in Alden ringThe recently released Balance Patch 1.14 has shaken up the current PVP meta. As with any patch, it’s always good to review the most notable changes in order to assess the current PVP meta. With backhand blades dominating since the release of Shadow Of The Erdtree in June, Their damage is nerfed To bring them in line with other weapon options.
Dual-wielding spears have been a huge threat since the release of Alden ringHaving undergone many changes in the past. FromSoftware just nerfed the damage of dual-wielding spears Again, likely to combat against the new Bloodfiend’s Sacred Spear. However, the biggest changes patch 1.14 has provided include a massive buff to the effectiveness of medium/small shields, as well as a buff to an unsuspecting talisman.
General equipment changes
Device shields are viable now
Although patch 1.14 is given most of its attention due to the nerfs to Shadow Of The Erdtree’s final boss, It also included attack speed changes To several types of weapons by increasing the speed of various heavy attacks. The most notable examples for PVP include straight swords, great swords, colossal swords, katanas, great katanas, axes, hand-to-hand arts, and beast claws.
Colossal swords have also received an increase in their light attack speed. Considering they’ve fallen behind over time, these buffs could be just what Colossal Swords needs to climb back to the top of the meta. However, shield poking just got a lot easier.
The patch also added both the damage negation and guard boost of many small and medium shields in order to give them more practical use. This allowed the effectiveness of Medium Shields to skyrocket, providing an incredibly high guard boost while also using significantly less weight than a Greatshield. While Greatshields will still be better for general blocking purposes, as more attacks will bounce off of them than medium shields, Parry users have received a substantial buff to their defensive capabilities.
Rellana’s Cameo Buff
The best Ash of War is now 45% better
Relana’s Cameo Talisman received two substantial buffs with this patch, the first being a reduction in the delay before the buff activates while holding a stance. The second buff increased the damage of the buff, transforming 
Relana’s cameo
In one of the best talismans in the game. Given that Ashes of War stances are already quite strong, this buff provides a meaningful incentive to incorporate them into character builds.
Feel free to use other weapons that will benefit from Shard of Alexander during PVP play, as relying solely on Relana’s cameo can be dangerous.
You can see all the attitude Ash of war in Alden ring In the table below, along with a description of what they do:
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Ashes of war |
Ashes of War Description |
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This skill starts with a horizontal sword stance. Slash your way through enemy guards with a normal attack, or run and dash with a powerful attack. |
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Skill of Sword of the Land of Reeds. Sheet blade, holding it at the hip in a composed stance. Follow up with a normal or strong attack to perform a quick slash attack. |
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Calmly take a right-sided stance. Normal attack triggers a rapid three-slash combination. Strong attack triggers a jumping thrust. |
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A skill that starts with the blade held high in a ready stance. Perform a normal attack from this stance to step forward and slash down, or a powerful attack to unleash a series of downward slashes. |
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Sheet blade, holding it at the hip in a composed stance. Follow up with a normal or a strong attack to draw the blade at high speed for an instant slash attack. Both attacks fire off a wave of light. |
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Keep the sword level and prepare to cast a spell. Follow up with a normal attack to cast the Night Comet spell, or a powerful attack to sweep forward with a burst of flames. |
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Moon-and-Fire Stance |
Assume ready stance, swords imbued with magic. Follow up with a normal attack to cast Glintstone light waves, or a powerful attack to perform a spinning attack that bathes the area in flame. Light waves can have up to two follow-up casts with additional inputs. |
Square off
Uncreated
wing stance
Ashes of War: Overhead Stance
Transient Moonlight Skill
Night-and-Flame Stance skillOne of the main reasons for using stance Ashes of War was due to the hefty amount of poise damage they put out. Square off, one of the first Ash of War players will find (if not start with), deals 30 position damage. This means it can stagger most enemies and even some bosses in just two hits, and with the buff from Rellana’s Cameo, it benefits from a whopping 45% damage increase as opposed to 15% before the patch.
Combine this talisman with Alexander’s Shard for a staggering 67% damage increase on Ashes of War to kill enemy players in one to two hits.
PVP build recommendations
Lower equip load for more damage
With Ashes of War being so strong, it’s a no-brainer to include at least one weapon that uses the newly baffled Relana’s cameo. Use this talisman with not only these 
Shared by Alexander
But also with the Blue Dancer Charm can increase the total damage buff to 80% with an equipment load below 8.0, which is absolutely wild. For PVP, I’ve seen the most success with Square Off, Wing Stance, and Unsheathe.
Note that square off can be used with any infusible longsword with the 
Broadsword
Longswordand Lordsworn’s Longsword being the three best options.
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Stats: Level 150-200 |
Armaments |
incantations |
Talismans |
Wonderful physics |
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Golden Wow Flame, grant me strength to heal from afar any ranged incantations |
Rellana’s Cameo Shard of Alexander Blue Dancer Charm Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman |
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Although the setup is quite strong in all PVP activities, It finds its stride in invasion. The use of corners and doorways can lead to some hilarious one-shot moments, with an enemy rounding the corner and taking the full damage head on. This build is excellent at killing passive players, as many enemies will attempt to rush you after being attacked by ranged incantations. With the damage numbers as high as they are, I wouldn’t be surprised if this gets toned back at some point in the future, but for now, enjoy the current PVP sandbox in Alden ring.
Video Credit: ChaseTheBro/YouTube