Elden Ring continues to push the boundaries of player creativity, and the latest DLC has introduced weapons and abilities that allow for truly unique combat experiences. One such standout combination is the Mady paired with the Storm Stomp Ash of War. In this article, we'll break down the build, covering weapon choice, Elden Ring Items, stats, talismans, armor, combat strategy, and how to dominate invasions using this setup.

 

Weapon Choice: The Mady

 

The core of this build revolves around the Mady, a weapon celebrated for its fluid and fast attack animations. Every strike, whether light or heavy, flows naturally into the next, making it an ideal weapon for players who enjoy high-speed combat and sustained offense. Heavy attacks, in particular, deal significant poise damage, allowing you to stagger even the toughest foes.

 

However, the Mady has its limitations. Its lack of hyper armor means it struggles against large groups of enemies or when overwhelmed. This is where the Storm Stomp Ash of War comes into play. Storm Stomp allows you to trade effectively into enemies, giving a free heavy attack follow-up and synergizing beautifully with a multi-hit talisman setup. Essentially, it mitigates one of the weapon's weaknesses while amplifying its offensive potential.

 

Build Stats: Strength-Focused Aggression

 

This build primarily leans on strength, as the plan is to two-hand the Mady for maximum damage output. Two-handing the weapon unlocks the extra bonus from the Two-Handed Sword Talisman, which increases damage by 10%.

 

Here's a breakdown of the recommended stats for this setup:

 

 Primary Stat: Strength (maximized for heavy attacks)

 

 Secondary Stats: Minimal investment in Faith and Arcane for buff utility

 

 Weapons: Mady paired with Storm Stomp Ash of War

 

 Armor: Scaled Armor set with scaled gauntlets and greaves

 

 Accessory: Circuit of Light for a slight boost to Faith and Arcane

 

While armor choice is mostly cosmetic, opting for sets with poison resistance can improve survivability during invasions or multi-enemy encounters.

 

Talismans: Enhancing Offense and Survivability

 

Talismans are critical to optimizing this build. Here's the setup I recommend:

 

1.Rotten Wing Sword Insignia-Swapping this in place of Shard of Alexander boosts successive attacks, which aligns perfectly with the Mady's rapid strike rhythm.

 

2.Two-Handed Sword Talisman-Adds 10% extra damage when two-handing the weapon, maximizing heavy attack output.

 

3.Blowgo Talisman-Increases poise, helping to survive trades and continue your combo chains.

 

4.Optional: Milison Prosthesis-If weight allows, this can further boost offensive output, particularly in invasions or PvP skirmishes.

 

With this setup, you have a strong balance between offense, poise, and multi-hit synergy, making the Mady devastating in both PvE and PvP scenarios.

 

Armor and Fashion: Practical but Stylish

 

While fashion is a personal choice in Elden Ring, it's also worth considering the functional aspects of armor. For this build, I recommend:

 

 Scaled Armor Set-Solid balance between protection and mobility

 

 Scaled Gauntlets and Greaves-Maintain agility for rolling and quick follow-ups

 

 Circuit of Light-Slight stat bonuses to Faith and Arcane for buffs and incantations

 

Ultimately, your armor is flexible, but it's best to prioritize mobility and poison defense. Fast rolls and dodges are essential to capitalize on the Mady's attack flow.

 

Combat Strategy: Aggression and Precision

 

The Mady's strength lies in fast, consecutive attacks, and the Storm Stomp amplifies this by giving you guaranteed follow-ups in trades. Here's how to maximize effectiveness:

 

1.Trade Smartly: Against single enemies or predictable attacks, Storm Stomp allows a free heavy strike while punishing aggressive opponents.

 

2.Follow Up With Roll Catches: Use heavy attacks after a trade to catch rolling enemies. This works exceptionally well against evasive opponents in PvP invasions.

 

3.Stack Multi-Hit Talismans: Abilities like Rotten Wing Sword Insignia maximize damage for consecutive attacks, making sustained offensive pressure extremely potent.

 

4.Jump Heavy Tactics: The jump heavy attack closes distance rapidly and is effective against evasive or hyper-mobile foes.PvP Invasion Highlights

 

Using this setup in invasions reveals the Mady's versatility. Players face a variety of scenarios, from wizard-heavy encounters to dual-wielding katana foes. Here are some strategies and observations from actual PvP:

 

 Wizards: Storm Stomp allows you to trade into spells, follow up with heavy attacks, and reduce the risk from ranged attacks. Neutral jumping and spacing are key against spellcasters.

 

 Dual Katanas: Close the distance quickly and punish aggressive Bloodhound Step tactics with jump-heavy attacks and Storm Stomp trades.

 

 Big Hammer Users: Time your attacks carefully, using poise from talismans to survive potential crowd control or devastating swings. Patience is essential here.

 

 Multi-Enemy Teams: The Mady excels at focusing one target at a time, and Storm Stomp helps mitigate being overwhelmed by multiple players.

 

In invasions, you can maintain control by trading smartly, prioritizing targets, and maximizing consecutive attack damage. Observing enemy patterns and predicting dodges is crucial.

 

Buffs and Spell Synergy

 

While the Mady excels as a melee weapon, slight investments in buffs can further enhance its effectiveness:

 

 Damage Buffs: Use standard weapon buffs when facing stronger or multiple enemies.

 

 Poise Maintenance: The Blowgo talisman and strategic Storm Stomp trades allow you to maintain offensive momentum without being interrupted.

 

 Healing Management: Keeping a healing item ready, such as a Flask of Crimson Tears or physical potions, ensures you can maintain aggressive positioning without risking death.

 

In invasions with multiple participants, proper buff and heal management often determines the outcome more than raw damage numbers.

 

PvE Applications

 

Although the focus is PvP, this build is incredibly effective in PvE:

 

 Boss Encounters: High poise damage and fast attack sequences allow you to break boss stances and exploit openings.

 

 Crowd Control: Storm Stomp helps manage smaller mobs or adds in boss fights, creating space for heavy follow-ups.

 

 Mobility: The lightweight armor setup ensures dodges and jumps are unhindered, allowing for consistent positioning and evasive maneuvers.

 

The Mady's fluid animation set ensures that every strike counts, making it one of the more versatile weapons in the DLC arsenal.

 

Key PvP Moments and Techniques

 

Several advanced techniques make this build stand out in multiplayer:

 

 Roll Catching: After Storm Stomp or a heavy trade, anticipate enemy rolls to land a free follow-up attack.

 

 Jump-Heavy Punish: Closing distance on evasive targets is easier with the jump-heavy move, particularly against ranged or spell-based players.

 

 Trading Into Big Attacks: Strength and poise allow you to trade effectively against larger weapons, such as hammers or ultra-greatswords, and still maintain offensive momentum.

 

 Team Coordination: In multi-player invasions, prioritizing targets while using Storm Stomp to create openings makes solo players effective against groups.

 

Pros and Cons

 

Pros:

 Fast, fluid attack sequences

 Heavy attacks deal significant poise damage

 Storm Stomp enables follow-ups and crowd control

 Multi-hit talisman synergy maximizes consecutive damage

 Strong PvP and PvE versatility

 

Cons:

 Vulnerable to being outnumbered without careful trading

 Limited hyper armor reduces effectiveness against constant heavy attacks

 Requires precision timing in invasions

 Somewhat dependent on buffs and talisman synergy to maximize damage

 

Fashion and Personalization

 

One of the strengths of this build is that armor choice is flexible. You can prioritize poise and poison resistance while maintaining mobility, or you can customize your look for aesthetic appeal. The combination of scaled armor, gauntlets, and greaves works well, but lighter armor can be used for faster dodges, particularly in PvP.

 

Conclusion

 

The Mady with Storm Stomp Ash of War represents one of the most aggressive and dynamic builds in the new Elden Ring DLC. It blends speed, poise, and multi-hit synergy into a package that excels in both PvP invasions and PvE encounters. By combining strength-focused stats, the right talismans, and smart combat strategy, players can dominate enemies while enjoying one of the most fluid melee experiences the game offers.

 

Whether trading into spellcasters, punishing evasive dual katanas, or controlling multi-player invasion scenarios, this build allows players to maintain offensive pressure while minimizing risk. Its versatility makes it ideal for players who enjoy fast-paced, tactical combat with heavy follow-ups and multi-hit combos.

 

If you're looking to experiment with a high-aggression, high-reward build, more Elden Ring Runes, the Mady paired with Storm Stomp is an excellent choice. With proper stat allocation, talisman selection, and careful combat planning, you'll find yourself controlling the battlefield and leading every invasion with confidence.