You can sneak kill first phase with poison mist. Just use crepus vial, concealing veil, assassin's gambit, unseen form and bait malenia turn her back by using spectral lance weapon art. For true metal gear experience.

If you plan to beat her fair and square consider using light armor load, wearing something like Marionette soldier chest, which is light and leans heavy on slash reduciton. The long roll will solve a lot of her combos. You can get reduction from better sources, like Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman gives flat 20% (it can replace a lot of endurance points) and Boiled crab also helps.

Did you guys know that Malenia is the Blade of Miquella, and that she has never known defeat?

people play this game with music? lol

There's not a single other boss in the entire Soulsborne series that makes you feel so unbelievably **** for missing a dodge. Receiving damage is one thing, but having your progress constantly undone because of healing on hit takes the challenge to next level. Gotta hand it to From though, in a game where you can cheese almost any boss in multiple ways, Malenia really requires you to re-think your tactics and learn her moveset regardless of your strategy. Not an absolute fan of her design but it's interesting nonetheless

just started playing and this boss is an absolute joke for game play how she is buffed. Not enjoyable thanks FS.

Blasphemous Blade + Bloodhound Claws.
Be adaptable, Blasphemous Blade for large openings and Takers Flame for the poise break, knock down, heal and heavy damage. Bloodhound Claws for BHS and hit and run tactics and to escape SA and Waterfowl.

You know what sucks? I want to do a bloodborne style run using her greatrune.
In a standard game, she's locked behind 3 of the 6 shardbearers.
Even using the Leyndell Elevator Skip, you still have to beat at least Morgott.

As a completionists , I explored as many dungeons/caves as possible ,looted every item and upgraded my weapon and mimic tear to the max ,cleared most major bosses she's probably my 4th boss from the last(only before Godfrey,Radagon and elden beast).
at level 160 I deal massive physical damage to her while using mimic tear as a distraction, my mimic tear just gave her non stop stagger and wipe the floor with her. At first I do felt like I cheated this fight , but she heals with each hit which feels like a chest too tbh, I crawled high and low throughout the lands between and worked my *** off for all my powers and recourses it's not like I got them for free, can't deny I do feel proud of my self that I beat her with wits and saves a lot of time ,which is the god damn point of all those time spent exploring the world.

With my current dex/arc build, I honestly had a far harder/frustrating time with Radagon than Malenia. Once you learn the right distance to run away/dodge the waterfowl attack, the rest of her moves are easy/basic and is just a dance between you too.

I used Morgott's cursed sword. Two clean weapon art hits staggers her in both phases and does a ton of bleed damage.

The combat information's tips and strategies for Malenia recommends anyone finding her exceptionally difficult should consider a respec so they can use ROB. But I've just noticed that Mohg's sacred spear and Morgott's cursed sword aren't mentioned at all as being viable or otherwise to use against her. I got the sacred spear and cursed sword from their respective remembrances but before I respec so I can use them in NG+ I'm hoping anyone who has used either weapon to beat Malenia or anyone who found them a bad choice for this fight will reply with their experience of using them against her.