An Elden Ring invader employed a stratagem designed to bewilder their opponent, appearing to change the Ash of War equipped on the main hand weapon during combat. Elden Ring has seen two consecutive updates ostensibly dedicated to reworking a staggering amount of PvP elements, offering players a variety of improved skills, sorceries, and incantations.
Elden Ring PvP is deceptively simple, providing a system that can prove difficult to master. Merely utilizing the same equipment that felled deities may not necessarily be sufficient to dominate the field against other players. Across FromSoftware titles, techniques have been discovered and developed upon in an attempt to provide an edge for knowledgeable players. One such ploy is known as Hard-Swap, which is the act of opening the equipment menu in order to change an equipped weapon in the middle of combat. Alternatively, Soft-Swap is when multiple weapons are equipped simultaneously, which would only require manipulation of the D-pad.
In a video uploaded to Reddit by Anonymous_Wabbit, a duel beside the Main Academy Gate Site of Grace commences with both combatants abiding by the expected etiquette of this PvP format. As the emotes conclude, the confrontation begins, and the host buffs their Dark Moon Greatsword. Equipped with the Banished Knight's Halberd, the invader casts Flaming Strike in what is seemingly a perfectly ordinary skirmish between two players. However, after dodging a frozen projectile emitted from the host's blade, the invader withdraws to safely open their inventory and swap to another Banished Knight's Halberd, but one with a Sacred infusion instead of Flame Art.
The Phantom Slash Ash of War soon enters the fray, but it is not until the invader equips yet another Sacred Banished Knight's Halberd, this time bearing the Storm Assault Ash of War, that the host appears visibly discombobulated and hesitant to attack. As if this was insufficient, a Soft-Swap is added into the mix, changing to the Gravel Stone Seal in order to cast Fortissax's Lightning Spear. As the host fails to avoid the electricity that speeds along the ground, a fourth Hard-Swap takes place, opting for an entirely different weapon class with a Sacred Claymore.
Piercing Fang is almost enough to take out the host, but one final alteration is required, and the new Sacred Claymore is not even used as the Lightning Ram, which spawned many Elden Ring character designs, brings the bemusing contest to an end. Comments assured the user that this technique was perfectly legitimate, but could be misinterpreted to be cheating by someone unfamiliar with what a Hard-Swap is.
Elden Ring is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.