LogFAQs > #964566009

Finally got around to beating Melania and yeah that was a big difficulty spike.

I'm INT/DEX with Moonveil and a Cold Uchi. Had to resort to getting Bloodhound Step for my Uchi and use that to increase my survivability for myself and my Mimic Tear. Could get through the first phase well enough. Although that generally relied on both myself and the Tear ripping into her ruthlessly before she could really fight back.

But the second phase just had too many 'one wrong move and your dead' moments for me to get there. I feel like if the Comet Azure Wondrous Physick trick currently worked (apparently it's glitched at the moment) I could have blasted her during that flower move thing and wouldn't have much left to go. But I just didn't have a good enough spell to take advantage of while she was in that state and it felt like a moment for INT builds to shine.

Spent over an hour on it. It did feel doable but it also felt like it wasn't really worth it to keep trying when nothing else in the game seems to be this extreme. So I took the general advice and went blood build with Rivers of Blood and yeah she's a chump for that build. Only took a couple of tries once I learned Corpse Piler (it's like the Paintbrush in Splatoon 2!)

Which makes it just an odd fight in general. There are always builds that make certain fights easier or tougher. My DEX/INT build is a pretty good all rounder in that regard since I'm decent up close and at range. But for Mel it just seemed a bit too reliant on having the right kind of build that reliably staggers her and damages her before she can pull out her big moves. The quicker that she can be dealt with the easier she is due to her life steal ability.

An odd fight in general really. I know the intention is to make an undefeatable swordsman but I don't think the right balance was quite there. There's too many one kit kill moves for a two phase fight and the life steal means you need characters that hit hard quickly.