Elden Ring: Putrescence Cleaver Build Guide in Shadow of the Erdtree

The Putrescence Cleaver is a standout greataxe in Elden Ring's DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree. This weapon is notable for its unique design and frost damage capabilities, making it a powerful choice for players seeking to deliver both heavy physical and elemental damage. Acquiring and optimizing this weapon requires careful planning.

Acquiring the Putrescence Cleaver

To obtain the Putrescence Cleaver, you must defeat the Putrescent Knight, an optional boss in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. After defeating this formidable foe, you'll receive the Remembrance of Putrescence. This item can be exchanged at the Roundtable Hold for either the Vortex of Putrescence spell or the Putrescence Cleaver greataxe. The Putrescent Knight can be found underneath the Stone Coffin Fissure in the southern region of the Cerulean Coast.

Putrescence Cleaver Stats and Scaling

The Putrescence Cleaver scales primarily with Strength and Arcane, with the following base stats:

    Strength: 28 (D scaling)

    Dexterity: 10 (E scaling)

    Arcane: 15 (D scaling)

This greataxe is distinctive not only for its physical damage but also for its innate frost damage, which cannot be enhanced with magic. However, investing Elden Ring Runes into Arcane will increase the frost damage dealt by the weapon, making it even more lethal.

Recommended Character Stats

To make the most out of the Putrescence Cleaver, you'll want to focus on boosting your Strength and Arcane stats. Here's a recommended attribute distribution for a character around level 165:

    Strength: 60

    Mind: 30

    Endurance: 30

    Dexterity: 20

    Intelligence: 9

    Faith: 25

    Arcane: 30

This setup allows you to maximize the damage output of the Putrescence Cleaver while also providing enough Mind and Endurance to support sustained combat and the use of certain buffs.

Armor and Talismans for the Build

Choosing the right armor and Elden Ring Items, such as Talismans, is crucial to optimizing the Putrescence Cleaver build. If you're at level 180 or higher and have invested Runes in Endurance, you can afford to wear heavy armor with high poise. However, if you're limited by your level, Blaidd's Set is an excellent choice, offering 60 poise while keeping you within a medium equipment load.

For Talismans, consider the following to enhance the Putrescence Cleaver's effectiveness:

    Rotten Winged Sword Insignia: Increases attack power with successive strikes, obtainable after completing Millicent's questline.

    Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman: Boosts physical damage negation by 20%, found in Miquella's Haligtree.

    Shard of Alexander: Greatly increases the attack power of weapon skills, acquired by completing Iron Fist Alexander's questline.

    Two-Handed Sword Talisman: Increases attack power when wielding the weapon with both hands, found in a treasure chest in Shadow of the Erdtree.

These Talismans will enhance your raw damage output and improve your chances of dealing massive damage when executing the Putrescence Cleaver's unique weapon skill.

Complementary Spells and Consumables

To further boost the Putrescence Cleaver's power, consider incorporating the following spells and consumables into your build:

    Flame, Grant Me Strength: This incantation increases physical and fire attack power by 20% for 30 seconds. It can be found behind Fort Gael in Caelid.

    Golden Vow: Increases physical damage by 15% and negates all damage types by 10% for 80 seconds. This incantation is located in the Corpse-Stench Shack on Mt. Gelmir.

In addition to these spells, mix the Flask of Wondrous Physick with the following tears:

    Thorny Cracked Tear: Boosts attack power of consecutive attacks for 3 minutes.

    Stonebarb Cracked Tear: Makes it easier to break enemy stances for 30 seconds.

Before engaging in combat, establish a buffing routine:

    Cast the Golden Vow incantation.

    Follow up with the Flame, Grant Me Strength incantation.

    Consume the Flask of Wondrous Physick.

Finally, consider using a Rune Arc to activate Godrick's Great Rune, granting you 5 additional levels across all stats, further enhancing the Putrescence Cleaver's damage.

Gameplay Strategy for the Putrescence Cleaver Build

This build is excellent for dealing significant physical and frost damage, but it comes with some drawbacks, such as slow attack speed and lack of hyper armor during the weapon skill. The Putrescence Cleaver's weapon skill, Spinning Guillotine, can be extended for additional attack animations by pressing the skill or heavy attack button after the initial animation.

Since this skill lacks hyper armor, timing is critical. Study enemy attack patterns to identify safe moments to use the weapon skill, ideally when the enemy is staggered. Building up frost damage quickly is key, as it allows you to exploit the enemy's slowed state, making them more vulnerable to your powerful attacks.

Conclusion

The Putrescence Cleaver build in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is a formidable choice for players who want to wield a unique, frost-infused greataxe. By investing in the right stats, equipping the optimal Elden Ring Items and Talismans, and mastering your buffing routine, you can maximize the potential of this powerful weapon. With careful planning and strategic use of Elden Ring Runes, this build can dominate even the toughest foes in the Lands Between.