FlailChanged in 3 patchesVerified on build 25080141

Chainlink Flail

With its requirements met (Str 18 · Dex 12), Chainlink Flail reaches 362 attack rating at +25; the strongest affinity at those stats is Magic at 493.

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Drop: Mad Pumpkin Head (4%) · Altus Plateau (2), Liurnia of the Lakes, Limgrave

Attack rating (+25): 362
Scaling (+25): Str B · Dex E
Class: Flail
Weight: 8
Requires: Str 18 · Dex 12
Skill: Spinning Chain · FP 8 / 10
Passive: Causes blood loss buildup (50)
Upgrades with: Smithing Stones (+25), takes Ashes of War

Chainlink Flail, rendered from the game's 3D model — Rendered from the game's model

Attack rating by affinity 13

At Str 18 · Dex 12 · Int 10 · Fai 10 · Arc 10 (each stat at the weapon's requirement, 10 where it has none), one-handed.

Affinity	+0	Max	Damage at max	Scaling at max
Standard	135	362 +25	Physical 362	Str BDex EInt –Fai –Arc –
Heavy	132	366 +25	Physical 366	Str SDex –Int –Fai –Arc –
Keen	121	333 +25	Physical 333	Str EDex AInt –Fai –Arc –
Quality	122	333 +25	Physical 333	Str BDex BInt –Fai –Arc –
Fire	200	466 +25	Physical 227Fire 239	Str CDex EInt –Fai –Arc –
Flame Art	193	492 +25	Physical 231Fire 261	Str DDex EInt –Fai BArc –
Lightning	190	444 +25	Physical 220Lightning 224	Str EDex CInt –Fai –Arc –
Sacred	171	492 +25	Physical 231Holy 261	Str DDex EInt –Fai BArc –
Magic	171	493 +25	Physical 232Magic 261	Str DDex EInt BFai –Arc –
Cold	186	437 +25	Physical 262Magic 175	Str BDex EInt CFai –Arc –
Poison	112	330 +25	Physical 330	Str ADex EInt –Fai –Arc D
Blood	112	330 +25	Physical 330	Str ADex EInt –Fai –Arc D
Occult	114	325 +25	Physical 325	Str DDex EInt –Fai –Arc B

Try your own stats, two-handing and any upgrade in the AR calculator.

Attack rating by stat (Standard, +25)

Strength
Dexterity

Each line raises one stat from the requirement to 99 with the others held at the requirement; dashed lines are Strength's soft caps.

Show the numbers

Stat level	Strength	Dexterity
12	–	362
15	–	365
18	362	368
21	376	370
24	389	372
27	402	374
30	415	376
33	428	379
36	441	381
39	453	383
42	465	385
45	476	387
48	487	388
51	497	390
54	507	392
57	516	393
60	523	394
63	530	395
66	537	397
69	544	398
72	552	399
75	559	400
78	566	402
81	572	402
84	574	403
87	577	403
90	580	404
93	583	404
96	585	405
99	588	405

Stat	Soft caps	AR per point, by stretch	At 99
Strength	60, 80	18–60: +3.83 · 60–80: +2.4 · 80–99: +0.89	588 from 362
Dexterity	18, 60, 80	12–18: +1 · 18–60: +0.62 · 60–80: +0.4 · 80–99: +0.16	405 from 362

Soft caps are the breakpoints of the scaling curve the game assigns this weapon; past each one a point adds less (or, for some curves, more).

Attack rating by upgrade, by affinity

Standard
Magic
Flame Art
Sacred

At the weapon's requirements (Standard and the 3 strongest other affinities at those stats).

Show the numbers

Upgrade level	Standard	Magic	Flame Art	Sacred
0	135	171	193	171
1	144	184	204	183
2	152	196	215	195
3	161	208	228	208
4	169	220	239	220
5	178	233	251	232
6	187	246	263	245
7	195	259	274	258
8	204	272	286	271
9	213	285	298	284
10	222	298	311	297
11	231	311	322	310
12	240	323	335	322
13	249	336	346	335
14	258	349	359	348
15	267	362	370	361
16	277	375	383	374
17	286	388	396	388
18	295	401	407	401
19	305	413	420	414
20	314	427	432	428
21	324	440	444	440
22	333	453	456	453
23	343	466	468	466
24	352	479	480	479
25	362	493	492	492

Status buildup by upgrade

Cold · Frost
Poison · Poison
Blood · Blood loss
Occult · Blood loss

Per hit at Arcane 10. Affinities not shown keep the same buildup at every level.

Show the numbers

Upgrade level	Cold · Frost	Poison · Poison	Blood · Blood loss	Occult · Blood loss
0	66	66	57	46
1	67	67	58	46
2	69	68	59	46
3	70	69	60	46
4	72	70	61	46
5	73	71	62	46
6	75	73	63	46
7	77	75	64	46
8	78	76	65	46
9	80	77	66	46
10	81	78	67	46
11	83	80	69	46
12	85	81	70	46
13	86	82	71	46
14	88	83	72	46
15	89	84	73	47
16	91	86	74	47
17	92	87	75	47
18	94	88	76	47
19	96	89	77	47
20	97	90	78	47
21	99	91	79	47
22	100	93	80	47
23	102	94	81	47
24	104	95	82	47
25	105	96	83	47

#6 of 7 flail weapons by attack rating

Serpent Flail525 +10
Bastard's Stars522 +10
Golden Order Flail518 +10
Family Heads467 +10
Nightrider Flail385 +25
Chainlink Flail362 +25
Flail344 +25

Standard affinity at max upgrade, each weapon at its own requirements. A full bar is the class's strongest (Serpent Flail, 525).

Moveset from the game files

Damage with Standard +25 at the stats above, before the enemy's defense; two-handed moves include two-handing's Strength bonus. MV (motion value) is the hit's share of attack rating (100 = all of it).

One-handed15can't be parried

Move	MV	Damage	Stance	Stamina	1st hit
R1 1Strike	100	362	6	16.8	0.53 s
R1 2Strike	101	366	6	16.8	0.57 s
R1 3Strike	102	369	6	16.8	0.53 s
R1 4Strike	110	398	12	16.8	0.57 s
R2Strike	120	435	12	27.6	—
Charged R2Strike	165	598	36	45.6	2.03 s
R2 2Strike	120	435	12	27.6	—
Charged R2 2Strike	165	598	36	45.6	2.07 s
Running R1Strike	105	380	6	21.6	0.60 s
Running R2Strike	120	435	12	27.6	0.77 s
Rolling R1Strike	90	326	6	14.4	0.37 s
Backstep R1Strike	90	326	6	14.4	0.60 s
Jumping R1Strike	107	387	9	14.4	0.50 s
Jumping R2Strike	127	460	24	27.6	0.53 s
Guard counterStrike	125	453	36	27.6	0.67 s

Two-handed15can't be parried

Move	MV	Damage	Stance	Stamina	1st hit
R1 1Strike	103	415	7.8	21.6	0.53 s
R1 2Strike	104	419	7.8	21.6	0.53 s
R1 3Strike	105	423	7.8	21.6	0.53 s
R1 4Strike	113	455	15.6	21.6	0.53 s
R2Strike	125	503	13.2	33.6	—
Charged R2Strike	170	684	39.6	54	2.07 s
R2 2Strike	125	503	13.2	33.6	—
Charged R2 2Strike	170	684	39.6	54	2.03 s
Running R1Strike	110	443	7.8	25.2	0.60 s
Running R2Strike	125	503	13.2	33.6	0.77 s
Rolling R1Strike	95	382	7.8	18	0.40 s
Backstep R1Strike	95	382	7.8	18	0.60 s
Jumping R1Strike	112	451	9	16.8	0.50 s
Jumping R2Strike	132	531	26.4	33.6	0.53 s
Guard counterStrike	140	564	39.6	33.6	0.67 s

Criticals2

Move	MV	Damage	Stance	Stamina	1st hit
BackstabStrike · 2 hits	55 + 192	895	0	25.2	0.53 s
RiposteStrike · 2 hits	55 + 303	1,298	0	25.2	0.97 s

Skill: Spinning Chain3move names inferred

Move	MV	Damage	Stance	Stamina	1st hit
Skill (held)Strike · 3 hits	85 + 85 + 85	924	15.3	7.2	0.00 s
Skill → R1Strike · 2 hits	90 + 120	761	17.4	19.2	0.23 s
Skill → R2Strike · 2 hits	110 + 140	906	24	36	0.57 s

From the player's animation events, BehaviorParam_PC and AtkParam_Pc. First hit: seconds at normal speed from the start of the move's animation (uncharged R2s start from a released charge, so they show —). Criticals include the weapon's critical multiplier. * The elemental motion value differs from the physical one shown; the damage uses each.

By upgrade level (Standard)

Level	AR	Physical	Cost
+0	135	135	—
+1	144	144	Smithing Stone [1] × 2
+2	152	152	Smithing Stone [1] × 4
+3	161	161	Smithing Stone [1] × 6
+4	169	169	Smithing Stone [2] × 2
+5	178	178	Smithing Stone [2] × 4
+6	187	187	Smithing Stone [2] × 6
+7	195	195	Smithing Stone [3] × 2
+8	204	204	Smithing Stone [3] × 4
+9	213	213	Smithing Stone [3] × 6
+10	222	222	Smithing Stone [4] × 2
+11	231	231	Smithing Stone [4] × 4
+12	240	240	Smithing Stone [4] × 6
+13	249	249	Smithing Stone [5] × 2
+14	258	258	Smithing Stone [5] × 4
+15	267	267	Smithing Stone [5] × 6
+16	277	277	Smithing Stone [6] × 2
+17	286	286	Smithing Stone [6] × 4
+18	295	295	Smithing Stone [6] × 6
+19	305	305	Smithing Stone [7] × 2
+20	314	314	Smithing Stone [7] × 4
+21	324	324	Smithing Stone [7] × 6
+22	333	333	Smithing Stone [8] × 2
+23	343	343	Smithing Stone [8] × 4
+24	352	352	Smithing Stone [8] × 6
+25	362	362	Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone × 1

From +0 to +25: 12 Smithing Stone [1], 12 Smithing Stone [2], 12 Smithing Stone [3], 12 Smithing Stone [4], 12 Smithing Stone [5], 12 Smithing Stone [6], 12 Smithing Stone [7], 12 Smithing Stone [8], 1 Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone.

Where to find Chainlink Flail

Dropped by 4

Enemy	Where	Chance per kill	Kills for 90%
Mad Pumpkin HeadBoss	Limgrave · Fort Haight West	4%	57
Mad Pumpkin HeadBoss	Liurnia of the Lakes · The Four Belfries	4%	57
Mad Pumpkin HeadBoss	Altus Plateau · Shaded Castle Ramparts	4%	57
Mad Pumpkin HeadBoss	Altus Plateau · Road of Iniquity Side Path	4%	57

At Discovery 100. "Once" drops stop after the first (the game sets a flag).

Attack rating, patch by patch

At max upgrade, Standard affinity, every stat at 40: 456 in 1.02.1 → 478 in 1.17.1, changed by 1 patch.

1.09456 → 478 (+4.8%)

Rebuilt from the weapon's own patch history; upgrade and scaling-curve tables are taken as they are today.

Patch history 3

Every patch that changed its numbers, read from the game's balance file (regulation) of each version.

1.08from 1.07.1
Every changed value (1)
Value Before to After Change
Defence and poise 1
Poise ×0.018 ×0.052 +0.034+189%
1.09from 1.08.1
- Physical attack109→112Standard
- Strength scaling74→78Standard
- Physical attack104→107HeavyKeenQualityFireFlame ArtLightningSacredMagicColdPoisonBloodOccult
- Strength scaling67→70Heavy
- Strength scaling17→18KeenLightning
- Dexterity scaling48→50Keen
- Strength scaling59→61Quality
- Dexterity scaling59→61Quality
- Fire attack104→107FireFlame Art
- Strength scaling40→42Fire
- Dexterity scaling17→18Fire
- Strength scaling14→15Flame ArtSacred
- Faith scaling49→51Flame ArtSacred
- Lightning attack104→107Lightning
- Dexterity scaling40→42Lightning
- Holy attack104→107Sacred
- Magic attack104→107Magic
- Strength scaling22→23Magic
- Intelligence scaling47→50Magic
- Magic attack83→86Cold
- Strength scaling66→70Cold
- Intelligence scaling34→36Cold
- Strength scaling70→74PoisonBlood
- Strength scaling29→31Occult
- Arcane scaling73→77Occult
1.12.1from 1.10
Every changed value (1)
Value Before to After Change
Health, stamina and weight 1
Weapon Regain HP Amount 60 90 +30+50%

Value	Before	to	After	Change
Defence and poise 1
Poise	×0.018	→	×0.052	+0.034+189%

Value	Before	to	After	Change
Health, stamina and weight 1
Weapon Regain HP Amount	60	→	90	+30+50%

Other flails with similar AR

Overview

Class: Flail
Weight: 8
Requires: Str 18 · Dex 12
Affinities: Standard, Heavy, Keen, Quality, Fire, Flame Art, Lightning, Sacred, Magic, Cold, Poison, Blood, Occult
Game ID: 13040000