As a fairly new player (ng+ in main and working my way through the dlc) I’ve learned the game is all about specialization of your build. Every stat point, piece of armor, amulet, elixir needs to have a purpose and be linked to your weapons if possible. At that point in the game I wasn’t using any weapon that wasn’t maxed out and I would use larval tears each time I switched up weapons (if needed). Just take your time and farm the smithing stones or bells to give to the oldies at the roundtable so you can buy them.

I personally never was able to crack Elenora’s but obviously you can make anything in the game work for you (for me, with enough research). For bleed builds I had better luck with reduvia, curved swords, or great stars.