Shortly after launch, FromSoftware’s open world game manifested a curious dichotomy between those who believe Elden Ring to be its hardest title yet and others that posit the complete opposite. In the year since, the community has ostensibly settled on the idea that Elden Ring is as arduous as one makes it and everyone’s individual analysis is subjective. Another near-universal truth that has been agreed upon - Malenia is one of FromSoftware’s most formidable boss fights yet to be conjured by the Dark Souls developer. Even if players use Spirit Ashes, a single Waterfowl Dance can send them and their Mimic Tear back to the nearby Site of Grace, unquestionably the most devastating attack in Soulsborne history.
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But in Soulsborne tradition, some can bully even the most intimidating of foes, dissecting their movesets so completely that the dodge button becomes redundant. A Reddit post by BrownVented perfectly demonstrates how deceptively effortless this mastery can seem, spending an entire minute running and jumping around Malenia’s attacks, forced to roll away just once.
They develop a nearly-flawless system for running between the slashes of Malenia’s katana, applying the tried and true Soulsborne technique of sticking to the backside of enemies - a position from which FromSoftware’s bosses have traditionally struggled to respond.
Unsatisfied with their current streak of torment, they perform the Dozing Cross-Legged gesture which, thanks to Elden Ring’s excellent hitboxes, causes Malenia’s horizontal swings to pass overhead without injury to the player. It is not the first time that Elden Ring players have made a mockery of Malenia, as the Blade of Miquella has previously been defeated will only two hits, and even more methods of besting her are likely yet to be discovered.
Elden Ring is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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