Light Greatswords, a new weapon archetype in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree, are some of the neatest weapons the DLC has to offer. They’re fast, elegant, and have quite a bit of range. I love the move set as well, whether single or dual-wielded and thankfully, the Milady LIght Greatsword is one of the easiest weapons to get in the Realm of Shadow.
Where to Get the Milady Light Greatsword in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
The Milady Light Greatsword is available to grab almost as soon as you enter the Realm of Shadow. From the Gravesite Plain Site of Grace, head directly north and pick up the Three-Paths Cross Grace. From there, go northeast to Castle Ensis, head past the giant at its gates, but instead of going into the cave leading north, turn around and look at the small battlement to the south with the cliff on your right.
There will be a dog and a Messmer soldier coming down the stairs leading onto the battlement. Clear both and make your way onto the first platform, then climb up the ladder and open the treasure chest. The Milady is inside.
How to Find Leda’s Sword?
The only other Light Greatsword in the game (that I’ve found, anyway) is Leda’s Sword, which you can only get by getting the rest of Needle Knight Leda’s gear. Which you use is ultimately a matter of taste and build construction.
The Milday can take any of the Ashes of War available to most swords, plus a new one called Wing Stance made exclusively for Light Greatswords. And Milady doesn’t have any inherent elemental damage, meaning if you leave it without such, you can buff it with whatever status you like. Its damage also won’t be split, so enemy resistances to those won’t come into play.
By contrast, Leda’s Sword does Holy damage in addition to Physical, so its damage threshold is higher with buffs. However, a lot of PvE in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree is heavily resistant to Holy, meaning it can be a slightly less viable choice if all you want to do is fight enemies. The advantage Leda’s Sword brings to the table is actually more PvP-focused. Its Ash of War, Needle Piercer, creates ten golden needles above an enemy’s head. If even one lands a hit, every buff that the enemy has active will be dispelled.
Needle Piercer also has really solid damage output on top of its utility, but I have a hard time recommending you use it over Milady unless you also want to invest in Faith and Incantations. The sheer variety of ways to use Milady with different Ashes of War and infusions puts it a bit ahead, even if its raw damage is slightly lower.
Tips for Building Characters with Milady
Personally, if I’m using a Dexterity weapon, I’m either going to be using it Keen, Lightning, or Occult. Keen is a fantastic default if you plan to apply buffs of any kind, as adding any elemental damage immediately makes buffing a weapon impossible. Having easy access to Drawstring Grease items for even that little bit of extra DPS can be really handy, and if you want to specialize in Lightning spells, you can add Electrify Armament. With a high Faith and Dexterity score, you can easily take Milday’s Attack Rating (AR) into the thousands. That’s especially true in the DLC with Scadutree Fragment upgrades.
Both Cold and Lightning have their own set of uses. Lightning is the simpler of the two solutions. It provides a damage bonus over Keen that you can continue increasing with the Lightning-Cracked Tear in your Wondrous Physick, as well as upping overall damage with Golden Vow (which, past a certain level, you should always have handy). Lighting damage is also more effective in the rain, as you might expect, adding a bit of extra DPS, should you want it.
Cold affects enemies with Frostbite buildup. You will get a bit of split Magic damage, but nothing compared to infusing the weapon with Magic. The main problem with Frostbite is how long it takes to become active again. That said, the burst damage from a Frostbite activation can be the deciding factor between winning a fight against players or a boss or heading back to the Grace to rethink your strategy.
I’m currently testing a dual Light Greatsword setup, and like anything, it will take some getting used to. That said, I really like how the two weapons feel to use, and the whirly-bird feel of it is a new experience for me in Elden Ring.
For more on Shadow of the Erdtree and Elden Ring more generally, check out the Elden Ring guides hub, including an article on how to get the O Mother gesture.
