Ensis Wanderer

The loadout

Main handMilady

Keen +25; 12 STR / 17 DEX. Requires Shadow of the Erdtree.

Shadow of the Erdtree

SkillWing Stance

DLC Ash of War for infusable light greatswords. Iron Whetblade enables Keen.

Shadow of the Erdtree

Successive attacksWinged Sword Insignia

Works with the multi-hit light stance follow-up.

Base game

Skill damageShard of Alexander

Base-game late reward; not mandatory.

Base game

RecoveryGreen Turtle Talisman

Base-game option; no DLC turtle talisman required.

Base game

DefenseDragoncrest Greatshield Talisman

Replace for an encounter’s dominant elemental damage if needed.

Base game

Build it through the run

1. 01

   Base game · before DLC

   Play Keen Uchigatana with Unsheathe and upgrade it while building Vigor. Defeat Starscourge Radahn and Mohg, Lord of Blood to access the expansion through Miquella’s cocoon. Milady is not available in an ordinary Limgrave start.

2. 02

   Early expansion · Gravesite Plain

   Collect accessible Scadutree Fragments and activate their blessing at a Site of Grace. Find Milady in Castle Ensis and Wing Stance in a separate tower accessed near Castle-Lord’s Chamber. You can use Milady’s default Impaling Thrust before obtaining the stance.

3. 03

   Established DLC · RL 150

   Use Keen affinity, Vigor 60 and Dexterity 80. Continue upgrading your Scadutree Blessing through exploration. Practice the neutral moveset before adding stance attacks against Rellana or Messmer. A base-game +25 weapon does not remove the expansion’s blessing progression.

Choose the branch that fits

Wing Stance’s light input produces multiple slashes; the heavy input is a leaping thrust. The light branch suits a long close-range recovery. The heavy branch reaches forward, so verify that the boss is finishing rather than beginning an attack.

Milady’s regular heavy attacks are worth learning. They give a pressure option without stance setup and can connect more than once. Do not label every airborne skill a jump attack: Claw Talisman does not automatically boost Wing Stance.

The expansion rule

Shadow of the Erdtree is required for both Milady and Wing Stance. The other published equipment is from the base game. Scadutree Blessing works in the Realm of Shadow and does not raise base-game damage when you travel back.

This edition covers the original base game and Shadow of the Erdtree. Patch 1.17 also introduces Tarnished Pack content; the builds here require none of that pack’s new classes or equipment.

Alternatives & adaptations

• Keep Keen Uchigatana as the fully base-game substitute; it fits the exact listed stats.
• For a safer learning run, use ordinary light and heavy attacks instead of holding Wing Stance in front of an active boss.
• Rellana’s Cameo is a possible DLC stance accessory, but holding a stance for its bonus adds risk. It is not required by this version.

Encounters to prepare for

These encounter notes explain useful tools and limits; they are not measured performance ratings.

Rellana, Twin Moon KnightShadow of the ErdtreeMessmer the ImpalerShadow of the ErdtreeMalenia, Blade of MiquellaBase game

Continue through the archive

ArmamentMiladyAsh of WarWing StanceField guideEntering the Realm of ShadowField guideRoll, recover, break stanceBossRellana, Twin Moon KnightBossMessmer the Impaler