Skip to Content
VIP Upgrade Your Experience
Home » Guides » Elden Ring Guides » Elden Ring Best 15 Dexterity Builds – Early and Late Game

Elden Ring Best 15 Dexterity Builds – Early and Late Game

Publish time icon May 28, 2024, Author icon Castielle, Comment icon 0

The BEST Dex builds in Elden Ring, featuring the top 15 Dexterity Builds that are my favorite Dex builds in the game. Just like our recent exploration of Faith builds, we’ll break down these Dexterity builds by their suitability for early, mid, and late game, as well as New Game Plus.

Because many of these builds rely on specific weapons and spells that become available only as you progress through the game, we’ll outline how to adapt them to different stages of your journey. Whether you’re seeking swift strikes from the outset or looking to refine your playstyle as you advance, this guide will provide the insights you need to master the art of Dexterity-based combat in Elden Ring. You can find every item in our Elden Ring Map and get ready for the Elden Ring DLC Shadow of the Erdtree.

Elden Ring Best Dexterity Builds for all Game and Levels

Early Game Dex Builds (Level 50)

Before diving into the specifics of Dexterity builds, it’s important to note that they occupy a unique niche in Elden Ring. When you two-hand weapons, you benefit from increased Strength scaling, which doesn’t apply to Dexterity builds. This means that, in many cases, a weapon with similar damage potential will perform better with Strength when two-handed, making Dexterity builds less optimal in comparison.

While there are some exceptional weapons with great Dexterity scaling in Elden Ring, they are relatively few compared to Strength weapons. Additionally, the Clawmark Seal favors Strength Faith builds, contributing to their prevalence over Dexterity Faith builds.

Dexterity builds do shine when tailored as Spellblade-type setups. These builds use Keen scaling weapons augmented by magic buffs, providing a powerful combination. However, they come with the drawback of requiring significant investment in both Dexterity and Intelligence, making them challenging to optimize early in the game.

The Noble Swordsman

The Noble Swordsman Build is Dexterity build and an essential “all-game” build that players can use throughout the entirety of the game. This build uses a single straight sword, it does not come equipped with any other weapon or shield, and it is phenomenal for stance-breaking and critical attacks.

The first build we’ll explore is the Noble Swordsman build, a level 50 early game setup that focuses on using a straight sword with the Square Off weapon skill. I recommend either the Noble’s Slender Sword or the Lordsworn’s Straight Sword due to their high critical ratings among straight swords. This allows you to deal more damage when you land a critical strike after breaking an enemy’s stance.

Both of these swords can be acquired early in the Limgrave area. The strategy for this build centers around the R2 version of Square Off, which inflicts 40 Stance Damage per hit. Many bosses in Elden Ring have around 80 Stance Damage, meaning you can often Guard Break or Stance Break them with just two hits. This opens up the opportunity for critical strikes, allowing you to repeat this pattern and effectively trivialize many bosses.

This build is particularly recommended for the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, as it appears there might be some attack power nerfing in that area. Stance Damage, however, should remain consistent, providing a reliable method for dealing significant damage. The Noble Swordsman build is straightforward, focusing on breaking enemy stances for critical strikes, which helps you avoid taking hits and deal rapid, substantial damage.

The Supreme Samurai

A pure DEX Build that uses the Nagakiba and Grease to have the best damage for any situation, coupled with extremely high mobility.

Next, let’s dive into the Supreme Samurai build, a level 50 Dexterity-focused setup. The Samurai class’s versatility makes it a popular choice in Elden Ring, and this build showcases why.

First, obtain the Nagakiba early in Limgrave and set it to Keen Scaling. Equip it with the Unsheathe weapon skill. This strategy is similar to the Noble Swordsman build, using the R2 variant of Unsheathe to Stance Break bosses, typically in three hits. The Nagakiba also has a native Bleed build-up, allowing you to inflict significant hemorrhage damage on bosses.

With Keen Infusion, you can enhance your weapon further by applying Blood Grease for increased Bleed build-up, or using fire or lightning buffs based on the boss you’re facing. This straightforward build can be assembled early in the game since Nagakiba, Unsheathe, and various Greases are accessible from the start. The Supreme Samurai build excels by leveraging quick stance breaks and bleed damage to overpower enemies efficiently.

The Magus

A melee-mage Build that uses Scholar’s Armament and Glintstone Phalanx to deal Critical Damage to enemies.

The last level 50 Dexterity build I recommend is the Magus build, a hybrid focusing on Dexterity and Intelligence. This build utilizes a Rapier with a high critical rating (130), allowing for significant damage on critical strikes. Pair this with the Ash of War: Glintblade Phalanx to quickly stagger enemies and follow up with critical hits. Glintblade Phalanx excels in stance damage, with each of the four swords dealing 10 stance damage, totaling 80 stance damage if all hit twice, making stance breaking bosses swift and efficient.

Additionally, the follow-up attack with the Rapier deals 16 stance damage, enabling you to stagger most bosses with just two uses of this skill. The build shines with the Assassin’s Cerulean Dagger, which refunds the FP cost of the weapon skill upon performing a critical strike after a stance break, allowing for continuous use and efficient FP management. With the weapon set to Keen Scaling, you can further enhance your damage with buffs like Scholar’s Armament.

This build not only delivers high damage and excellent stance breaking but also allows you to cast spells, making it versatile and powerful. The combination of Dexterity and Intelligence ensures you can handle various combat scenarios, providing a balanced and effective approach to tackling enemies in Elden Ring.

Mid Game Dex Builds (Level 100)

As you progress deeper into the captivating world of Elden Ring, the mid-game introduces a new set of challenges that require refined strategy and skill. In this portion of the guide, we focus on the best Mid-Game Dexterity Builds to enhance your performance.

These builds are tailored to take advantage of the more advanced weapons and abilities available at this stage, allowing you to maximize your agility and combat effectiveness. With the right combination of gear and dexterity-focused enhancements, you’ll be well-equipped to tackle tougher enemies and navigate the complexities of Elden Ring’s mid-game content, ensuring your character continues to grow in power and versatility.

The Thundering Swordspear

A melee focused build that uses Lighting to strike enemies at range, and to boost damage in melee.

First up for our level 100 builds is the Thundering Sword Spear. This build centers on the Guardian Sword Spear due to its excellent Dexterity scaling and incredibly high attack speed, making it one of the best Dexterity weapons in Elden Ring. The key feature of this build is the Ash of War: Thunderbolt, which scales its damage with Dexterity. Using a high Dexterity-scaling weapon like the Guardian Sword Spear maximizes Thunderbolt’s effectiveness, outperforming weapons with higher base damage but lower Dexterity scaling.

The strategy for this build involves using Thunderbolt to eliminate enemies from a distance, often without needing to engage in close combat. For added melee damage, the Jellyfish Shield in the offhand can boost your attack power. As you progress and gain more stats, you can invest in Faith to use buffs like Flame, Grant Me Strength, Electrify Armament, and Golden Vow to further enhance your damage output.

Overall, this build offers extremely high damage potential and a strong ranged option with Thunderbolt. It allows you to handle enemies efficiently from a distance while also excelling in melee combat with the right buffs and equipment.

The Stormblade

A Dexterity warrior that focuses on melee attacks and the liberal use of Storm Blade to annihilate foes at any distance.

Next up is the Stormblade build, which is viable from the very beginning of the game. This build utilizes a Greatsword paired with the Stormblade Ash of War. Recent buffs to Stormblade now allow both the blade and projectile to deal damage, making it extremely effective. Using the heaviest weapon possible enhances this effect, as Stormblade’s attacks are faster than regular R1 presses with the weapon, resulting in higher damage output. When standing point-blank, each L2 press delivers more damage than an R1 or R2 press, making it your go-to attack.

The beauty of the Stormblade build lies in its versatility. It not only delivers powerful melee attacks but also provides a ranged option, making it highly adaptable in various combat scenarios. This dual functionality works exceptionally well, allowing you to handle enemies both up close and from a distance.

Additionally, it’s easy to assemble this build quickly as Stormblade and an early game Greatsword are readily available. This makes the Stormblade build an excellent choice for players seeking a powerful and flexible option throughout their entire playthrough.

The Bloodhound

A Dexterity Build that focuses on the use of the Bloodhound’s Fang and its weapon skill Bloodhound’s Finesse.

Next, we have the Bloodhound build, which is viable from very early in the game, even before reaching level 100. You can acquire the Bloodhound’s Fang in Limgrave early on and use it effectively from that point forward. This build emphasizes two-handing the Bloodhound’s Fang, which helps manage equip weight and enhances its performance. The key feature is the weapon skill Bloodhound’s Finesse, allowing you to dash through and attack, then dash in and attack again. With proper timing, the iframes during these moves help avoid damage while maintaining high mobility.

The Bloodhound’s Fang also boasts native bleed buildup, enabling the application of the hemorrhage status effect on enemies, adding another layer of damage. You can further enhance this by using blood greaves for increased bleed buildup or by adding fire or lightning buffs depending on the boss you are facing. This versatility makes the Bloodhound’s Fang one of the best weapons in the game.

As you upgrade the Bloodhound’s Fang, its effectiveness continues to grow, ensuring that this build remains powerful throughout the entire game. Its combination of mobility, damage, and bleed buildup makes it an excellent choice for players seeking a reliable and deadly weapon from early to late game.

Late Game Dex Builds (Level 150)

As you journey deeper into the expansive realm of Elden Ring, the challenges escalate, demanding a heightened mastery of your chosen playstyle. In this segment of the guide, we explore the top Late-Game Dexterity Builds, tailored to empower you in facing the most formidable adversaries and conquering the ultimate trials of your adventure.

Crafted to harness the full potential of dexterity-focused characters, these builds leverage the pinnacle of weaponry and abilities available in the late game. With swift strikes and unparalleled agility, you’ll effortlessly dispatch even the most imposing foes. Whether confronting mighty bosses or braving the darkest depths of Elden Ring’s world, these late-game dexterity builds will ensure your triumph against all odds.

The Lightning Dragoon

A Quality (Strength/Dexterity) melee build that uses the Bolt of Gransax and a Greatshield to electrifying effect

Moving along to level 150 builds, first up is the Lightning Dragoon build. This build revolves around the Bolt of Gransax, a spear dealing physical and lightning damage. Its weapon skill, Ancient Lightning Spear, is particularly deadly due to its long range and the ability to charge it for extra damage, dealing 100% lightning damage. To maximize this weapon skill’s potential, you can equip items like the Lightning Scorpion Charm, Shard of Alexander, and Ritual Sword Talisman to significantly boost its damage.

The strategy for this build involves using a great shield to block and counter while flinging Ancient Lightning Spears at enemies from a distance. This approach allows you to stay relatively safe while dealing substantial damage. The reason this build is categorized at level 150 is due to the late acquisition of the Bolt of Gransax, which is missable and found much later in the game. Hence, it requires careful attention to obtain and utilize effectively.

This build excels in combining strong defense with powerful, long-range attacks, making it a formidable choice for tackling late-game challenges. The ability to charge up the Ancient Lightning Spear for extra damage ensures that you can adapt to various combat situations, maintaining high effectiveness throughout.

The Golden Champion

A Dexterity-based tank build that can Block-Counter, Dual Wield, and Parry all in one setup.

Next up is the Golden Champion build, another level 150 setup that utilizes the Ornamental Straight Sword. This weapon can be acquired early in the game by defeating the Grafted Scion boss, a challenging task for new characters, which is why this build is better suited for later in the game when you can return and defeat this boss more easily. The Ornamental Straight Sword is unique as a paired weapon, not typically seen outside of claws or fists, allowing versatile combat options. You can switch between sword-and-shield block counters and dual-wielding, thanks to the Golden Tempering buff. This buff enhances subsequent R2 attacks with a flurry of blows, automatically dual-wielding the weapon even when one-handing it.

The strength of the Golden Champion build lies in its ability to easily switch between defensive and offensive playstyles. You can block and counter with a shield or unleash rapid, powerful attacks with dual-wielding. Buffing your damage with items like the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia or Millicent’s Prosthesis complements the swift R2 flurry, enabling you to quickly build up and deal significant damage. This flexibility and high damage output make the Golden Champion a formidable choice for late-game encounters.

Overall, the Golden Champion build excels in both versatility and damage potential. The Ornamental Straight Sword’s unique dual-wield capability, combined with the powerful Golden Tempering buff, allows you to adapt to various combat situations, maximizing your effectiveness in both offense and defense.

The Black Knife Assassin

A Dexterity/Faith Build that uses dual Daggers to rapidly strike enemies and Bosses for high damage the further into combo chains you go.

Next up is the Black Knife Assassin build, a dual daggers setup. This might be the only dual daggers build I’ve made so far, though another one will likely come with the daggers video. The primary weapons are two Erdsteel Daggers, complemented by the Black Knife in the main hand for its skill: Blade of Death ability. The Erdsteel Daggers scale physical damage with both Dexterity and Faith, allowing you to enhance both stats and maintain pure physical damage. This synergy enables the use of buffs like Golden Vow and Flame, Grant Me Strength to amplify your damage output.

The build excels in delivering rapid L1 attacks, dealing significant damage to enemies. Quick Step or Bloodhound Step on your weapon enhances your agility, helping you dodge attacks effectively. The Black Knife’s Blade of Death skill can be used strategically, especially to initiate boss fights, before switching back to your main daggers. This combination of speed, agility, and buff-enhanced physical damage makes the Black Knife Assassin build highly effective and versatile.

In essence, the Black Knife Assassin build leverages dual daggers’ speed and Dexterity and Faith scaling to deliver high physical damage. Buffs like Golden Vow and Flame, Grant Me Strength enhance your attack power, while skills like Quick Step or Bloodhound Step provide agility. The Black Knife’s Blade of Death adds a strategic element for tougher fights, making this build both powerful and adaptable.

The Black Flame Bushido

A Dexterity/Faith Build that uses the Cross-Naginata to to set Hemorrhage and Black Flame on enemies in melee range.

The Black Flame Bushido build is an evolution of the Supreme Samurai build, focusing on Dexterity and Faith. Using the Nagakiba as your primary weapon, you’ll incorporate skills like Double Slash, Sword Dance, or Phantom Slash. This build differentiates itself by investing heavily in Faith to maximize the damage output of Black Flame spells, including Black Flame Blade and Blood Flame.

This hybrid build balances powerful melee attacks with potent Black Flame incantations, making it more versatile than the purely Dexterity-focused Supreme Samurai. The ability to cast Black Flame spells and enhance your weapon with buffs provides a significant advantage in both damage output and flexibility.

In summary, the Black Flame Bushido build merges the strengths of Dexterity and Faith, utilizing the Nagakiba for melee combat and Black Flame spells for ranged and buffed attacks. This combination offers a balanced and adaptable approach, capable of dealing substantial damage through both physical and magical means.

The Serpent Samurai

A Dexterity Build that uses poison to great effect using the Serpentbone Blade and the Uchigatana.

The Serpent Samurai build revolves around the Serpent Bone Blade, a katana with deadly poison buildup instead of bleed. While the poison deals less damage overall, it acts swiftly, making it an intriguing choice. The unique charged R2 attack, hitting twice, synergizes well with items like the Winged Sword Insignia or Millicent’s Prosthesis, enhancing its effectiveness.

To amplify the poison’s potency, accessories like the Mushroom Crown or Kindred of Rot’s Exultation can be utilized. This build offers a unique playstyle, combining poison-based combat with traditional samurai techniques. Its distinctiveness sets it apart from other builds, providing an engaging and enjoyable experience for players seeking something different.

New Game Plus Dex Builds (Journey 2)

Embarking on your New Game Plus journey in Elden Ring marks a new chapter in your adventure, where familiar challenges take on new dimensions of difficulty. In this section of the guide, we unveil the top Dexterity Builds for your second journey, ensuring you’re equipped to face the heightened trials ahead.

These builds are honed to perfection, capitalizing on the refined skills and resources at your disposal in Journey 2. With swift reflexes and mastery over your chosen weaponry, you’ll swiftly overcome the increased challenges that await. Whether confronting formidable adversaries or exploring uncharted territories, these New Game Plus Dexterity Builds will elevate your prowess and ensure your continued success in Elden Ring’s unforgiving world.

The Waterfowl Warrior

A Dexterity Build that uses Hand of Malenia to devastating results via Waterfowl Dance.

The Waterfowl Warrior build is designed for new game plus or Journey 2 playthroughs, centered around the Hand of Malenia Katana. Obtained late in the game, this katana’s weapon skill, Waterfowl Dance, is the focus of the build. Despite its lack of bleed buildup, the skill triggers effects like Winged Sword Insignia and Millicent’s Prosthesis, boosting attack power when used rapidly. To maximize its effectiveness, players must prioritize poise and stamina management, ensuring uninterrupted use of the skill.

By leveraging items like the Shard of Alexander, the build enhances the damage output of Waterfowl Dance. Stamina conservation is crucial due to the skill’s high stamina consumption and lengthy windup. The build’s strategy revolves around unleashing devastating combos with Waterfowl Dance while maintaining stability and resource management during combat.

The key to this build is optimizing the rapid strikes of Waterfowl Dance by focusing on items and stats that enhance attack power and stamina regeneration. Properly managing these resources will allow players to maximize the potential of the Hand of Malenia Katana, making the Waterfowl Warrior build highly effective in new game plus scenarios.

The Soul Samurai

A Dexterity Intelligence Build that uses the Nagakiba and Scholar’s Armament to phenomenal result.

Next up is The Soul Samurai build, designed for New Game Plus. This build is a Dexterity and Intelligence hybrid, utilizing the Nagakiba and buffing it with Scholar’s Armament. The need for high Dexterity ensures substantial physical damage, while significant Intelligence is required to maximize the effectiveness of Scholar’s Armament. This combination allows for powerful melee attacks and the ability to cast sorceries effectively, making it versatile and potent in combat.

The Soul Samurai build leverages the Dexterity scaling of a keen Nagakiba, enhanced further by Scholar’s Armament. This setup enables rapid and high-damage strikes while also granting the flexibility to cast various spells. The high attribute requirements for Dexterity and Intelligence mean this build shines in New Game Plus, where players have accumulated more attribute points.

In essence, the Soul Samurai build balances melee prowess with magical capability, requiring a substantial investment in both Dexterity and Intelligence. This makes it a powerful option for players looking to dominate in New Game Plus, offering both the physical damage of a skilled swordsman and the arcane power of a seasoned sorcerer.

The Scarlet Spear

A Dexterity Build that focuses on the use of dual spears and the Scarlet Rot and Poison status effects.

Up next is the Scarlet Spear build, tailored for New Game Plus. This dual-wield spear build utilizes two Rotten Crystal Spears to inflict the Scarlet Rot status effect. These weapons are acquired very late in the game, making this build ideal for New Game Plus. The strategy revolves around rapid L1 attacks to quickly build up Scarlet Rot on your target while simultaneously increasing your attack power.

Scarlet Rot deals substantial damage over time, making it highly effective for tougher enemies in New Game Plus. To maximize this build, you can use items like the Kindred of Rot’s Exultation and the Mushroom Crown to boost your attack power once Scarlet Rot is inflicted. Additionally, the Winged Sword Insignia or Millicent’s Prosthesis can enhance your damage output during rapid L1 attacks, while the Spear Talisman further boosts your physical damage.

The Scarlet Spear build excels in New Game Plus due to the high damage potential of Scarlet Rot and the synergy between rapid attacks and various damage-boosting items. This combination ensures that you can deal continuous and significant damage, making it a formidable choice for advanced gameplay stages.

The Vampiric Knight

A melee build that focuses on out healing damage taken while shredding enemies to death with the Butchering Knife.

Our final New Game Plus build is the Vampiric Knight. While this build can be created much earlier in the game, its effectiveness shines in New Game Plus. Central to this build is the Butchering Knife, which restores 1% of your max HP with each hit. Alternatively, you can use Great Stars or Placidus’ Greatsword, both of which also provide health restoration on hit.

The core strategy of the Vampiric Knight build revolves around using Wild Strikes to hit enemies rapidly, thus regaining health quickly. High vigor is essential to maximize the HP you recover with each hit. To enhance survivability, you can equip items that provide health regeneration over time, such as Taker’s Cameo and various talismans that replenish health continuously.

This build is incredibly tanky and hard to kill, thanks to the constant health restoration from both direct hits and passive regeneration. The combination of rapid attacks and continuous healing makes the Vampiric Knight a formidable force in New Game Plus, ensuring you remain resilient and difficult to defeat even in the toughest battles.

So that wraps up our guide on best Dexterity builds in Elden Ring. I hope you guys got something useful out of this build. I know people love watching the showcases and you can see our Daggers Rank guide out now.

About the Author

Castielle

Senior Editor at Fextralife. I enjoy gaming, playing and watching sports, cooking yummy food, watching a good movie and hanging out with Fex.

Games

, , , , ,
Comments

Log in to leave a Comment

Latest from Fextralife