After the last Elden Ring patch, it’s time to decide on the best build for your character. The developers are unlikely to drastically change the balance and redistribute the damage of some abilities, so now is the perfect time to decide on the most effective builds.
Elden Ring is truly a huge and complex role-playing game, with many abilities and weapons. Deciding on the strongest equipment and abilities in the game can sometimes be difficult, this guide should make it easier for you. Here are the best character builds for Elden Ring that have proven themselves in PvE and PvP activities.
These powerful builds will allow you to easily destroy even the strongest opponents, all you need to do is to allocate characteristics correctly, choose weapons, talismans and not to forget about spells. If you don’t like the build or have ideas to improve it, don’t be afraid to experiment, you can always redistribute your stats at Rennala Full Moon in Raya Lucaria Academy with Tear of the Larva.
This guide is designed for an average maximum level of 120-140. If any of the parameters for the character were not specified in the build, there are no requirements to improve them. Remember that the values for Vitality – 60, Intelligence – 55, Fortitude – 32 is a soft limit for these parameters.
Swarm of Flies
- Starting Class: Bandit, Hero;
- Key Characteristics: Strength 24, Sorcery 27.
- Prayer: Swarm of Flies
- Key Characteristics: Blood Lord Triumph, Seal of the Dragon’s Communion.
- Weapon: Sacred Spear of Mogwen (you can take another one with similar characteristics)
This is a relatively new build, which appeared after the release of the patch and the latest balance edits. It is built around the use of the “Swarm of Flies” prayer, which is why it is called that. This prayer itself is a very effective ability that bleeds very quickly and kills very fat opponents in seconds.
You can get the prayer in the Mogwins’ Palace location. From the place of grace “Steep road leading to the palace” you need to cross into the blood lake and move in the direction of the north. “Swarm of flies” will lie in the meschera, which is guarded by two enemies. Then you should get the talisman Triumphant Lord of Blood, which is dropped after the death of the boss Blood Priest Esgar in the Dungeon of Exclusion, the location Catacombs of Leindell. With it you get a 20% attack boost every time someone gets blood loss near you.
The build mainly relies on the Sorcery trait. As a catalyst you should use the Seal of the Dragon’s Communion, which is a reward for killing the Knight of the Outcast in the Grave of the Hero of the Outskirts location.
Keep in mind that Swarm of Flies is a ranged prayer and will not help you much in close combat. The choice of weapons for this build is unlimited, but the most recommended weapon is the Sacred Spear of Mogwyn, which can be obtained by Enya, the Fingers reader after defeating the boss Mog Lord of Blood. This spear is effective with its powerful skill. Any weapon that gains damage from sorcery is a good alternative.
Blood Samurai
- Starting Class: Samurai;
- Key Characteristics: Dexterity 55, Strength 40
- Ashes of War: Seppuku
- Key Characteristics: Blood Lord Triumph, White Mask, Decaying Winged Sword Emblem
- Weapon: Two Uchigatana
Another build for Elden Ring that relies on the bleed effect. In just a few hits with your weapon, an opponent can lose a huge chunk of his health. This effect is very effective against almost all bosses and enemies. For maximum damage from this build you don’t need to upgrade your Sorcery parameter at all, which makes the build quite flexible for dodgers.
The best way to start the game is by choosing the Samurai class, so you’ll already have one katana. The second can be found in the location Dead Catacombs, on the corpse in front of the lever. Having found the necessary weapons, you will need to set them with the Ashes of War – Seppuku. Next, before each difficult battle, try to use the ash’s ability to enhance your attacks. You can get ashes by killing an invisible scarab near a tree near the frozen lake near the Top of the Giants.
To get the most out of the build in talismans you should definitely take the Bloodlord’s Triumph, which can be obtained as a reward for killing the boss Blood Priest Esgar. The talisman increases your attack power by 20% every time a nearby player or enemy receives a loss of blood. This buff is almost always active, as Seppuku initiates a temporary bleed effect after use.
Another important item in this build will be the Emblem of the Decaying Winged Sword. This talisman can be found in the Elfael location, the fulcrum of the Holy Tree, and is given as a reward for Millicent’s storyline if you help her in battle. The talisman boosts your attack power with successive attacks, which is perfect for Utigatan. Finally, the White Mask, which can be obtained by killing a phantom in the Mogwyn Palace. It increases the attack power by 10% for 20 seconds after the bleed effect is triggered on the enemy.
Prophet of Deadly Sin
- Starting Class: Prophet;
- Key Characteristics: Strength 30, Faith 80
- Prayer: Deadly Sin.
- Key Items: Great Shield of the Tree of Erd, Talisman of the Old Lord
- Weapon: Not required.
Another powerful build for Elden Ring that uses prayer as its basis and does not require you to carry your usual weapons. Although it has been weakened since the last update, it still retains high relevance.
Deadly Sin can be found on the rock just south of the place of grace “Heights of the Windmill” in the location Dominula, Windmill Village. You will only be able to pick up the prayer after studying the picture of the “Unflying Bird” (Fortified Manor location). Prayer by itself is not very useful, but in combination with the Great Shield of the Erd Tree reveals all its power. The shield is dropped after killing the paired Tree Guardian bosses.
The build is notable for the fact that you can not use your usual weapons. The build is based on a simple combination: you need to use Deadly Sin, which triggers the burning effect for the next 40 seconds – this activates the skill Great Tree Shield Erd, turning it into a machine gun.
Your damage will depend on your Strength and Faith score, so it’s worth spending your HP points on those stats first. The old lord’s talisman (near the arena with the boss in the location Farrum-Azulah Destruction) will allow you to keep the shield effect for a much longer time.
Mage with Comet Azur
- Starting Class: Astrologer;
- Key Characteristics: Intelligence 80, Dexterity 18, Strength 12
- Magic: Comet Azura, Enchanted Lands
- Key Items: Brilliant Staff of Lusat, Secret Azure Teardrop
- Weapon: Moon Veil
This is one of the strongest builds for mages, allowing you to deal tremendous damage. A battle with even the strongest boss can be over in seconds, but with this build you become extremely vulnerable.
The build is based on the Comet Azura and Enchanted Lands spells. The former allows you to cast a huge blob of pure energy that does a lot of damage, while the latter enhances your spells. You can get the Azur Comet from the Azur Sorcerer, who sits near the boiling river’s end grace area. It will be enough to kill the boss Queen of the Half-Men Maggie or just run through the place. To get the Enchanted Lands you will have to kill the boss Crystalist in the Crystal Cave of the Academy and climb the tower, where in the chest will lie the spell.
In the build it’s a good idea to include Azure Tear, which allows you to avoid wasting your magic. It can be found in the Helmir Volcano location by killing the Plagued Tree Spirit. To maximize damage it’s recommended to use Lusat’s Brilliant Staff – it can be found in the location Sellia, City of Magic, after defeating the paired bosses Swordswoman Knox and Priest Knox you will need to open the chest. It enhances the power of all spells, but consumes extra OK.
As your main weapon you must use the katana, the Moon Veil, which is found in the Gael’s Tunnel location and drops after killing the Magma Serpent boss. This sword perfectly suits your characteristics and allows you to fight effectively in close combat.
When using this build, it is best to use Ashes when fighting bosses, which will distract the enemy from you.
