There is no doubt that Elden Ring has busted into the gaming world with a bang. Receiving perfect scores from almost every credible gaming institution out there (331 GOTY awards as of 1/4/23 – an absolute record!), it was bound to snatch the OG Game of the Year Award for 2022.
And so it did, in 5 different categories, what placed ER on the to-play lists of many new players. Among them were skeptical veterans as well as indecisive rookies, who surely appreciate different ways of experiencing the game while carving that OP builds of theirs. Regardless of your own gaming prowess, you will find the freshest overview of the Elden Ring builds, as well as detailed guide to become a real Tarnished Badass.
Elden Ring Build Foundations
The embarrassment of riches associated with character development in ER is simply staggering, though the undeniable fact is that the first 20 levels are crucial to accomplishing your mission of shaping your build as perfectly as possible. Think about the starting class, what it can give you and what its drawbacks in reference to your playing style are. If Elden Ring is your first step into the TPP action RPG world, we recommend Vagabond, Samurai and Astrologer classes.
Always choose your main stats wisely when leveling up, although even if you have a change of heart as to your character class, there is a way to respec your warrior via a rebirth mechanism. So fear not, o mighty Tarnished!
Over one and a half year has passed since the game’s release and there’s been already quite a few trends and fads associated with Elden Ring builds. Hoarfrost Stomp faded into oblivion, Swarm of Flies is gaining momentum, and who knows what new possibilities will the next nerfing patch bring to the table. It’s always a double-edged sword. Along bug fixes there come balance adjustments. The end of something starts something else. We’ll expand on it later, though.
Factors to Consider for Building
We cannot stress enough how important it is to chose your character in accord with your play style. You should really look into getting some preliminary knowledge of what to consider BEFORE crafting your character. Damage type, equipment, affinities, buffs and debuffs – scrutinizing these may come in handy. Also, if you prefer the nerdy approach, there are build calculators on the internet, which grant detailed insight into the topic. Anyway, we may point out several key factors here.
First of, Stat points. Its pool is being granted each time your hero levels up at the Site of Grace. It is vital you distribute them as beneficially to your character class as possible. Knowing soft caps for each stat is as vital as equipping your character with the armor that enhances him/her best.
Weapons are also of utmost importance, as these are a sources of your survival in the game. From a simple wooden club, to powerful remembrance weapons, there are 308 arms in total, each of which possessing a stat requirement which has to be met to wield it correctly and effectively. It’s vital to remember about potential upgrades you may apply to your weapons in order to affect their structural strength, parrying coefficient, etc.
Another mighty factor is Great Runes. These are key artifacts which you find on bosses throughout the game. Each of them is different and so are character modifications caused by them. One important thing, you don’t just equip them, you have to activate them too. It is done by a consumable artifact called Rune Arc. Use it and bask in the glory of your freshly skyrocketed stats.
Recommended Elden Ring Builds
Colossal Knight Strength Build
Starting Class: Barbarian
Key Stats: Strangth 21 , Endurance 25, Vigor 25
Essential Items: Warcry Ash of War, Axe Talisman, Roar Medallion any great colossal weapon
We kick off our list of best Elden Ring builds with an early-to-mid game option for all fans of huge weapons and obliterating power. Its based on three stats: Strength, Endurance and Vigor, each of which provides your character with certain actions and abilities. Strength allows you to wield gargantuan swords and other blades of ultimate hack n’ slash, endurance is a source of stamina which comes in handy when swinging a second sword blow or making yourself scarce when there’s too much heat around. Thanks to Vigor you will have Rocky Marciano’s invincibility and be able to withstand violent scuffles.
As to tactics and battle techniques, the War Cry transforms your R2 attacks into charges, with their effectiveness spiked up even more by Axe Talisman and Roar Medallion. Not only charges as such will knock down and pancake your opponents in the process, but also disrupt their own attacks. Of course, it all depends on their poise.
As to means of recovery, a Great Turtle Talisman definitely comes in handy for Colossal Knight – the time of your stamina regeneration is sped up by 17%. Its alternative is Edrtree’s Favor Talisman. However, if you wish to boost up your total stamina – Viridan Amber medallion or Erdtree’s Favor talisman will do the job.
Glass Cannon Mage build
Starting Class: Astrologer
Key Stats: Intelligence 80, Dexterity 18, Strength 12
Essential Item: Moonveil Katana, Lusat’s Glintstone Staff, Cerulean Hidden Tear
Best Spells: Comet Azur, Terra Magicus
One of the most powerful builds in the game. Your spells obliterate and decimate, but there’s a catch – you are extremely fragile in close combat. So if you are dealing with a boss, comet-azuring his butt, and one of his lackeys comes forward and swings his blade at you, you will most definitely die. Yet, there are spells and talismans which prevent that.
To wreak havoc with your magic, you need the best staff possible. Glintstone Staff it is, and you may obtain it as a reward for killing Nox Swordstress and Nox Priest Boss. The Glintstone staff has a cool trait of powering up all sorceries, but there’s another catch – it burns additional FP. So acquiring Cerulean Amber Medallion, which ‘pumps’ it up, is a must.
For unexpected tête-à-tête showdowns, pick a Moonveil Katana. Magma Wyrm at the Gael Tunnel in Caelid has it on him. The Katana harmonizes handsomely with the intelligence stat which gives it extra damage enhancement.
Let’s talk magic. Comet Azur and Meteorite of Astel would be your go-to attack spells. Don’t forget to utilize the Flask of Wondrous Physick alongside the Cellurian Hidden Tear. The said two items allow you to extend any spell until your FP drops to zero, literally turning you into a lethal weapon. No one will ever jump you again.
Samurai Bleed Dex build
Starting Class: Samurai
Key Stats: Dexterity 55, Strength 40
Essential Items: Uchigatanas akimbo (with the Seppuku Ashes of War), Lord of Blood’s Exultation, White Mask, Rotten Winged Sword Insignia
If your middle name is “akimbo”, and you are a fan of swift attacks, full of neverending combinations, which turn your adversaries into bloodfalls, then the Samurai Bleed build will put a Cheshire’s Cat smile on your face. A real-deal healthbar drainer, the build causes enemies to fall like wooden houses during hurricane in the blink of an eye, however in order to do so, we must grab some handy stuff.
First of all, Uchigatanas akimbo. As a Samurai we start off with one already, so our main task is to put our hands on another one. This is when Deathtouched Catacombs in Limgrave enter the stage, for the only other Uchigatana in the game is in there. Then, it is advisable to ‘pimp’ them a bit with the Ash of War: Seppuku. It is precisely what adds the infamous blood loss to the attacks. Don’t forget to take the artifact to the blacksmith for a duplication, or you’ll end up having only one blood-soaked blade.
Now, as to other upgrades, Lord of Blood’s Exultation Talisman amplifies your attacks by 20% whenever your adversary has been slashed and inflicted with blood loss. The artifact which exerts the very same effect is White Mask. What’s more, when you finish Millicent’s quest line, you acquire the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia, which boost up power of your successive attacks. Very Handy for agile Samurai, indeed.
Spinning Reaper Bleed Build
Starting Class: Confessor or Vagabond
Key Stats: Strength 55; Dexterity 55
Essential Items: Grave Scythe, Spinning Weapon Ash of War, Rotten Winged Sword Insignia
Another Bleed build to your collection, this time it’s rather an unusual one, because it implements the spinning weapon art which is primarily defensive, but the guys from RageGamingVideos like to think outside the box. Pros? Lots of high-damage hits thanks to successive attacks, especially against slouchy enemies. Cons? Not particularly effective during PVP combat. The details beneath.
To buff up your spinning weapons, e.g. the Grave Scythe is a prime example, you need Spinning Weapon Ash of War. You may obtain one from Sorcerer Rogier who lounges in the Stormveil Castle. Also, Rotten Winged Sword Insignia, which has been mentioned with regard to the Samurai Bleed build, will do.
Another useful artifact, which further increases your attacks, is Thorny Crystal Tear. Just mix it in the Flask of Wondrous Physick, and your weapon is good to go. It stacks beautifully with Millicent Prosthesis, which makes Dexterity go up by 5 and… yes, consecutive attacks boost as well.
Damage-wise, you’re gonna have to expect to get yourself whacked rather substantially, especially when dealing with larger groups of quick foes. Therefore, you should equip yourself with artifacts, e.g. Crimson Seed or Blessed Dew Talisman, which replenish you HP (the former needs the Flask of Crimson Tears).
Scavenged Bleeder
Starting Class: Bandit or Vagabond
Key Stats: Arcane 80; Vigor 50; Dexterity 40
Essential Items: Dual Occult Scavenger Curved Sword, Claw Talisman, Millicent’s Prosthesis, Rotten Winged Sword Insignia, Lord of Blood’s Exaltation
A curious Bleed build, with Arcane on 80 to nicely scale up the blood loss build-up on your Occult Scavenger Curved Sword akimbo. Invest in Vigor and Dexterity to make that Bleeder move. Add a touch of Faith for all the necessary buffs.
Now, let’s consider artifacts. For starters, Millicent’s Prosthesis mentioned in the Spinning Reaper build will do well. This bleeder is also a jumper, so have the Claw Talisman equipped and don yourself in Raptor’s Black Feathers armor. He is also really fast, meaning Rotten Winged Sword Insignia will increase the damage output of lightning-fast consecutive attacks.
If that’s not enough, mix the Thorny Cracked Tear in the flask and your successive attacks will grow in ferocity even more. For dessert, get the Lord of Blood Exultation to further infuse acute anemia to your foes.
Black Flame Reaper Palladin
Starting Class: Confessor or Prophet
Key Stats: Faith 80; Vigor 50
Essential Items: Winged Scythe, Godslayer’s Seal, Carian Filigreed Crest, Ash of War: Black Flame Tornado, Black Flame, Two Fingers Heirloom
Been getting tired of the color red lately? Why don’t you build your character on black instead! Black Flame Reaper is a real rad lad. Not only does he swing around gigantic Winged Scythe with spectacular reach, which could be replaced with even more badass Godslayer Greatsword later on, but also casts black flame projectiles if he pleases to keep the enemies at bay.
Faith at 80 (Two Fingers Heirloom talisman helps reaching the said level by 5) and Vigor at 50 is how the Black Flame Reaper Palladin comes to life. With a little help from his artifacts, that is. Ash of War: Black Flame Tornado spikes up the scythe attack power, and the Carian Filigreed Crest lowers the FP points which reduces the cost of casting your pitch-black spells.
Magma Pyromancer
Starting Class: Prophet, Confessor or Vagabond
Key Stats: Faith 80, Mind 50, Vigor 50
Essential Items: Dual Giant’s Seal, Godfrey Icon, Ritual Sword Talisman, Dragon Crestshield Talisman
An NG build, Pyromancer skills truly live up to his name, as he exhibits a flaming affinity to fire. Make sure to have two Giant’s Seals, one for each hand. Also, a bunch of talismans are gonna help you boost your attacks: Godfrey Icon (charged spells go up by 20%) and Ritual Sword Talisman (the same effect as Godfrey Icon, but by 10% and you need max HP). As this build lacks in Endurance, and doesn’t like fancy armor, a Dragoncrest Shield Talisman would make up for it partially, as it reduces damage inflicted upon you by 20%.
Stat-wise, focus on Faith and Mind, as these are your main flywheel of casting spells. Get vigor up to 50 to avoid being a total wimp. And don’t worry about Burn O Flame spell being purely situational. Those fire columns it ignites work miracles on huge enemies like dragons.
One-strike Lightning
Starting Class: Prophet, Confessor or Vagabond
Key Stats: Faith 60; Intelligence: 80; Vigor 40
Essential Items: Ancient Dragon’s Lightning Strike, Gravel Stone Seal, Howl of Shabriri, Jellyfish Shield, Red-Feathered Branchsword, Golden Vow, Poison Pot, Black Dumpling helmet
This is not a joke. One-Strike Lightning build takes the meaning of the term “one-punch man” to another dimension. The ludicrous thing is that the regular, uncharged version of the Ancient Dragons’ Lightning Strike requires only 26 Faith points. So, to prepare the devastating, boss-annihilating attack, we need to implement the following procedure:
1.Equip the Black Dumpling helmet.
2.Cast Howl of Shabriri repeatedly until Madness kicks in and until HP is low (triggers Red-Feathered Branch Sword)
3.Switch to the Mushroom Crown helmet.
4.Cast Golden Vow.
5.Activate Contagious Fury from the Jellyfish Shield.
6.Trigger Poison on the character using the Poison Pot (activates Mushroom Crown buff).
7.Get rid of the Poison using boluses.
8.Enter the boss arena or fight and then cast Ancient Dragons’ Lightning Strike on the boss.
9.If they’re not dead, or they entered the second phase, then cast Ancient Dragon Lightning Strike again.
Satisfaction guaranteed! :]
Fire’s Deadly Sin Faith build
Starting Class: Prophet
Key Stats: Strength 30, Faith 80
Essential items: Fire’s Deadly Sin, Erdtree Greatshield, Old Lord’s Talisman
Here we have a former main contender for the Elden Ring’s Broken Builds Contest (the recent patch nerfed the notorious Death Blight effect). Fire’s Deadly Sin Faith build is another unorthodox loadout, as you don’t really need any weapons at all. How so? Allow us to elaborate.
All you need is a… shield. Not some rickety wooden buckler, but the Erdtree Greatshield, which you get after having ‘chopped down’ the Tree Sentinel Duo in Altus Plateau. It’s heavy as hell, but allows you to parry charms by intercepting them and then fire them back as Golden Retaliation projectiles. Moreover, the said projectiles could be activated on its own by the Fire’s Deadly Sin Incantation. The rapidity of GR projectiles fired in combination with FDSI resembles that of gun shooting. How convenient!
Old Lord’s Talisman extends the duration of the Fire’s Deadly Sin incantation by approx. 10 – 15 seconds. You may locate it in a chest in Crumbling Farum Azula.
As our main spell sucks out HP of the adversaries, and depletes our own’s too, we need an absolutely crucial artifact to mitigate the effect – Taker’s Cameo. It restores 3% 30 HP while defeating enemies. You are being awarded it by Tanith at Volcano Manor.
Moonveil Mage
Starting Class: Astrologer/Prisoner
Key Stats: Intelligence 80, Vigor 60, Mind 40
Essential Items: Moonveil Catana, Graven-Mass Talisman, Carian Filigreed Crest, Carian Greatsword
So, here we have a case of a mage who wished to be a samurai or a samurai who wished to be a mage. Either way, we end up with someone in between, bearing Moonveil Katana in the right hand and the Glintstone Staff in the left. As every self-respected mage, we keep more threatening enemies at distance, either by comet-azuring their sorry beings or hacking them with Carian Greatsword spell.
For wussies, we use the regular Glintstone Pebble. For mid-range and close combat, prepare yourself to overuse Transient Moonlight skill (patch 1.08 has recently modified its heavy attack variant).
Your mage side requires intelligence at 80 and Mind at 40. Also, Graven-Mass Talisman increases all sorceries potency by 8%. On the other hand, your Samurai side needs vigor at 60 and a touch of Dexterity, just to wield Katana properly.
General Stat Allocation Tips
We can’t stress how crucial it is to allocate your stat points wisely when leveling up at your Site of Grace. OK, but what does ‘crucial’ mean here? Crucial, in essence, means “know your soft caps”. A soft cap is a moment when investing another stat point into a certain stat starts giving diminishing returns. Which means it pays off more to invest your stat point in some other stat.
Each main stat has its soft cap, yet only Vigor, Mind and Endurance soft caps aren’t dependent on any weapon. The first one specifies the max HP, the second – Focus Points or the equivalent of Mana in other games, and the third one – Stamina, Robustness and Equip Load capacity. Generally, soft caps for each are as follows: 40/60, 50/60 and 15/30/50, respectively. Interestingly, Vigor scaling accelerates until it’s first soft cap at level 40.
Evolving Build Landscape
Updates often change the landscape of meta builds in Elden Ring. Some, like Sword Saint and its main weapon choice – Sacred Relic Sword, have been tampered with since the release of the patch 1.04 in April 2022. The truth is, OP builds are one of the main things that fuel patching, as they spoil fun by breaking the gameplay. However, balance restoration always breed new OPportunities ( 😉 ) for another ingenious character development. Imagination is the limit!
Speaking of, Elden Ring fans’ imaginations have recently been inflamed due to the rumors about the alleged Shadow of the Erdtree DLC presentation at The Game Awards this December. The other date which circles around social media is February 5, 2024. The one certain thing is that FromSoftware has players gotten used to DLCs which introduce new areas, items, enemies and more. Which means more possibilities for almighty OP builds! We simply can’t wait!
Conclusion
Doubtless, from early-game all-round beginnings (especially if you chose Wretch class), to high specialization of end-game badassery, Elden Ring builds surely encourage experimentation. There are literally zillions of ways to develop your character and each player will find its way to express their play style. The spectrum is very wide. Sophisticated bleed samurais, one-slash strength monsters, shield-wielding-only dodgers, ominous mages, and many more await to explore the Lands Between and unify the titular Elden Ring.
Last but not least, a huge shout-out to Fextralife, RageGamingVideos and Khraze Gaming for the incredible Elden Ring meta homework they did. Without their amazing resourcefulness, meta-building craftsmanship, and in-depth sources, it wouldn’t be possible to compose the following article. Cudos, guys! And may each one of you bear the Elden Ring with brilliance and glory.