Earlier today, FromSoftware released the patch notes for Elden Ring update 1.03, and many were shocked at the various nerfs included in the patch. Overall, it doesn’t seem the response has been negative, but a few things have seemingly been more balanced. In the case of the Mimic Tear nerf, many feel that it’s because there are so many summons in the game and feel that this may be steps toward encouraging the use of more summons.
Nonetheless, several popular Ashes of War and weapons in Elden Ring like the Sword of Night and Flame also took a hit. Each of these weapons, based on responses thus far, still seem like they hit pretty heavily, but it’s understandable to want to know the real number differences here. Thanks to Redditor RamsesMB, players can get a good feel for these various Elden Ring changes.
Using Elden Ring's Giant Sleeping Dragon as the test subject, RamsesMB posts before and after patch results of the Night and Flame Blade. The differences before are pretty steep. The L2 and R1 attack was able to deal 826 damage, while the L2 and R2 attack dealt 465 pre-patch. Now, after this Elden Ring nerf, it’s about 450/500 for the L2 and R1 attack, and 367 for the L2 and R2 attack.
Comparing Night and Flame Sword, Bloody Slash, Hoarfrost Stomp and Moonveil Katana After Newest Patch | 1.02 vs 1.03 from Eldenring
Many have believed that the Moonveil Katana, one of Elden Ring’s best katanas, was also nerfed, although it’s not mentioned in the patch notes, but RamsesMB’s testing determines that it was not. Meanwhile, the Bloody Slash is one of the most popular Ashes of War, and it received a small hit too.
The Bloody Slash animation is slower now, but its damage output seems higher and somewhat more consistent. While it’s a good balance, that animation change may be a real game-changer for certain Elden Ring Bleed builds. Like The Bloody Slash, the Hoarfrost Stomp—another popular Ash of War—is also slower and has been nerfed. The changes in cost for these are also a little different, but it’s hard to get a clear picture from this video. Overall, it definitely seems the Night and Flame Blade has taken the biggest hit so far.
It’s worth keeping in mind that a character’s level in Elden Ring, as well as their stats, will reflect in these numbers. Even if players aren’t getting the same exact results, RamsesMB’s testing method here seems to show how steeply things have changed or not, with reliable numbers. For those reliant on some of these weapons and abilities, it may be best to try to adjust to them before delving into the next Elden Ring boss.
Elden Ring is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.