avoid the final flurry.

Equipping the Bloodhound Step Ash of War on a dagger as a secondary weapon can significantly improve your dodging capabilities. Bloodhound Step provides invincibility frames and allows for quick repositioning.

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Tips and Tricks for Malenia

• Rivers of Blood’s Corpse Piler Weapon Art is key. It inflicts Bleed and can stagger Malenia.
• Use the Mimic Tear Ash of War. Your duplicate will draw aggro and inflict additional Bleed. Maximize the Mimic Tear's health by unequipping Marika's Soreseal before summoning it, then re-equipping it immediately after.
• Prioritize dodging her initial Waterfowl Dance flurry. Subsequent dodges are easier once you've created distance.
• Use jump attacks to interrupt her attacks and stagger her.
• During Phase 2, use throwing knives to interrupt her healing when she's at a distance.

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PC-Specific Notes: Optimizing Performance

Elden Ring can suffer from shader compilation stutter on PC. To potentially reduce this:

1. Navigate to %APPDATA%\EldenRing\[your Steam ID]\shadercache
2. Delete the contents of the shadercache folder.

This will force the game to recompile shaders, potentially improving performance.

Additionally:

• Set Texture Quality to 'Medium' or 'Low' to reduce VRAM usage.
• Experiment with disabling Ray Tracing (if enabled) and setting Anti-Aliasing to FXAA.
• Ensure your GPU drivers are up to date.

Best PC Configuration for Elden Ring

Here is the recommended PC configuration for Elden Ring

• CPU: Intel Core i7-8700K or AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 or AMD Radeon RX Vega 56
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• Storage: 60 GB available space

Stats and Equipment Setup

Here is the Player Character's recommended equipment setup.

Here is the player Character's recommended stats at level 100.

Here is the player's Spirit Ash level.

Conclusion: Victory Over the Blade

Defeating Malenia, Blade of Miquella, is a monumental achievement in Elden Ring. This Bleed build offers a potent strategy for overcoming her challenges on PC. Remember to optimize your stats, choose the right weapons and talismans, master dodging Waterfowl Dance, and tweak your PC settings for optimal performance. Victory grants the Remembrance of the Rot Goddess, allowing you to acquire powerful weapons and spells from Enia at the Roundtable Hold.

Now go forth, Tarnished, and claim your hard-earned victory! What are your favorite strategies for the Malenia fight? Let us know in the comments! If you're still struggling, be sure to check out our other Elden Ring guides. And if you're looking to upgrade your PC to better handle Elden Ring, check out our recommended components.