Defeat Malenia On PS5 A Comprehensive Guide With Password 2323
Malenia, Blade of Miquella, is arguably the most challenging boss in Elden Ring. Her relentless attacks, ability to heal with each strike, and devastating Waterfowl Dance make her a formidable opponent. This comprehensive guide will provide you with the strategies, builds, and tactics you need to defeat Malenia on your PS5, even when playing solo. We'll also cover the popular password "2323" strategy for summoning help and explore various approaches to conquering this iconic boss.
Understanding Malenia's Fight: A Deep Dive
Before diving into specific strategies, it's crucial to understand Malenia's moveset and the mechanics of the fight. This understanding is the first step in your journey to defeat Malenia. Malenia has two distinct phases, each with its own unique challenges. Learning these phases is crucial to understanding her, this knowledge empowers you to develop your tactics and adapt to her attacks effectively. Recognizing the tells for each attack and the openings they create is the key to victory. This meticulous approach will significantly increase your chances of success against this formidable foe.
Phase 1: The Blade of Miquella
In this initial phase, Malenia is incredibly aggressive, constantly pressuring you with a flurry of attacks. Understanding her attack patterns is essential for survival. Many players consider this phase to be the most challenging due to her relentless aggression and unpredictable attacks. Her signature move, Waterfowl Dance, is a series of rapid slashes that can quickly deplete your health, making it crucial to recognize the wind-up animation and dodge effectively. Learning to avoid Waterfowl Dance is paramount to victory.
Malenia's other attacks include quick thrusts, sweeping strikes, and a delayed slash that can catch you off guard. She also has a perilous grab attack with considerable range, which can lead to a swift defeat if you are caught. Recognizing the visual cues for each of these attacks is essential for effective dodging and creating openings for counterattacks. Timing your dodges correctly is critical, as even a single mistimed roll can leave you vulnerable to a follow-up strike. Therefore, mastering the art of dodging is a key component of your strategy for victory.
Additionally, Malenia possesses a unique ability to heal herself with each hit she lands, making the fight a race against attrition. This healing mechanic adds another layer of complexity to the fight, as you must consistently deal damage to offset her healing and prevent her from prolonging the encounter. Strategies that focus on maximizing damage output and minimizing the number of hits she lands on you are crucial for success. This healing factor also means that simply chipping away at her health slowly is not a viable strategy; you must be aggressive and efficient in your attacks.
Phase 2: Malenia, Goddess of Rot
Upon reaching approximately half health, Malenia transitions into her second phase, transforming into the Goddess of Rot. This phase introduces new attacks and significantly increases the challenge. A large scarlet flower blooms around her as she ascends into the air, unleashing a devastating scarlet rot explosion upon landing. This explosion has a wide area of effect and inflicts the Scarlet Rot status ailment, which can quickly drain your health if not addressed. Therefore, it is essential to create distance and dodge the initial blast to avoid the Rot.
In this phase, Malenia retains all of her Phase 1 attacks but also gains several new abilities. She can now summon phantom clones that mimic her attacks, creating a chaotic and disorienting barrage. These clones inflict substantial damage and can be difficult to distinguish from the real Malenia, making it crucial to stay focused and anticipate their movements. Paying close attention to the subtle differences in animation and timing can help you identify the real Malenia and avoid the clones' attacks.
Malenia also gains the ability to inflict Scarlet Rot with her attacks, further increasing the pressure and the need for healing resources. The constant threat of Rot adds another layer of complexity to the fight, as you must balance your offensive and defensive strategies with the need to cure the ailment. Items like Preserving Boluses become essential in this phase, as they can cure Scarlet Rot and prevent its devastating effects. Managing your resources effectively and knowing when to use them is crucial for surviving this phase.
Understanding the transition and preparing for the initial Rot explosion is crucial for success in Phase 2. Staying calm and focused amidst the chaos is essential for reacting to her attacks and maintaining control of the fight. Learning the attack patterns of the clones and the timing of her new Rot-based moves will significantly increase your chances of victory in this challenging phase.
Builds and Strategies for Victory: Tailoring Your Approach
There's no one-size-fits-all strategy for defeating Malenia. Your build, playstyle, and weapon choices will significantly impact your success. Experimentation is key to finding the approach that works best for you. Different builds and strategies offer varying levels of effectiveness depending on your playstyle and preferences. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each approach will allow you to make informed decisions and adapt your tactics as needed.
The Power of Summons: Password "2323" and Beyond
Utilizing summons can significantly ease the burden of the fight, allowing you to share the aggro and create opportunities for attack. The password "2323" is a popular choice for summoning experienced players who are familiar with the fight. Summoning other players can provide a significant advantage, especially if they are using builds and strategies that complement your own.
However, relying solely on summons may not be the most satisfying way to defeat Malenia. Many players prefer the challenge of a solo fight, finding it to be a more rewarding experience. If you choose to summon, be sure to communicate with your co-op partners and coordinate your attacks to maximize your effectiveness. Remember that Malenia's health pool increases with each summon, so it's important to have a solid strategy in place to capitalize on the opportunities created by the extra players.
Beyond using the "2323" password, consider exploring other summoning options. The Elden Ring community is full of experienced players who are willing to help, and you may find success by using other passwords or simply leaving your summon sign near the boss fog. Experimenting with different summon combinations and strategies can provide valuable insights into Malenia's weaknesses and how to exploit them.
Melee Builds: Strength, Dexterity, and Endurance
Melee builds can be effective against Malenia, but require precise timing, dodging skills, and a high damage output. Strength builds often rely on heavy weapons and powerful weapon skills, while dexterity builds emphasize speed and agility. A balanced build that incorporates both strength and dexterity can also be effective, allowing you to wield a wider range of weapons and adapt to different situations.
For melee builds, weapons with bleed or frostbite buildup can be particularly effective against Malenia, as these status effects can significantly increase your damage output. The Rivers of Blood katana, for example, is a popular choice for its rapid bleed buildup and powerful weapon skill. Other weapons, such as the dual katanas or curved swords, can also be effective if used skillfully.
Endurance is also a crucial stat for melee builds, as it determines your stamina and equip load. Sufficient stamina is essential for dodging Malenia's attacks and maintaining your offensive pressure. A high equip load allows you to wear heavier armor, providing greater protection against her attacks. Finding the right balance between stamina, equip load, and damage output is crucial for success with a melee build.
Magic Builds: Faith, Intelligence, and Arcane
Magic builds offer a different approach to the fight, allowing you to attack from a distance and exploit Malenia's weaknesses to certain damage types. Faith builds often utilize incantations that deal fire or lightning damage, while intelligence builds focus on sorceries that deal magic or frost damage. Arcane builds can also be effective, utilizing a mix of spells and weapon skills that scale with the arcane stat.
For magic builds, it's important to choose spells that have a fast casting time and a high damage output. Spells that can stagger Malenia or knock her down can also be valuable, as they create openings for follow-up attacks. The Comet Azur sorcery, for example, is a popular choice for its massive damage potential, while the Black Flame incantation can inflict significant damage over time.
Managing your FP (Focus Points) is crucial for magic builds, as running out of FP can leave you vulnerable to Malenia's attacks. Conserving your FP and using it strategically is essential for maintaining your offensive pressure. Items like Cerulean Tears can help replenish your FP during the fight, allowing you to cast more spells and maintain your damage output.
Hybrid Builds: Blending Melee and Magic
Hybrid builds offer a versatile approach, allowing you to combine the strengths of both melee and magic combat. These builds often utilize weapons that scale with both strength and intelligence or dexterity and faith, allowing you to deal both physical and magical damage. Hybrid builds can be particularly effective against Malenia, as they allow you to adapt to different situations and exploit her weaknesses in various ways.
For hybrid builds, it's important to choose weapons and spells that complement each other. For example, a build that combines a strength weapon with fire incantations can be effective against enemies that are weak to fire damage. A build that combines a dexterity weapon with magic sorceries can be effective against enemies that are weak to magic damage. Experimenting with different weapon and spell combinations is key to finding the build that works best for you.
Hybrid builds often require a higher level of stat investment than pure melee or magic builds, as you need to allocate points to multiple stats. However, the versatility and adaptability of hybrid builds can make them a powerful choice for the Malenia fight. The ability to switch between melee and magic combat allows you to react to different situations and maintain your offensive pressure.
Mastering the Fight: Tactics and Techniques
Beyond your build, mastering specific tactics and techniques is crucial for victory. This involves understanding Malenia's attack patterns, learning to dodge effectively, and knowing when to attack and when to retreat. Timing is everything in this fight. Successfully defeating Malenia requires a deep understanding of her moveset and the mechanics of the battle.
Dodging Waterfowl Dance: The Ultimate Challenge
Waterfowl Dance is Malenia's most infamous attack, and mastering the dodge is essential for survival. The key is to recognize the wind-up animation and dodge into her during the first flurry, then away from her for the second and third. This requires precise timing and a good understanding of the attack's range and trajectory. Successfully dodging Waterfowl Dance is a significant accomplishment and a major step towards victory.
Many players struggle with dodging Waterfowl Dance because of its speed and unpredictability. However, with practice and patience, it is possible to consistently avoid this devastating attack. Watching videos of other players dodging Waterfowl Dance can provide valuable insights into the timing and positioning required. Experimenting with different dodge timings and directions can also help you find the approach that works best for you.
Punishing Openings: Seizing Your Opportunities
Malenia has a few openings after certain attacks, such as her thrusting attack and the end of her Waterfowl Dance. Learning to recognize these openings and punish them with quick attacks or spells is crucial for dealing damage. However, it's important to avoid being greedy and overextending your attacks, as Malenia can quickly punish your mistakes.
Timing your attacks carefully and only attacking when you have a clear opening is essential for maintaining your safety and maximizing your damage output. Learning to read Malenia's body language and anticipate her attacks will help you identify these opportunities and react quickly. Patience and discipline are key in this fight, as rushing your attacks can often lead to disaster.
Managing Scarlet Rot: A Constant Threat
Scarlet Rot can be a major problem, especially in Phase 2. Stock up on Preserving Boluses and use them proactively to cure the status effect. Additionally, certain talismans and armor pieces can increase your resistance to Scarlet Rot, making it easier to withstand her attacks. Managing Scarlet Rot effectively is crucial for surviving the fight, especially in the later stages.
The constant threat of Rot can be overwhelming, but with proper preparation and management, it is possible to mitigate its effects. Paying attention to the Rot buildup meter and using Preserving Boluses as needed will help you stay healthy and avoid the debilitating effects of the status ailment. Learning to recognize the attacks that inflict Rot and dodging them whenever possible will also reduce your reliance on Preserving Boluses and conserve your resources.
Final Thoughts: Persistence and Patience
Defeating Malenia is a true test of skill and perseverance. Don't be discouraged by early failures. Experiment with different builds, strategies, and tactics, and learn from your mistakes. With enough practice and determination, you will eventually emerge victorious. The feeling of accomplishment after finally defeating Malenia is incredibly rewarding, making the effort well worth it. Remember to be patient, persistent, and adaptable, and you will conquer this formidable challenge.