So yesterday I finally got my hands on the Dark Moon Greatsword in Panda Studio’s latest update. Looked sick in the trailer, right? Big glowy blade, fancy moves – thought it’d be cheese mode. Boy, was I wrong at first.
My First Swing Was… Embarrassing
Equipped it on my main Strength build, charged in against that first big scorpion boss near the swamp. Held R2 like the tooltip said… charged up that moonlight slash… and totally whiffed. Boss sidestepped like it was nothing and one-shot me. Tried again. And again. Burnt through all my healing flasks without landing a single clean hit. Felt like swinging a tree trunk underwater. Slow as hell, leaves you wide open. Almost rage-quit and went back to my trusty axe. Seriously considered it.
Stubbornness Pays Off (Kinda)
Switched tactics. Told myself, “Okay, dummy, play like you have the slowest weapon ever.” Started doing nothing but running away. Literally. Just sprinting circles around the boss arena, waiting like a hawk. Watched its patterns. Saw that big tail slam move it loves? That became my cue. The moment it reared up for the slam, I’d start charging my R2. The slam happens, dust cloud everywhere… THEN I release the charged R2. Timing was everything. The moonlight wave shot out just as the boss finished recovering.
- Big Mistake First: Releasing too early? Wave flies under its belly.
- Big Mistake Second: Charging too late? Boss recovers and smacks you mid-charge. Hurts. A lot.
Took maybe ten tries just on the scorpion. Finally nailed the timing – saw that wave SLAM into its side. HUGE chunk of health gone. Felt good. Really good.
What Actually Works
Kept practicing against easier mobs. Learned this thing ain’t no spam weapon. Forget mashing buttons. Key things that clicked:
- Patience is Mandatory: You will get punished for rushing. Always wait for their big, slow moves.
- Distance is Your Friend: Forget trying to land the physical blade most of the time. The ranged wave is your bread and butter. That charged R2 wave? Holy smokes, it hits like a truck. Much safer than getting close.
- Upgrade Focus: Dumped all my upgrade mats into it immediately. Bigger upgrade level? Bigger wave damage. No brainer.
- Bait & Punish: Against bosses? Learn one specific attack you know you can consistently punish with the full charge. Ignore everything else. Just run/dodge until that move happens. Then BOOM. Wave to the face.
The “Aha!” Boss Moment
Faced that annoying lightning knight dude in the storm temple later. Guy is fast. Thought, “No way the greatsword works here.” But I stuck to the plan. Kept running. Watched. He has this lunging spear thrust that carries him really far. Long recovery animation. Started charging my R2 the instant he started winding up the thrust. By the time he finished the lunge and skidded to a stop, my wave was airborne. Smacked him hard. Rinse and repeat. Took a few tries to get the charge timing down for his specific windup, but it worked! Beat him using nothing but the greatsword’s wave attack, felt super dirty… but also awesome.
Verdict? Slow Motion Sniper Rifle.
Would I recommend it? Only if you hate playing fast. It’s clunky. It’s risky if you misjudge. Charging leaves you stupidly open. But man, landing that perfect charged wave on a big boss? Nothing beats that “OHHHHH!” feeling as their health evaporates. It turns boss fights into a slow, methodical dance of baiting and nuking from range. Definitely easier once you stop trying to use it like a regular sword and start treating it like a heavy artillery piece you need to aim very, very carefully. Don’t expect to faceroll, but expect to delete chunks of health bar when you nail it. Weirdly satisfying torture tool.