Sword Dance |
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Quickly close in to perform a series of spinning upward slashes. Follow up with an additional input to finish with a downward slash.
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Sword Dance is a Skill in Elden Ring. Sword Dance is a regular skill that can be found in Ashes of War and applied to compatible weapons. Updated to Patch 1.07.
How to get Sword Dance
- Ash of War: Sword Dance - Dropped by a Teardrop Scarab along the path leading to the Road's End Catacombs below the Minor Erdtree in southwest Liurnia. Elden Ring Map Link.
Elden Ring Sword Dance Guide, Notes & Tips
- This is an Ash of War Skill, associated with the Ash of War: Sword Dance.
- FP Cost: 6 on use per input.
- This totals to a 12 FP cost.
- This Skill is not Chargeable
- Upon activation, the user will spin forward a moderate distance and hit twice.
- An aditional input from the Skill button will slam the armament to the ground, hitting again.
- An aditional input from the Skill button will slam the armament to the ground, hitting again.
- Distance covered is the same, regardless of weapon class.
- The speed of both inputs in relation to the attacks can vary. This is based on the weapon class of the armament in question that has the skill.
- "Small" armaments such as Daggers, Straight Swords, Curved Swords, Katanas, and Axes have overall fast speed on both inputs. There's almost no delay between the input and the attacks.
- "Large" armaments such as Greatswords, Twinblades, Greataxes, Spears, Halberds, and Scythes (Reapers) have a slight attack delay on the first input, and a longer, considerable delay on the second input.
- All instances of this Weapon Skill can be parried.
- If used without FP:
- Receives a damage penalty
- Reduces Stance damage dealt.
Note: This Skill was changed with Patch 1.07 as follows: The delay between the end of various actions was reduced (Actions such as using items or attack animations) and being able to perform the skill.
Trivia
- The attack speed based on the type of weapon is a behavior shared with the Weapon Skill, Double Slash.
- This Weapon Skill appeared first in Dark Souls 3, as a exclusive Weapon Art for the Follower Sabre.
- The name of the Weapon Art was Prying Wedge, and has exactly the same animation.
Builds with Sword Dance
AnonymousIt's surprisingly really good on lighter weapons for the low fp cost. The first input is the best, as it staggers Banished Knights and Black Knives, even the Castle Sol Knights or Black Knife Alecto. In addition, it moves you forward a decent amount so you don't have to be directly in front of them and risk getting instantly shanked.
- Anonymous
I've got this on a +25 blood grave scythe if all hits and follow up land it does silly damage to anything standing in front of me. It also works very well on the cross naginata and crescent moon great axe both do very nice damage with this AoW.
The difference in the speed it comes out on a greatsword and grave scythe isn't anywhere near as pronounced as double slash on a greatsword and katana.
- Anonymous
What armour set is the player doing the demo in the video clip using? I don't recognise that at all.
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
Okay, I have a hot take which I know some will dislike. This is just my personal preference and if it is not true for you, god speed.
For heavy weapons, more specifically, for great axe class, this weapon is a godsend and fulfills a need.
For something like the nagakiba though, I feel it sorta ruins the immersion of the game and turns it into God of War with how spammable it is in PVE due to the massive horizontal and vertical range, no wind up and cheap FP.
Unsheathe is almost always a stronger ash of war, yet it requires way more FP, spacing, positioning and has a *****y recovery time so it offers greater rewards but has a higher skill ceiling. Impaling Thrust is a mosnter to destroy stance but again, doesn't do as much damage and requires more wind up, peircing fang does one very specific thing of destroying shielded enemies with a high poise poke but again, has a ton of wind-up.
With the above example ashes, you generally want to mix in the R1s, R2s, jumping R2s of the nagakiba along with your L2s but your overall kit is amazing and diverse. With Sword Dance, you don't really care about awareness, positioning, timing and can just spam L2.
I think the best aspect of the souls games is that they make you fully immerse yourself and are mindful of your surroundings and enemy placement due to the preciseness of the combat. My gripe with this WA is not that it it is OP but rather that it enables a very mindless style of play compared to most other physical ashes of war.
- Anonymous
Comes out quick and does good damage in PvE, and with some decent stagger too. In PvP people don't usually fall for this, unless you try to roll catch them or bait them into it.
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
This is better than Double Slash for me. It doesn't overcommit and waste tons of stamina on pointless combos compared to Double Slash.
- Anonymous
Best melee weapon art to use against Malenia imo. Closes a LOT of distance quickly and staggers her, hitting her for a combined total of around 2000 damage (more if you use buffs). I was using a +25 Flame Art Uchigatana on my 60 faith character.
- Anonymous
Can confirm gives hyper armor, Mad Tongue will use this and he can't be staggered when using it. Unless the dev's just programmed Mad Tongue to have special rules.
- Anonymous
Might seem good but someone who knows what the are doing will just pivot to your left and backstab you.
- Anonymous
is this considered overpowered? i felt bad for using it a lot in pvp and felt that it made the fights easier
- Anonymous
The location description is misleading, which I think is the main confusion behind the scarab not being there. It is near the Erdtree on the map, but the scarab is along the path leading to the Road's End Catacombs below the tree.
- Anonymous
This is essentially whirlwind slash from Sekiro can really spice up the movesets of Greatswords
- Anonymous
‘’Follow up with an additional input to finish with a downward slash.‘’
Does this consume more FP beyond the initial 6, like the way Spinning Slash does?
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
Absolutely stupid in pvp, when used on a greatsword at least
- Anonymous
passed the scarab during my playthrough and triggered it to teleport but didnt kill it. came back later and it doesnt spawn and I dont have the aow
- Anonymous
sleeper OP ash of war for PVP. good burst damage and solid roll catching/ pressure when opponent backs off to heal. try it out :o
- Anonymous
Missed it in my first playtrough. Went there with my second char. The Scarb was not there. I have not been at the marked spot before. Dont know how to get it...
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
I never picked this up and went back to get after malekith but now the dung beetle isnt here
- Anonymous
When activated, Sword Dance acts as a mini-gap closer, causing you to slightly dash towards the target while unleashing two circular AoE spins in a broad arc. If you press the art-attack again near the end of the double-attack, you'll also unleash a downward smash to finish it off. The initial attacks have a pretty short windup, hit pretty damn hard, and deal good poise damage. I've been using it on a Lordsworn Longsword, and it can really pump out damage and poise-breaks despite being an early-game weapon. I can't speak for big beefy 2handers, but assuming the animation speeds are the same regardless of weapon size, then this Art would be beastly for full-on 2-handed bonker builds.
- Anonymous
Works on most greatswords and halberds. Highly recommend it. Great Omenkiller Cleaver if you want to use it on a greataxe, pretty good with the high stagger and fast attack animation
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
Liking this with a scimitar for the aesthetics. Avoid the temptation of double tapping for the third hit unless it’s a finisher as it interrupts your mobility.
I tried this on the Executioner's Greataxe and it's a beautiful cleaving machine.
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