Elden Ring DLC players mourn the loss of killer Perfume in latest patch

The latest Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree balance patch has nerfed one of its most busted weapons and players aren’t ready to say goodbye.

Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is one of the greatest challenges that FromSoftware has ever produced, perhaps a little too challenging for some. In the face of this unique brand of adversity, canny players will look for any possible advantage.

We’ve seen certain Sorceries shred through bosses, Duelling Shields trivialize encounters, and perhaps the most broken weapon of all, the Lightning Perfume Bottle. Unfortunately, good things are not made to last and the ability to mulch through Shadow of the Erdtree’s final boss in 13 seconds is one of them.

When FromSoftware revealed patch 1.12.3 for Elden Ring, players saw the words they had been dreading since the Lightning Perfume Bottle build first hit the mainstream: “Fixed a bug that caused the Rolling Sparks Skill to deal more damage than expected.”

For anyone who missed it, the Lightning Perfume Bottle is one of the new weapon types introduced in Shadow of the Erdtree. When paired with the Rolling Sparks Ash of War, it can deal insane damage and allow players to breeze through Elden Ring’s toughest encounters.

A trick where players aim the Ash of War at the ground causes a concentrated series of explosions that can delete even the Fire Giant in seconds. Or rather, it did before the latest patch and players are still coping with that loss.

“RIP my lightning bottle build. I have no chance now,” one Tarnished lamented. “This is why I hate it when people broadcast OP builds because now it’s been patched,” another replied.

Of course, it’s not just the Lightning Perfume Bottle that took a hit to its power. Changes to the Fire Knight’s Greatsword and the oppressive Quickslash Ash of War have also been introduced to bring some parity to Elden Ring’s post-Shadow of the Erdtree PVP.

Although, those changes have been more positively received than the loss of everyone’s favorite “eau de a**kick”.