In this Elden Ring Claws Build, I’ll be showcasing my Blazing Black Blade Hookclaws build. This versatile setup can be used from the very start of the game and remains effective throughout. Central to this build are the Hookclaws, one of my favorite claw weapons featured in our claws video. I’m excited to dive into the details of this powerful and fun build.

Elden Ring Claws Build – Blazing Blackblade Guide (All Game Build)

In this Elden Ring Build Guide, we’ll be showcasing the Hookclaws weapon for the Blazking Blackblade build. This is an All-Game build. If you’ve been looking for a claws build that shreds enemies so fast that you’d be surprised, then you might want to check this build out.

• Class: Any
• Flask Spread: Equal Charges
• Weapon: Hookclaws
• Shield: n/a
• Armor: Knight Set (Early Playthrough), Maliketh’s Set (Main Armor set for this build)
• Talismans: Fire Scorpion Charm, Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman, Rotten Winged Sword Insignia, Shard of Alexander or Warrior Jar Shard
• Primary Stats: Faith, Vigor
• Secondary Stats: Mind, Endurance
• Skills: Flaming Strike
• Spells: Golden Vow, Flame Grant Me Strength
• Crystal Tear: Flame-Shrouding Cracked Tear, Thorny Cracked Tear or Greenspill Crystal Tear
• Great Runes: Radahn’s Great Rune

We have over 110 Elden Ring builds. Each one is meticulously crafted to offer unique playstyles, strategies, and experiences, ensuring there’s something for every adventurer in the Lands Between. Whether you seek the raw power of heavy weapons, the finesse of spellcasting, or the versatility of hybrid builds, our collection has you covered. Explore the depths of the game’s mechanics and unleash your full potential with our diverse array of builds.

Elden Ring Claws Build – Blazing Blackblade Guide: Equipment

I prefer the Hookclaws over other claw weapons in Elden Ring for a few reasons. Firstly, you can obtain them early in the game at Stormveil Castle, allowing you to establish this build quickly and use it throughout your playthrough. Secondly, the Hookclaws have the longest reach among the claw weapons, which is crucial when fighting odd-shaped enemies and bosses. While their damage isn’t the highest compared to other claws, the extra reach ensures you hit your targets more consistently, making them highly effective overall.

I’ve equipped the Hookclaws with the Ash of War: Flaming Strike and set it to the Flame Art affinity. You can find Flaming Strike near Redmane Castle, so it’s accessible early in the game. If you can’t get it right away, you can temporarily use another Ash of War like Endure. The key benefit of the Flame Art affinity is meeting the minimum stat requirements for the weapon (8 Strength, 14 Dexterity) while allowing you to maximize Faith, enabling the use of a wide range of incantations.

This build benefits greatly from incantations like Flame, Grant Me Strength, which enhances both physical and fire damage, and Golden Vow, which boosts overall damage. The high Faith scaling also means you can eventually use the Erdtree Seal for even more powerful incantations, though you can use other seals along the way based on your preference.

The build provides substantial weapon damage, further amplified by Flaming Strike’s fire buff. Combined with buffs from Golden Vow and Flame, Grant Me Strength, your attack power can soar to around 1,000 or more, especially with stacking buffs from items like the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia. While the main strategy focuses on overwhelming enemies with rapid, high-damage attacks, the build occasionally triggers Hemorrhage, ripping off large chunks of enemy health and making boss fights much easier.

For armor in this build, I recommend Maliketh’s Set. While it’s not available early in the game, you can use the Knight Set from Roundtable Hold, which also provides 51 poise and can be acquired early on. Maliketh’s Armor Set is ideal for late game or New Game Plus due to its excellent stats and visually striking appearance. The combination of flaming claws and the black beast-like armor creates an impressive and intimidating look.

The primary consideration for your armor is achieving at least 51 poise. This threshold allows you to continue your attacks even when taking hits from enemies or bosses, maintaining your attack momentum and maximizing damage output. This resilience is crucial for this aggressive, high-damage build, ensuring you can stay on the offensive without being easily interrupted.

Elden Ring Claws Build – Blazing Blackblade Guide: Talismans & Spells

In terms of talismans, The Fire Scorpion Charm is particularly valuable as it not only boosts fire damage, which synergizes well with the fire aspect of Flaming Strike, but also augments regular attacks, contributing to overall damage output. However, it’s worth noting that using the Fire Scorpion Charm may result in a slight reduction in protective capabilities, which needs to be considered in balancing offense and defense.

To bolster defensive capabilities and ensure survivability during combat, the Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman is indispensable. Its ability to provide additional defense enables the character to withstand enemy attacks more effectively, allowing for sustained engagement in combat scenarios. This added protection becomes especially crucial when trading hits with adversaries, as it minimizes the risk of sustaining fatal damage.

The Shard of Alexander talisman plays a pivotal role in maximizing the damage potential of Flaming Strike. By amplifying the fire damage inflicted by Flaming Strike, this talisman significantly enhances the offensive capabilities of the build, making it more potent against enemies. However, its utility primarily depends on the frequency of Flaming Strike’s usage during combat encounters.

Lastly, the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia serves to further elevate the character’s attack power, particularly with successive hits. This talisman synergizes well with the build’s aggressive playstyle, rewarding continuous engagement with increased damage output. While it provides a substantial boost to offensive capabilities, its effectiveness may vary depending on individual combat preferences and strategies.

Ultimately, the selection and combination of talismans should be tailored to suit the player’s preferred playstyle and combat approach. Whether prioritizing offense, defense, or a balanced combination of both, optimizing talisman usage is crucial in maximizing the effectiveness of the build across various combat scenarios.

In terms of spells, the primary focus revolves around Flame, Grant Me Strength and Golden Vow, both of which offer situational benefits. These spells are primarily utilized during boss encounters or challenging combat scenarios rather than during regular exploration. However, the flexibility of the build allows for the incorporation of additional spells or incantations based on individual preferences and playstyle.

With ample Faith allocated within the build, users have the freedom to integrate defensive buffs, offensive spells, or any other desired abilities, provided they align with the build’s attribute distribution and playstyle. While specific spells may not be showcased in the gameplay, the build’s versatility ensures adaptability to diverse combat situations.

Elden Ring Claws Build – Blazing Blackblade Guide: Recommended Attributes Distribution

In terms of attributes, this build prioritizes 50 points in Vigor, 35 in Mind, 25 in Endurance, 8 in Strength, 14 in Dexterity, 16 in Intelligence (though Intelligence isn’t essential), 80 in Faith, and 10 in Arcane. While Intelligence and Arcane aren’t mandatory, they can fulfill spell requirements if desired, such as for spells like Swarm of Flies. My higher Intelligence stems from playing as an Astrologer, but it’s not integral to the build.

• The allocation of 35 points in Mind accommodates the use of buffing spells like Golden Vow and Flame, Grant Me Strength, alongside regular use of Flaming Strike. Although these spells are primarily employed during boss encounters, higher Mind can enhance flexibility for hybrid playstyles and provide more FP for regular spell usage.
• Endurance is set at 25 to manage the build’s equipment load, consisting mainly of claws, a seal, armor, and lightweight talismans. While heavy weaponry isn’t part of the loadout, the stamina consumption of the claw combo can be demanding, making higher Endurance beneficial for extended engagements.
• Strength and Dexterity meet the minimum requirements for weapon usage, while Faith is emphasized to maximize the potential of Flame Art and spellcasting capabilities. Ensuring ample stamina reserves is crucial, as the claw combo can quickly deplete stamina, especially during intense boss encounters. This highlights the importance of managing stamina effectively and considering additional investments in Endurance or stamina-boosting talismans.

Elden Ring Claws Build – Blazing Blackblade Guide: Final Tips

Before we conclude, here are some handy tips. Firstly, for enhancing your Flask of Wondrous Physick, consider using a Flame-Shrouding Cracked Tear to boost your fire damage. This is particularly effective for augmenting Flaming Strike and the majority of your standard attack spam.

Alternatively, the Thorny Cracked Tear amplifies damage during repeated attacks, similar to Rotten Winged Sword Insignia, making it another beneficial option. Combining both can be advantageous. Additionally, since stamina management can be an issue with this setup, incorporating a Greenspill Crystal Tear for increased stamina or stamina recovery is advisable. Given that stamina depletion often limits your damage output, bolstering stamina reserves can significantly enhance performance.

Regarding Great Runes, Radahn’s stands out as the top choice for this build. It provides increased HP, FP, and stamina, all of which are crucial elements. The extra stamina proves especially invaluable, considering its vital role in sustaining the build’s relentless assault. The additional FP aids in maintaining buffs, while the bonus HP enhances your ability to withstand incoming damage, making Radahn’s an ideal fit.

And that concludes the Blazing Black Blade build. I hope you’ve enjoyed exploring this setup—it’s been a blast crafting these builds. Recently attending an Elden Ring concert has reignited my passion for the game, fueling my excitement for Shadow of the Erdtree. As always, let us know if you have questions or other tips in the comments below. We have a ton more builds coming for Elden Ring and Shadow of the Erdtree so stay tuned for those. If you need help finding the spells, items, or equipment in this build, and securing some personal objectives, make sure to check the Elden Ring Map.

The post Elden Ring Claws Build – Blazing Blackblade Guide (All Game Build) appeared first on Fextralife.

In this Elden Ring Fists Build, we’ll explore the Blackguard Build that uses the Clinging Bone fist weapon. This setup is versatile, usable throughout the entire game, and can be initiated early on, thanks to the swift acquisition of the necessary weapons and armor. While obtaining certain talismans may require a bit more time, the core components can be obtained relatively quickly.

Elden Ring Fists Build – Black Guard Guide

This is an All-Game build that takes place after level 150. If you’ve been looking for a fists build that attacks fast and can drain the enemies’ HP then you might want to check this build out.

• Class: Any
• Flask Spread: Equal Charges
• Main Weapon: Clinging Bone
• Alternate Weapon: Maria’s Executioner’s Sword or Regalia of Eochaid
• Shield: Scorpion Kite Shield or Jellyfish Shield
• Armor: Greathlem, Royal Remains Armor, Lionel’s Gauntlets, Royal Remains Greaves
• Talismans: Ritual Sword Talisman, Millicent’s Prosthesis, Rotten Winged Sword Insignia or Winged Sword Insignia, Shard of Alexander or Warrior Jar Shard
• Alternate Talismans: Axe Talisman, Magic Scorpion Charm, Dagger Talisman, Godfrey Icon
• Primary Stats: Faith, Vigor
• Secondary Stats: Mind, Endurance
• Skills: Lifesteal Fist, Eochaid’s Dancing Blade
• Spells: Golden Vow, Flame Grant Me Strength
• Crystal Tear: Greenburst Crystal Tear, Thorny Cracked Tear or Spiked Cracked Tear
• Great Runes: Godrick’s Great Rune or Radahn’s Great Rune

We have over 110 Elden Ring builds. Each one is meticulously crafted to offer unique playstyles, strategies, and experiences, ensuring there’s something for every adventurer in the Lands Between. Whether you seek the raw power of heavy weapons, the finesse of spellcasting, or the versatility of hybrid builds, our collection has you covered. Explore the depths of the game’s mechanics and unleash your full potential with our diverse array of builds.

Beginner Builds	Level 50 Builds	Level 100 Builds	Level 150 Builds	Level 150-200 Builds	All Game Builds
Berserker	Champion	Hellfire Herald Scorching Slayer Blasphemous Beastmaster	Dark Knight Blasphemous Herald Golden Champion Black Knife Assassin	Carian Cavalier Sword Saint Slumbering Swordstress Scarlet Spear	Stormblade Bloodhound Kung Fu Katarist Blazing Blackblade Black Guard

Elden Ring Fists Build – Black Guard Guide: Equipment

This build focuses on the Clinging Bone weapon, which I thoroughly enjoyed using in our fists video. Here’s what makes it special and how to acquire it quickly.

To get the Clinging Bone, head to the Village of the Albinaurics in Liurnia of the Lakes. Pick up the Haligtree Secret Medallion (right half), then return to Roundtable Hold, where you’ll be attacked by Ensha. Defeat Ensha to obtain the Clinging Bone and several pieces of the armor set used in this build. This process is quick once you have access to Roundtable Hold. The fastest way to access Roundtable Hold is to reach Margit and let him defeat you. After resting at the Site of Grace, you’ll be teleported to Roundtable Hold. Alternatively, you can ride to Caelid for access.

The Clinging Bone deals physical and magic damage, primarily scaling with Dexterity but also benefiting from Arcane. Among Elden Ring weapons with Dexterity and Arcane scaling or Strength and Arcane scaling that deal physical and magic damage, only two others exist: the Regalia of Eochaid, which is an alternative weapon in this build, and the Marais Executioner’s Sword.

This suggests a connection between these weapons. The Marais Executioner’s Sword seems infused with Eochaid magic from Elemer of the Briar, while the Regalia of Eochaid originates from Eochaid. The Clinging Bone, with its similar damage types and scaling, may also be tied to Eochaid. Notably, Elemer of the Briar uses the Lifesteal Fist attack, hinting that the Clinging Bone might belong to a significant figure from Eochaid.

Now, let’s dive into what makes the Clinging Bone an excellent choice for this build.

What I love about Lifesteal Fist, discovered during my research for the Fists video, is its effectiveness against humanoid enemies. This skill grabs onto a wide range of enemies, bypassing blocks with a short cooldown of two to three seconds, making it useful but not spammable.

Lifesteal Fist is especially effective against tough enemies like Cleanrot Knights, Banished Knights, and Crucible Knights. It deals significant damage and heals you for 30% of your max health with each successful grab. Each tick of damage from Lifesteal Fist also contributes to triggers like Rotten Winged Sword Insignia, maintaining your buffs during the skill’s animation.

The standout feature is its predominantly magic damage—about 80-90%—with the rest being physical. This contrasts with the weapon’s usual physical damage output. Using items like the Magic Scorpion Charm can boost Lifesteal Fist’s damage, though it won’t enhance regular attacks much. The Magic-Shrouded Cracked Tear can also increase Lifesteal Fist’s damage, but it’s less useful in regular gameplay since Lifesteal Fist isn’t often used against bosses. The Shard of Alexander can increase the weapon skill’s damage without the drawback of increased incoming damage from the Magic Scorpion Charm.

This weapon allows for various play styles. You can dual wield it for rapid attacks, effective against some bosses, or use it with a shield for block countering, as Fist weapons deal significant stance damage, allowing you to stance break enemies regularly. In boss fights, stance breaking can enable switching to dual wielding for a flurry of attacks or to the Regalia of Eochaid for its Corkscrew attack, dealing massive damage. This build offers incredible flexibility, letting you block counter, dual wield, use Lifesteal Fist on susceptible enemies, and switch to the Regalia of Eochaid for bosses where Lifesteal Fist isn’t effective, thanks to the similar scaling of both weapons.

For shields, I use the Scorpion Kite Shield due to its low Strength requirements, aligning well with our build’s minimal Strength investment. It also matches the Blackguard theme and looks fantastic. Alternatively, you can use the Jellyfish Shield. Though it requires more points in Strength, it buffs your damage when using the one-handed Clinging Bone or Regalia of Eochaid. You can then switch to dual-wielding for Lifesteal Fist, gaining extra damage with your one-handed attacks. Ultimately, any shield with manageable Strength requirements can work, as using one with high Strength needs would hinder your melee damage.

For armor, I use the Royal Remains set, but I mix in a few pieces to exceed the 51 poise breakpoint, as the full set only offers around 44 poise. This adjustment helps avoid the need for the Bull-Goat’s Talisman, which is essential to prevent interruption during the frequent attack chains in this build. Given the build’s reliance on multiple talismans, freeing up a talisman slot by achieving the poise breakpoint through armor adjustments is crucial. This way, I can leverage the many beneficial talismans available for this build without compromising on poise and getting interrupted mid-combat.

Elden Ring Fists Build – Black Guard Guide: Talismans

For talismans, I use the Ritual Sword Talisman, which is excellent for this build, even though you might trade damage occasionally. Lifesteal Fist replenishes 30% of your health, making it easy to top off and maintain full health for extra damage.

Another key talisman is Millicent’s Prosthesis, ideal because our primary weapons scale with Dexterity. It boosts Dexterity and increases attack power with successive hits, benefiting both weapons.

The Winged Sword Insignia or Rotten Winged Sword Insignia are also great choices, as they boost attack power with rapid attacks, particularly useful with two-handed attacks or the Corkscrew weapon skill of Regalia of Eochaid.

Additionally, I use Shard of Alexander or Warrior Jar Shard, depending on game progress, to boost the damage of Lifesteal Fist and the Corkscrew attack of Regalia of Eochaid.

There are several alternative talismans that you can use based on your play style. The Axe Talisman is beneficial if you one-hand the Clinging Bone frequently, as it provides extra damage on charged heavy attacks.

The Magic Scorpion Charm increases the damage of Lifesteal Fist and the Corkscrew attack of Regalia of Eochaid, though it comes with the downside of receiving extra damage.

The Dagger Talisman boosts critical damage, which is helpful when block countering and stance breaking enemies.

The Godfrey Icon is useful when you plan to use Regalia of Eochaid’s weapon skill in a boss fight, as it provides a boost to charged attacks.

The talismans offer flexibility and can be swapped based on the situation. For enemies like Crucible Knights, leaning into Lifesteal Fist is advantageous, making Shard of Alexander beneficial. For other enemies, like Black Blade Kindred, where Lifesteal Fist isn’t used, Shard of Alexander isn’t necessary unless you’re using Regalia of Eochaid. Adjust talismans on the fly to maximize effectiveness in different combat scenarios.

Elden Ring Fists Build – Black Guard Guide: Recommended Attributes Distribution

For this build, the attribute distribution is as follows: 50 Vigor, 20 Mind, 30 Endurance, 12 Strength, 15 Dexterity, 16 Intelligence, 7 Faith, and 50 Arcane. Note that you don’t need any Faith or Intelligence for this build. However, if you plan to take this build further into New Game Plus or New Game Plus Plus, consider investing some points in Faith to utilize Golden Vow and possibly cast some incantations. Given the high Arcane, using the Dragon Communion Seal effectively becomes an option.

Increasing Vigor in New Game Plus is advisable because Lifesteal Fist restores 30% of your max health, meaning more health translates to more healing. Since you frequently trade damage with your fists, having more health is beneficial. The build features a low amount of Mind as Lifesteal Fist and Regalia of Eochaid’s weapon skill aren’t used frequently, so a high Mind stat isn’t necessary. You can also skew your flasks more toward FP, relying on Lifesteal Fist for healing.

Endurance is set to 30 to allow for a decent armor set, the ability to carry a shield, two weapons, and the Talismans, while also ensuring you have enough stamina to avoid running out when dual-wielding the Clinging Bone and spamming attacks. The 12 Strength is to meet the requirements of the Scorpion Kite shield. If you opt for the Jellyfish shield, you’ll need 20 Strength. Different shields will require different Strength levels, such as 14 for the Brass shield.

Dexterity and Arcane are both crucial for this build, with Dexterity set at 55 and Arcane at 50. Both stats scale roughly the same for the Clinging Bone, with Dexterity slightly ahead. However, Arcane is essential for Lifesteal Fist damage, whereas Dexterity is more focused on melee damage. Prioritizing Arcane is beneficial, especially if you plan to add some Faith and cast spells. This way, you’ll get the best of both melee and Lifesteal damage.

Elden Ring Fists Build – Black Guard Guide: Final Tips

For the Flask of Wondrous Physick, you have several viable options. Using the Magic Scorpion Charm will boost Lifesteal Fist damage, but it’s not particularly useful during boss fights where magic damage is limited. While it’s beneficial for the weapon skill of the Regalia of Eochaid, it’s generally better to use the tier that increases damage with multiple hits, which is effective regardless of your setup. Stamina Recovery is another good choice, as this build tends to consume a lot of stamina. Additionally, enhancing Charged Attacks can be beneficial since you will use Clinging Bone’s Charged Heavy Attacks to stagger bosses before switching to dual-wield attacks.

For Great Runes, Godrick’s Great Rune is fantastic for this build. It boosts six of the eight stats you need, allowing you to potentially reduce Strength or use a better shield. Radahn’s Great Rune is also a good option, providing more FP, HP, and Stamina—all valuable for this build.

So that wraps up our Blackguard build. As always, let us know if you have questions or other tips in the comments below. We have a ton more builds coming for Elden Ring and Shadow of the Erdtree so stay tuned for those. If you need help finding the spells, items, or equipment in this build, and securing some personal objectives, make sure to check the Elden Ring Map.

The post Elden Ring Fists Build – Black Guard Guide (All Game Build) appeared first on Fextralife.

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.

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.

• Class: Any
• Flask Spread: Equal Charges
• Weapon: Noble’s Slender Sword or Lordsworn’s Straight Sword
• Shield: N/A
• Armor: Aristocrat Hat, Page Garb, Perfumer Gloves, Page Trousers
• Talismans: Blue Dancer Charm, Shard of Alexander or Warrior Jar Shard, Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman
• Alternate Talismans: Ritual Sword Talisman, Dagger Talisman, Assassin’s Cerulean Dagger
• Primary Stats: Dexterity, Vigor, Mind
• Secondary Stats: Strength, Endurance
• Skills: Square Off
• Seal: N/A
• Spells: N/A
• Great Runes: Radahn’s Great Rune

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.

• Class: Any
• Flask Spread: Mostly HP, some FP
• Weapon: Nagakiba
• Shield: None
• Armor: Nox Swordstress Armor, White Reed Gauntlets, Ronin’s Greaves, Iron Kasa
• Talismans: Shard of Alexander, Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman, Great-Jars Arsenal, & Bull-Goat’s Talisman
• Primary Stats: Dexterity & Vigor
• Secondary Stats: Endurance
• Skills: Unsheathe
• Spells: None

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.

• Class: Prisoner or Astrologer
• Flask Spread: Slightly more FP than HP
• Weapon: Rapier
• Shield: None
• Armor: Carian Knight Set
• Primary Stats: Intelligence & Dexterity
• Secondary Stats: Vigor
• Skills: Ash of War: Glintblade Phalanx
• Spells: Scholar’s Armament, Glintstone Pebble and Carian Greatsword

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.

• Class: Any
• Flask Spread: Split HP and FP
• Weapon: Guardian’s Swordspear & Finger Seal
• Shield: Banished Knight’s Shield or Jellyfish Shield
• Armor: Great Helm, Tree Coat, Chain Gloves, Chain Greaves
• Talismans: Lightning Scorpion Charm, Radagon’s Soreseal, Green Turtle Talisman & Dragoncrest Shield Talisman +1
• Primary Stats: Dexterity
• Secondary Stats: Vigor
• Skills: Thunderbolt
• Spells: Golden Vow, Flame, Grant Me Strength, Electrify Armament, and Blessing’s Boon

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.

• Class: Any
• Flask Spread: Split FP & HP
• Weapon: Flamberge
• Shield: None
• Armor: Any Armor that allows you to medium roll.
• Talismans: Shard of Alexander, Ritual Sword Talisman, Millicent’s Prosthesis, Carian Filigreed Crest or Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman
• Primary Stats: Dexterity & Vigor
• Secondary Stats: Mind & Endurance
• Skills: Storm Blade
• Spells: Golden Vow, Flame, Grant Me Strength, Electrify Armament & Bloodflame Blade

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.

• Class: Any
• Flask Spread: Mostly HP some FP
• Weapon: Bloodhound’s Fang
• Shield: None
• Armor: Raptor’s Black Feathers & any armor that adds up to 51 Poise with the Bull-Goat’s Talisman equipped
• Talismans: Bull-Goat’s Talisman, Shard of Alexander, Claw Talisman and Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman
• Primary Stats: Dexterity & Vigor
• Secondary Stats: Strength
• Skills: Bloodhound’s Finesse
• Spells: None

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

• Class: Any
• Flask Spread: Mostly HP some FP
• Weapon: Bolt of Gransax & Cleanrot Spear or Treespear
• Shield: Golden Greatshield
• Armor: Consort’s Mask & Leyndell Knight Set
• Talismans: Shard of Alexander, Radagon’s Soreseal, Ritual Sword Talisman & Carian Filigreed Crest
• Primary Stats: Dexterity & Vigor
• Secondary Stats: Strength & Endurance
• Skills: Ancient Lightning Spear & Sacred Phalanx
• Spells: Golden Vow , Blessing of the Erdtree, & Flame, Grant Me Strength

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.

• Class: Any
• Flask Spread: Mostly HP some FP
• Weapon: Ornamental Straight Sword & any Sacred Seal
• Shield: Banished Knight’s Shield
• Armor: Banished Knight Set
• Talismans: Winged Sword Insignia, Millicent’s Prosthesis, Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman & Spear Talisman
• Primary Stats: Dexterity
• Secondary Stats: Vigor & Endurance
• Skills: Golden Tempering & Golden Parry
• Spells: Golden Vow, Blessing’s Boon and Flame, Grant Me Strength

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.

• Class: Any
• Flask Spread: Mostly HP some FP
• Weapon: Erdsteel Dagger x2, Black Knife & any Sacred Seal
• Shield: None
• Armor: Black Knife Hood, Black Knife Armor, Fire Prelate Gauntlets & Fire Prelate Greaves
• Talismans: Winged Sword Insignia, Millicent’s Prosthesis, Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman & Shard of Alexander
• Primary Stats: Dexterity & Faith
• Secondary Stats: Vigor 
• Skills: Blade of Death, Bloodhound’s Step & Parry
• Spells: Golden Vow, Blessing of the Erdtree and Flame, Grant Me Strength

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.

• Class: Any
• Flask Spread: Mostly HP some FP
• Weapon: Cross-Naginata or Nagakiba & Godslayer’s Seal
• Shield: None
• Armor: White Mask & White Reed Set
• Talismans: Shard of Alexander, Radagon’s Soreseal, Godfrey Icon & Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman
• Primary Stats: Dexterity & Faith
• Secondary Stats: Vigor & Mind
• Skills: Phantom Slash, Sword Dance or Double Slash
• Spells: Golden Vow, Black Flame, Bloodflame Blade, Black Flame Blade, Scouring Black Flame, Black Flame Ritual & Black Flame’s Protection

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.

• Class: Any
• Flask Spread: Mostly HP some FP
• Weapon: Serpentbone Blade & Uchigatana (or Wakizashi)
• Shield: 
• Armor: Mushroom Crown & any high Poise Armor
• Talismans: Kindred of Rot’s Exultation, Millicent’s Prosthesis, Winged Sword Insignia, & Shard of Alexander
• Primary Stats: Dexterity & Vigor
• Secondary Stats: Endurance
• Skills: Double Slash, Poison Moth Flight & Parry
• Spells: None

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.

• Class: Any
• Flask Spread: Mostly HP some FP
• Weapon: Hand of Malenia
• Shield: None
• Armor: The heaviest you can wear and still Medium Roll.
• Talismans: Shard of Alexander, Millicent’s Prosthesis, Winged Sword Insignia, Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman or Great-Jar’s Arsenal
• Primary Stats: Dexterity 
• Secondary Stats: Endurance & Vigor 
• Skills: Waterfowl Dance
• Spells: None

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.

• Class: Any
• Flask Spread: Mostly HP some FP
• Weapon: Nagakiba & Academy Glintstone Staff
• Shield: None
• Armor: Black Knife Set
• Talismans: Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman, Shard of Alexander, Magic Scorpion Charm & Millicent’s Prosthesis
• Primary Stats: Intelligence & Dexterity
• Secondary Stats: Vigor & Mind
• Skills: Double Slash
• Spells: Greatblade Phalanx, Founding Rain of Stars, Unseen Form, Loretta’s Greatbow, Carian Retaliation, Scholar’s Armament, Terra Magica, Freezing Mist

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.

• Class: Any
• Flask Spread: All HP
• Weapon: Rotten Crystal Spear x2
• Shield: Coil Shield
• Armor: Redmane Knight Set or any armor with high protection and 51+ Poise
• Talismans: Kindred of Rot’s Exultation, Winged Sword Insignia, Millicent’s Prosthesis & Spear Talisman
• Primary Stats: Dexterity & Vigor
• Secondary Stats: Endurance
• Skills: Charge Forth & Viper Bite
• Spells: None

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.

• Class: Any
• Flask Spread: Mostly HP, some FP
• Weapon: Butchering Knife
• Shield: Icon Shield
• Armor: Any armor with high Poise and protection, the higher the better
• Talismans: Rotten Winged Sword Insignia, Blessed Dew Talisman, Shard of Alexander, Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman
• Primary Stats: Dexterity & Vigor
• Secondary Stats: Endurance
• Skills: None
• Spells: None

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.

The post Elden Ring Best 15 Dexterity Builds – Early and Late Game appeared first on Fextralife.

In this Elden Ring Glintstone Kris Build Guide, I’ll be showing you my Spellthief build. This is an NG+ build that focuses on the use of the Glintstone Kris, which is one of the weapons that I fell in love with while doing the Daggers Guide. I couldn’t decide between the Glintstone Kris and the Reduvia, so I made a build for both of them. The reason that this is an NG+ build is because by the time you acquire this weapon, you have to complete Sorceress Sellen’s quest line which is quite far into the game.

Elden Ring Glintstone Kris Build Guide – Spellthief

In this Elden Ring Build Guide, we’ll be showcasing a Glintstone Kris dagger build. This is a new game+ build that takes place after level 150. If you’ve been looking for a dagger build that can range enemies down from afar and also deal great critical damage then you might want to check this build-out.

• Class: Any
• Flask Spread: Equal Charges
• Weapon: Glintstone Kris
• Shield: Carian Knight’s Shield
• Armor: Spellblade’s Pointed Hat, Black Knife Armor, Spellblade’s Gloves, Spellblade’s Trousers
• Talismans: Magic Scorpion Charm, Ritual Sword Talisman, Godfrey Icon, Shard of Alexander or Warrior Jar Shard
• Primary Stats: Dexterity, Intelligence, Vigor
• Secondary Stats: Endurance, Mind
• Skills: Glintstone Dart, Carian Retaliation
• Spells: n/a
• Crystal Tear: Magic-Shrouding Cracked Tear, Intelligence-knot Crystal Tear or Dexterity-knot Crystal Tear
• Great Runes: Godrick’s Great Rune or Radahn’s Great Rune

We have over 110 Elden Ring Builds now, for all classes and playstyles. This build is recommended for level 150.

Elden Ring Spellthief Build – Equipment

The weapon that we’ll be using for this build is the Glintstone Kris. There’s nothing truly amazing with the dagger itself, as it has 110 Critical Rating, which is pretty average for a dagger. The damage of this weapon is alright, as it’s a pretty light weapon. It’s good for any dagger build, as we’re going for critical attacks or backstabs.

What makes this weapon stand out is its weapon skill, Glintstone Dart. This skill operates very similarly to Glintstone Pebble. If you’ve ever used that Ash of War on any weapon, it shoots out a magic damage projectile that you can follow-up with a thrusting attack. The advantage of that type of Ash of War is that it gives you a ranged option when you need it, and it also can allow a follow-up if enemies get close before you finish casting it.

There are a few differences between Glintstone Dart and Glintstone Pebble. Glintstone Dart does more damage than Glinstone Pebble. It also costs 10 FP, which is 2 more than Glintstone Pebble, while their follow-up attack both costs 4 FP. You get a little bit more damage, but it’s a little bit more expensive. Another difference is that Glintstone Dart can pierce through enemies, hitting those behind your original target. If you get enemies all lined up or stacked together, you can wipe them all out with one use of Glintstone Dart. This gives an advantage over Glintstone Pebble, as you can use it in areas with a lot of enemies. Additionally, you can charge Glintstone Dart by holding down the button for additional damage, which takes longer to use the skill. It gets you more damage, which makes it more cost-effective in terms of FP. Glintstone Dart is going to carry itself better into NG+ than Glinstone Pebble would in a lot of cases.

Alongside the dagger, I’m using the Carian Knight’s Shield because we have high Intelligence for this build. I like how this shield looks, which is why I am using it. You can put no skill on it, and just use it to block and be able to use Glintstone Dart easily without having to do anything. You can put Carian Retaliation, which I’ve done for this build, as it allows you to parry easily because it has good i-frames. You can use it to parry when you need to, then do a critical hit with your dagger. You can then use Glintstone Dart as needed by either two-handing it or just toggling your shield off quickly. You don’t really need a shield for this build, but it just makes sense in case you want to parry, because using a dagger with a high critical damage lends itself well to a parry build.

For armor, I’m using the Black Knife Armor in order to muffle our movements when we’re walking around, making it easier to get backstabs off or confuse enemies while using Glintstone Dart to get the drop on them. If you’re playing stealthily, this should help you out. Even though you’re not invisible and you’re not sneaking around all the time, it gives you an advantage as enemies might not detect you, allowing you to get the drop on them. The three pieces of armor are part of the Spellblade Set, which increases the damage of Glintstone Dart by 2% per piece. You’ll get 6% here, since we’re not using the chest piece. Having muffled footsteps is a better trade-off than 2% damage.

Elden Ring Spellthief Dagger Build – Talismans

All of our talismans are trying to get the most damage possible out of Glinstone Dart. We have the Shard of Alexander to boost its damage more, Magic Scorpion Charm to deal more magic damage, and Ritual Sword Talisman to give us 10% more damage when we’re at full health. You rarely get hit with this build, so you’ll benefit from using Ritual Sword Talisman. We’re also using the Godfrey Icon because you can charge Glintstone Dart. This will further boost its damage if you’re doing the charged version of it.

Elden Ring Glintstone Kris Build – Attributes

Attribute-wise, we’ve got: 50 Vigor, 30 Mind, 25 Endurance, 10 Strength, 50 Dexterity, 50 Intelligence, 7 Faith, and 9 Arcane. You don’t really need any Faith or Arcane in this build, as this is an Intelligence/Dexterity-focused build.

I would suggest increasing your Vigor up to 60, while dropping Mind down to 20, or even going 55 Vigor, 25 Mind. You don’t have a lot of protection with this build as we’re wearing very light armor, unless you want to do another variant where you wear heavier armor to give yourself more protection. You do take a lot of damage when you get hit, especially with Magic Scorpion Charm amplifying the damage you receive. Having more health pool will be better here, and you don’t use a lot of FP with this build. One charge of Glintstone Dart is 10 FP, so you can cast it 10-15 times before using a flask, which isn’t bad for a build with low Mind.

As for Endurance, you don’t really need a lot of Endurance with this build. You can either pump your Endurance or try to go for a light build, which makes sense since you don’t really need a lot of stamina for this build. Glintstone Dart isn’t much of a stamina hog, so it’s not super important to have a lot of Endurance here. You can put some points in Vigor if you decide to drop Endurance a little bit.

10 Strength is basically there to meet the requirements to use Carian Knight’s Shield. You don’t need any Strength for this build, even though the weapon scales with Strength. I wouldn’t recommend worrying about Strength to increase the damage of the Glintstone Kris.

We have 50 Dexterity and Intelligence because these attributes scale well up to 50. In my testing, dropping Dexterity down a bit while increasing Intelligence came out worse, so your sweet spot for your weapon is right around here. From this point onward, Dexterity performs better than Intelligence. If you’re just trying to get more melee damage, Dexterity might not be a bad way to go. If you want more magic damage for Glintstone Dart, you should take points out of Dexterity, then increase your Intelligence.

Elden Ring Spellthief Build – Final Tips

When it comes to the Flask of Wondrous Physick, I have the Magic-Shrouding Cracked Tear to give us more damage with Glintstone Dart, and to increase our melee damage a bit here. What else you want to put in there is up to you. You can use the Intelligence-knot Crystal Tear to give you more damage, or Dexterity-knot Crystal Tear to give you more melee damage. Greenspill Crystal Tear and Greenburst Crystal Tear can also be good if you need additional stamina or stamina recovery. Magic-Shrouding Cracked Tear is the only non-negotiable one in there.

As for Great Runes, you’re probably going to use Godrick’s Great Rune. You’re using five attributes for this build, six if you count Strength, although it’s just a couple of points there. If you want to use Radahn’s Great Rune for more health, stamina, and FP, it’s not a bad choice. I think Godrick’s Great Rune is the better choice here, but you can use either of that.

You can play this as a dual wield build if you want, so you can drop the shield. You can then pair this build with an infuse-able dagger on your offhand, using Cold infusion to have similar scaling with Dexterity and Intelligence, keeping a similar attribute spread. You can use the Crystal Knife or Ivory Sickle, as these have very similar scaling to our weapon. Neither of these are great on their own, so using them as an offhand weapon is probably the best way to use them.

That’s it for our Spellthief Build Guide! As always, let us know if you have questions or other tips in the comments below. We have a ton more builds coming for Elden Ring and Shadow of the Erdtree so stay tuned for those. If you need help finding items, and securing some personal objectives, make sure to check the Elden Ring Map. Happy building!

The post Elden Ring Glintstone Kris Build Guide – Spellthief appeared first on Fextralife.

The BEST Faith builds in Elden Ring, featuring 15 Faith Builds that are my favorite Faith builds in the game. Many viewers of my earlier Elden Ring videos mentioned how much they enjoyed seeing gameplay from different builds. So, in this guide, I’ll not only cover the progression of Faith builds throughout the game but also highlight the best Faith builds for your journey. I’ll showcase some of the builds I’ve personally used and recommend. You can find every item in our Elden Ring Map and get ready for the Elden Ring DLC Shadow of the Erdtree.

Best Early Game Faith Builds (Level 50)

Venturing into the captivating world of Elden Ring requires more than just courage; it demands strategy. In this portion of the guide, we showcase the best Early Game Faith Builds at Level 50.

There are only a few low-level faith builds that I find particularly strong, in my opinion. Many of the best spells for faith are discovered in the mid or later stages of the game. However, there are still some early-game options that pack a punch. These builds will help you lay a solid foundation that can carry you well into the mid-game. With the right combination of skills and equipment, you’ll be prepared to face the challenges that lie ahead.

The Templar

A tanky melee focused build that can heal itself and allies, as well as deal decent damage with Block Counters and Holy Weapon buffs.

• Class: Confessor
• Flask Spread: Mostly HP, some FP
• Weapon: Noble’s Slender Sword
• Shield: Brass Shield
• Armor: Mausoleum Knight Armor, Greathelm, Knight Greaves, & Knight Gauntlets
• Primary Stats: Faith & Endurance
• Secondary Stats: Vigor
• Skills: Ash of War: Golden Vow, Ash of War: Sacred Blade, Ash of War: Barricade Shield
• Spells: Blessing’s Boon & Aspects of the Crucible: Tail

The first one we’ll explore is the Templar. This is essentially your go-to paladin build. At level 50, you can wield this build very effectively. You’ll likely opt for a medium shield at this stage to allocate points into Faith. Otherwise, you’ll need to invest in Strength to wield a great shield. Equip a Sacred Seal and set the infusion on your straight sword to either flame art or sacred to maximize that Faith scaling. Your stats will primarily focus on vigor, endurance, Faith, and a bit of strength to wield a decent medium shield. You’ll emphasize buffing and early-game spells while utilizing block counters and stance breaking. This build excels particularly well in the early stages of the game.

The Sword Sage

The Sword Sage is a combination of Intelligence and Faith, using the Sword of Night and Flame and Death Sorceries.

• Class: Any
• Flask Spread: Split between FP & HP
• Weapon: Sword of Night and Flame & Meteorite Staff
• Shield: None
• Armor: Any that still lets you med roll
• Primary Stats: Intelligence & Faith
• Secondary Stats: Vigor & Mind
• Skills: Night-and-Flame Stance
• Spells: Rancorcall & Ancient Death Rancor

Now, let’s take a look at the Sword Sage build at level 50. This build revolves around wielding the Sword of Night and Flame. With the right setup, you can start using this sword quite early in the game. However, it’s worth noting that this weapon demands a significant investment in both intelligence and faith. Consequently, your health and endurance may be relatively low when using this weapon at level 50. Nonetheless, even after adjustments and nerfs, the Sword of Night and Flame remains a potent weapon. If you’re keen on wielding it early on, the Sword Sage build is the way to go, boasting impressive strength and versatility.

The Blackflame Apostle

A Faith-Dex Build that focuses on the use of Black Flame to boost damage and give multiple options to every scenario.

• Class: Prophet, Confessor, or Samurai
• Flask Spread: Split between HP and FP
• Weapon: Any Weapon that has Bleed on it by default such as the Uchigatana, Nightrider Flail, or Bloodhound’s Fang & Godslayer’s Seal
• Shield: None
• Armor: Any
• Primary Stats: Faith & Mind
• Secondary Stats: Vigor & Dexterity
• Skills: Bloody Slash or Unsheathe work well, but you can use any you like
• Spells: Black Flame, Black Flame Blade, Catch Flame and Bloodflame Blade

Now, let’s discuss my final level 50 faith build recommendation, which is the Blackflame Apostle build. This build focuses on enhancing your weapon with either Bloodflame Blade or Black Flame Blade, allowing you to cast Black Flame incantations or other faith-based spells like Catch Flame. Here’s how it works: you’ll wield a weapon with inherent bleed buildup that can still be buffed, such as the Uchigatana, Nagakiba, Nightrider Flail, or Bloodhound’s Fang. In your left hand, equip the Godslayer’s Seal. You’ll then buff your weapon to increase bleeding or apply the Black Flame effect, and cast spells using Black Flame. This setup offers a dynamic and enjoyable playstyle.

Best Mid-Game Faith Builds (Level 100)

Venturing deeper into the mesmerizing world of Elden Ring, you’ll find that the mid-game presents its own set of challenges and opportunities. Here, strategy becomes even more crucial, and selecting the right Faith Builds can make a significant difference in your journey.

In this portion of the guide, we focus on the best Mid-Game Faith Builds. While the most powerful faith spells are typically unlocked later in the game, mid-game offers a variety of potent options that can greatly enhance your gameplay. With these builds, you’ll be well-equipped to tackle tougher foes and navigate the complexities of Elden Ring’s evolving landscape.

The Deathblade

An Intelligence/Faith Build thas uses the Sword of Night and Flame to full effect, while also using both Sorceries and Incantations to dispatch enemies.

• Class: Any
• Flask Spread: Mostly FP, some HP
• Weapon: Sword of Night and Flame, Prince of Death’s Staff & Golden Order Seal
• Shield: None
• Armor: Any that allows you to med roll. Spellblade Set boosts Night and Flame’s Magic attack by 2% per piece
• Talismans: Fire Scorpion Charm, Magic Scorpion Charm,, Dragoncrest Shield Talisman +1 & Godfrey Icon
• Primary Stats: Intelligence & Faith
• Secondary Stats: Vigor & Mind
• Skills: Night-and-Flame Stance
• Spells: Golden Vow, Flame, Grant Me Strength, Black Flame, Loretta’s Greatbow, Terra Magica, Magic Glintblade, Ancient Death Rancor

First up is the Deathblade build, an evolution of the Sword Sage archetype. While you’ll still wield the Sword of Night and Flame, this build doesn’t emphasize intelligence and faith as heavily as the Sword Sage. Instead, you’ll also use either the Gelmir Glintstone Staff or the Prince of Death’s Staff to cast death magic spells like Rancor and Ancient Death Rancor.

I like to start by casting Ancient Death Rancor or a few charges of it, then follow up with attacks from the Sword of Night and Flame, using Night Comet while the enemy is distracted by the barrage of skulls. This build offers a balanced mix of melee combat with the Sword of Night and Flame and potent death magic spells. It’s incredibly enjoyable to play and remains one of my favorite builds in the game.

The Hellfire Herald

A Dexterity/Faith Build that uses Black Flame and Bleeding to destroy enemies.

• Class: Any
• Flask Spread: Mostly FP, some HP
• Weapon: Cross-Naginata, Flamberge, Scythe, Reaper’s Scythe, Nagakiba or Uchigatana & Godslayer’s Seal
• Shield: None
• Armor: Any that allows for med roll
• Primary Stats: Faith & Dexterity
• Secondary Stats: Mind & Vigor
• Skills: Repeating Thrust, Spinning Slash, Sword Dance or Double Slash
• Spells: Bloodflame Blade, Black Flame Blade, Black Flame, Scouring Black Flame & Golden Vow

The next level 100 faith-based build I want to discuss is the Hellfire Herald. This build centers around dual-wielding greatswords, specifically two iron greatswords infused with either the Sacred Infusion or Flame, Give Me Strength.

You have the flexibility to switch between these infusions based on the enemy’s vulnerabilities throughout the game, adding versatility to the build. Essentially, you’ll buff yourself using spells like Golden Vow and Flame, Give Me Strength. Additionally, you can apply Determination or Royal Knight’s Resolve to your weapons and execute devastating jump attacks, utilizing talismans like the Raptor’s Black Feathers to boost their effectiveness.

This setup allows you to deal significant damage with jump attacks while still retaining the ability to cast spells due to the faith-based nature of the build. You can use offensive spells like Lightning Spear and healing spells like Golden Vow for sustain. Overall, it’s a highly effective and versatile build that excels in both melee combat and spellcasting.

The Blasphemous Beastman

A Strength/Faith hybrid build that uses Bestial Incantations and the Blasphemous Blade to destroy enemies at range or in melee combat.

• Class: Any
• Flask Spread: Some HP, mostly FP
• Weapon: Clawmark Seal, Blasphemous Blade & Cinquedea
• Shield: None
• Armor: Any that still allows you to med roll
• Talismans: Ritual Sword Talisman, Radagon’s Soreseal, Green Turtle Talisman & Dragoncrest Shield Talisman +1
• Primary Stats: Strength & Faith
• Secondary Stats: Vigor & Mind
• Skills: Taker’s Flames
• Spells: Golden Vow, Flame, Grant Me Strength, Stone of Gurranq, Beast Claw & Bestial Sling

Next up is the Blasphemous Beastman build, an incredibly enjoyable setup revolving around the use of Beast Incantations alongside the Blasphemous Blade. This build is essentially a Strength-Faith hybrid, aiming to maximize the effectiveness of the Clawmark Seal. Both the Clawmark Seal and Cinquedea, the dagger, synergize to amplify Beast Incantations. Equip the dagger in your left hand and the Blasphemous Blade in your right hand. Utilize the weapon art of the Blasphemous Blade as needed, then switch to the Clawmark Seal to cast your Beast spells such as Stone of Gurranq, Beast Claw, or Bestial Sling.

You can still enhance your combat capabilities by buffing yourself with spells like Golden Vow or Flame, Give Me Strength. This build offers a remarkable combination of high damage output, ranged options, and a formidable melee presence with the Blasphemous Blade. It’s an incredibly fun and effective Strength-Faith build that provides versatility and potency in various combat scenarios.

The Frenzied Acolyte

An Arcane/Faith Build that focuses on casting incantations from range, only meleeing when absolutely necessary.

• Class: Any
• Flask Spread: Mostly FP, some HP
• Weapon: Dragon Communion Seal, Frenzied Flame Seal, Gravel Stone Seal, Godslayer’s Seal & any melee Weapon that can take an Ash of War
• Shield: None
• Armor: Silver Tear Mask, Commoner’s Garb, Noble’s Glove, Noble’s Trousers
• Talismans: Godfrey Icon, Ritual Sword Talisman, Faithful’s Canvas Talisman & Fire Scorpion Charm
• Primary Stats: Arcane & Faith
• Secondary Stats: Vigor & Mind
• Skills: Bloodhound’s Step
• Spells: The Flame of Frenzy, Frenzied Burst, Black Flame, Lightning Spear, Golden Vow & Flame, Grant Me Strength

And lastly, among the level 100 faith builds, we have the Frenzied Acolyte build, an arcane faith setup that centers on the use of frenzy or madness spells. With the game emphasizing fire damage through these spells, they become utterly devastating. It’s undeniably one of the most enjoyable and unique builds to play. Spells like Flame of Frenzy and Frenzied Burst are your main arsenal, each excelling in their own right—one at melting bosses and the other at sniping targets from afar.

The mechanics of this build are intriguing; casting is done with the Dragon Communion seal, with a focus on arcane and faith attributes. In your left hand, you’ll have the option of equipping either the Frenzied Seal, the Gravel Stone Seal, or the Godslayer’s Seal, or perhaps all three, rotating between them as needed. When casting a Frenzied spell, you’ll equip the Frenzied Flame Seal in your left hand for maximum damage. Alternatively, for spells like Black Flame or Lightning Spear, you can switch to the Godslayer’s Seal or the Gravel Stone Seal, respectively. This pure caster build maximizes spell damage output by utilizing talismans that buff them in your left hand while effectively casting with the Dragon Communion Seal and the corresponding stat spread.

Best Late Game Faith Builds (Level 150-200)

As you reach the late stages of the enthralling world of Elden Ring, the challenges you face become more formidable and the need for a well-honed strategy is paramount. In the late game, your choice of Faith Builds can significantly impact your success and survival.

This portion of the guide focuses on the best Late-Game Faith Builds. By this point, you’ll have access to the most powerful faith spells and a wider array of equipment, allowing for highly optimized builds. These late-game strategies will help you overcome the toughest adversaries and conquer the final hurdles of Elden Ring’s vast and intricate world.

The Crusader

A melee/caster hybrid that focuses on Faith and Block Counters to obliterate enemies with holy or fire damage.

• Class: Any
• Flask Spread: Mostly HP some FP
• Weapon: Gargoyle’s Greatsword & Erdtree Seal
• Shield: Brass Shield
• Armor: Haligtree Knight Helm & any armor that allows you to medium roll
• Talismans: Curved Sword Talisman, Flock’s Canvas Talisman, Shard of Alexander & Sacred Scorpion Charm/Fire Scorpion Charm
• Primary Stats: Faith & Vigor
• Secondary Stats: Mind
• Skills: Barricade Shield & Sword Dance
• Spells: Golden Vow, Blessing of the Erdtree, Elden Stars, Lightning Spear, Black Blade, Black Flame’s Protection

Moving on to the level 150 Faith builds, let’s start with the Crusader. This build represents an evolution from the Templar archetype. Instead of relying heavily on Block Counters, you’ll find yourself wielding a greatsword with both hands more frequently, though you still have the option to use the Brass Shield when necessary. Moreover, the Barricade Shield can be equipped for situations where block counters are indispensable.

At the core of this build is the wielding of a powerful greatsword like the Gargoyle’s Greatsword or the Iron Greatsword, infused with either the Sacred Infusion or Flame Art. By prioritizing your faith stat and utilizing the Erdtree Seal, you’ll unleash devastating incantations like Elden Stars, dealing significant damage while maintaining the ability to buff yourself with spells such as Golden Vow and Blessing of the Erdtree.

One standout feature of this build is the utilization of Sword Dance with the greatsword—a remarkably potent skill capable of often dispatching most enemies with just a single FP usage, underscoring the immense damage potential inherent in this setup. Additionally, the flexibility to switch between Lightning Armament and Sacred Armament adds to the versatility of this build, making it a formidable and adaptable choice that scales admirably into the late game.

The Blasphemous Herald

A melee build that uses Jump Attacks and the Blasphemous Blade to demolish enemies point blank and at range.

• Class: Any
• Flask Spread: Mostly HP some FP
• Weapon: Blasphemous Blade, Gargoyle’s Blackblade, Gargoyle’s Greatsword & Clawmark Seal
• Shield: None
• Armor: Raptor’s Black Feathers and any other Armor that allows medium rolling
• Talismans: Shard of Alexander, Great-Jar’s Arsenal, Claw Talisman, Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman
• Primary Stats: Strength & Faith
• Secondary Stats: Vigor & Endurance
• Skills: Taker’s Flame, Corpse Wax Cutter, Flaming Strike & Sacred Order
• Spells: Golden Vow, Blessing of the Erdtree, Flame, Grant Me Strength, Lightning Spear, Black Flame & Stone of Gurranq

Next up is the Blasphemous Herald build, a fusion of the Blasphemous Beastman and Hellfire Herald builds. This build combines elements of both, utilizing the Blasphemous Blade in a dual greatsword configuration akin to the Hellfire Herald, while incorporating aspects unique to the Blasphemous Beastman. Unlike the Hellfire Herald, however, the Blasphemous Herald integrates the use of the Blasphemous Blade.

The strategy behind this build revolves around wielding the Blasphemous Blade in your right hand, complemented by either the Gargoyle’s Blackblade or the Gargoyle’s Greatsword infused with fire or sacred in your left hand. This setup enables you to execute jump attacks while effectively utilizing the Blasphemous Blade and Taker’s Vow weapon skill when needed. Additionally, you retain the ability to cast incantations using the Clawmark Seal, given the emphasis on strength and faith in this build. With a diverse array of options at your disposal, the Blasphemous Herald offers a potent blend of the strengths found in both its parent builds.

The Blackflame Bushido

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

• Class: Any
• Flask Spread: Mostly HP some FP
• Weapon: Cross-Naginata or Nagakiba & Godslayer’s Seal
• Shield: None
• Armor: White Mask & White Reed Set
• Talismans: Shard of Alexander, Radagon’s Soreseal, Godfrey Icon & Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman
• Primary Stats: Dexterity & Faith
• Secondary Stats: Vigor & Mind
• Skills: Phantom Slash, Sword Dance or Double Slash
• Spells: Golden Vow, Black Flame, Bloodflame Blade, Black Flame Blade, Scouring Black Flame, Black Flame Ritual & Black Flame’s Protection

Now for the Blackflame Bushido build, a natural progression from the Blackflame Apostle setup. The concept here revolves around utilizing either the Cross-Naginata or Nagakiba, both benefiting greatly from Keen Scaling, and allocating attribute points between Dexterity and Faith. By buffing the weapon with enhancements like Black Flame Blade or Bloodflame as needed, and casting spells such as Black Flame using Golden Vow and Scouring Black Flame with the Godslayer’s Seal for augmented effects, this build strikes a balance between melee prowess and spellcasting finesse.

The decision to play this build at level 150 stems from the challenge of efficiently distributing attribute points at lower levels. Attempting to split points between Dexterity and Faith at lower levels would necessitate neglecting vital attributes like Vigor, Mind, and Endurance. Therefore, the build thrives when allowed the flexibility of higher-level play. The gameplay primarily revolves around buffing and casting spells, complemented by devastating techniques like Phantom Slash on the Cross-Naginata or Sword Dance and Double Slash with the Nagakiba, all contributing to a formidable and versatile combat style.

Best New Game+ Builds (Journey 2)

Entering New Game Plus in the captivating world of Elden Ring offers a fresh set of challenges and opportunities. Here, the enemies are tougher, and the stakes are higher, making a well-crafted strategy more critical than ever. Your choice of Faith Builds in New Game Plus can be the key to mastering this advanced stage.

In this portion of the guide, we explore the best Faith Builds for New Game Plus. By now, you have access to the full arsenal of spells and equipment, enabling the creation of exceptionally powerful builds. These strategies will help you navigate the heightened difficulty and tackle the most daunting foes as you continue your journey in Elden Ring.

The Sword Saint

A Dexterity/Faith/Strength Build that focuses on using the Sacred Relic Sword and Wave of Gold.

• Class: Any
• Flask Spread: Split between HP and FP
• Weapon: Sacred Relic Sword, Sword of Milos, and any Sacred Seal
• Shield: None
• Armor: Any Armor with high Poise, the higher the better.
• Talismans: Shard of Alexander, Carian Filigreed Crest, Claw Talisman, & Sacred Scorpion Charm
• Primary Stats: Dexterity & Faith
• Secondary Stats: Strength & Vigor
• Skills: Wave of Gold
• Spells: Golden Vow, Flame, Grant Me Strength & Any other Incantations you want.

The first build in this category is the Sword Saint build, centered around the formidable Sacred Relic Sword and its devastating weapon skill, Wave of Gold. This skill unleashes a powerful AoE wave that deals damage over an extended period, albeit at a high FP cost and not meant for continuous use.

To balance this, the build incorporates the Sword of Milos in the offhand, which grants five FP upon enemy kills. This setup allows for dynamic combat, enabling both dual greatsword jump attacks—an effective tactic for various encounters—and the strategic deployment of Wave of Gold when necessary. Additionally, with points allocated to faith, the build can utilize buffs like Golden Vow or Flame, Grant Me Strength, further enhancing its versatility and lethality on the battlefield.

The Drake Knight

A Strength/Faith Build that focuses on the use of the Magma Wyrm’s Scalesword and its weapon skill Magma Guillotine.

• Class: Any
• Flask Spread: Mostly HP, some FP
• Weapon: Magma Wyrm’s Scalesword & Clawmark Seal
• Shield: None
• Armor: Any Armor that allows you to medium roll
• Talismans: Fire Scorpion Charm, Shard of Alexander, Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman & Carian Filigreed Crest
• Primary Stats: Strength & Faith
• Secondary Stats: Vigor
• Skills: Magma Guillotine
• Spells: Golden Vow, & Flame, Grant Me Strength

Next is the Drake Knight build, a robust combination of Strength and Faith that revolves around wielding the formidable Magma Wyrm’s Scaleword alongside the Clawmark Seal. This setup enables efficient casting of incantations such as Golden Vow or Flame, Grant Me Strength, capitalizing on the build’s Strength/Faith orientation.

The Magma Wyrm’s Scaleword‘s unique blend of physical and fire damage meshes seamlessly with this build, optimizing the devastating potential of Magma Guillotine. This weapon skill is renowned for its sheer lethality, capable of single or double-shotting bosses with chilling efficiency. Whether embarking on a New Game Plus journey or tackling earlier game challenges, this build stands as a formidable force on the battlefield, capable of decimating foes with ease.

The Red Lightning

A Faith Build that focuses on the use of Dragon Cult Incantations that deal Lightning Damage.

• Class: Any
• Flask Spread: Split FP & HP
• Weapon: Erdtree Seal & Gravel Stone Seal
• Shield: None
• Armor: Any Armor that allows you to medium roll.
• Talismans: Lightning Scorpion Charm, Ritual Sword Talisman, Flock’s Canvas Talisman and Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman
• Primary Stats: Faith & Vigor
• Secondary Stats: Mind
• Skills: None
• Spells: Golden Vow, Lightning Strike, Lightning Spear, Lansseax’s Glaive, Frozen Lightning Spear, Ancient Dragons’ Lightning Strike

After that is the Red Lightning build, a dynamic setup centered around harnessing the power of Lightning Spells, including the formidable Red Lightning Spells. With this build, you’ll be unleashing spells such as Golden Vow, Lightning Strike, Lightning Spear, Lansseax’s Glaive, Frozen Lightning Spear, and Ancient Dragon’s Lightning Spear. The core strategy involves casting spells using the Erdtree Seal while holding the Gravelstone Seal in your left hand to augment the damage output of these spells.

By focusing on maximizing Faith, the build excels in spellcasting, allowing you to dispatch foes with lightning-infused fury. Whether it’s sniping enemies from afar with Lightning Strike or Lightning Spear, or unleashing area-of-effect devastation with Lansseax’s Glaive, the build offers a versatile array of spells tailored to various combat scenarios. It’s a thrilling experience for those who relish the role of a lightning-wielding caster on the battlefield.

The Black Blade

A Strength/Faith Build that utilizes Maliketh’s Black Blade and the Black Blade Incantation to optimal effects.

• Class: Any
• Flask Spread: Mostly HP some FP
• Weapon: Maliketh’s Black Blade & Clawmark Seal
• Shield: None
• Armor: Maliketh’s Set or any Armor with high Poise
• Talismans: Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman, Shard of Alexander, Sacred Scorpion Charm & Claw Talisman
• Primary Stats: Strength & Faith
• Secondary Stats: Vigor & Endurance
• Skills: Destined Death
• Spells: Golden Vow, Blessing of the Erdtree & Black Blade

And then the Black Blade build, a personal favorite among my creations and easily one of my top five builds. What sets this build apart is its unparalleled style, revolving around the iconic Maliketh’s Black Blade and its accompanying armor set. To complement this aesthetic, we incorporate the Clawmark Seal, enabling spellcasting prowess. Embracing the essence of a Strength/Faith build, the strategy unfolds in boss encounters.

You initiate the fight by casting the Black Blade incantation from a distance, inflicting initial damage and stripping the boss of 10% of its maximum health. Transitioning seamlessly into close combat, you unleash Destined Death from the sword, further reducing the boss’s health by an additional 20%. Notably, this health loss remains permanent even after the buffs and debuffs wear off, offering a substantial advantage. From there, you engage in standard melee combat, intermittently utilizing the Black Blade incantation from range as needed to maintain pressure on the adversary.

The Pyromancer

A Faith spellcaster Build that only uses Fire Magic to burn enemies to a crisp.

• Class: Any
• Flask Spread: Split HP and FP
• Weapon: Erdtree Seal & Giant’s Seal
• Shield: None
• Armor: Light Armor so you can Light Roll
• Talismans: Godfrey Icon, Fire Scorpion Charm, Ritual Sword Talisman (or Canvas Flock’s Talisman) & Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman
• Primary Stats: Faith & Mind
• Secondary Stats: Vigor
• Skills: None
• Spells: Golden Vow, Flame, Grant Me Strength, Burn, O Flame!, Flame of the Fell God, Flame, Fall Upon Them & Giantsflame Take Thee

Lastly, we discuss the Pyromancer build, arguably one of the most exhilarating playstyles in the game. Renowned for its sheer power and enjoyment, this build revolves around harnessing the might of Fire Giant incantations. However, due to the late acquisition of these spells, the Pyromancer build is tailored for Journey 2 gameplay, requiring a significant investment across one playthrough to amass all necessary components.

The core setup entails wielding the Erdtree Seal in one hand and the Giant’s Seal in the other, capitalizing on a substantial faith attribute. While staples like Golden Vow and Flame, Give Me Strength enhance your arsenal, it’s the devastating fire spells like Burn, O Flame, Flame of the Fell God, Flame, Fall Upon Them, and Giantsflame Take Thee that steal the spotlight, unleashing catastrophic damage upon foes. As you progress through your new game plus journey, acquiring a second Giant Seal further amplifies your fiery onslaught, culminating in a relentless barrage of flames that incinerate everything in your path. Truly, few experiences rival the sheer exhilaration of wielding such immense power.

That concludes my guide on the top 15 faith builds for Elden Ring. While I’ve showcased my personal builds, keep in mind that your own versions may differ slightly based on talismans and stat allocations. However, the core concepts should remain consistent. If you enjoyed this guide and want to see more showcases of different build types we’ve created, please let me know in the comments. I’ve received a lot of positive feedback on recent Elden Ring videos, with many of you expressing enjoyment in exploring various builds. If you think I missed any particularly powerful builds, or have suggestions for future guides, feel free to share your thoughts below.

The post Elden Ring Best 15 Faith Builds – Early and Late Game appeared first on Fextralife.

In this Elden Ring Best Fists and Ranking Guide, we’ll be taking a look at the 9 Fists in Elden Ring and discuss why you might use them in combat. We’ll take a look at attack power, damage type, length, Weapon Skills, and other factors such as how long it takes you to acquire them, to determine if they are best suited for you. We are doing a guide for all Weapon types in Elden Ring, and these will be updated to reflect those added with Shadow of the Erdtree as well.

Fists in Elden Ring:

1. Star Fist
2. Iron Ball
3. Clinging Bone
4. Cipher Pata
5. Grafted Dragon
6. Veteran’s Prosthesis
7. Katar
8. Spiked Caestus
9. Caestus

Best Fists in Elden Ring – Ranked

Fists are one of the 31 Weapon types in Elden Ring, soon to be 39 when Shadow of the Erdtree releases on June 21st. Fists have very fast Attack Speed compared to most weapons in Elden Ring, and they are one of two classes of weapons that always come “paired”, with the other being Claws. This means you can ‘dual wield’ them without having to equip two, which helps with weight management and upgrade materials. The advantage over Claws is that this weapon type has much more Stance Damage with charged Heavy Attacks dealing 30 for Fists, while Claws only do 18. They also vary in damage type, giving you options if you favor one type of damage over another

However, they have lower Attack Rating than just about every other weapon type, and dual wielding to set status effects is not nearly as strong as it used to be. Additionally, their short reach can make you miss many attacks, especially when dual wielding, and they don’t have the higher Critical Rating or as much native status effects as Claws.

PROS

• Fast Attack Speed
• Always ‘Paired”
• Light Weight
• Good Dual Wield Moveset
• Good variety of damage types

CONS

• Low Attack Rating
• Dual Wield Status Effects were nerfed
• Short reach

Caestus – #9 Best Fists in Elden Ring

The Caestus has a unique R2 that strikes repeatedly that it shares with the Spiked Caestus and deals Physical Damage. It is the second lightest Fists in Elden Ring, weighing 1.5, and requires 8 Strength and 8 Dexterity in order to use effectively.

PROS

• Can be acquired early on in Stormveil Castle
• Second lightest Fists
• Lowest requirements of all Fists

CONS

• Tied for shortest length of all Fists, and you really feal the small hitboxes of this weapon

Attack Rating with 100 points distributed optimally into scaling stats:

• Magic – 528
• Fire/Lightning – 524
• Sacred/Flame Art – 520
• Heavy – 488
• Keen – 475
• Cold – 470
• Blood/Poison – 380

Conclusion: The Caestus can be really fun to play if you lean into its rapid attacks. You can acquire it early in Stormveil Castle, it’s very light for a Fist and has the lowest requirements of all Fists. However, it’s in the bottom half of Fists in damage and it has very short reach and small hitboxes that make it easy to miss attacks.

Endure is a solid weapon skill because it allows you to tank through attacks and continue your flurry of blows on the enemy, which can really pump out damage. Quickstep is also not a bad option, allowing you to slide through attacks rather than tank them, but it does reset your combos. The upside is that you don’t get hit as much.

Infusion-wise Magic, Fire/Lightning and Sacred/Flame Art are really not that far apart, and Heavy slightly outperforms Keen, with Cold just behind.

I like to play into the rapid attacks of this weapon, and use Talismans like Winged Sword Insignia and Millicent’s Prosthesis to boost Attack Power when I swing rapidly. Additionally, the Axe Talisman is not a bad choice either, since the heavy attacks of this weapon hit repeatedly allowing you to make the most of the previous Talismans. You will likely want to upgrade to the Spiked Caestus at some point if you like this weapon, since it does more damage and has Bleed Build Up.

Spiked Caestus – #8 Best Fists in Elden Ring

The Spiked Caestus shares the default attacks of most Fists and deals Physical Damage. It is fairly light for Fists in Elden Ring, weighing 2, and requires 8 Strength and 10 Dexterity in order to use effectively.

PROS

• Can be acquired easily from buying it in Caelid
• Light for Fists
• Native Bleed Build Up on hit

CONS

• Tied for shortest length of all Fists

Attack Rating with 100 points distributed optimally into scaling stats:

• Magic – 534
• Fire/Lightning – 529
• Sacred/Flame Art – 527
• Heavy – 493
• Keen – 480
• Cold – 476
• Occult – 450
• Blood/Poison – 385

Conclusion: The Spiked Caestus for all intents and purposes is just a better version of the Caestus. It has slightly higher requirements and weight, but it has a tad more damage and native Bleed Build Up on Hit, which is more than a fair trade off.

Infusion-wise Magic comes in at 534, with Fire/Lightning at 529, and Sacred/Flame Art just behind at 527. Heavy outperforms Keen by a small amount, with Cold just behind. Occult is also not terrible at 450.

Endure is not a bad weapon skill, but I like to change to Lifesteal Fist for this weapon and set to the Occult Affinity. This improves the Bleed Build Up on the weapon as you increase Arcane, while having more Attack Rating than Blood. Additionally, Lifesteal Fist’s damage increases with the Arcane stat, so by adding Arcane Scaling we also improve its damage. Remember that Lifesteal Fist does mostly Magic Damage, so Magic Scorpion Charm and Magic-Shrouding Cracked Tear will increase its damage.

Katar – #7 Best Fists in Elden Ring

The Katar shares the default attacks of most Fists, and deals Physical Damage. It has an average weight for Fists in Elden Ring, weighing 2.5, and requires 8 Strength and 10 Dexterity in order to use effectively.

PROS

• Highest Crit Rating of all Fists (110)
• 1H Charged Heavy Attacks are very quick with this weapon

CONS

• –

Attack Rating with 100 points distributed optimally into scaling stats:

• Magic – 529
• Fire/Lightning – 520
• Sacred/Flame Art – 513
• Keen – 482
• Heavy – 469
• Cold – 467
• Blood/Poison – 383

Conclusion: The Katar has really one claim to fame. It’s the only Fist weapon with 110 Critical Rating, making it more deadly when doing Critical Attacks than other Fist Weapons. It’s also the only Fist weapon that comes with Impaling Thrust (though the Cipher Pata’s Unblockable Blade is virtually the same thing).

Infusion-wise Magic comes in first at 529, with Fire/Lightning at 520, and Sacred/Flame Art at 513. Keen outperforms Heavy by just over a dozen points, with Cold just behind.

I highly recommend making a build that leans into Stance Breaks with this weapon or Block Counters in order to take advantage of the extra Critical Damage of the weapon. This means one-handing it most likely, and using a Shield or Greatshield in the offhand. You can further boost Critical Damage with the Dagger Talisman. If you choose the Fire infusion then you will have high Strength making it easier to use Greatshields for this.

Veteran’s Prosthesis – #6 Best Fists in Elden Ring

The Veteran’s Prosthesis shares the default attacks of most Fists, and deals Physical and Lightning Damage. It is the heaviest Fist weapon in Elden Ring, weighing 4, and requires 15 Strength and 12 Dexterity in order to use effectively.

PROS

• Longest Fist weapon
• 1H Charged Heavy Attacks are very quick with this weapon
• Very High Attack Rating for Fists
• Storm Kick can be deadly

CONS

• Not acquired until very late into the game

Attack Rating with 100 points distributed optimally into scaling stats: 574

Conclusion: The Veteran’s Prosthesis is better than would first appear. It is the longest Fist weapon in Elden Ring, it’s 1H charged heavy attacks are lightning fast, it has very high Attack Rating for Fists, and Storm Kick can be deadly when used properly. However, you cannot get it until near the end of the game in Mountaintops of the Giants, so it’s more of a Journey 2 weapon.

Storm Kick is relatively cheap at 10 FP, and slams your weapon into the ground interrupting enemies and dealing damage in an AoE, and then allows for a follow up attack that costs ZERO FP that does even more damage and leaps forward into the air landing in another damaging AoE.

This skill can take some getting used to, because the follow up attack has a smaller AoE area than you would think, and its easy to miss enemies. However, the damage is good enough for such a cheap weapon skill, and you can often one shot even tough to kill enemies. The first attack deals more Physical Damage, while the follow up deals more Lightning Damage, but both attacks do a mix of the two damage types.

The sweet spot for this weapon is 50 STR and 50 DEX, and you’ll take these both up to 80 in Journey 2, but you won’t get hardly any damage out of them after that, making this worse in Journey 3 than in Journey 2.

I like to use this weapon with a Greatshield and one-hand it for quick attacks, Block Counter Stance Breaks, and to bust out Storm Kick when I need AoE or when facing a tough to kill enemy. Like the Clinging Bone, you can use Assassin’s Cerulean Dagger to replenish FP from Block Counters, allowing you to keep using Storm Kick.

Grafted Dragon – #5 Best Fists in Elden Ring

The Grafted Dragon shares the default attacks of most Fists, then deals Physical and Fire Damage. It has an average weight for a Fist weapon in Elden Ring, weighing 2.5, and requires 20 Strength, 14 Dexterity, and 16 Faith in order to use effectively.

PROS

• Can be acquired somewhat early after defeating Godrick the Grafted
• Deals +10% damage against Dragon type enemies
• Deals +5% damage against Ancient Dragon type enemies
• 1H Charged Heavy Attacks are very quick with this weapon
• Bear Witness can be deadly

CONS

• Tied for shortest length of all Fists
• High requirements for a Fist Weapon
• Not paired like other Fists, but can be dual wielded with other Fists

Attack Rating with 100 points distributed optimally into scaling stats: 532

Conclusion: The Grafted Dragon is actually pretty great for a Fist weapon, but there are some quirks with this one. First of all, it’s not paired like other Fists, so you cannot dual wield two of these unless you acquire a second one in Journey 2 or from another player, though it can be dual wielded with other Fists if you want. If held in the offhand its weapon skill will overwrite the right-hand weapon, just like a Shield would do. It also has high requirements for a Fist, and it is tied for the shortest Fist in Elden Ring.

However, you can get it relatively early on from defeating Godrick the Grafted, it deals extra damage to Dragons and Ancient Dragons, it has very quick charged heavy attacks that can Stance Break easily, and its weapon skill Bear Witness! is quite deadly when used properly.

Bear Witness! crouches the player down and then swings upward with the weapon dealing exclusively Fire Damage that sprays upward and then rains down in an area. The damage of this attack is better than average, the initial squat can duck under attacks, and the fire remains on the ground for some time dealing additional damage. And since it does 100% Fire Damage, Bear Witness! is easily boosted by Fire Scorpion Charm and Fire-Shrouding Cracked Tear. The major downside is that it costs 20 FP, so it’s hard to use often.

The sweet spot for this weapon is around 50 STR with minimum points in DEX and FTH, but the weapon scales well up to 50 DEX and ok up to 50 FTH, with DEX being better damage wise. However, since only FTH affects Bear Witness! you might want to consider adding some points here, especially since 25 FTH will let you cast Golden Vow and Flame, Grant Me Strength, both of which are great for this Build.

I like to use this weapon in my right hand and a Greatshield in my left due to natural STR scaling, and use the Clawmark Seal to cast Incantations as necessary. Block Counters with this weapon typically Stance Break most regular enemies, so you can use this to gain FP back with Assassin’s Cerulean Dagger to fund your Bear Witness! uses!

Cipher Pata – #4 Best Fists in Elden Ring

The Cipher Pata shares the default attacks of most Fists, and deals 100% Holy Damage. It is the lightest Fist weapon in Elden Ring, weighing 0, and requires 30 Faith in order to use effectively.

PROS

• Pure Faith Scaling makes it easy for Incantation Builds to use this weapon
• 100% Holy Damage allows you to buff this weapon with Sacred Scorpion Charm and Holy-Shrouding Cracked Tear easily
• Weighs ZERO, making it easy to maintain a low equip weight and still use it.
• Unblockable Blade goes through shields and cannot be parried
• 1H Charged Heavy Attacks are very quick with this weapon

CONS

• Not acquired until late into the game
• Holy Damage is resisted by many end game bosses

Attack Rating with 100 points distributed optimally into scaling stats: 507

Conclusion: The Cipher Pata is a great weapon for Incantation Builds that have high Faith. Since the weapon requires no other stats but Faith, it’s a natural companion to such Builds. Additionally, it deals 100% Holy Damage making it easy to buff its damage with Sacred Scorpion Charm and Holy-Shrouding Cracked Tear. It also weighs ZERO, making it extremely easy to manage your weight and Unblockable Blade goes through Shields and cannot be parried.

The downsides are that you can’t it until you reach Roundtable Hold in Leyndell Royal Capital, and Holy Damage is resisted by many tough bosses in the game.

Unblockable Blade does a decent amount of damage but it’s not cheap at 17 FP, and doesn’t sweep like the Coded Sword, so it’s only going to strike one enemy for that cost. However, it does 30 Stance Damage which is great, and 1H charged heavy attacks also do 30 Stance Damage with this weapon, so you can Stance Break rather easily with it.

The sweet spot for this weapon is around 50 FTH, only gaining 60 Attack Rating between 50 and 99. However, since you are likely to be using Incantations with this Build, taking FTH up higher is advised. But, this weapon will do worse and worse with every playthrough since it cannot gain much damage.

I like to use this weapon with the Erdtree Seal in order to cast Incantations with very high Faith. Buff with Golden Vow and either 1H or 2H this weapon, which ever you prefer. Sacred Scorpion Charm is great with it, but you may not want to use it if you opt for spells that don’t do Holy Damage.

Clinging Bone – #3 Best Fists in Elden Ring

The Clinging Bone shares the default attacks of most Fists, and deals Physical and Magic Damage. It has a heavy weight for Fists in Elden Ring, weighing 3, and requires 8 Strength, 22 Dexterity and 16 Arcane in order to use effectively.

PROS

• Second longest Fist weapon
• Lifesteal Fist is fantastic on this weapon due to Arcane Scaling and Magic Damage
• 1H Charged Heavy Attacks are very quick with this weapon
• Can be obtained quite early if you know how

CONS

• It can be missed
• High requirements for a Fist weapon

Attack Rating with 100 points distributed optimally into scaling stats: 511

Conclusion: The Clinging Bone weapon seems strange at first glance. It can be missed if you do certain things out of order, and it has strange requirements for a Fist weapon. However, it’s quite long for Fists, its 1H charged heavy attacks are lightning fast, Lifesteal Fist is fantastic, and despite being split damage the vast majority of it is Physical. You can also get it quite quickly if you know how.

Lifesteal Fist can be used to stunlock hard to kill humanish enemies, even going through shields, preventing them from being any challenge whatsoever, even though the damage is average. On top of this, the skill heals you for 30% of your Max Hp, which is absolutely nuts. This allows you to skew your flasks to the FP side, and use this to heal you while defeating enemies easily. There does seem to be a small cooldown though, so you can’t spam it back to back, and does mostly Magic Damage. Additionally, it ducks under many attacks, which makes it easier to use despite its somewhat long wind up, and it triggers Winged Sword Insignia or Millicent’s Prosthesis since each damage tick is considered a “hit”.

The sweet spot for this weapon is around 50ish DEX and 50 ARC, though the weapon scales much better with DEX than ARC, however Arcane increases the damage of Lifesteal Fist, so it’s really up to you which you’re using more. The regular attacks or Lifesteal Fist.

I like to use this weapon one-handed for its fast heavy attacks that stagger enemies easily, using Lifesteal Fist on difficult enemies or when I need healing. You can use a Shield in your offhand for Block Counters since Fists do decent Block Counter Stance Damage, and this can allow you to use Assassin’s Cerulean Dagger to replenish FP to use for Lifesteal Fist. Make sure to use Shard of Alexander to further boost Lifesteal Fist damage, and Ritual Sword Talisman works well with this weapon as well since you tend to stay at full health.

Iron Ball – #2 Best Fists in Elden Ring

The Iron Ball shares the default attacks of most Fists, but has a unique two-handed R2 attack that it shares with the Star Fist, and deals Physical Damage. It has an average weight for Fists in Elden Ring, weighing 2.5, and requires 11 Strength and 8 Dexterity in order to use effectively.

PROS

• Only way to get Braggart’s Roar
• Can be acquired rather early by defeating Blackguard Big Boggart
• Upper half of Attack Rating for Fists

CONS

• Tied for shortest length of all Fists

Attack Rating with 100 points distributed optimally into scaling stats:

• Magic – 543
• Fire/Lightning – 537
• Sacred/Flame Art – 518
• Heavy – 514
• Cold – 500
• Keen – 480
• Blood/Poison – 422

Conclusion: The Iron Ball hits like a truck and is in the upper half of Fists when it comes to Attack Rating. You can acquire it rather quickly by defeating Blackguard Big Boggart, and its only real downside is that it’s tied for shortest Fist in Elden Ring.

Boggart’s Roar is attached to this weapon when you first pick it up, and it increases Physical Damage by 10%, increases damage negation by 10% and increases Stamina Recovery by 20% while changing your Charged Heavy Attack into the same attack that War Cry provides. Roar Medallion and Highland Axe both effect the damage of these attacks.

Infusion-wise Magic comes in first with 543, with Fire/Lightning at 537 and Sacred/Flame Art at 518. Heavy outperforms Keen by 34 Attack Rating, and Cold splits the difference.

I like to use these weapons in a similar manner as the Caestus, focusing on dishing out attacks while either tanking or dodging damage with Endure or Quickstep, while stacking damage buffs from Rotten Winged Sword Insignia and Axe Talisman etc.

Star Fist – #1 Best Fists in Elden Ring

The Star Fist shares the default attacks of most Fists, but has a unique two-handed R2 attack that it shares with the Iron Ball, and deals Physical Damage. It has a heavy weight for Fists in Elden Ring, weighing 3, and requires 12 Strength and 8 Dexterity in order to use effectively.

PROS

• Native Bleed Build Up on hit
• Highest Attack Rating for infuseable Fists

CONS

• Tied for shortest length of all Fists
• Can’t be found until near the end of Leyndell Royal Capital

Attack Rating with 100 points distributed optimally into scaling stats:

• Magic – 560
• Fire/Lightning – 553
• Sacred/Flame Art – 535
• Heavy – 525
• Cold – 518
• Keen – 492
• Occult – 460
• Blood/Poison – 437

Conclusion: The Star Fist operates much the same way as the Iron Ball, except it weighs a little more, it has slightly higher requirements, it has native Bleed Build Up on Hit, and you cannot find it until Leyndell Royal Capital.

Endure is a good weapon skill as it allows you to keep on swinging, ramping up your damage and triggering Hemorrhage with this weapon, but you could use Lifesteal Fist in the same manner I used it with Spiked Caestus for similar reasons.

Infusion-wise Magic comes in first at 560, with Fire/Lightning just behind at 553 and Sacred/Flame Art at 535. Heavy Outperforms Keen by 33 points with Cold splitting the difference.

Either use this weapon with the Occult Affinity and Lifesteal Fist, or use another infusion and go for Stance Breaks with charged heavy attacks that hit like a truck.

If you enjoyed this Fists Ranked Guide, be sure to check out our other Weapon Guides, and also our article on how to Prepare for Shadow of the Erdtree!

The post Best Fists in Elden Ring – Ranking All 9 Fists appeared first on Fextralife.

In this Best Builds for Elden Ring DLC: Shadow of the Erdtree Guide, we’ll dive deeper into what the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC has to offer. Recently, we released a video on how to prepare for this DLC, covering essential information such as how to access the DLC, the steps needed to get there, and the pros and cons of using an existing character versus creating a new one or entering New Game Plus. Additionally, we provided a refresher on the key aspects of the game that you’ll need to unlock to avoid being underprepared when diving into the new content.

Some Insight On The New Power System

First, I want to explore a different approach to preparing for the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. One key detail that wasn’t covered in our recent video—but has been frequently mentioned in the comments—is the new attack power scaling system in the DLC area. While it’s crucial to have a strong build regardless of the attack power system, understanding this new mechanic can give you an edge.

According to a Famitsu interview with Miyazaki, there will be a unique attack power system in the DLC area, similar to the one in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. In Sekiro, defeating bosses and offering their memories at the Sculptor’s Idol increased your attack power, allowing you to deal more damage. The Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is expected to implement a comparable system, where completing specific content will enhance your character’s strength.

Although we don’t have all the specifics yet, and more detailed guides will be released later, it’s important to note that this system aims to provide a fresh experience in Shadow of the Erdtree akin to what players felt when they first played Elden Ring. So, as you prepare for the DLC, keep in mind that progressing through its content will be key to maximizing your character’s potential.

A Familiar Feel

When you first dove into Elden Ring, your character started out weak and directionless. Not all bosses were created equal, and encountering the Tree Sentinel likely resulted in you getting destroyed. Most players, realizing this was a skill check, opted to return later with better gear. Of course, if you’re like me, you might have stubbornly fought for hours until achieving victory. The key takeaway here is that the game’s structure encouraged players to recognize their limitations, seek improvement, and revisit tough challenges.

The Shadow of the Erdtree DLC seems designed to replicate this experience. You might face bosses that overpower you initially, prompting you to boost your attack power through items or progression before attempting the fight again. This approach preserves the exploration and growth elements, preventing you from steamrolling through the DLC with an overpowered build.

In preparation for the DLC, there are strategies to enhance your character’s readiness, beyond what we discussed in the previous video. While specifics about the new attack power system are still hypothetical, understanding and anticipating these mechanics can help you adapt your build effectively. This isn’t a comprehensive guide, but these insights should remain relevant given the core mechanics of Elden Ring, which are unlikely to undergo drastic changes in the DLC.

Theorycrafting The Best Builds For Shadow of the Erdtree

So, the first thing to consider is whether the new system in the DLC will nerf your attack power or if it will enhance it through items or progression. If your current build is overpowered and the DLC doesn’t nerf your attack power, you’ll likely still perform well. However, if it does nerf your attack power, it will level the playing field. For instance, if your attack power of 1000 is reduced to 100 and someone else’s 500 is reduced to 50, the gap between 50 and 100 is much smaller, making all builds more balanced.

If you have an OP build and the DLC doesn’t negatively affect your attack power, you should be fine. However, I suspect that the DLC will include some form of nerf to maintain the intended challenge and exploration experience. If players could simply breeze through with their overpowered builds, the DLC wouldn’t provide the same sense of progression and accomplishment as the base game. Therefore, I believe some form of nerfing will be implemented.

Assuming overpowered Elden Ring builds are nerfed and attack power is equalized, there are still strategies to excel in the DLC. Players who have completed low-level challenge runs can attest to the effectiveness of status effects like bleed, frostbite, poison, and scarlet rot. These status effects are powerful because their damage scales with the enemy’s health rather than your attack power. This means they remain effective even if your attack power is reduced, making them a valuable asset in the DLC.

So, in theory, assuming bleed, frostbite, poison, and scarlet rot mechanics remain unchanged, utilizing builds centered around these status effects could prove advantageous in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. Even if your attack power is reduced, these status effect-focused builds may outperform others that rely solely on attack power. While this isn’t confirmed, it’s worth considering if you aim to enter the DLC with a potent build.

Another factor to consider is stance damage. If the new progression system primarily affects attack power and stance damage remains consistent, focusing on stance damage could be a reliable strategy for DLC builds. Many builds prioritize stance damage and breaks to defeat bosses efficiently. Skills like Square Off, Unsheath, Nebula, Impaling Thrust, Lion’s Claw, Glintblade Phalanx, or spells such as Dragon Maw or Great Blade Phalanx, as well as items like the Stonebarb Cracked Tear, can significantly enhance stance damage, enabling players to stagger bosses quickly and execute critical strikes repeatedly.

Even if your damage is reduced due to a decrease in attack power, maintaining unaffected stance damage could allow you to execute the same effective strategy against bosses. This means that while some builds may suffer from the attack power nerf, those centered around stance damage could remain potent. Moreover, if you combine a stance damage build with status effects like bleed, frostbite, poison, and scarlet rot, you could have a particularly advantageous setup for the DLC. I might consider developing a couple of builds like this before the game’s launch to provide players with optimal setups.

Of course, it’s possible that new information may emerge before the DLC’s release that contradicts this theory. For example, stance damage might also be nerfed, or bosses could have increased resistance to status effects. However, based on current knowledge, it appears that status effects and stance damage should function similarly to how they currently do.

And two other aspects I want to address before concluding this guide. Firstly, let’s talk about holy damage. There’s speculation that holy damage might become a potent type in the land of shadow. Currently, holy damage is often considered one of the weaker damage types in the base game, as many bosses resist it. However, in the DLC, with its theme of shadow and light, holy damage might find redemption. This leads to my last point: if you’re starting a new character for the DLC and aiming for a lower level but still want a strong build, consider the Gargoyle’s Black weapons. These weapons not only deal holy damage but also boast high attack ratings, especially considering their minimal stat requirements.

Now, onto one more thing I forgot to mention earlier: Spirit Ashes. It’s unclear how the new attack power system will affect Spirit Ashes. While not every player uses them, they can be a valuable resource, particularly in challenging situations. Consider assessing your spirit ashes and ensuring they complement your build, as they might come in handy in the DLC.

So that concludes our guide on preparing for Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, set to release in June. Remember, this isn’t a definitive guide, but rather suggestions based on current information. Your thoughts? Do you agree with my reasoning, or is it too early to speculate? Let me know in the comments.

The post Best Builds For Elden Ring DLC: Shadow of the Erdtree appeared first on Fextralife.

In this Elden Ring Builds for Beginners Guide, I’ll introduce you to my top five recommended starter builds for Elden Ring. These builds showcase strength and versatility, each falling into distinct archetypes. We’ll delve into a Paladin-style build, a Mage-focused build, an agile Samurai build, a dual-wielding Bloodblade build, and a heavy-hitting Stormblade build. Whether you prefer wielding magic, mastering the art of the blade, or embracing brute force, there’s a build here for you. So if you’re ready to embark on your journey with a powerful and optimized character, keep reading to discover the perfect build for your playstyle.

Elden Ring Samurai Class Guide – Samurai

A mix of ranged and melee combat, as well as mounted that makes you feel like a proper Samurai while playing Elden Ring, and is wickedly effective.

• Class: Samurai
• Flask Spread: Mostly HP and 1 or 2 FP
• Weapon: Uchigatana and Longbow
• Shield: None
• Armor: Land of Reeds Set
• Primary Stats: Dexterity & Vigor
• Secondary Stats: Endurance & Mind
• Skills: Ash of War: Unsheathe & Ash of War: Mighty Shot
• Spells: None

Elden Ring Samurai Class Guide – Samurai: Overview

The first build we’re going to discuss is the Samurai build, which is arguably the most popular beginner build in Elden Ring. While it may not be the absolute strongest, it is incredibly effective and easy to use right from the start.

To begin, select the Samurai starting class and choose the Golden Seed as your initial gift for an extra Sacred Flask. This simple choice provides a significant advantage early on.

One of the great strengths of the Samurai build is its excellent starting equipment. The Uchigatana is a solid weapon with the powerful Unsheathe skill. Additionally, the Longbow and the Mighty Shot skill offer strong ranged options. This means you don’t need to acquire new equipment immediately to make this build effective.

The bleed effect on the Uchigatana is a major advantage. When you hit an enemy enough times, you trigger the hemorrhage status effect, which removes a large chunk of health based on the enemy’s max health. This is especially useful against bosses with large health pools. To maximize bleed, maintain aggressive attacks to build up the effect quickly, as it dissipates if you pause too long between hits. Typically, aim for one or two bleed triggers in a boss fight.

Unsheathe, the weapon skill of the Uchigatana, is crucial for this build. To use it, either two-hand the weapon or remove the bow from your off-hand. Holding L2 positions your hand on the sword’s sheath, allowing you to execute a horizontal slice with R1 or an overhead slash with R2. The horizontal slice is effective against groups, while the overhead slash deals more damage and stagger, making it ideal for bosses. Each attack consumes FP, with the slice costing 10 FP and the overhead slash 15 FP. Focus on the R2 attack for its higher damage and stagger potential, especially against bosses.

In addition to melee combat, make good use of your bow. Mighty Shot is effective for thinning out enemies from a distance. Early on, you’ll need to craft arrows by purchasing a Crafting Kit and the Nomadic Warrior’s Cookbook from Merchant Kalé found in the Church of Elleh. Use beast bones to craft arrows initially, but switch to buying them later for convenience and higher damage. Upgrading your Uchigatana and bow should be your priority to boost damage output.

If you prefer the bow, consider switching to a Shortbow, which you can buy on the beach. The Shortbow excels in close-range combat, allowing for quick shots while jumping, running, or rolling, unlike the longbow. This flexibility makes it a great choice if you find yourself using the bow more frequently.

For a significant early upgrade, consider acquiring the Nagakiba, one of the best weapons in the game. You can obtain it by defeating an NPC early on, although this will impact his questline. The Nagakiba offers increased damage and range. To add the Unsheathe skill to it, defeat the Teardrop Scarab for the Ash of War and obtain the Whetstone Knife from the Gatefront Ruins. These steps are quick and provide a substantial boost to your build.

In summary, the samurai build is robust and versatile, making it an excellent choice for aggressive playstyles. Enjoy experimenting with this powerful build as you progress through Elden Ring.

Elden Ring Flamberge Build Guide – Stormblade

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

• Class: Any
• Flask Spread: Split FP & HP
• Weapon: Flamberge
• Shield: None
• Armor: Any Armor that allows you to medium roll.
• Talismans: Shard of Alexander, Ritual Sword Talisman, Millicent’s Prosthesis, Carian Filigreed Crest or Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman
• Primary Stats: Dexterity & Vigor
• Secondary Stats: Mind & Endurance
• Skills: Storm Blade
• Spells: Golden Vow, Flame, Grant Me Strength, Electrify Armament & Bloodflame Blade

Elden Ring Flamberge Build Guide – Stormblade: Overview

Next up is the Stormblade build. This build focuses on using a Greatsword and the Ash of War: Stormblade, which not only provides a ranged projectile option but also allows for devastating point-blank attacks by hitting with both the weapon and the projectile simultaneously.

Begin with the Hero class, which has high Strength and almost enough Dexterity to use the Lordsworn’s Greatsword. Alternatively, choose a class that meets the Dexterity requirement and can two-hand the weapon with sufficient Strength. You might need to level up Dexterity once if you start with the Hero class, or choose another class with at least 11 Strength to two-hand the Lordsworn’s Greatsword.

Head to Gatefront Ruins immediately. Avoid unnecessary fights, but feel free to activate Sites of Grace along the way. Pick up the Lordsworn’s Greatsword from the back of the carriage and the Whetstone Knife to enable Ashes of War on your weapons. Farm runes here if you need to upgrade your stats to use the weapon. Next, visit the Warmaster’s Shack and buy the Storm Blade Ash of War. Equip it to your greatsword. This initial setup allows you to start utilizing the Storm Blade skill right away. While the Lordsworn’s Greatsword is good initially, plan to replace it with a superior greatsword as you progress.

Upgrade your greatsword to at least +3 as soon as possible. You can find upgrade materials on Stormhill, where trolls can smash glowing statues to release Smithing Stones, or farm them in the nearby mine.

Storm Blade isn’t powerful enough to one-shot enemies early in the game. Use it to thin out groups or in close-range boss fights. Conserve FP for critical moments, and consider investing points in Mind for a larger FP pool, and Vigor for more health. The initial Storm Blade cast costs 10 FP, while subsequent casts cost 6 FP, making it more efficient to spam in tough situations.

You can apply Fire Grease to your weapon to increase damage. Purchase the Crafting Kit from the Church of Elleh and find the Armorer’s Cookbook near Gatefront Ruins to craft Fire Grease. Gather Root Resin and Smoldering Butterflies near Warmaster’s Shack for crafting materials. Note that the Storm Blade projectile isn’t affected by Fire Grease, but the weapon itself will deal extra fire damage in close combat.

Defeat Alexander early to obtain the Warrior Jar Shard, which boosts Ash of War damage by 10%. While you can get a better version later without killing him, the early boost can be significant. Acquire the Knight Set from Roundtable Hold for 51 poise, preventing stagger from regular attacks while using Storm Blade. Any armor set providing 51 poise will work, but the Knight Set is an accessible option. Upgrade to a better greatsword when possible. Banished Knights in Stormveil Castle drop excellent swords, and the Iron Greatsword is another great option later in the game.

As you level up, align the scaling of your weapon with your highest stat, either Strength or Dexterity, by adjusting the Ash of War. This ensures you maximize your damage output as you progress through the game. This Storm Blade build is powerful from the start and remains effective as you upgrade your gear and stats. It’s ideal for players who enjoy aggressive, high-damage playstyles.

Elden Ring Warrior Class Guide – Bloodblade

A Bleed-focused Build that uses the Bleed Status Effect to continuously rip off huge chunks of enemy health via dual blades.

• Class: Warrior
• Flask Spread: All HP
• Weapon: Scimitar x2
• Shield: Any that can Parry
• Armor: Heaviest you can wear and still Med Roll
• Primary Stats: Vigor & Endurance
• Secondary Stats: Dexterity & Arcane
• Skills: Ash of War: Bloody Slash x2
• Spells: None

Elden Ring Warrior Class Guide – Bloodblade: Overview

The next build is the Bloodblade build, which focuses entirely on bleed buildup to maximize damage output. Unlike the Samurai build, which benefits from bleed occasionally, the Bloodblade is designed to fully exploit this mechanic. To start, I highly recommend selecting the Warrior class, as it begins with dual scimitars, perfect for this build.

When dual-wielding, use R1 to swing the right-hand weapon or L1 to perform a combo attack with both weapons simultaneously. This build focuses on using the L1 combo attacks to maximize the effectiveness of bleed buildup.

The first step is to acquire the Whetstone Knife from the Gatefront Ruins. This item is essential for applying Ashes of War to your weapons. Next, obtain the Ash of War: Bloody Slash by heading south to Fort Haight. There, defeat the knight at the top of the fort to gain this powerful Ash of War. He can be challenging with your initial setup, so wait for his attacks and punish him when he two-hands his sword.

Apply Bloody Slash to your right-hand weapon to enable the bleed effect and use the weapon skill. Next, obtain a Lost Ash of War from the merchant in the southwestern part of the Weeping Peninsula for 3,000 runes. This involves some traveling but minimal combat. Farm runes from regular enemies to afford the purchase.

To access the Roundtable Hold, ride around Stormveil Castle and use the Site of Grace there, prompting Melina to transport you. Alternatively, travel to Caelid or deliberately lose to Margit in Stormveil Castle. At Roundtable Hold, duplicate the Ash of War: Bloody Slash at the blacksmith and apply it to your left-hand weapon, ensuring both weapons have bleed buildup.

Upgrade your weapons early on. Collect free upgrade materials on Stormhill or from caves and merchants. Focus on upgrading both weapons, prioritizing the right-hand weapon to enhance the Bloody Slash damage. In boss fights, this dual bleed setup will significantly deplete their health, thanks to their large health pools.

Consider farming Bandit’s Curved Swords from the Church of Pilgrimage. These swords are some of the strongest curved swords in the game and can increase your base damage. It might take several hours to farm two, but the damage boost is worth the time investment.

Upgrade your armor to achieve at least 51 poise, allowing you to continue attacking without being staggered. The Knight Set from Roundtable Hold is a good early game option. High poise is crucial for this aggressive build, as maintaining bleed buildup requires constant attacks and trading damage with enemies.

Eventually, you can swap out Bloody Slash for another Ash of War with blood infusion if desired. This approach provides a strong foundation for a dual-wield curved sword build focused on bleed buildup, making it highly effective from the early stages of the game.

Elden Ring Strength Faith Build Guide – Perfect Paladin

A Strength/Faith Build that focuses on the use of Block Counters and buffs to slash enemies to pieces.

• Class: Any
• Flask Spread: Mostly HP some FP
• Weapon: Miquellan Knight’s Sword & Clawmark Seal
• Shield: Haligtree Crest Greatshield
• Armor: Haligtree Knight Set and Greathelm
• Talismans: Bull-Goat’s Talisman, Shard of Alexander, Curved Sword Talisman & Sacred Scorpion Charm
• Primary Stats: Strength & Faith
• Secondary Stats: Vigor & Endurance
• Skills: Sacred Blade
• Spells: Golden Vow, Flame, Grant Me Strength, Blessing of the Erdtree

Elden Ring Confessor Class Guide – Paladin: Overview

Next, let’s explore the Perfect Paladin build. This is an excellent choice for beginners, offering tankiness and reliability through block counters and buffs, although it lacks the raw damage of some other starter builds. It uses a seal to cast buffs acquired throughout the game.

For a Paladin build, starting as either a Confessor or a Vagabond is advisable. The Vagabond has superior armor, while the Confessor starts with a seal and some initial spells. Paladins focus heavily on block countering, which is done by holding the block button, letting an enemy hit your shield, and then pressing the heavy attack button to perform a counter. This usually staggers the enemy, allowing for a critical strike, which often finishes them off and provides invincibility frames during the animation.

Begin by obtaining the Whetstone Knife from the Gatefront Ruins to change the Ash of War on your weapon to Sacred Blade. Once you have your horse, head to the Third Church of Marika. From there, go past the Warmaster’s Shack, east along the road, and down the cliffs to find a Teardrop Scarab. Defeating it grants you the Ash of War: Sacred Blade, which you should apply to your weapon, either a broadsword or longsword, depending on your starting class.

Next, farm at the Gatefront Ruins for a good shield, better armor, and a suitable sword. There are three shields to target: the Lordsworn’s Shield, the Gilded Greatshield, and the Brass Shield. The Brass Shield, the best medium shield in terms of guard boost, reduces the stamina drain from blocking. Greatshields like the Lordsworn‘s and Gilded Greatshields cause enemies to bounce off, making block counters easier, though they are heavier and have higher strength requirements. The Lordsworn’s Shield is a great shield with a low strength requirement of 16, making it quickly accessible. It’s heavy and doesn’t offer 100% physical damage resistance, but it’s useful for block counters.

For a sword, the Lordsworn’s Straight Sword is ideal, as it has a 110 critical multiplier compared to the 100 of the broadsword or longsword. Another option is the Noble’s Slender Sword, which has a longer reach and the same critical multiplier but is harder to farm. Farm the knights and warriors in the Gatefront Ruins for better armor, aiming for over 51 poise to prevent interruptions during block counters and Sacred Blade attacks.

Sacred Blade provides a ranged option and buffs your weapon. It’s efficient point-blank as both the blade and projectile can hit the enemy. Although not FP efficient for spamming, it’s useful for rebuffing your weapon. Initially, you can set the infusion to standard or holy. Holy infusion adds more damage, but some early game bosses resist holy damage. Switching to standard infusion before these fights can be beneficial, then switching back to holy afterward.

Confessors start with a Finger Seal, useful for casting incantations. If you need a seal, buy one from the Roundtable Hold vendor. Eventually, switch to the Clawmark Seal, which scales with strength and faith. As you’ll need high strength for a greatshield, this seal will complement your build. Acquire it by defeating the Tibia Mariner boss near the Third Church of Marika, then giving the Deathroot to the Beast Clergyman accessed through a nearby portal.

Before upgrading your gear, ensure you have the desired items to avoid wasting materials. Prioritize upgrading your weapon, then your seal, and finally your shield. Upgrading the shield increases guard boost over time, but initially focus on your weapon and seal to maximize damage and buffs.

Lastly, remember to prioritize acquiring the gear you want before starting the upgrading process to avoid wasting upgrade materials. Ensure you have the Noble’s Slender Sword or Lordsworn’s Greatsword, the Brass Shield or Lordsworn’s Greatshield, and the Clawmark Seal before beginning upgrades. Since you won’t use many incantations early on, hold off on upgrading the finger seal. Instead, focus on upgrading your weapon first, followed by your seal, and then your shield. While upgrading your shield increases guard boost, it’s not essential in the short term compared to weapon and seal upgrades.

By following these steps and prioritizing your gear and upgrades, you’ll set yourself up for success with the Perfect Paladin build, mastering block counters and utilizing buffs to become a formidable force in Elden Ring.

Elden Ring Astrologer Class Guide – Mage

A pure ranged Build that focuses on ranging enemies down from afar, without the need to ever engage in melee combat.

• Class: Astrologer
• Flask Spread: Mostly FP, with 1 or 2 HP
• Weapon: Any Staff, any melee weapon
• Shield: Any 100% Physical Block
• Armor: Any Light Armor
• Primary Stats: Intelligence & Mind
• Secondary Stats: Vigor & Endurance
• Skills: Ash of War: Glintblade Phalanx
• Spells: Glintstone Pebble, Glintstone Arc, Loretta’s Greatbow, Great Glintstone Shard, Carian Slicer, Carian Piercer

Elden Ring Astrologer Class Guide – Mage: Overview

Lastly, let’s delve deeper into the intricacies of the Mage build, a compelling choice for players who prefer a strategic approach to combat, leveraging spells to control the battlefield and dispatch enemies from a distance.

Mages in Elden Ring possess a unique advantage in their ability to maintain distance from adversaries while dealing damage, minimizing the risk of close-quarters combat. This playstyle emphasizes careful positioning and resource management, as mages rely heavily on their FP (Focus Points) to cast spells. Therefore, acquiring the Golden Seed early on to gain an additional flask and prioritizing FP restoration when upgrading flasks are essential strategies for sustaining spellcasting throughout encounters.

The foundation of a mage’s power lies in their spell repertoire, which they gradually expand by rescuing Sorceress Sellen and acquiring additional scrolls. Sorceress Sellen, found in the Waypoint Ruins, serves as the primary source of spells early in the game. Players must navigate through dangerous enemies to reach her, highlighting the importance of preparation and skillful execution in securing valuable resources.

Once armed with spells, mages journey to Caelid to obtain the Meteorite Staff, a formidable weapon with S scaling and no upgrade requirements. This staff serves as the cornerstone of a mage’s offensive capabilities, delivering potent magical attacks without the need for extensive upgrades. Additionally, the Rock Sling spell, located nearby, offers a versatile option for dealing physical damage and staggering resilient foes, complementing the mage’s spell arsenal.

Crafting an effective spell loadout is crucial for success as a mage, balancing offensive spells like Glintstone Pebble and Rock Sling with utility spells such as Glintstone Arc for crowd control. Carian Slicer provides a valuable melee option for close-quarters combat scenarios, ensuring mages can defend themselves effectively when enemies breach their ranged defenses.

To further enhance their spellcasting prowess, mages seek out Memory Stones scattered throughout the world, unlocking additional spell slots to accommodate a broader range of spells. These stones represent significant milestones in a mage’s progression, allowing them to adapt their spell loadout to suit various challenges encountered on their journey.

In summary, the mage build offers a compelling and rewarding playstyle for those who enjoy strategic combat and the thrill of wielding powerful spells. By mastering the art of spellcasting, mages can overcome formidable foes and emerge victorious in the perilous lands of Elden Ring.

As we wrap up our discussion on these five solid early-game builds, it’s worth mentioning that I’ve skipped the nitty-gritty steps to get them rolling. Talismans, those crucial customization bits, haven’t been thoroughly covered because, you start with just one slot, and there’s a ton more to snag as you progress.

I’ve aimed to give you a quick and dirty rundown of each build so you can jump right in and start playing without getting bogged down in the details. As you level up and face tougher challenges, you’ll stumble upon more Talismans and tweak your setup to match your evolving style and needs. If you need more details, I suggest checking the respective guides for these builds.

Follow these pointers, dive into Elden Ring, and embrace the vibe of each build as you navigate through the diverse strategies they offer. So, gear up, hone your skills, and get ready to conquer the wilds of the Lands Between.

As always, let us know if you have questions or other tips in the comments below. We have a ton more builds coming for Elden Ring and Shadow of the Erdtree so stay tuned for those. If you need help finding the spells, items, or equipment in this build, and securing some personal objectives, make sure to check the Elden Ring Map.

The post Best Elden Ring Best Builds For Beginners – Top 5 Early Game Builds appeared first on Fextralife.

In this Elden Ring Best Claws and Ranking Guide, we’ll be taking a look at the 4 Claws in Elden Ring and discuss why you might use them in combat. We’ll take a look at attack power, damage type, length, Weapon Skills, and other factors such as how long it takes you to acquire them, to determine if they are best suited for you. We are doing a guide for all Weapon types in Elden Ring, and these will be updated to reflect those added with Shadow of the Erdtree as well.

Claws in Elden Ring:

1. Bloodhound Claws
2. Hookclaws
3. Venomous Fang
4. Raptor Talons

Best Claws in Elden Ring – Ranked

Claws are one of the 31 Weapon types in Elden Ring, soon to be 39 when Shadow of the Erdtree releases on June 21st. Daggers have very fast Attack Speed compared to most weapons in Elden Ring, and they are one of two classes of weapons that always come “paired”, with the other being Fists. This means you can ‘dual wield’ them without having to equip two, which helps with weight management and upgrade materials. All Claws also have native status effect build up, and 3 of the 4 have 110 Crit Rating.

However, they have lower Attack Rating than just about every other weapon type, and dual wielding to set status effects is not nearly as strong as it used to be. Additionally, their short reach can make you miss many attacks, especially when dual wielding.

PROS

• Fast Attack Speed
• Always ‘Paired”
• Light Weight
• Good Dual Wield Moveset
• Good Crit Rating
• Native Status Effects

CONS

• Low Attack Rating
• Dual Wield Status Effects were nerfed
• Short reach

Raptor Talons – #4 Best Claws in Elden Ring

The Raptor Talons have a unique heavy attack that jumps, then deals Physical Damage. It is the lightest Claw in Elden Ring, weighing 1.5, and requires 6 Strength and 14 Dexterity in order to use effectively.

PROS

• Native Bleed Build Up on hit
• Just shorter than the longest Claws (Hookclaws)
• Increased Jump Attack damage by ~10%

CONS

• Lowest Attack Rating of all Claws

Attack Rating:

• Fire/Lightning – 518
• Magic – 511
• Sacred/Flame Art – 478
• Keen – 469
• Cold – 463
• Heavy – 444
• Occult – 416
• Blood/Poison – 397

Conclusion: The Raptor Talons are the only Claws with an alternate moveset, and their Jump Attack damage is 10% higher than other Claws, assuming the Attack Ratings are the same. They also have native bleed build up like other Claws, but they have the lowest Attack Rating of all Claws in Elden Ring.

Infusion-wise Fire/Lightning comes in first at 518, with Magic in second at 511 and Sacred/Flame Art at 478 Attack Rating. Keen outperforms Heavy 469 to 444, and Cold is just under Keen.

I like to use these weapons in a Jump Attack build to take advantage of the unique properties of the weapon, not unlike my Cold-Blooded Raptor Build, where you use the Claw Talisman, Raptor’s Black Feathers and Royal Knight’s Resolve to buff Jump Attacks. You can also use the Sacrificial Axe in your off-hand to refund FP when you kill enemies if you want.

Venomous Fang – #3 Best Claws in Elden Ring

The Venomous Fang shares the default moveset of most other Claws, and deals Physical Damage. It is the second heaviest Claw in Elden Ring, weighing 2.5, and requires 9 Strength and 9 Dexterity in order to use effectively.

PROS

• Native Poison Build Up on hit (Deadly Poison)
• Lowest Requirements of all Claws
• Highest Attack Rating of all Claws

CONS

• Lowest Crit Rating of all Claws (100)
• Shortest Claws

Attack Rating:

• Magic – 576
• Fire/Lightning – 575
• Sacred/Flame Art – 545
• Keen – 504
• Cold – 504
• Heavy – 498
• Occult – 471
• Blood/Poison – 417

Conclusion: The Venomous Fang might seem great at first glance. It has native Deadly Poison build up, which ticks for more damage than regular poison, but over a much shorter duration. It has the lowest requirements of all Claws and the highest Attack Rating of all Claws. However, they are also the shortest Claws by a lot, and they have the lowest Crit Rating of all Claws. And you really feel the short reach of this weapon compared to others, it is very noticeable.

Infusion-wise Magic and Fire/Lightning are virtually tied at 576/575, with Sacred/Flame Art coming in second at 545. Keen outperforms Heavy 504 to 498, with Cold also at 504 and Occult at 471.

I like to play this weapon with the Blood Infusion, since the Arcane scaling will also impact the Poison Build up on the weapon, and Bleed is typically more useful than Poison, even if it is the deadly variant. Use Endure to tank hits and continue to spam attacks on Bosses setting both Status Effects, and use Rotten Winged Sword Insignia, Lord of Blood’s Exultation and Kindred of Rot’s Exultation for increased Attack Power.

Hookclaws – #2 Best Claws in Elden Ring

The Hookclaws shares the default moveset of most other Claws, and deals Physical Damage. It is one of the lightest Claws in Elden Ring, weighing 2, and requires 8 Strength and 14 Dexterity in order to use effectively.

PROS

• Native Bleed Build Up on hit
• Found pretty early in Stormveil Castle
• One of the lightest Claws
• Longest Claws

CONS

• Second lowest Attack Rating of all Claws

Attack Rating:

• Fire/Lightning – 532
• Magic – 527
• Sacred/Flame Art – 505
• Keen – 477
• Cold – 476
• Heavy – 456
• Occult – 435
• Blood/Poison – 406

Conclusion: The Hookclaws have a lot of things going for them. They are the longest Claws in Elden Ring, they are the second lightest, they have native bleed build up on hit, and you can find them pretty early on in Stormveil Castle. Their only downside is that they deal less damage than all but the Raptor Talons.

Infusion-wise Fire/Lightning comes in first at 532 Attack Rating, with Magic just behind at 527 and Sacred/Flame Art pulling up third at 505. Keen outperforms Heavy, with Cold being virtually tied with Keen.

I like to use this weapon with Flaming Strike set to Flame Art in order to buff both weapons with Fire, further boosting their Attack Rating. This also allows you to cast Incantations effectively due to high Faith, and you can reach 1k+ Attack Power when fully buffed with this setup. The Bleed is just a bonus. Use Talismans like Rotten Winged Sword Insignia, Fire Scorpion Charm and Shard of Alexander to further boost damage. Make sure you have 51 Poise so you can trade damage without interruption.

Bloodhound Claws – #1 Best Claws in Elden Ring

The Bloodhound Claws shares the default moveset of most other Claws, and deals Physical Damage. It is the heaviest Claw in Elden Ring, weighing 3, and requires 10 Strength and 15 Dexterity in order to use effectively.

PROS

• Native Bleed Build Up on hit
• Some damage slips through Shields
• Second highest Attack Rating of all Claws

CONS

• Not found until Volcano Manor
• Second shortest Claws

Attack Rating:

• Fire/Lightning – 549
• Magic – 549
• Sacred/Flame Art – 528
• Cold – 485
• Heavy – 481
• Keen – 480
• Occult – 450
• Blood/Poison – 400

Conclusion: The Bloodhound Claws are the go-to option for those wanting to play a Strength-based Claws Build with native Bleed build up on hit. Some of their damage slips through Shields, and they have the second highest Attack Rating of all Claws. However, they are the second shortest Claws, and you cannot get them until Volcano Manor, which can take awhile.

Infusion-wise Fire/Lightning and Magic are tied for first at 549, with Sacred/Flame Art coming in second at 528. Heavy outperforms Keen by a point, and Cold is ahead of both of them. Occult is also not bad at 450.

I like to play this weapon with the Heavy Infusion, leaning into its decent STR scaling, and buff with Bloodflame Blade to apply extra bleed build up to each Claw. If you use something like Endure, you can tank through hits while swinging rapidly triggering Hemorrhage easily and stacking up Attack Rating through Talismans like Lord of Blood’s Exultation & Rotten Winged Sword Insignia, while also using the Thorny Cracked Tear.

If you enjoyed this Claws Ranked Guide, be sure to check out our other Weapon Guides, and also our article on how to Prepare for Shadow of the Erdtree!

The post Best Claws in Elden Ring – Ranking All 4 Claws appeared first on Fextralife.

In this Elden Ring Reduvia Guide, I’ll be showing you my Red Rogue build. This is an all-game build that can be used from the very beginning of the game using the Reduvia dagger.

Elden Ring Reduvia Build Guide – Red Rogue

In this Elden Ring Build Guide, I’ll be showing you my Reduvia build. This is an all-game Arcane build that takes place after level 150. If you’ve been looking for a dagger build that can consistently hemorrhage any enemy that isn’t immune to blood lose then you might want to check this build out.

• Class: Any
• Flask Spread: Equal Charges
• Weapon:  Reduvia & Dragon Communion Seal
• Shield: Any
• Armor: Any
• Talismans: Bull-Goat’s Talisman, Shard of Alexander, Warrior Jar Shard, Dagger Talisman, Millicent’s Prosthesis, Lord of Blood’s Exultation
• Primary Stats: Arcane
• Secondary Stats: Dexterity
• Skills: Reduvia Blood Blade
• Spells: Golden Vow (optional), Flame, Grant Me Strength (optional)
• Crystal Tear: Greenspill Crystal Tear, Greenburst Crystal Tear, Dexterity-knot Crystal Tear, Thorny Cracked Tear
• Great Runes: Radahn’s Great Rune, Malenia’s Great Rune

We have over 110 Elden Ring Builds now, for all classes and playstyles. This build is recommended for all levels.

Elden Ring Reduvia Build – Gameplay and Equipment

This is a very simple Elden Ring Reduvia Build which is designed to be played from the very beginning of the game. I think it will perform pretty well in Shadow of the Erdtree because of how much Bleed build-up it does per hit. Unless the enemies in the DLC are are bleed immune or bleed-resistant, you’re going to have an easy time with this build.

The general concept of this build is I am using the Reduvia dagger, and increased Arcane once I’ve met the base requirements for it. I pumped Arcane up not only to boost the damage of this weapon and its weapon skill, but also to increase the Bleed build-up that Reduvia as we want to trigger Hemorrhage very quickly. Even though you can increase Dexterity to get more damage, you want to prioritize Arcane for the Bleed build-up.

If you want, you can use something like the Dragon Communion Seal with this weapon. You can use it on your off-hand, maybe put a few points into Faith to cast some spells. I haven’t done that here because I feel like it’s unnecessary, but you can do that if you’d rather have some spellcasting prowess. This would allow you to use buffs and incantations such as Flame, Grant Me Strength and Golden Vow, which are effective with this weapon because it deals 100% physical damage, so you’ll get a lot from those. There are a lot of spells you could use with low Faith using the Dragon Communion Seal, but I didn’t do that in this build because I didn’t need to use them.

What makes the Reduvia an excellent weapon is the Reduvia Blood Blade weapon skill. This shoots out small blood waves that deal physical damage in a short-medium distance. It doesn’t have great range, but it builds up Bleed with each hit. Since patch 1.07, it also connects with the blade if you’re within melee range. You’re going to build Bleed up very quickly, making you trigger Hemorrhage pretty fast. You’re going to outperform dual-wielding Reduvias, or even a Bloodstained Dagger on the other hand, by simply using Reduvia Blood Blade.

An upside to this is that it has some range, even though the range of Reduvia isn’t that great. It’s still good enough that you can start by attacking at range, staying outside an enemy’s reach, then triggering Hemorrhage on them in a lot of cases. If an enemy tends to hop around a lot or if they have a weird-shaped body, you’re going to be able to connect with them even though the dagger has a short reach itself. Also, even if the projectile doesn’t have a lot of damage, it still deals enough damage as a weapon skill.

If you’re worrying about bleed-immune enemies, this Elden Ring Reduvia build performs decently against those types of enemies. I’ve fought the Crucible Knight, Black Blade Kindred, and Putrid Avatar. Even though they took a little bit longer to kill, they’re really not that difficult with this build.

While fighting the Crucible Knight, I used a shield that has Carian Retaliation on it. This makes it easier to parry, then doing a critical strike while having the Dagger Talisman to increase its damage. The critical strike on the Reduvia is 110, so it’s not bad for a dagger. Using this allows you to swap to a shield to do a parry, then swapping back to the dagger to do a critical strike.

As for the Black Blade Kindred, I’m still able to connect the hits with his odd-shaped body, where a lot of short-range weapons have a problem with. I’m also using the Reduvia Blood Blade while fighting the boss, but I’m not triggering blood loss with it. As the boss is hopping around, I’m able to hit it with the projectile of the attack, dealing physical damage, which is a decent damage type against it. I’m still able to deal with this boss relatively easily, even though it takes a little bit longer than some builds. This goes the same for the Putrid Avatar boss fight.

For the armor, this Elden Ring Reduvia build doesn’t have any specific armor piece that’s going to be used. It’s not really important, so I just used armor that looks like a rogue to fit the theme of this build. If you’re playing with a dagger, you should be wearing lightweight armor to be as fast as you can, roll further, which isn’t a bad idea. You’re going to need a considerable amount of stamina with this build, so Endurance is a good attribute to have, making us hit light equip load easier. You can use whatever you want here, but 51 Poise is ideal so that you wouldn’t be interrupted when attacking, because enemies will be staggered briefly when Hemorrhage triggers on them, allowing you to get more attacks.

Elden Ring Red Rogue Build – Talismans

As I mentioned earlier, we want to have 51 Poise. To get that, I’m using the Bull-Goat’s Talisman to get exactly 51 Poise. This isn’t min-maxed, as we’re prioritizing fashion over protection and Poise with this build. I like wearing Bull-Goat’s Talisman because it lets you hit that breakpoint and still wear whatever armor you want. If you’re min-maxing, you would make sure to reach the 51 Poise breakpoint, so you’ll be using another talisman in place of this. You could replace it with something like the Dagger Talisman to increase your critical damage by 17%.

I also have the Shard of Alexander here, or Warrior Jar Shard if you’re in the early game. These talismans will increase the damage of the projectile of Reduvia Blood Blade. Again, this weapon skill does modest damage, but any damage you get out of it is good. You’re going to be spamming it when you’re in point-blank range, you might as well have one of these two talismans.

I’m also using Millicent’s Prosthesis here for additional Dexterity. This weapon has decent Dexterity-scaling, even though it prioritizes Arcane for Bleed build-up. This just gives me that extra Dexterity for damage, plus it gives you more damage if you hit rapidly, which you typically do when you’re spamming point-blank, or if you’re using R1 attacks which attack very quickly.

I have Lord of Blood’s Exultation to further increase my attack power when I trigger Hemorrhage, which happens all the time. You won’t get this one until very far into the game, so this isn’t going to be something you’re using early on in the game. There are other good alternatives for this, like Dagger Talisman to increase your critical damage. You can also use Green Turtle Talisman to give you better stamina recover. You’ll notice that when you’re spamming Reduvia Blood Blade, you always run out of stamina quickly. Being able to regenerate stamina and continue using it will be pretty good.

Elden Ring Reduvia Build – Attributes

The attributes that I have for this Reduvia build are: 50 Vigor, 22 Mind, 30 Endurance, 8 Strength, 25 Dexterity, 16 Intelligence, 7 Faith, and 80 Arcane. You don’t need any Intelligence or Faith for this build. Strength-wise, we just have the minimum requirements for the weapon.

I have 30 Endurance here because this Elden Ring Reduvia build is a stamina-hungry one. This is just enough to keep spamming Reduvia Blood Blade, and also for dodging enemy hits. You could probably increase this to 30-35 to have an easier time managing your stamina.

If you want to go the Dragon Communion Seal route, you’ll probably want to increase Faith to 20-25 in order to use Golden Vow, Flame, Grant Me Strength, and any spells that are usable in that range. However, you will have to pull out some points from Arcane to do that. That isn’t a bad way to play this build, but you will have less Bleed build-up if you take points out of Arcane. As you go higher in NG+, you could just start increasing Faith and use the spells you could cast with that amount of Faith.

Mind isn’t very important, as Reduvia Blood Blade only costs 6 FP per use. When you chain it, it’ll still only cost 6 FP, so you’re not going through a lot of FP with this build. You don’t need a high Mind in order to pull off this build.

Dexterity can be higher than 25, as you’ll probably crank this up in NG+, unless you’re going for the Faith route. You’ll get more damage out of the weapon if you continue with Dexterity. We’re prioritizing Arcane for the Bleed build-up, but Dexterity does comparable damage. You’ll eventually put points into Dexterity in order to get more damage out of the weapon.

Elden Ring Reduvia Build – Final Tips

When it comes to the Flask of Wondrous Physick, you’re going for Greenspill Crystal Tear or Greenburst Crystal Tear in order to not run out of stamina quickly when you’re spamming Reduvia Blood Blade. Greenspill Crystal Tear will give you additional maximum stamina temporarily, while Greenburst Crystal increases your stamina recovery. You’ll be needing stamina not only for Reduvia Blood Blade, but also for dodging and getting parries off, so these two Tears aren’t a bad idea to use.

You could also get extra dexterity from Dexterity-knot Crystal Tear to get more damage, or Thorny Cracked Tear to increase your damage to enemies when striking them repeatedly. These two will give you a little bit more damage, which can be the difference between life and death in a boss fight.

For your Great Rune, I think Radahn’s Great Rune is probably the best one for this, unless you’re going to use Malenia’s Great Rune later on in the game. Radahn’s Great Rune gives you more health, stamina, and FP. This build is very stamina-hungry, so we’ll need all the stamina we can get for this build. We’ll also get that extra HP to trade attacks with enemies and not die, and the FP since we have low Mind. Malenia’s Great Rune gives you health back when you receive damage, so it’ll increase your survivability when taking hits.

That’s it for our Red Rogue Build Guide! As always, let us know if you have questions or other tips in the comments below. We have a ton more builds coming for Elden Ring and Shadow of the Erdtree so stay tuned for those. If you need help finding items, and securing some personal objectives, make sure to check the Elden Ring Map. Happy building!

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