Curious about the ultimate Elden Ring builds? The early game, especially your first 20 levels, is crucial for shaping your character’s destiny. While it might be tempting to dabble in various stats, focusing on a dedicated build from the start often yields the best results, maximizing your damage potential for the challenging late game and the thrilling Shadow of the Erdtree expansion.
All the builds detailed here are perfectly suited for the expansion, meaning you won’t need to constantly swap out gear. And if you ever feel your current setup isn’t performing as it should, don’t worry! By acquiring a specific Great Rune, you can unlock the ability to respec your character and try something new.
The Shadow of the Erdtree DLC introduces its own unique leveling system. As you explore, you’ll uncover Scadutree Fragments and Revered Spirit Ashes. These vital items will empower your attacks, reduce incoming damage, and even strengthen your trusty steed, Torrent, and your summoned allies. Prioritize collecting them, as they are essential for overcoming the formidable foes you’ll encounter in the new areas!
Here are our top picks for the best Elden Ring builds:
- Maximum Faith Build
- Milady Bleed Build
- Poison Lizard Build
- Burning Black Blade Build
- Lightning Perfume Bottle Prophet Build
- Bleeding Thorns Mage Build
- Bloodfiend’s Arm Bleed Build
- Colossal Knight Strength Build
- Glass Cannon Mage Build
- Samurai Bleed Dex Build
- Ice and Lightning Samurai Build
- Spinning Reaper Bleed Build
- Blasphemous Blade Build
Once you’ve achieved the core stat requirements for your chosen build, allocate any remaining points into Vigor (soft cap at 60), Mind (soft cap at 55), and Endurance (soft cap at 32) to round out your character’s survivability and resource management.
Maximum Faith Build
Key Stats: Faith 99, Dexterity 99
Essential Items: Milady, Finger Seal, Rellana’s Cameo, Lord of Blood’s Exultation
After years of community experimentation, it’s rare to truly surprise fellow Tarnished during invasions. However, this unique build combines maxed-out Faith and Dexterity, granting access to powerful incantations that are seldom seen, making it perfect for catching opponents off guard.
This build offers flexibility, as it doesn’t demand highly specific weapons or armor. Any gear that scales well with your primary stats will serve you effectively. For instance, Leda’s Sword, with its Needle Piercer Ash of War, is excellent for debuffing enemies. Pair it with the Sacred Relic Sword and its Wave of Gold Ash of War to unleash devastating Holy damage upon groups of foes.
Talisman selection is crucial for this build. You’ll want the Flock’s Canvas Talisman, Godfrey Icon, and Faithful’s Canvas Talisman to significantly boost your incantation power, alongside Erdtree’s Favor to enhance your health and stamina reserves.
With this powerful setup, you’re ready to invade! Wave of Gold is incredibly effective for area-of-effect damage, and its infrequent use can cause hesitation in opponents. If your adversaries arrive with active buffs, swiftly switch to your other weapon and use Needle Piercer to neutralize their advantages. Utilize incantations like Giant Golden Arc and Elden Stars to engage from a distance, and if enemies close in, your buffed weapons will be more than capable of finishing them off.
Milady Bleed Build
Key Stats: Dexterity 60, Arcane 57
Essential Items: Milady, Finger Seal, Rellana’s Cameo, Lord of Blood’s Exultation
Extensive testing has revealed the Milady’s fantastic capabilities, making this Milady Bleed build practically unstoppable against most DLC bosses. Milady, a light greatsword, is a new addition from the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, found in a chest at the top of a watchtower in Castle Ensis.
You can maximize the weapon’s damage by changing its affinity to blood and by utilizing the Wing Stance Ash of War to increase your kill speed. The Shard of Alexander is a helpful talisman, improving your damage by 15%, while the Dragoncrest Greatshield talisman offers 25% physical damage negation to keep you alive. However, the true power comes from Rellana’s Cameo, which can boost Wing Stance attacks by up to 45%, and the ever-reliable Lord of Blood’s Exultation, which increases your damage whenever the bleed effect is triggered.
The beauty of this build lies in its flexibility, allowing you to opt for a melee-focused arrangement with the Rakshasa armor set and White Mask, or increase your tankiness with Rellana’s armor set, purchasable from Unia at the Roundtable Hold.
Poison Lizard Build
Key Stats: Dexterity 60, Arcane 50
Essential Items: Lizard Greatsword, Poison Flower Blooms Twice Ash of War, Poisoned Hand
This unique build leverages multiple poison-centric items from the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion. While its name might sound whimsical, its sheer strength is undeniable. The Lizard Greatsword boasts impressive range, and when combined with the Poison Flower Blooms Twice Ash of War, it delivers destructive bursts of poison damage and Scarlet Rot with follow-up strikes. This effect is significantly enhanced by the Poisoned Hand, which drastically increases poison buildup with each attack.
A great advantage of this build is the ease of acquiring most items. The Lizard Greatsword drops from imps in the Scorpion River Catacombs and Fog Rift Catacombs. The Ash of War is obtained by defeating a Teardrop Scarab located across the river south of the Ravine North Site of Grace. The Poisoned Hand can be found in the Belurat Tower Settlement sewers in Gravesite Plain.
To further boost your poison application, equip the Mushroom Crown, which raises your attack power when near enemies afflicted with poison (found on a corpse in the Lake of Rot). Millicent’s Prosthesis is also beneficial, increasing your Dexterity and enhancing damage with successive attacks – an item you’ve likely acquired by this stage in your journey. Likewise, the Two-Handed Sword Talisman improves your damage output by enhancing all attacks with two-handed weapons. Lastly, the Shard of Alexander significantly boosts your skill attack power, which you’ll frequently utilize. Complete your thematic look with the Omen armor set, found after defeating the Dung Eater at the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds.
Burning Black Blade Build
Key Stats: Faith 50, Strength 50, Endurance 28
Essential Items: Maliketh’s Black Blade, Black Knife, Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman, Ritual Sword Talisman, Two-Handed Sword Talisman
Shatter enemies and bosses alike with our Burning Black Blade build, which wields the colossal Maliketh’s Black Blade to devastating effect. This build’s power stems from the weapon’s unique Ash of War, Destined Death, which quickly removes 10% of your enemies’ health bar after a successful hit. You can amplify this further with the Black Knife’s Blade of Death weapon skill, extending the effect to 20% with just two swift attacks.
This is primarily an endgame build, ideal if you’re nearing the completion of your Elden Ring journey and seeking a potent setup for the DLC. Maliketh’s Black Blade is acquired late in the game, but once you possess it, its immense power becomes immediately apparent.
Your strategy is straightforward: activate both weapon arts as quickly as possible, then unleash Maliketh’s Black Blade to decimate your foes. This is one of Elden Ring’s strongest weapons, and when paired with the Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman, you’ll conquer any boss with confidence. You can obtain Maliketh’s Black Blade by trading the Remembrance of the Black Blade (from defeating Maliketh) with Enia at Roundtable Hold. The Black Knife is easier to find, dropping from Black Knife Assassin enemies in Sage’s Cave, Black Knife Catacombs, and Deathtouched Catacombs. For armor, any set providing enough poise to execute your weapon skills without interruption will suffice, allowing you to choose based on aesthetics.
Lightning Perfume Bottle Prophet Build
Key Stats: Faith 50, Dexterity 50, Vigor 50
Essential Items: Blasphemous Blade, Bloodsucking Cracked Tear, Ash of War Rolling Sparks, Perfumer’s Talisman, Shard of Alexander
Best Incantation: Knight’s Lightning Spear
While the Lightning Perfume Bottle build did receive a well-deserved nerf, our post-patch testing confirms it still packs a significant punch. Though you can no longer electrify bosses in mere seconds, the damage potential of the Lightning Perfume Bottle remains impressive. We still pair this weapon with the Ash of War: Rolling Sparks to imbue each attack with lightning explosions. Aiming directly at an enemy’s feet concentrates the burst damage, eliminating them in moments.
A key enhancement to this build is the addition of the Blasphemous Blade, offering a vital combat alternative. This weapon regenerates your health with every hit, a lifesaver during intense boss encounters. Refer to our dedicated Blasphemous Blade build later in this guide to locate this formidable sword.
The Lightning Perfume Bottle is easily found once you reach the Cerulean Coast Site of Grace. From there, head north to the body of water, continue straight until you hit a rock, then turn left to find the weapon. To acquire Rolling Sparks swiftly, travel to the Shadow Keep Main Gate, take the elevator down, and ride west towards the tallest rock. As you ascend, look up for a glowing scarab; defeat it before it vanishes to claim the Ash of War.
Further amplify your power by equipping the Perfumer’s Talisman, boosting Perfume attacks by 20%, and the Shard of Alexander, increasing skill damage by an additional 15%. Optimal play with this build is straightforward, but remember: your main weapon scales with Faith and Dexterity, hence the significant point allocation, and a robust Vigor stat is always a wise investment.
Bleeding Thorns Mage Build
Key Stats: Intelligence 50, Faith 50, Vigor 50
Essential Items: Albinauric Staff, Alberich’s Set, Opaline Hardtear, Magic-Shrouding Cracked Tear
Best Spell: Impenetrable Thorns
Can a single spell truly define an entire build? When it’s as devastating as Impenetrable Thorns, absolutely. This new spell unleashes three winding thorns that aggressively track and ensnare enemies. With enough hits, these thorns trigger a bleed effect, causing hemorrhage buildup that inflicts lethal damage on most foes. If cast at close range, the spell instantly erects a wall of thorns, trapping the enemy in place.
Even if this spell lost its hemorrhage or slowdown effect, its utility would still make it a worthwhile choice. Whether facing multiple targets or formidable bosses, Impenetrable Thorns effortlessly clears your path. While we’ve listed items to enhance your Thorn spells, this build is surprisingly effective with minimal gear, often only requiring a quick respec to meet the spell’s stat prerequisites. If you’re concerned about interruptions during the spell’s cast time, consider equipping the Opaline Hardtear and Magic-Shrouding Cracked Tear for a protective shield and boosted magic attack strength.
To truly optimize this build, seek out armor that amplifies thorn sorceries. Alberich’s Set can be found by traveling to the Fortified Manor’s Site of Grace and heading to the main hall. The Albinauric Staff, also crucial for this build, is located in Volcano Manor. From the Prison Town Church Site of Grace, exit the door and turn right. Traverse the rooftops to the left, navigate past enemies, and jump to the circular roof. Continue forward, drop to the platform below, cross the bridge, and take the ladder on the building’s right side. Drop to the platform directly ahead and pass through the left door to claim the staff.
Bloodfiend’s Arm Bleed Build
Key Stats: Arcane 50, Strength 60, Endurance 50
Essential Items: Rakshasa armor set, White Mask, Axe Talisman, Two-Handed Sword Talisman
There’s a certain thrill that comes with wielding a colossal weapon, making you feel truly unstoppable, and the Bloodfiend’s Arm, paired with the right build, transforms you into a destructive force. Despite a slight nerf in the same patch that impacted the Lightning Perfume Bottle, the Bloodfiend’s Arm remains capable of tearing through any enemy. To ensure optimal scaling with both Strength and Arcane, equip this weapon with the Ash of War: Endure (Blood affinity variation); Strength influences per-hit damage, while Arcane dictates bleed buildup on enemies.
You can acquire the Bloodfiend’s Arm early in the expansion. Travel to the Main Gate Cross Site of Grace, then head east and jump along the cliff edge, following the hollow gravestones until you reach an archway. Continue south to Prospect Town, then climb the broken tower to find several enemies. The Bloodfiend’s Arm is not a guaranteed drop, so you may need to revisit and defeat these enemies multiple times.
To easily buff your damage, wear the new Rakshasa set. For the helmet, the White Mask is indispensable, as it increases your damage whenever blood loss occurs in battle. Talismans can be swapped based on the boss, but we highly recommend the Axe and Two-Handed Sword Talismans to maximize your damage output.
You’ll occasionally take damage while swinging, but this shouldn’t be an issue with high Vigor. Crucially, pay close attention to your opponent’s multi-hitting attacks – taking too much damage during your attack animations can interrupt you. Once you’ve learned each boss’s attack patterns, you’ll swiftly crush everything in your path.
Colossal Knight Strength Build
Key Stats: Strength 21+, Endurance 25, Vigor 25
Essential Items: Warcry Ash of War, Axe Talisman, Roar Medallion, any great or colossal weapon
This powerful early-to-mid-game build is perfect for players who relish crushing foes with raw strength and massive swords. While it carries some risk due to lengthy windup times, every successful hit delivers immense damage, flattening enemies. If your first strike doesn’t finish the job, your substantial stamina reserves allow for quick follow-up swings. As you progress into the mid-game, you might find yourself needing more hits, but we offer additional guidance for that.
Strength is your primary stat, with the exact requirement depending on your chosen weapon. Endurance and Vigor are equally important; boosted equip load allows for heavy armor alongside your giant sword, while increased Endurance provides more stamina for chained attacks or tactical retreats. The extra Vigor is invaluable, as this build often involves trading heavy blows, especially against bosses.
You’ll need a large weapon capable of accepting weapon arts, paired with the Warcry Ashes of War. Any greatsword or colossal weapon will work. Warcry not only grants a damage buff but also transforms your R2 attack into a powerful charging overhead swing. This is crucial: by charging into enemies, you can often interrupt their attack patterns before delivering a crushing overhead blow. Depending on the foe’s poise, you’ll either knock them down or stagger them, creating an opening for a critical strike.
To truly make this build shine, equip essential talismans. The Axe Talisman boosts charge attack damage, and the Roar Medallion increases attack damage after using Warcry. Other talisman slots are more flexible; we suggest items that enhance total stamina (Viridian Amber Medallion) or stamina recovery (Erdtree’s Favor talisman), as this build consumes significant stamina.
Glass Cannon Mage Build
Key Stats: Intelligence 80, Dexterity 18, Strength 12
Essential Items: Moonveil Katana, Lusat’s Glintstone Staff, Cerulean Hidden Tear
Best Spells: Comet Azur, Terra Magicus
The Glass Cannon Mage unleashes more damage than virtually any other class in the game, though this comes at the cost of extreme fragility. A single unexpected attack from a random enemy during a boss fight can easily result in your demise. While not every encounter will be effortless, the ones that are will conclude in mere seconds.
This build becomes borderline broken once you acquire Comet Azur and the Cerulean Hidden Tear, enabling you to fire a continuous, destructive energy beam for ten full seconds. For guidance on where to find Comet Azur, refer to our comprehensive spell guide.
To obtain the Cerulean Hidden Tear, journey to Mt. Gelmir and defeat the Ulcerated Tree Spirit located near the Road of Iniquity Site of Grace. This crystal tear temporarily eliminates all FP consumption. When combined with potent spells like Comet Azur and Meteorite of Astel, you can unleash a relentless barrage of damage. Ensure you have powerful spirit ash summons equipped to divert enemy attention and guarantee your spells hit their mark.
For maximum spell damage, we recommend acquiring Lusat’s Glintstone Staff from Sellia, Town of Sorcery. This staff is rewarded after defeating the Nox Swordstress and Nox Priest boss. Its special effect enhances the power of all sorceries, though it does consume additional FP.
For your main hand weapon, the Moonveil Katana is an excellent choice. It delivers immense damage and scales perfectly with the Intelligence stat, further boosting its output. Challenge the Magma Wyrm at the Gael Tunnel in Caelid to obtain this powerful blade as a drop.
Samurai Bleed Dex Build
Key Stats: Dexterity 55, Strength 40
Essential Items: 2x Uchigatanas (with the Seppuku Ashes of War), Lord of Blood’s Exultation, White Mask, Rotten Winged Sword Insignia
The bleed effect offers some of the most enjoyable melee combat in Elden Ring. With just a few slashes, enemies rapidly lose significant portions of their health as their hemorrhage bar fills, inflicting damage proportional to their max health. A common misconception is that this build requires Arcane investment, but this stat does not scale with Seppuku, the primary Ash of War for the Blood Loss Samurai.
We opt for the Samurai class because it starts with one Uchigatana. The only other Uchigatana in the game is found in the Deathtouched Catacombs in Limgrave. To elevate these weapons, equip them with the Ash of War: Seppuku, which drastically increases attack power and adds blood loss to each strike.
Travel to the Freezing Lake in the Mountaintops of the Giants and locate the invisible scarab’s footsteps near a tree; defeat it to earn the Ash of War. Before applying it, duplicate the Ash of War at a Blacksmith to equip it on both katanas.
To further amplify this build’s damage, a powerful talisman is essential. Head to the Leyndell Catacombs and defeat Esgar, Priest of Blood, at the end. Esgar drops the Lord of Blood’s Exultation talisman, which boosts your attack power by 20% whenever a nearby player or enemy suffers blood loss. This buff is almost always active, as Seppuku triggers a temporary bleed effect upon use.
Another vital talisman is the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia, obtained after completing Millicent’s questline. This talisman increases your attack power with successive attacks, perfect for a dual Uchigatana build. Finally, the White Mask, found as a drop from an NPC invader near the Palace Approach Ledge-Road Site of Grace, works similarly to Lord of Blood’s Exultation, boosting your attack power when blood loss is detected nearby.
Ice and Lightning Samurai Build
Key Stats: Dexterity 65, Strength 30, Faith 25
Essential Items: 2x Dragonscale Blade, Borealis’s Mist, Shard of Alexander, Rotten Winged Sword Insignia
You know a build is exceptional when it hinges on an item obtainable only once per playthrough. This specialized Samurai build centers around the Dragonscale Blade, a unique weapon exclusively acquired during Ranni’s questline. While a single Dragonscale Blade is effective, wielding two truly completes this build, making a second acquisition highly recommended.
The Shard of Alexander is a talisman that significantly boosts the attack power of your skills. Remember to equip the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia to deal increased damage with successive blows. Additionally, the Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman provides much-needed durability, granting you enough health to withstand occasional damage.
Unlike other Samurai builds in this guide, the Ice and Lightning build enables ranged attacks through Draconic spells. For detailed instructions on finding all essential items for this build, you can consult various community guides.
Spinning Reaper Bleed Build
Key Stats: Strength 55, Dexterity 55
Essential Items: Grave Scythe, Spinning Weapon Ash of War, Rotten Winged Sword Insignia, anything that boosts the bleed effect
If you thought you understood bleed builds, prepare to be surprised. This unique endgame bleed build focuses on the Spinning Weapon Ash of War, primarily because it’s both incredibly fun and astonishingly effective. While conventionally a defensive tool, Spinning Weapon can be transformed into a potent offensive ability, unleashing high damage through successive hits, especially against larger, slower adversaries.
For those unfamiliar, Spinning Weapon causes your equipped weapon to hover and spin rapidly. If an enemy is caught at the right angle, they can endure dozens of hits in mere seconds. Crucially, these count as weapon hits, allowing you to apply your usual weapon buffs to synergize with Spinning Weapon and trigger massive bleed effects.
The Grave Scythe originally inspired this build, but almost any weapon with bleed effects and a long reach will fit the criteria. Naturally, you’ll need the Spinning Weapon Ash of War. Supplement this with the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia, which buffs damage from successive attacks. You can further enhance this build by equipping Millicent’s Prosthesis or applying the Thorny Cracked Tear to your Flask of Wondrous Physick.
It’s important to note that mobile enemies may evade Spinning Weapon’s attack, making this build less viable for PvP. Furthermore, this build can be risky; you will likely trade blows at times, particularly when facing multiple opponents.
Blasphemous Blade Build
Key Stats: Faith 59, Vigor 50, Strength 35
Essential Items: Blasphemous Blade, Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman, Shard of Alexander, Fire Scorpion Charm, Carian Filigreed Crest
The Blasphemous Blade build is renowned for its exceptional damage output and impressive healing capabilities. As long as you consistently land attacks, you’re practically guaranteed to stay in the fight, thanks to the weapon’s ability to heal you with every enemy defeated. It’s worth noting that to obtain the Blasphemous Blade, you must complete the Volcano Manor questline, which awards the Remembrance needed for its purchase.
What truly sets this build apart is its surprising viability in PvP combat, offering a strong weapon with impressive mobility on the battlefield. The Taker’s Flames ability is notably wide, often damaging multiple enemies even when not directly intended.
For talismans, equip the Fire Scorpion Charm to boost Fire attack damage. Next, the Shard of Alexander is crucial for increasing the power of the Blasphemous Blade’s Ashes of War. To reduce the FP cost of your skills, include the Carian Filigreed Crest.
There you have it: the best Elden Ring builds available right now. Once you’re fully prepared, it’s time to confront every Elden Ring boss and pursue all the game’s endings. Good luck on your journey, Tarnished! If you’re venturing into the co-op run-based spin-off, be sure to check out the best Elden Ring Nightreign classes and all the bosses you’ll encounter along the way.