Elden Ring: Moonveil Resurrected Build Guide

Elden Ring, the critically acclaimed action RPG developed by FromSoftware, offers a vast array of weapon builds and playstyles. One of the standout weapons in the game, especially for Intelligencebased builds, is theMoonveil katana. Originally revered for its devastating stancebreaking capabilities, Moonveil faced significant nerfs in earlier patches, leading many players to move away from the weapon. However, with the recent changes introduced inPatch 1.14, Moonveil has undergone a renaissance. The Elden Ring Runes adjustments toRanni’s Cameo and the rebalancing oftransient Moonlight, Moonveil’s weapon skill, have breathed new life into this weapon, shifting its focus from stance breaks to pure damage output. In this guide, we’ll dive into the new Moonveil build, discussing its strengths, equipment, and strategies for success.

 The Evolution of Moonveil: From Stance Breaker to Damage Dealer

Historically, the strength of Moonveil lay in its ability to rapidly break an enemy's stance. By combining heavy attacks with the katana’s projectile and blade, players could stagger even the most formidable bosses, opening them up to devastating critical strikes. This tactic allowed for a highly effective, aggressive playstyle. However, after several nerfs to Moonveil’s stance damage and projectile effectiveness, the weapon’s viability as a stancebreaker diminished, causing many players to abandon it.

ButPatch 1.14 has fundamentally changed how Moonveil operates. Instead of focusing on stance breaks, the new Moonveil build leveragesRanni’s Cameo, a talisman that now boosts damage for a brief period after holding your stance. This update allows players to maximize the damage output of transient Moonlight, transforming Moonveil into a powerhouse capable of obliterating enemies from a distance.

 The Weapon: Moonveil and Transient Moonlight

At the core of this build is, of course,Moonveil, a katana that deals both physical and magic damage. Its unique weapon skill,Transient Moonlight, allows players to fire off either a horizontal or vertical magic projectile by holding L2/LT. The projectile’s direction depends on whether you follow up with a light or heavy attack after the initial input. The vertical wave deals more singletarget damage and travels further, while the horizontal wave attacks faster and is great for hitting multiple enemies in an area.

Key to this build is the fact thatTransient Moonlight does 100% magic damage, meaning its effectiveness is tied entirely to yourIntelligence stat. Therefore, increasing Intelligence is essential for maximizing the damage output of these projectiles. Strength and Dexterity contribute very little to the effectiveness of the weapon skill, which leads to a specific stat distribution for this build.

 Build Philosophy: Focus on Damage, Not Stance Breaks

The old Moonveil builds prioritized getting up close to bosses, triggering stance breaks, and landing critical hits. However, with the changes brought by Patch 1.14, this new build centers around dealing massive damage at range through Transient Moonlight.

You’ll want to maintain distance between yourself and enemies, using the katana’s projectile attacks to whittle down their health before they can reach melee range. The weapon now plays similarly to theDark Moon Greatsword, which focuses on ranged magic damage. The key is to leverageRanni’s Cameo, which, after charging your stance for one second, grants a45% damage boost to Transient Moonlight, making it a potent option for both singletarget damage and crowd control.

 Equipment for the Build

Here’s a breakdown of the key items you’ll need to maximize the effectiveness of this build:

1. Moonveil Katana
Weapon Skill: Transient Moonlight
 Focus on Intelligence to boost the weapon skill’s magic damage.
 Use the vertical wave for single targets and the horizontal wave for groups.

2. Ranni’s Cameo
Effect: Boosts your weapon skill damage after holding your stance for a second.
 This talisman is crucial for the build, as it allows you to increase your damage output significantly, turning Moonveil into a deadly ranged weapon.

3. Shard of Alexander
Effect: Increases the damage of your weapon skills.
 This talisman amplifies the damage of Transient Moonlight even further, making it an essential part of the build.

4. Magic Scorpion Charm
Effect: Boosts magic damage at the cost of taking more damage.
 Given that Transient Moonlight deals 100% magic damage, this talisman synergizes perfectly with the build, further increasing your damage output.

5. BullGoat’s Talisman (Optional)
Effect: Increases poise, helping you avoid stagger.
 While not essential for boss fights, this talisman is useful when exploring the world and fighting smaller enemies that could interrupt your attacks.

6. Armor:
 For this build, it’s important to balancepoise andweight. You can either opt for a medium roll setup with decent poise or go for alight roll setup by sacrificing some poise for mobility.
 Consider wearing theOkina Mask (for its bonus to Dexterity) and pieces from theNox Set for aesthetics and decent poise. You can mix in other pieces to hit 51 poise if desired.

 Attributes

Here’s a recommended attribute distribution for the Moonveil Resurrected build:

Vigor (5560): You’ll want a solid health pool for survivability. Taking Vigor up to 60 is ideal for endgame content, but 55 can work if you’re focusing more on damage.
Mind (41): Since Transient Moonlight is an expensive skill (20 FP for the heavy attack), you’ll need a lot of FP to sustain your damage output. A higher Mind stat allows you to avoid relying too heavily on blue flasks in boss fights.
Endurance (25): Provides enough stamina to sustain multiple uses of your weapon skill and maintain a medium roll.
Strength (12): Just enough to meet the requirements of Moonveil.
Dexterity (18): Required to wield Moonveil. The Okina Mask provides a +3 boost to Dexterity, allowing you to meet the minimum requirements.
Intelligence (80+): The heart of the build. Maxing out Intelligence boosts the magic damage of Transient Moonlight and, by extension, your overall DPS.
Faith/Arcane: No points required in these stats.

 Playstyle and Strategy

The Moonveil Resurrected build is all about maintaining distance from your enemies and using Transient Moonlight to deal massive damage. Here are some tips to make the most out of this build:

1.Keep Your Distance: The beauty of Transient Moonlight is that it allows you to deal significant damage without getting up close. Use the vertical wave for single targets and the horizontal wave for crowds.
  
2.Charge When You Can: Ranni’s Cameo requires you to hold your stance for one second to trigger its effect. In boss fights, look for windows of opportunity to charge up for that sweet 45% damage boost.

3.Manage FP Efficiently: Transient Moonlight consumes a lot of FP, especially the heavy attack version. Make sure to carry enough blue flasks to sustain your damage throughout a fight.

4.Adapt to Boss Fights: Depending on the boss, you may want to swap out theBullGoat’s Talisman for something that boosts stamina recovery or increases your spellcasting speed. TheWinged Sword Insignia is another good option for bosses with high aggression.

 Conclusion

With the changes brought in Patch 1.14, Moonveil is no longer a mere stancebreaking weapon but a formidable damagedealing machine. TheMoonveil Resurrected build maximizes the weapon’s potential by focusing on Transient Moonlight’s ranged magic damage, allowing you to tear through bosses and enemies alike. By utilizing key talismans likeRanni’s Cameo,Shard of Alexander, and theMagic Scorpion Charm, you’ll be able to cheap Elden Ring Items deal devastating damage while keeping a safe distance from danger. Whether you’re revisiting Moonveil or trying it for the first time, this build is sure to impress.