Dark Moon Greatsword vs Moonlight Greatsword Which Wins?

The Darkmoon Greatsword is one of Elden Ring's strongest INT-scaling weapons when built correctly. Requires 16 STR / 11 DEX / 38 INT. Focus on high Intelligence (60–80), pair with Magic Scorpion Charm & Godfrey Icon, and chain charged attacks for burst damage. Charged projectiles with buffs deal tremendous poise damage and break most enemy stances.

Is the Darkmoon Greatsword Worth It?

Yes—it's S-tier in PvE when optimized, and solid in PvP for disciplined players. The catch: it demands stat investment and rewards skill. If you're building high Intelligence anyway, this weapon converts that investment into devastating melee + ranged hybrid damage. Most player debate centers on moveset limitation versus raw damage output—but numbers don't lie. Charged attacks with the right setup break poise, apply Frostbite, and delete health bars.

Forum consensus across GameFAQs and community hubs: "Stupidly strong if you build for it. People who Google 'best build' and dismiss it just don't know how to use it."

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Darkmoon Greatsword Stats & Scaling Explained

Let's cut through the numbers. Here's what you're actually holding:

Base Requirements:

• Strength: 16

• Dexterity: 11

• Intelligence: 38

Scaling Ratings:

• Strength: D (minimal bonus)

• Dexterity: D (minimal bonus)

• Intelligence: C (major damage source)

What this means: Your physical damage scales poorly off Strength and Dex. Your magic damage scales off Intelligence—this is where power lives. Unlike pure physical weapons, every point in INT you invest flows directly into both your blade damage and projectile damage.

Comparison: Darkmoon vs. Moonveil vs. Wing of Astel

The Real Difference: Darkmoon scales hardest with INT (C vs. Moonveil's E), making it the true INT specialist. Moonveil is faster but requires less Intelligence—trade raw power for speed. Wing of Astel offers mobility and varied attacks but lower overall damage scaling.

The Optimal Build: Stat Allocation Breakdown

Your stats determine everything. Here are three proven builds, from fresh-off-the-questline to endgame nuke.

Early-Game Starter Build (SL 100–120)

Vigor: 30    (survive medium attacks)

Mind: 20     (cast spells + weapon arts, ~200 FP)

Endurance: 20 (medium equipment load, light roll)

Strength: 16 (minimum requirement)

Dexterity: 11 (minimum requirement)

Intelligence: 60 (primary damage stat)

Faith: 9

Arcane: 9

Why this works: 60 INT gives solid magic scaling without over-investing. 30 Vigor keeps you alive against most enemies. 20 Mind is tight but functional for cycling spells and weapon arts.

Mid-Game Hybrid Build (SL 140–160)

Vigor: 40    (breakpoint for surviving heavy attacks)

Mind: 30     (~300 FP, room for spell spam)

Endurance: 25 (medium equip load, fast roll)

Strength: 16

Dexterity: 11

Intelligence: 70 (sweet spot for PvE damage)

Faith: 9

Arcane: 9

Why this works: 70 INT doubles your scaling efficiency vs. 60 INT. 40 Vigor is the PvE breakpoint—almost every boss hit won't one-shot you. 30 Mind lets you cast 3–4 sorceries between weapon art refreshes.

End-Game Power Build (SL 150–180)

Vigor: 50    (tank heavy attacks, one-shot immunity)

Mind: 40     (spam spells + weapon arts without worry)

Endurance: 30 (heavy armor options, medium roll)

Strength: 16

Dexterity: 11

Intelligence: 80 (maximum practical cap for this weapon)

Faith: 9

Arcane: 9

Why this works: 80 INT is the soft cap for magic scaling—diminishing returns kick in hard past this. 50 Vigor is the true PvE breakpoint for endgame bosses. 40 Mind gives you flexibility for mixed spell + melee combat.

Critical Breakpoints:

• Vigor 30: Survive light attacks

• Vigor 40: Survive medium attacks (game-changer)

• Vigor 50: Survive heavy attacks + multi-hit combos

• Intelligence 60: Viable damage

• Intelligence 80: Maximum practical investment (soft cap looms at 99)

• Mind 20: Minimum spell utility

• Mind 40: Comfortable spell spam

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Talismans & Buffs: The Secret to S-Tier Damage

This is where casual players lose to optimized builds. Talismans don't just add percentage points—they stack multiplicatively and unlock specific weapon interactions.

Core Talisman Setup

Your four slots should prioritize damage amplification in this order:

Slot 1: Magic Scorpion Charm

• Effect: +12% magic damage (multiplicative, not additive)

• Why it matters: Every point of your magic damage gets multiplied by 1.12. Stacks with everything.

• Risk: -10% physical defense (non-issue for INT builds with distance)

Slot 2: Godfrey Icon

• Effect: +15% stance damage (poise break multiplier)

• Why it matters: Your charged attacks already deal 35 stance damage. This bumps it to 40.25—enough to break most enemy poise in 1–2 hits instead of 3.

• Synergy: Charged R2 projectile = instant stance break on heavy bosses

Slot 3: Warrior Jar Shard

• Effect: +8% skill damage (weapon art boost)

• Why it matters: Your Moonlight Greatsword skill (the projectile itself) counts as a skill. This stacks on top of Magic Scorpion Charm.

• Math: 1.12 × 1.08 = 1.21x total skill damage

Slot 4: Ritual Pod Talisman

• Effect: Recover 0.5 FP per second while in combat

• Why it matters: Weapon arts cost 25 FP per charged attack. Ritual Pod recovers ~50 FP per minute—gives you one extra charged attack every 50 seconds. Game-changing for extended boss fights.

• Alternative: Shard of Alexander (+15% skill damage) if you want pure damage over regen

What NOT to Use

Axe Talisman: Does NOT work on projectiles. Wasted slot. Spiked Cracked Tear: Post-patch (v1.07), only works if your blade hits the enemy during charged attacks. Unreliable. Ritual Pots (consumables): Less efficient than equipment talismans—use your 4 slots wisely.

Talisman Stacking Order (Why It Matters)

Equip order in your slots doesn't matter mechanically, but conceptually:

• Damage multipliers first (Scorpion Charm applies base)

• Multiplier stacks second (Warrior Jar Shard multiplies the multiplied damage)

• Utility last (Ritual Pod for QoL)

Example calculation at 80 INT, +10 Darkmoon:

• Base magic damage: ~320

• With Magic Scorpion Charm: 320 × 1.12 = 358

• With Warrior Jar Shard: 358 × 1.08 = 387

• Final: 387 magic damage per hit

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Mastering Charged Attacks: Mechanics & Damage Theory

This is where the weapon's true power emerges. Most casual players use R1 and move on. Optimized players chain R2s.

How the Weapon Skill Works

When you press L2/LT, you activate Moonlight Greatsword (the skill). This:

• Applies a glowing buff to your blade (lasts 30 seconds or until you use R2)

• Increases magic damage scaling by ~25%

• Enables charged R2 to fire a projectile

R2 vs. R1: The Damage Math

• R1 (light attack): Standard greatsword slash. Scales off physical + magic damage. No projectile.

• R2 (heavy attack while buffed): Fires a glowing projectile. Does 22 stance damage uncharged, 35 stance damage charged.

Stance Damage: This is the hidden metric. Every enemy has a poise bar. Once it breaks, they fall into a riposte window. 35 stance damage from one charged R2 breaks most medium-sized bosses' poise in 1–2 hits.

Charged Attack Combo (Optimal Strategy)

• Activate skill (L2): +25% magic damage buff, 30 second window

• Charge R2: Hold heavy attack for ~1.5 seconds (you'll see the blade glow intensify)

• Release at melee range: Blade hits enemy + projectile fires. Both damage instances trigger.

• Result: ~387 magic damage from blade + ~180 from projectile = 567 damage in one attack

The Secret: With Magic Scorpion Charm, both the blade and projectile benefit from the +12% multiplier. You're essentially hitting twice—once with the melee swing, once with the blast.

FP Cost Breakdown

• Weapon skill activation: 15 FP

• Charged R2: 25 FP (per use)

• Total per combo: 40 FP

At 40 Mind, you regenerate ~100 FP during a 3-second charged attack animation. This means you can loop: charge → attack → regenerate → repeat. Ritual Pod Talisman makes this cycle nearly infinite.

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PvE vs. PvP: Where This Weapon Excels

PvE: Boss Destruction

Darkmoon is S-tier for bossing. Here's why:

• Poise breaks in 1–2 charged R2s. Most late-game bosses have 100–150 poise. Your buffed charged R2 does 40 stance damage, plus the projectile hits separately. You're forcing riposte windows every 6 seconds.

• Frostbite stacks fast. Enemies take 15% more damage while Frostbite is active. Stack it early, watch burst damage multiply.

• Safe range. Projectile keeps you 2–3 steps back while dealing full damage. Safer than pure melee.

Example: Maliketh, the Black Blade

• Activate skill → Charge R2 at mid-range

• Projectile hits for ~380, blade for ~387

• Maliketh's poise breaks → riposte

• Re-engage, repeat

• Total time: ~45 seconds with proper management

Bad matchups: Enemies that dodge well (Crucible Knight), very heavy armor bosses that are immune to frost (few), pure physical fighters that punish distance.

PvP: Niche but Effective

Darkmoon is viable but not meta. Here's the reality:

Pros:

• Projectile tracks at range (hard to escape)

• Charged attacks have hyper armor (you tank hits while charging)

• Poise damage forces openings

Cons:

• Slower than Moonveil (5 frames slower charged attack startup)

• Lag can miss projectiles

• Heavy equip load makes fast rolls harder

• Short range means you're vulnerable to faster katanas

PvP Strategy: Use as a mid-range punisher. Bait your opponent into attacking, tank with hyper armor, release charged R2 at point-blank. Projectile + blade combo deals 567 damage—most players can't tank it. Then back off and reset.

Best PvP opponents: Strength builds, UGS users (trades favorably), sorcerers (outrange them) Worst PvP opponents: Bleed builds (faster stagger), curved greatswords (same speed, better moveset)

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Best Paired Weapons & Spell Synergy

Off-Hand Weapon: Carian Regal Scepter

Why: C scaling in INT, highest spell-scaling option

• Cast glintstone spells (Comet Azur, Glintstone Cometshard, Pebble)

• Spell damage benefits from same INT investment

• Lets you switch between melee and magic ranges

Spell Synergy:

• Glintstone Pebble: Fastest cast, chain spam between weapon arts

• Glintstone Cometshard: Mid-range nuke, pairs with Darkmoon charged attacks for combo damage

• Comet Azur: Channeled spell, use during enemy staggers

Why this matters: High INT lets you run a pure magic + melee hybrid. You're not trading stats for spell viability—you're double-dipping on the same Intelligence investment.

Darkmoon Greatsword vs. Alternatives: Final Comparison

vs. Moonveil Katana

Darkmoon wins for: Poise damage, Frostbite application, raw damage scaling Moonveil wins for: Speed, ease of obtaining (drops earlier), PvP mobility

Verdict: Moonveil is the choice if you want quick damage and early access. Darkmoon is the choice if you want to maximize endgame boss damage.

vs. Wing of Astel

Darkmoon wins for: Stance break potential, scaling Wing of Astel wins for: Moveset variety, lighter weapon

Verdict: Wing of Astel is better for players who want mixed attack types. Darkmoon is better for focused, single-target poise pressure.

vs. Blasphemous Blade

Darkmoon wins for: Pure damage, Frost utility Blasphemous Blade wins for: Self-healing, hybrid scaling, tanky playstyles

Verdict: Blasphemous Blade is the choice if you need survivability. Darkmoon is the choice if you want to kill things faster than they can hurt you.

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How to Get the Darkmoon Greatsword: Ranni's Questline

You can't miss this if you're progressing naturally, but here's the shorthand:

• Defeat Radahn (Redmane Castle, Caelid) – unlocks meteor crash site

• Explore Nokron, Ainsel River – collect Fingerslayer Blade

• Complete Ranni's questline – meet her in Renna's Rise, follow through Liurnia

• Reach Cathedral of Manus Celes – final step after defeating Baleful Shadow

• Receive Darkmoon Greatsword – from Ranni below the cathedral

Timing: Realistically, level 80+ before starting the full questline. You'll encounter tough enemies and mini-bosses.

Lore note: This weapon ties directly to Ranni's Age of Stars ending. If you're pursuing her questline, this weapon becomes emotionally significant—it's not just a power-up, it's a story beat.

Frostbite vs. Frost vs. Bleed: Understanding Status Effects

Frostbite (Darkmoon's unique perk) is often misunderstood:

What Frostbite Does:

• Reduces enemy stamina recovery by 50%

• Increases damage taken by 15% for 60 seconds

• Applies once per frost buildup, then resets

When Frostbite Wins:

• Heavy bosses that rely on stamina (Maliketh, Radahn, Godrick)

• Multi-hit combos (Frostbite stagger prevents chains)

• Enemies weak to magic anyway (Godrick, Raya Lucaria knights)

When Bleed Wins:

• Fast, mobile bosses (Malenia, Placidusax)

• Bosses resistant to frost (rare, but some exist)

• PvP (bleed triggers hyper-armor break faster)

Honest Take: Frostbite is underrated. Most players default to Bleed because it's familiar. But in endgame PvE, Frostbite + poise break combo is deadlier than Bleed.

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Conclusion

The Darkmoon Greatsword is one of Elden Ring's best weapons when built for high Intelligence. Pair it with Magic Scorpion Charm and Godfrey Icon, master charged attacks, and you'll dominate PvE bosses while staying competitive in PvP.

FAQs

Is it still good after patch 1.07? 

Yes. The patch fixed blade detection during charged attacks—now the physical swing counts for talisman interactions. This actually buffed the weapon by ~5–8% damage.

Should I use this over Moonveil? 

For raw boss damage, Darkmoon. For PvP speed, Moonveil. For lore + power, Darkmoon.

What if I'm low on INT and can't hit 60+? 

Don't use this weapon. It requires INT investment to shine. Below 60 INT, Moonveil outperforms it.

Can I use this in invasions? 

Yes, it's excellent. Range keeps you safe from gank squads, poise break prevents coordinated attacks.

Does magic damage work on all enemies?

No. Godrick, Maliketh, and Raya Lucaria enemies are weak to magic. Placidusax and some red tree bosses resist it. Check enemy resistances before committing to pure magic builds.

How much Vigor do I really need?

40 minimum for PvE (endgame breakpoint). 50 if you're new to the game or doing NG+. Below 40, you'll get one-shot by late-game boss heavy attacks.

Can I two-hand this and skip the Strength requirement? 

Yes. Two-handing reduces Strength requirement by ~30%. But you still need ~12 Strength, and you lose spell casting from off-hand.