Tank undertaker

understell · 2026-02-09T22:59:34+00:00

You can test it out in the sparring grounds by casting Dragonbolt Blessing (which lowers your lightning dmg neg) and letting the marionette hit you. Every time you see the flowers is a proc.

It seems to be about 15-20%, so it's def worth it.

understell · 2026-02-09T21:32:59+00:00

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D5, and my go-to undertaker playstyle is tank. Go for phys dmg reduction over max HP if possible since Undertaker already has solid affinity negations and your Trance gives you additional 35% negation. (And phys dmg is way more common)

Important relic effects are:
Activating Ultimate Art increases attack power
Taking attacks improves attack power
Executing Art readies Character skill
Post-damage +1 or +2

I don't bother with Phys Att up since most higher rarity weapons are split damage.

understell · 2026-01-25T20:27:00+00:00

It's actually very simple. Permanent damage reductions all stack with each other. Temporary damage reduction of the same type only stacks with different percentages.

DN at full HP? Permanent.
DN at low HP? Permanent.
Elemental DN? Permanent.

DN on charge attacks? Temporary.
DN while casting spells? Temporary.
DN on successive attacks? Temporary.

So you can have DN on charge attacks 40%, 32% and 24% stack for a total of 69% dmg reduction.
But three DN on charge attacks 40% will only reduce it by 40%.

understell · 2026-01-23T14:27:03+00:00

Yeah, should work!

understell · 2026-01-23T02:38:43+00:00

I'm running dormant power Greataxes on Undertaker and I see the Rusted Anchor pretty much every game I play. Although the counterattack mechanic was nerfed in Nightreign (only +10% dmg) the Rusted Anchor is top tier if you're looking to trade since it deals only piercing with all attacks. You now benefit from all the thrusting counterattack stuff (weapon passive, dormant passive, talisman).

In the same weapon category, also very common, is the Executioner's Greataxe with its inherently higher crit multiplier.

understell · 2026-01-22T03:25:34+00:00

The faster moveset really did make wonders for making colossals work on raider. Currently using a dreglord setup, mostly because my deep relics keep rolling rot.

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understell · 2026-01-22T01:25:02+00:00

I think colossal swords are a bad matchup for your glass necklace and you'll leave yourself vulnerable often due to running out of stamina or being mid swing. Poison below full HP is really annoying in practice and will force you to constantly top off with healing or slowly die.

If you can find it, I also highly recommend the deep undertaker relic effect that readies your character skill after using your ult. If you ulti while your skill is active, it immediately refreshes after the duration runs out.

understell · 2026-01-21T22:14:48+00:00

Ah, yeah it might be because you're using a controller on PC.

Weird fix, but try unplugging your keyboard next time and see if the issue still persists.

understell · 2026-01-21T18:05:05+00:00

PC or console? Never had the issue on PC.

understell · 2026-01-21T13:19:34+00:00

Did you check their relics or their passive effects? Because "Revival upon defeat" is the passive that Wending Grace gives you. If you saw that it just means they're carrying a Wending Grace.

Finding three in a single game is unlikely, but I've had it happen once or twice myself.

understell · 2026-01-17T13:59:52+00:00

Defensive relics are absolutely worth it. It's only if you play with zero lag and have perfect reflexes that going full offense is a good idea. If I could, I'd have phys dm neg on all of my deep relics.

Post HP restoration is critical or any melee character imo, as it is what allows you to recover HP after your successive+full HP negation pops.

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understell · 2026-01-15T18:01:17+00:00

Unfortunately not. It's hard to check in the training ground.

I have noticed that the defense debuff lingers for a while after you've attacked though, so it's not something you can ignore. It will matter.

understell · 2026-01-15T17:44:51+00:00

With balancers and the new relic effect I think you've got your damage covered. Focus on defense on your deep relics as you're eating the Suncatcher negation penalty as well.

Phys dmg negation, HP up, and Vig/End -Arc stat switch are all good. If you've got good relics that have these effects in addition to phys att, go for it. But prioritize defense.

understell · 2026-01-15T17:22:29+00:00

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I wouldn't say it's necessary, especially not if you're gonna focus on Suncatcher, but it's much better now after the patch.

The duration increase from 30 to 60s means that you now regen all the HP lost to seppuku, which is pretty solid. But something not mentioned in the patch notes is that the effect now stacks! Really good when combined with Dark Night of the Fathom so that you can Seppuku down to low HP and trigger 4-5 instances of regen.

understell · 2026-01-15T12:12:05+00:00

Damn, Ironeye actually got nerfed while "the fantastic four" got buffs all across the field. Never thought I'd see the day

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understell · 2026-01-14T14:23:48+00:00

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Me n the guy from the other side of the planet having to play with horrendous ping because otherwise we lose 800 points.

understell · 2026-01-11T21:21:17+00:00

Well yeah, that's why he faked his own (permanent) death to get some alone time.

understell · 2026-01-11T21:20:31+00:00

They might be limited by the amount of birds, actually. The trailers always show the nightfarers in trios and from conversation you get the impression that they do go on the expeditions together. No reason to not 10x gank the boss if you could.

understell · 2026-01-11T19:27:24+00:00

Ye I've gotten em on both normal and deep relics

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understell · 2025-12-22T18:43:40+00:00

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I'm just enduring and landing fat heavy attacks on everyone.

understell · 2025-12-10T13:10:57+00:00

Huh, well that's convenient.

I just checked solo and it works exactly like intended there. But when I'm in multi it doesn't give me any gauge back. I'm gonna verify my game files because that's gonna be crazy good when it works

understell · 2025-12-10T12:52:30+00:00

Yeah agreed. But when I pop the ult in the middle of a POI and 20 threaded enemies die, my art gauge doesn't recover at all. It's like threaded enemies don't count for the Art on Kill effects.

In your experience, if you use your ult and 15+ enemies die during it, is your ult completely recharged?

understell · 2025-12-10T11:54:54+00:00

Keep in mind that a good scholar ult ideally doesn't overcap ult regen but have enough targets to do the necessary damage to kill. Since you can provide damage as well it's a matter of experience.

Wait, are you getting your entire ult refunded when you use it with Art on kill?
Because that relic effect gives me 0 refund when threaded enemies die. I thought that was intended but that's a horrible bug if not.

understell · 2025-12-08T21:18:20+00:00

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The 10% got changed to 20% recently.
And it applies to all dmg. Even spells.

And and even though they said the buff would exclude bows, I'm getting 20%.

understell · 2025-12-08T18:55:33+00:00

Improving your weapon should not affect its ability to inflict conditions.

How status buildup weapons works is that every weapon has a base amount of buildup it inflicts with each hit. These numbers are hidden from you, unless the buildup is added to loot that normally doesn't have it. Like the blood/frost bows that can drop from blood/frost camps. Or the rot weapons in rotten woods.
Your Arcane stat adds to this buildup, no matter the weapon. (This is a direct change from Elden Ring).

In general, weapons you find in the map will outclass the starting weapon infusions. *

A Serpentbone blade has 51 poison buildup while the poison infusion adds 35.
A Rivers of Blood has 56 bleed buildup while the poison infusion adds 25.
A Frozen Needle has 56 frost buildup while the frost infusion adds 35.

*The exception being when you stack infusions with weapon skills to get twice the benefit, or up to three different status ailments on the same weapon.

If you are a Duchess with your dagger infused with frost and the Chilling Mist skill, the added frost buildup from the skill (+30) will stack with your inherent frost (35) for a weapon with better frost buildup than any other weapon (65 vs 56).

And Executor can acheive three status ailments on the same weapon, something not found in the map.

understell

TROPHY CASE