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00:00:00 – 00:14:59
The video explores the peculiar design and handling of the dexterity (Dex) stat in "Elder Ring," highlighting discrepancies and player dissatisfaction. Dexterity, traditionally linked with agile, bleed, and poison builds, now overlaps confusingly with the arcane stat. The speaker discusses how many Dex-specific skills resemble caster abilities more than expected nimble mechanics, unlike past games like Dark Souls 3. Notable weapons like the Bloodhound's Fang and the Godskin Peeler don't fully embody the expected dexterous playstyle, often aligning more with strength or faith attributes. The narrative also points out that Dex does not enhance defense directly, unlike other stats, and its benefits are seen as supplementary. Additionally, the effectiveness of Dex in boosting casting speeds is questioned, as a specific Talisman surpasses it without cost. As the game progresses, Dex builds, initially effective, are overshadowed by strength builds with better weapons. Despite criticisms, the speaker acknowledges enjoying Dex as a stat and praises certain weapons like the Bloodhound's Fang for their reliability, albeit imperfectly balanced. The video concludes by encouraging viewer engagement and reflecting on past games where Dex was more appropriately integrated.
00:00:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses the peculiar design choices regarding the dexterity stat in “Elder Ring.” A poll revealed that players find arcane weirder than dexterity, but dex still garnered notable votes due to unmet expectations and its handling in the game. The speaker explains that dexterity, traditionally associated with bleed, poison builds, and agile, assassin-like mechanics, now overlaps with arcane, causing confusion. They note that dexterity’s specialized features, including lightning damage and weapon progression, feel mismatched. Examples include dex weapons like the Godskin Peeler and various Ashes of War that don’t fit the expected dexterous playstyle, instead favoring different attributes and styles of play.
00:03:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses the usage and thematic alignment of various armor sets and Ashes of War in a game, comparing them to the dexterity (Dex) stat. They argue that many Dex-focused skills feel more like caster abilities and lack thematic appropriateness compared to skills in previous games, like Dark Souls 3. The few exceptions that align well with Dex are mentioned, including The Bloodhound’s Fang and the Waterfowl Dance from Melania. The speaker also explains that Dex does not boost defense directly, unlike other stats such as strength, intelligence, faith, and arcane, which provide various resistances and defensive benefits. Instead, Dex’s benefits are supplementary and scattered. The segment concludes by suggesting that although Dex has some unique skills, these do not fully compensate for its lack of direct combat-boosting potential.
00:06:00
In this segment, the discussion centers around the role of dexterity (decks) in character builds, particularly its effects on casting speed and the effectiveness of caster builds. The narrator explains that dex scaling isn’t as impactful compared to a specific Talisman that boosts casting speed by 30 levels without any other costs. There’s a focus on how dexterity benefits certain spells and abilities but is inadequate for those with long animations. The segment also compares dexterity to other attributes, highlighting its benefits in Ashes of War and lightning damage, while pointing out the dissatisfaction from Faith players needing high dexterity for certain builds. Finally, it touches on the marginal performance improvements of bleed weapons like Rivers of Blood and Eleonora’s Poleblade for dexterity builds.
00:09:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses the effectiveness of various weapon builds and their progression in the game. Dexterity (Dex) builds, while initially effective with a weapon like Bloody Slash, become sub-optimal by mid-game compared to other builds. Instead, using heavy scaling weapons like the Bloodhound’s Claw infused with blood flame blade is suggested for better performance. The speaker mentions an AR calculator for viewers to verify these claims.
The progression for Dex builds is deemed “weird,” with few strong weapon options as the game progresses. However, the Bloodhound Fang is highlighted as a solid choice from early to late game. The speaker compares Dex progression to strength builds, which have more consistent and powerful weapon options as the game advances, such as the Claymore, Greatsword, and the Giant Crusher.
00:12:00
In this part of the video, the speaker addresses the balance and usefulness of different stats and weapons in the game. They discuss how Bloodhound’s Fang, despite being seen as a “noob weapon,” is often relied upon because there are few alternatives until the mid to late game. The speaker admits to criticizing Dexterity (Dex) throughout the video but acknowledges enjoying it as a stat, praising Bloodhound’s Fang as the best weapon despite its reliance on slow, heavy-hitting “ashes of war,” which seem more suited to strength or faith builds. They mention that certain Dex weapons, like the black knife, do not perform as expected because their key skill scales with faith instead. Comparing to previous games, the speaker argues that Dexterity was handled better in Dark Souls 3, where Dex weapons felt more appropriate and useful. The video concludes with a thank you to viewers and encourages likes, subscriptions, and feedback for the new channel.