The Putrescence Cleaver is a unique greataxe that can be acquired after defeating the Putrescent Knight, an optional boss in Elden Ring’s DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree. This greataxe differs from other axes in the game, purely because of its unique curved design and the ability to inflict frost damage with each hit.
The Putrescence Cleaver’s curved blade is adorned with multiple skulls, with a hilt on both ends of the blade. The weapon also comes with a unique skill called the Spinning Guillotine that causes the Tarnished to leap at the enemy and bring the blade crashing down. If you’ve been thinking about using the Putrescence Cleaver as your main weapon, the following build guide should help you make the most out of it.
Putrescence Cleaver Acquisition, Stats & Overview
Defeating the Putrescent Knight in Shadow of the Erdtree rewards you with the
The Putrescence Cleaver primarily scales with Strength and Arcane, and the following is the complete stat and scaling of the weapon:
Stat |
Level |
Scaling |
---|---|---|
Strength |
28 |
D |
Dexterity |
10 |
E |
Arcane |
15 |
D |
The Putrescence Cleaver innately deals frost damage and cannot be buffed with magic. However, leveling up your Arcane will boost frost damage dealt by the weapon.
Recommended Character Stats For Putrescence Cleaver
Since the Putrescence Cleaver scales with Strength and Arcane, you should prioritize investing your runes in these stats to increase the damage output of the weapon. The following table provides a sample character attribute distribution for Tarnished at around level 165:
Attribute |
Level |
---|---|
Strength |
60 |
Mind |
30 |
Endurance |
30 |
Strength |
40 |
Dexterity |
20 |
Intelligence |
9 |
Faith |
25 |
Arcane |
30 |
This attribute distribution should enable you to take advantage of the Putrescence Cleaver’s weapon art, while also allowing you to cast a few incantations that offer various buffs.
Recommended Armor & Talismans For Putrescence Cleaver
If your character is above level 180, or you’ve chosen to invest runes in the Endurance stat, you could wear any armor set that offers decent physical damage negation and high poise. However, if you’re restricted by your current level, you cannot go wrong with
Along with the armor set, you could also consider choosing the following Talismans to increase the raw damage output of the Putrescence Cleaver, as well as deal extra damage when executing the weapon skill:
The above-listed selection of Talismans should give you the necessary edge when taking on challenging enemies. However, you can further improve the damage output of this build by incorporating various buffs via spells and consumables.
Putrescence Cleaver Complementary Spells & Consumables
If you really want to get everything out of this Putrescence Cleaver build, you could also consider incorporating the following two incantations to boost the weapon’s damage output and negate physical damage to self:
In addition to these two spells, you could also mix the Flask of Wondrous Physick with a selection of tears to enjoy various buffs for a limited period of time. However, if you’d like a selection that complements the Putrescence Cleaver, you cannot go wrong with the following two tears:
Thorny Cracked Tear : Increases attack power of consecutive attacks, with the effect lasting for 3 minutes. Stonebarb Cracked Tear : Allows you to break enemy stance easily, with the effect lasting for a short duration of 30 seconds.
With the spells and tears mixed, the next step is to prepare a buffing routine that you can easily follow before traversing the fog wall:
- Begin by casting the Golden Vow incantation.
- Follow it up with the Flame, Grant Me Strength incantation.
- Finally, consume the Flask of Wondrous Physick.
Last, but not the least, you could also consider popping a Rune Arc and activating
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Putrescence Cleaver Build Gameplay Strategy
This Putrescence Cleaver build is excellent for dishing out massive physical damage to enemies and even inflicting frost damage on them. However, this greataxe also comes with its downsides, particularly the slow attack speeds and the lack of hyper armor when executing the weapon art.
The Putrescence Cleaver’s weapon art can be extended to incorporate additional attack animations by either pressing the skill or heavy attack button right after the Tarnished completes the skill animation.
Since this weapon skill lacks hyper armor, it’s important to study enemy attack patterns and identify opportunities when you can safely punish them. Try using the weapon skill when the enemy is staggered to improve your chances of inflicting massive frost damage. The key is to build frost damage as quickly as possible, enabling you to exploit the enemy’s slowed state.