The Lands Between isn’t short on steel, yet few weapons feel as poised as Milady. This light greatsword blends the grace of a duelist’s blade with the reach and damage of a heavier class. It’s fast, flexible, and happy to switch personas with your chosen infusion and Ash of War. If you’ve seen clips of Wing Stance carving through bosses, chances are Milady was the star of the show.

This guide lays out everything you need: where to get Milady early, how its scaling works, the smartest builds and talismans, and practical tactics for PvE and PvP. We’ll also cover common mistakes and answer the most searched questions at the end. Keep it handy while you craft your next character.

Milady is a Light Greatsword from the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion. Think of it as a leaner greatsword with a nimble, duelist-forward moveset. You get respectable reach, strong charged attacks, fast recovery, and access to standout Ashes of War like Wing Stance and Cragblade. Because it accepts many infusions, you can tune it for Dexterity, a balanced Quality setup, or status builds.

*Numbers reflect patch-era values typical for Milady; minor differences can occur after balance updates. The approach below focuses on stable, repeatable setups that feel great in both PvE and PvP.

You can secure Milady soon after entering the DLC.

1. Ride to Castle Ensis. From the early Gravesite Plain sites of grace, head toward Ellac Greatbridge and cross into the Castle Front.

2. Reach the western entrance. From the bridge, move left along the entrance path.

3. Climb the rampart. Take the stairs up to the rampart, keeping an eye out for a Messmer Soldier and a guard dog along the way.

4. Find the tower ladder. At the end of the rampart, climb the ladder to the top of the watchtower.

5. Open the chest. Loot the chest at the tower’s peak to claim Milady.

Tip: If you’re under-leveled, sprint past the soldier and the dog. Grab the sword, then rest at a grace to reset.

Milady starts with D/D scaling in Strength and Dexterity and prefers a Dex-leaning Quality approach once upgraded. Because it’s infusible, you can push it toward Keen (Dex), Heavy (Str), Quality (Str/Dex), or status paths like Bleed and Frost. The tight weight (6.5) lets you keep a medium roll with decent armor and stamina investment.

Key takeaways:

• Dex-forward builds feel fantastic thanks to Milady’s quick light strings and strong charged heavies. Keen infusion raises Dex scaling and sharpened moveset payoffs.

• Quality builds (balanced STR/DEX) stretch the weapon’s damage across more stats, great for mixed talisman setups and flexible gear.

• Status builds work well because Milady’s animation cadence lands hits quickly. Bleed or Frost infusions, greases, and buffs can stack surprising pressure without sacrificing reach.

• Wing Stance is a defining pick: a stance that converts into a rapid three-swing chain (light) or a leaping thrust (heavy). It opens stance breaks and roll catches and pairs nicely with counter-hit talismans.

These blueprints aren’t rigid — they’re reliable starting points. Tweak for your armor, fashion, and comfort.

1) The Winged Duelist (DEX + Wing Stance)

• Infusion/AoW: Keen + Wing Stance

• Stats (approx.): 55 Vigor, 20 Mind, 30 Endurance, 16 Strength, 60 Dexterity, 9 Intelligence, 9 Faith, 7 Arcane

• Why it slaps: The light-greatsword moveset loves Dex. Wing Stance gives you a crisp L1/LB three-hit finisher (on controller) and a leaping heavy that bites into poise. Your recovery windows are short, so you can pressure, back off, then re-engage without getting stuck in long animations.

• Talismans:

  • Millicent’s Prosthesis or Rotten Winged Sword Insignia (successive hits)

  • Shard of Alexander (skill damage — Wing Stance gets a bump)

  • Claw Talisman (jump attacks) or Godfrey Icon (charged spells/skills; helps the heavy follow-up)

  • Erdtree’s Favor +2 (HP, stamina, equip load) if you need comfort

• Playstyle notes: Feint your stance to invite rolls, then track with the leaping heavy. Against big bosses, jump heavies and charge-swaps break posture fast. In PvP, don’t autopilot Wing Stance; mix timing to avoid parries.

2) Quality Smasher (STR/DEX Balanced)

• Infusion/AoW: Quality + Cragblade (or Wing Stance if you prefer)

• Stats (approx.): 55 Vigor, 18–20 Mind, 30 Endurance, 40 Strength, 40 Dexterity, 9 Intelligence, 9 Faith, 7 Arcane

• Why it works: You gain stable AR across the board and keep flexibility with armor and shields. Cragblade adds poise damage and a satisfying stagger cadence; if you swap to Wing Stance, you keep the class identity while holding Quality’s steady scaling.

• Talismans:

  • Great-Jar’s Arsenal or Erdtree’s Favor for comfort

  • Axe Talisman (charged attacks)

  • Bull-Goat’s Talisman if you want to face-tank through trades

  • Shard of Alexander (general skill damage)

• Playstyle notes: Use guard counters into the light string to punish aggressive mobs. Charged heavies paired with Cragblade shred posture. In tight spaces, the smaller hitbox vs. Colossal Swords means fewer wall bounces.

3) Cold Steel Control (FROST Utility)

• Infusion/AoW: Cold infusion + Wing Stance or Sword Dance

• Stats (approx.): 55 Vigor, 20 Mind, 30 Endurance, 18 Strength, 55 Dexterity, 9 Intelligence, 15–18 Faith (if you like utility buffs) or keep Faith low and rely on greases

• Why it works: Frostbite adds a burst of damage plus a temporary defense debuff on enemies. Milady’s quick swings help you reach the threshold. It’s great for mobs and bosses that don’t resist cold.

• Talismans:

  • Carian Filigreed Crest (if you’re leaning on skills)

  • Winged Sword Insignia family for multi-hit payoffs

  • Ritual Sword Talisman (full-HP opener burst)

• Playstyle notes: Open with Wing Stance light-chain to force frost buildup, then pivot to jump heavies while Frostbite is active.

4) Blood-Edge Pressure (BLEED Hybrid)

• Infusion/AoW: Bleed infusion + Wing Stance (or keep Standard/Keen and use consumables to add bleed buildup)

• Stats (approx.): 55 Vigor, 20 Mind, 30 Endurance, 16 Strength, 55–60 Dexterity, 9 Intelligence, 9 Faith, 20–25 Arcane

• Why it works: Successive hits from Wing Stance and Milady’s fast strings feed bleed procs. You don’t rely on single massive hits — you win through pressure and well-timed confirms.

• Talismans:

  • Lord of Blood’s Exultation (great with bleed pops)

  • Kindred of Rot’s Exultation if you’re also using rot setups

  • White Mask helm is an option for more bleed synergy

• Playstyle notes: Weave in neutral light attacks to set the meter, then cash out with Wing Stance light-chain. Swap greases to match boss resistances.

• Wing Stance: The headliner. Light follow-up is a rapid three-slash chain; heavy follow-up is a lunging thrust that catches rolls and punishes panic. It helps with posture breaks and keeps you on target.

• Cragblade: Adds poise damage and damage boost, perfect for stagger-hunting during boss windows.

• Impaling Thrust: Great for counter-hits and shield pokes; good reach and a strong, clean line.

• Sword Dance / Lion’s Claw: Both give burst windows; use them if you prefer front-loaded offense. Availability varies by infusion and class rules — if it doesn’t slot, try the alternatives above.

• Shard of Alexander: Broad boost to skills — Wing Stance and other Ashes feel noticeably stronger.

• Millicent’s Prosthesis / Rotten Winged Sword Insignia: Reward consistent pressure with higher damage.

• Claw Talisman: Jump attacks are already great on light greatswords; this pushes them further.

• Axe Talisman: Amplifies charged heavies, a core part of your stagger plan.

• Bull-Goat’s Talisman: If you prefer trading hits, the poise bump lets you finish strings under fire.

• Armor: Aim for medium load with poise breakpoints that fit your matchup. Lighter sets keep your roll snappy; heavier sets let you trade during Wing Stance sequences.

• Shields: A medium or greatshield pairs well with guard counters into Milady’s wide sweeps. The weapon’s guard-counter animation covers space and catches side-steps.

• Seals/Buffs: If your Faith is modest, consider Golden Vow or Flame, Grant Me Strength via mixed gear swaps or perfume bottles. Otherwise, rely on greases to match boss resistances.

• Trash & Mobs: Open with light strings to space and tag multiple targets. Guard counter into a quick light to clean up. Wing Stance’s light follow-up sweeps wide and finishes ranged pests that drift into your lane.

• Elites: Jump heavy into walk-back bait, then punish with a charged heavy. Cragblade amplifies stagger pressure — you’ll hear breaks sooner than you expect.

• Bosses: Identify combo gaps. Many bosses give a short window after big swipes; drop Wing Stance heavy or a charged heavy there. If posture is near breaking, be patient and land a clean jump heavy to secure the crit.

• Mix your stance timing. Don’t spam the Wing Stance heavy; it’s parryable. Vary light and heavy follow-ups to test reactions.

• Abuse tracking. The leaping heavy follows rolls well; angle slightly to catch outward dodges.

• Use short strings. One or two hits, pause, then finish. Overextending gets you punished by thrust parries and quick weapons.

• Watch hyper armor gaps. Light greatswords don’t have the same tankiness as colossals. Pick your trades.

• Materials: Standard Smithing Stones 1–8 in the usual 2/4/6 progression per tier, then Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone for +25.

• Order of operations: Get to +12 quickly; that’s where the weapon starts to sing. Push toward +18 before late-game DLC bosses. Use the Ancient Dragon upgrade when you’re happy with your infusion and build.

• Greases: Blood, Frost, Fire, and Magic greases are great flex picks. Swap based on the target’s resistances.

• Physick Mix:

  • Thorny Cracked Tear to boost successive hits

  • Stonebarb Cracked Tear for posture damage

  • Opaline Hardtear if you need a safety net

• Incantations: If you’ve specced a bit into Faith, Golden Vow and Flame, Grant Me Strength are timeless picks. Keep durations in mind and refresh during safe windows.

• Forcing Strength-only scaling. Milady can work with Strength, but it shines with Dex or a balanced Quality setup. Don’t fight the weapon’s nature.

• Overusing Wing Stance heavy. It hits hard, but good opponents will parry it. Mix your options.

• Ignoring equip load. The blade thrives on mobility. If your roll is sluggish, trim armor or swap a talisman.

• Skipping charged heavies. The animation is quick for its class and lands enormous stagger value. Use it.

• Grab Milady at Castle Ensis using the early route above.

• Level Vigor to 40–55 as you enter tougher zones; survivability makes learning boss moves safer.

• Pick your identity: Keen + Wing Stance (Dex), Quality + Cragblade, or status.

• Hunt smithing stones and move toward +12, then +18.

• Round out talismans to match your plan: successive-hits, jump heavies, or charged heavies.

• Animation cadence: Strings start fast and recover quickly. You’re rarely stuck over-committing.

• Reach vs. speed: You get mid-range threat without the sluggish windups of heavier swords.

• Build freedom: Infusions and Ashes provide a toolbox for nearly any style.

Milady lives in that sweet spot between style and substance. It rewards clean inputs, smart spacing, and light-footed aggression. Whether you’re running a crisp Dex build with Wing Stance or a sturdier Quality setup with Cragblade, this blade feels at home in any boss arena. Tune your talismans, keep your load light, and let the steel dance.