Mastering Elden Ring Builds: Optimize Your Character
September 27, 2024 12:45 pm
Elden Ring has taken the gaming world by storm, and it’s easy to see why. For Souls veterans, diving into this game and experimenting with various builds is a no-brainer. But for those new to the Souls-like genre, the high difficulty level can be pretty intimidating. With bosses that have unpredictable attack patterns, high damage, and a mix of fast and slow attacks, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.
Elden Ring offers ten distinct classes: Vagabond, Samurai, Prisoner, Warrior, Hero, Bandit, Prophet, Confessor, Astrologer, and Wretch. Among these, some builds stand out for their effectiveness and versatility. Let’s explore some of the best builds for different playstyles, and hopefully, make your journey through the Lands Between a bit smoother.
- Starting Class: Wretch
- Level: 135
- Stats: 40 Vigor, 40 Mind, 40 Endurance, 40 Strength, 40 Dexterity, 19 Faith, 15 Arcane
- Description: This build is perfect if you want to try out a variety of weapons and some status effect removal/healing incantations. With the Faith Talisman, you can also use advanced dragon breath attacks. If you redistribute 14 points from Faith and Arcane into Endurance, you can wear heavier armor but at the cost of intelligence. Going even lower on Faith and Arcane might mean changing your starting class.
- Starting Class: Vagabond
- Level: 135
- Stats: 40 Vigor, 40 Mind, 30 Endurance, 66 Strength, 13 Dexterity
- Description: This build, equipped with Dexterity Talismans, can wield most colossal weapons. Sacrificing Mind can allow for heavier armor or increased health, but considering how important weapon arts are in this game, it’s recommended to keep at least 20-30 Mind.
- Starting Class: Samurai
- Level: 135
- Stats: 40 Vigor, 40 Mind, 50 Dexterity
- Description: If you plan to use the Brass Shield regularly, allocate 31 points to Vigor and Endurance. Recommended distributions are 60 Vigor, 24 Endurance or 54 Vigor, 30 Endurance. For extreme Dexterity variants, 80 Dexterity with stats like 40 Vigor, 40 Mind, or 60 Vigor, 20 Mind, or 50 Vigor, 30 Endurance can be effective.
- Description: This variant focuses on dragon breath attacks. With 30 Faith and Arcane, you can allocate 20 points to Strength, allowing the use of larger weapons like greatswords. However, this will reduce dragon breath damage by 10%-30%, making it suitable for players who prefer melee combat with secondary dragon breath attacks.
- Stats: 80 Intelligence, 70 Dexterity, remaining points in Focus
- Description: Buff up with a bell and go all-in. If you fear dying, redistribute points from Dexterity to Vigor, aiming for 40 Vigor, 18 Dexterity, 16 Strength, and the rest in Focus.
- Stats: 50 Vigor, 22 Mind, 39 Endurance (with Old Man Head, Veteran Armor, Great Goat Gauntlets, and Great Goat Greaves for 105 poise), 20 Strength, 47 Dexterity (with Old Man Head +3)
- Main Hand: Keen Spear + Storm Foot
- Off Hand: Lightning Spear + Lightning Strike
- Talismans: Erdtree’s Favor +2, Great Goat Talisman, Lightning Scorpion Charm, Spear Talisman
- Description: This build is a variant of the bleed running poke Dexterity build. It excels in fast, agile combat with high damage output.
Elden Ring offers a ton of build options to suit various playstyles, whether you prefer the brute strength of colossal weapons, the swift strikes of dexterity builds, or the magical prowess of intelligence-focused characters. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each build can significantly enhance your gameplay experience. As you embark on your journey in the Lands Between, experiment with different builds to find the one that best suits your playstyle and conquer the challenges that await.
