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Dryleaf Arts is a new weapon introduced inElden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. It lets you rapidly throw out punches and kicks that can be chained together into powerful combos. The weapon also comes with a unique Weapon Skill that lets you unleash a charged attack to throw enemies off their feet. Interestingly, it has next to no stats requirements, so you can experiment with it in different builds.
You can unlock the Dryleaf Arts weapon quite early in the DLC, but it requires a bit of legwork, especially if you have not cleared Castle Ensis.
How To Unlock Dryleaf Arts
You can unlock the Dryleaf Arts weapon bydefeating the NPC named Dryleaf Danefound at theMoorth Ruins in Scadu Altus, near the east of Castle Ensis. To access this area, you will need toclear Castle Ensis, which meansdefeating Rellana, Twin Moon Knight.
If you do not wish to deal with Rellana just yet, you can also reach the area viaSealed Spiritspringnext to Elder Hovel. Just ensure to unseal it by destroying a nearby rock formation. You can then use the Spiritspring to reach the ‘Behind the Fort of Reprimand’ Site of Grace and head north to get to the Moorth Ruins.
After you get to the Moorth Ruins, you willfind Dryleaf Dane next to the Miquella Cross. If you attempt to speak with him here, he will not respond unless you find theMonk’s Missiveand ‘May the Best Win’ gesture. In order to get these items,travel west to the ‘Highroad Cross’ Site of Grace. Here, you will find a note from Dryleaf Dane and the required gesture.
You will also be able tospeak with Hornsent and Needle Knight Ledaif you wish to pursue their questlines.
Return to Moorth Ruins anduse ‘May the Best Win’ in front of Dryleaf Dane. To use it, open the menu, go to gestures, swap an equipped one with ‘May the Best Win’, and hit confirm. This will starta short boss fight against Dane.
If you try to attack Dane without the gesture, he will disappear and respawn once you rest at the Site of Grace.
How To Defeat Dryleaf Dane
Since he mostly relies on hand-to-hand combat, you can easilyout-range him using Spears,Halberds,Greatswords, etc. His only ranged attack is a slow-moving projectile that is easy to dodge.
He is alsoweak against bleeding,so if you are using something likeEleonora’s Poleblade,Rivers of Blood,Reduvia, or any bleed-infused weapon, you should have no trouble with the fight. Also,he does not use any flasks, making it even easier.
If you are unable to beat him, you should be able to restart the fight as many times as you want.
When defeated, he willdrop the Dryleaf Arts weaponandDane Hatalong with a note telling you not to grow complacent.
Dryleaf Arts Overview
The Dryleaf Arts weapon has a measlyrequirement of eight Strength and Dexterity.
you may alsoupgrade it to +25 using Smithing Stones. Moreover, it can be infused to inflict ailments on hits like bleed, poison, and frostbite or tochange the stat scaling. For instance, it gets aB scaling in Strength and Dexterity with +25 Qualityor anA in Strength with +25 Heavyinfusion.
Its light attacks let you deliver punches that can be chained into a combo. The heavy attack, on the other hand, throws in kicks. We recommendusing the running heavy attack, since it has a decent reach and deals good damage. However, thetiming can be a little trickyagainst quicker foes.
Dryleaf Arts also comes with theWeapon Skill: Palm Blast, which lets you charge your fist for a devastating blow, but since it has a long charge-up time, it canleave you susceptible to attacks. When timed correctly, thePalm Blast can knock most enemies off their feet.
Lastly,it cannot be buffed using Greases, but you may swap out the Weapon Skill if you want.
How To Unlock Dane’s Footwork
Dane’s Footwork is another hand-to-hand art, but you cannot unlock it until the very end of Shadow of the Erdtree. It requires you to do theLeda questline until you arrive at Enir-Ilim.
During the fight with Needle Knight Leda, she willsummon Dryleaf Daneto join the fray. If you manage to defeat him during the fight, you will be rewarded withDane’s Footwork,Dryleaf Robe,Dryleaf Arm Wraps, andDryleaf Cuissardes, allowing you to cosplay Dryleaf Dane if you want.
Unlike the Dryleaf Arts weapon, Dane’s Footwork primarily focuses on kicks. Other than that, they are pretty much the same exceptthe Dryleaf Arts can be found way earliercompared to this.
