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.