The Path Through the Lands Between
The Lands Between are riddled with danger and sometimes there are some enemies that feel beyond overwhelming. And honestly? Some of them kind of are. There are bosses that can wipe you out with a single attack, abilities that cause instant death, poisons that eat your character alive, and even swarms of little enemies that can wipe you out just by hitting you all at the same time.
So how do you handle these obstacles in this game? The answer really comes down to one thing, making the best use of your stats and your gear to make a build that you're comfortable with. Builds can be confusing to make and understand but they are the key difference between spending forty hours trying to clear the first boss and speed running like a champ.
Does that make Elden Ring easy? Absolutely not, but it does make it more fun to play. This article is aimed at making the best builds to start the game, before the player gets into the mid game when they reach the Altus Plateau. Most builds found for beginners go somewhere between level 25-50, but for this I have made it up to level 60 to give the players some flexibility for the cautious and those that like to experiment with what really works for them.
What are Builds and What Makes Them Important?
Why are builds important? The easiest way to explain it is that they work together to make the game easier to play. Elden Ring is a game where the enemies are tough and just charging in is rarely the right way to get things done. That's where the builds come in.
Builds are about getting the most out of the tools you as a player have on hand and they make a huge impact on how easy it can be to take down some of the toughest bosses in the game.
10. Archer
Archers are the secret underdog of Elden Ring, wielding a huge number of ways to take the enemy down at range. This build focuses heavily on dexterity, arcane, and intelligence to bring home fast shooting arrows that can be deceptively powerful and flood the enemy with status damage while staying out of the way of their strongest attacks.
Sniping with the Archer
- There are a few ways to play at range in Elden Ring but archery is a staple and it has a better range length than sorcery ranges. That makes this perfect for the player that likes to stay out of enemy range and whittle them down. If you're a player that struggles in hand to hand combat or really just prefers to control the battlefield, then archery is just about the best way that can be done.
- Archers have access to just about any kind of damage that you need, any just about any bow can take advantage of that. Not only that but the archer build can take the buffing skills from just about any other build to pump up that damage. It might not hit the hardest, but it will consistently deal with most enemies.
- Archery runs into some rough points in the mid to late game because it doesn't scale all that well and the weapons require some upgrades to be good again. But that doesn't mean it's not viable. Archers have more than a few buffs that make it plenty stronger if the player needs to add a little to their power.
- Not everything about the builds is just about combat, because different builds have different needs. Any archer build requires a lot of farming to get what they need to build their arsenal and that requires going all over the map in the early game. Archers is one of the first builds that really lets the player explore since you get taken everywhere below the Altus Plateau for your resources.
Build Basics:
Main Hand Weapons:
- Red Branch Shortbow- Red Branch Shortbow is said to be one of the faster light bows, and has a slightly better range but lower attack power than Misbegotten Bow.
- Longbow- The Longbow is one of the earlier bows in the game and can be used for a long while until the player gets up onto the Altus Plateau and Mt. Gelmir for the more diverse bow options.
- Horn Bow- Horn Bow can actually be found pretty early and used to turn the player into a magic based archer.
- Misbegotten Bow- This bow has the stronger attack power for a light bow and makes for great mounted archery playing. It’s worth picking up as soon as the player can get down into the weeping peninsula.
Second Hand Weapons:
- Staff or Seal of choice- These are used to cast incantations and sorceries to aid the player. Sorceries make the staff useful because of the defensive abilities of sorceries like the phalanx spells. Seals add all the buffs to and players which are used to enhance damage.
- Light or Medium shield- Shields make for good extra defensive for archers, and some of them actually have useful status effects like poison or bleed. There’s a few good ones worth picking up in the early game between the regions before the Altus plateau.
*There are plenty of bow options but the best way to figure out how to equip your alternate bow is based on your primary playstyle. If you want to run a faster archer, you want a bow with barrage in your dominant hand. If you're running more of a sniper build, you want a bow with mighty shot or longer range in your dominant hand.
Helm:
- Lazuli Glintstone Crown
- Black Hood
- Mask of Confidence
* All archers have an arrow damage of choice, so any helms should boost the stats that the bows scale with or boost the arrow damage.
Armor:
- Champion Pauldrons
- Bandit Garb
- Land of Reeds Armor
- Blue Cloth Vest
* Armor Should be on the light weight side to make use of some of the talismans that boost damage
Gauntlets:
- Spellblade's Gloves
- Warrior Bracers
- Highwayman Gauntlets
- Land of Reed Gauntlets
- Warrior Gauntlets
* All gear should be as lightweight as possible to trigger good effects on talismans or make it easier to dodge attacks.
Greaves:
- Land of Reeds Greaves
- Champion Gaiters
- Warrior Greaves
Talismans:
Arrows Reach Talisman
- Arrow's Sting Talisman
- Perfect sword stance talisman
- Radagons soreseal
- Warrior Jar Shard
- Winged Sword Insignia
- Blue Dancer's Charm
Stats:
- 20-25 Vigor
- 13-18 Mind
- 20-25 Endurance
- 11-25 Strength
- 16-25 Dexterity
- 12-18 Intelligence
- 8-12 Faith
- 14-20 Arcane
Credits for this Build Inspiration:
Fextralife Beginner Archer
http://fextralife.com/elden-ring-bandit-build-archer-guide-for-beginners/
Magic Marksman by Fextralife
http://fextralife.com/elden-ring-horn-bow-build-guide-magic-archer/
Master Archer early build by RPG Division
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gr3_-8h6UkA
9. Rogue/Assassin
Assassins are one of the most carefully crafted builds out there, and they're meant to make sure that even an unlucky hit still does lingering damage to the enemy. This play style focuses on using debuffs on enemies more than it does anything else, limiting enemy sight, defenses, and making them vulnerable to fast crit damage or status effects.
For all intents and purposes, this is your generic status buildup or status damage dealing builds, and it functions as close to a rogue as you can get. The playstyle also reflects this, using stealth to deal with lower enemies or to find a way to deal critical damage. There are plenty of status effects in the game, as well as elemental damage, so really the player gets to pick and choose how they want to approach their battles, in the most assassin way that they can.
Killing from the Shadows
- This build is just as much about weakening the enemy as anything else, so the player ends up focusing on their ways to inflict status damage fast.
- This build focuses very heavily on arcane, dexterity, and faith for making most of its skills work. That means that it's very easy to cross over into a more direct offensive play style later in the game as more interesting weapons open up.
- Any build that really focuses on finesse requires trying to find good weapons that suit them. Most of the builds require exploring some, but being able to unlock a lot of the map early on can be useful for a player.
- This is actually one of the fastest build styles in the game because it focuses on how quick the player can get in and do damage before they get hit and wiped out. It might not be the best for boss fights, but against enemy encampments and PvP, this build has a lot of skills that can shut down other players pretty fast
Build Basics:
Main Hand Weapons:
- Serpent Bow
- Estoc
- Grave Scythe
- Winged Scythe
* Just about any sword or weapon is good for this build, so long as it is light and swings fast. Weapons that can be enchanted need to take less time to swing in order to get away from strong enemy attacks.
Second Hand Weapons:
- Serpent Bow
- Finger Seal
- Gravel Stone Seal
- Reduvia's Dagger
* Weapons for the secondary hand are usually going to be some kind of seal, bow, or extra buff weapon based on the type of damage
Helm:
- Champion Headband
- Confessor Hood
- Mask of Confidence
- Mushroom Crown
- Sage Hood
* The purpose of the armor is to keep the weight as low as possible while also boosting whatever stats you might be low on for your version of play. Arcane, Dexterity, and Faith are the best stats to boost when considering good headgear.
Armor:
- Champion's Pauldrons
- Blue Cloth Vest
Gauntlets:
- Champion's Bracers
- Land of Reeds Gauntlets
* The best weight ratio for gauntlets should be under 3 lbs if possible. There aren't too many good sets that are lightweight and give you good defensive stats, but for gauntlets it's okay to lose a bit as long as poise is high and the weight is low elsewhere.
Greaves:
- Champions Gaiters
- Bandit Boots
- Confessor Boots
* The ideal weight for boots should usually fall under 5lbs for the player weight ratios. Keeping it as close to light weight as possible is good, but the player needs to at least be able to med roll to avoid strong enemy hits.
Talismans:
- Radagons Scarseal
- Marika's Scarseal
- Dagger Talisman
- Claw Talisman
- Arrow's Sting Talisman
- Crepus's Vial
- Radagon Icon
Required Spells:
- Darkness
- Rancorcall
- Tibia's Summons
- Poison Mist
- Bloodflame Blade
- Assassin's Approach
Extra Gear:
- Arrows of choice
- Spirit Ashes of choice
- Pots of Choice
- Poison Darts
- Bloodbone Darts
Stats:
- 15-20 Mind
- 12-15 Vigor
- 14-20 Endurance
- 12-17 Strength
- 20-25 Dexterity
- 15-19 Intelligence
- 20-30 Faith
- 20-27 Arcane
Credits to this Build Inspiration:
Fextralife Red Rogue all game build:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVxJiNrjNmg
Fextralife Bloodblade beginner build:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7BpQXdgx7M
Thief from Nothing by Brunaulf
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDDGrWizRE8
8. Sword Sage
Sword Sage is the build made for the weapon and given some extra flair. It used to be much more powerful with the death sorceries, but these got pretty quickly reduced and now they really only serve for stagger damage. But that doesn't mean that this build is out of the running just yet because it is made for the powerful weapons that it uses.
This build isn't just good for the weapon but also because it's a build that scales and keeps getting better as the player gets farther in the game. By late game this jumps up to one of the strongest builds that a player can use. The reason for the early game value is that it can put even the strongest enemies down for a critical strike, and the fact that it's a glorified spellblade build.
The Spellblade’s Power
- If you really want to call it that, this is an elitist build for players who prefer to have powerful weapons handed to them and it works. There isn't too terribly much that goes into this build, but
- Death abilities were nerfed pretty hard and the attacks don't really do much in the early game. But that doesn't mean that they are useless. They focus on staggering the enemy and then leaving them wide open for critical hits from your stronger sword damages.
- This build gives the player access to a lot of spells that they wouldn't have access to without pumping a lot of points into becoming a mage. The first attack is essentially a dragon breath skill and it works great for an AOE. Having access to comet azur makes the build even better because it gives the player a stick with powerful sorceries any time they need.
- This build may not start out as the strongest, but it can become an all-game build pretty quickly once a lot of stats are put into it later on.
Build Basics:
Main Hand Weapons:
- Sword of Night and Flame
- Moonveil Katana
Second Hand Weapons:
- Meteorite Staff
- Academy Glintstone Staff
Helm:
- Spellblades Pointed Hat
- Greathood
- Hierodas Glintstone Crown
- Karolos glintstone crown-
- Lazuli Glintstone Crown
*Most of the helms are meant to be used to increase the stats in some way in the player’s favor. Intelligence and dexterity buffs are both a major plus since both are good for sorceries and casting speed.
Armor:
- Land of Reeds Armor
- Spellblades Traveling Attire
- Blue Cloth Vest
- Tree-and-Beast Surcoat
*Armor in this build is usually a balance between speed and protection. There's a fine line between being too lightweight and
Gauntlets:
- Land of Reeds Gauntlet
- Spellblade Gloves
- Champion Gauntlets
- Fire Monk Gauntlets
Greaves:
- Spellblade Trousers
- Sage Trousers
- Champion Gaiters
Talismans:
- Radagon icon
- Marika's Scarseal
- Carian Filigreed Crest
- Green Turtle Talisman
Required Spells:
- Rancorcall
- Ancient Rancor Call
- Loretta's Greatbow
- Glintblade Phalanx
Extra Gear:
- Twinsage Sorcerer Ashes
- Glintstone Sorcerer Ashes
- Firebone Arrows/Fire Arrows
- Magicbone Arrows
- Stormwing bone Arrows
Stats:
This build needs points in Dexterity, Faith, and Intelligence for the Sword of Night and Flame as well as the Moonveil Katana. Other than that, it's good to power up the strongest spells you can get in this and make your character as fast as possible.
- 20-25 Vigor
- 21-25 Mind
- 12-15 Strength
- 12-20 Dexterity
- 24-32 Faith
- 24-37 Intelligence
Credits for this Build Inspiration:
Sword Sage by Fextralife
http://fextralife.com/elden-ring-sword-of-night-and-flame-build-guide-the-sword-sage/
Beginner Spellblade by Fextralife
http://fextralife.com/elden-ring-prisoner-build-spellblade-guide-for-beginners/
Carian Knight by Nizar GG
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kc72udUgiX8
7. Glintstone Ranger
There are plenty of players that love archery in the game but know that archery is one of the hardest play styles to pull off. But it gets a lot easier when magic is added. The Glintstone Ranger is a build that gives the player three ways to approach the situation, archery, magic, and devastating magic sword techniques when the opponent gets too close.
The Sorcerous Sniper
- This build is another specialty build that focuses on a blend of magic and archery to take the enemy down. It's also incredibly balanced because unlike the archer and the mage builds, it does quickly build into close
- Archery and Magic both have their ways of doing a fair amount of damage but they can combine to deal nearly as much damage as greatswords or colossal weapons in the early game. Some of it boils down to hacks, but the rest of it is ways to power up the player and keep them charged up.
- Intelligence and Dexterity are the two big stats for this build, and both of them are pretty useful if the player wants to swap over styles later. It also sets the player up pretty easily to make a stronger spellblade build or something with more offensive power added to it.
- One of the big parts of this build is to set up your defenses and your place to attack carefully. There are spells like Terra Magica that buff the damage, but they also mean standing still. Believe it or not there are more than enough stagger abilities in the retaliation and phalanx sorceries for the player to be able to unbalance their opponents and take them out quickly if possible.
Build Basics:
Main Hand Weapons:
- Horn Bow
- Sword of Night and Flame
- Moonveil Katana
- Estoc
*This build is about archery and sorcery, but it never hurts to have a powerful magic sword or a good weapon to handle the close in attacks. I usually have a sword like the Moonveil Katana on standby so that I can switch over in case I have to deal with a more aggressive enemy that is closing my range or staying in my zone more than I would like. Having a weapon with good stagger ability is also valuable because it means the ability to get in critical damage or get to a safe range again.
Second Hand Weapons:
- Carian Glintblade Staff
- Demi-Human Queen's Staff
- Misbegotten Bow
Helm:
- Spellblade's Pointed Hat
- Greathood
- Haima Glintstone Crown
- Hierodas Glintstone Crown
- Lazuli Glintstone Crown
Armor:
- Spellblade's Traveling Attire
Gauntlets:
- Spellblades's Gloves
Greaves:
- Spellblade's Trousers
Talismans:
- Arrows Reach Talisman
- Arrows Sting Talisman
- Magic Scorpion Charm
- Green Turtle Talisman
- Carian Filigreed Crest
- Radagon's Sign
Required Spells:
- Carian Slicer
- Carian Phalanx
- Loretta's Greatbow
- Ash of War: Barrage
- Ash of War: Mighty Shot
- Ash of War: Rain of Arrows
Extra Gear:
- Magicbone Arrows
- Dwelling Arrows
Stats:
Dexterity is important for this build because of the bow and Intelligence is vital for sorceries. Running both are going to give this some of the hardest hitting combos in archery, and it switches over to a powerful spellblade alternative too. I also recommend putting a little extra into Endurance because that gives a defense buff but also adds stamina to the player for taking more special shots and using heavier attacks.
- 20-25 Vigor
- 15-22 Mind
- 14-20 Endurance
- 11-20 Strength
- 20-30 Dexterity
- 18-30 Intelligence
- 20-30 Faith
- 14-20 Arcane
Credits for this Build Inspiration:
Magic Marksman by Fextralife
http://fextralife.com/elden-ring-horn-bow-build-guide-magic-archer/
Glintstone Archer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRKNwKL9ZzU&t=104s
6. Barbarian
The barbarian class is simple, find the biggest weapon possible and hit your enemy really, really hard. This play style is meant to buff up as much damage as possible to go into a few strong hits that can put the enemy down before they even have a chance to do anything. Charge attacks are popular with this build, letting the player sweep the field for any opponent that gets too close or deal that extra damage that gets the job done.
The Beat Down Build
- For all intents and purposes this is technically the strongest of the builds because it's easy to see hits over 1000 damage at the onset of the game. That's early in the game, so from the very beginning that means that hard bosses can get wiped out with the most basic big weapons in the game. It's not elegant, but it is one of the most destructive builds early on.
- This build is actually a little bit easier for speed runs than other builds because it's pretty straight to the point. You don't really need anything extra aside from the swords and the ways to power your hits up. Having to not focus too much on gear except what you collect as you go makes for an easy way to be a speedrunner.
- This is probably one of the easiest builds to start off in the starting area just because of the types of enemies that you can find. There are trolls in several locations and an abundance of early game armor that has solid stats and defenses. There may be less demand for exploration, but that does mean that it has more accessibility.
- This is one of the most straightforward builds there is and that makes it easy to pick up for a lot of players. I love my dexterity builds just fine, but even I keep a big beater style build floating around in my inventory if I ever run into a boss that my range doesn't work on or I'm just not nimble enough to avoid when they attack.
Build Basics:
Main Hand Weapons:
- Colossal sword
- Troll Sword
- Zweihander
- Greatsword
* Any Colossal Weapon or larger weapon is good for this build because it's meant to deal as much damage as possible in as few hits as possible.
Second Hand Weapons:
- Finger Seal
- Dragon Communion Seal
Helm:
- Banished Knight Helm
- Black Wolf Mask
- Blue Cloth Cowl
- Carian Knight Helm
- Champion Headband
- Haima Glintstone Crown
* There aren't a lot of early game helms that give you a major buff in any kind of way, and even fewer that buff stats like poise or strength. So it's best to go with what gives you the best defensive abilities without weighing you down too much.
Armor:
- Banished Knight Armor
- Blue Cloth Vest
- Carian Knight Armor
- Cuckoo Surcoat
- Exile Armor
- Tree-and-Beast Surcoat
*Armor is one of the best poise stat pieces there is, so these are a few found in the earliest parts of the game that the player can get to easily enough. Armor is really about the finesse, meaning a balance of the gear you want with the weight you want. In some cases it's easier to sacrifice a little in the legs or hands to get a better piece of armor that might be slightly heavier.
Gauntlets:
- Banished Knight Gauntlets
- Cuckoo Knight Gauntlets
- Exile Gauntlets
- Mausoleum Knight Gauntlets
- Godrick Knight Gauntlets
* The key for Barbarian gear is to have the most protective gear possible while being able to medium roll. The other trick is you're looking for the gear that gives you the best poise. Keep these two factors in mind when picking out your gloves.
Greaves:
- Bandit Boots
- Astrologer Trousers
- Banished Knight Greaves
- Carian Knight Greaves
- Exile Greaves
- Fire Monk Greaves
- Godrick Knight Greaves
Talismans:
- Green turtle talisman
- Axe Talisman
- Roar Talisman
- Claw Talisman
- Hammer Talisman
Extra Gear:
- Grease of choice
Stats:
Strength is the big stat for this build because it is mandatory for any big weapon or colossal weapon build. Other than that Endurance is the other big stat because stamina and a higher carry weight is the most important thing for equipping the best heavy armor you can in this build.
- 25-28 Vigor
- 8-12 Mind
- 22-28 Endurance
- 30-35 Strength
- 11-15 Dexterity
- 7-10 Intelligence
- 8-10 Faith
- 10-18 Arcane
Credits for this Build Inspiration:
Barbarian Beginner Guide by Fextralife
http://fextralife.com/elden-ring-barbarian-build-guide-hero-build-for-beginners/
Colossal Knight by Fextralife
http://fextralife.com/elden-ring-greatsword-build-guide-colossal-knight/
Elden Ring Barbarian Guide by Everyday Engineer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKgIhyP78yk
Strength Hero Build by Nizar GG
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzIZBTmsBHg
Elden Ring Barbarian Guide by Mike Hero
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhaJLct2grs
5. Mage
Every fantasy RPG has some kind of spellcaster and that includes Elden Ring. Sorceries in this game are well rounded, and there are plenty of options later in the game to make this build stronger and more efficient throughout play. This build usually ends up as the starter for Spellblade builds, which mix it up between ranged attacks at a distance to weaken the enemy, then magic sword spells to take out lots of damage at close range.
Magical Mayhem
- Magic is one of the harder hitting styles in the game and it can deal a lot of damage really fast. Plenty of enemies seem to also be weak to magic builds and can be wiped out pretty easily.
- Just like Skyrim, the Lands Between even has its own magic academy and there are more than just a few spells that a player can learn that get upgrades later in the game. This may not seem relevant, but having a style that a player is nostalgic towards means that they can usually pick it up pretty easily. So it's nice that this is one that can be accessed early in the game instead of having to wait until the midgame just to even try and start getting the gear and the skills the player needs.
- Magic builds can be carried throughout the game, and only get stronger. This build usually ends up with something like freezing damage lager on, plenty of spirit ashes to buff the player, and even mixes with paladins for late game builds
- Mages are built of preference, because there's the all range sorcerers and the battle mages. This style tends to favor a mix of both but it can easily be tailored towards range or proximity by the time the player gets to the mid game.
Build Basics:
Main Hand Weapons:
- Academy Glintstone Staff
- Carian Glintstone Staff
- Demi-Human Queen's Staff
- Estoc
- Rapier
*Really any of the fencing swords or faster curved swords work. These will be used with skills like Scholar's Armament.
Second Hand Weapons:
- Brass Shield
- Blue and Gold Kite Shield
- Secondary Staff of choice
*Really any medium size shield is good for this build, as long as the weight isn't going to affect the player's ability to jump or dodge.
Helm:
- Haima Glintstone Crown
- Spellblade's Pointed Hat
Armor:
- Astrologer Robes
- Sage Robes
- Blue Cloth Vest
- Battlemage Robes
- Spellblade's Traveling Attire
Gauntlets:
- Battlemage Manchettes
- Spellblade's Gloves
Greaves:
- Battlemage Legwraps
- Spellblade's Trousers
Talismans:
- Graven-School Talisman
- Green Turtle Talisman
- Radagon Icon
- Stargazer Heirloom
- Winged Sword Insignia
- Magic Scorpion Charm
- Assassin's Cerulean Dagger
Required Spells:
- Glintstone Pebble
- Carian Slicer
- Carian Greatsword
- Loretta's Greatbow
- Carian Phalanx
Stats:
Intelligence is the most important stat for casting spells fast and strong so it's the most important stat for this build. Mind is important for the same reason because it means more FP for spell casting. As long as those two are fairly high, you can usually stay at range to wipe out your enemies however you want to.
- 20-22 Vigor
- 20-25 Mind
- 14-18 Endurance
- 12-15 Strength
- 18-22 Dexterity
- 33-35 Intelligence
- 6-10 Faith
- 9-12 Arcane
Credits for this Build Inspiration:
Mage Guide for Astrologer Class by Fextralife
http://fextralife.com/elden-ring-mage-build-guide-astrologer-for-beginners/
Sorcerer Guide by Fextralife
http://fextralife.com/elden-ring-sorcerer-build-guide-level-50-intelligence-build/
Magus Guide by Fextralife
http://fextralife.com/elden-ring-dexterity-intelligence-build-guide-magus/
Astrologer Beginner Build by Three Minute Gaming
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isTyBJPnfck
Early Game Mage by Nizar GG
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFDotdxx54Q
4. Dragon Priest/Pyromancer
Fire is one of the most popular elemental builds in the game and it's pretty strong all the way through the game, with more than a few ways to play it. One of the most popular though is the Dragon Priest pyromancer, which uses powerful fire spells and a number of AOE abilities that can take out enemies left and right.
The Flames of Power:
- Most of the early starting classes for this build start out with a pretty high faith stat, and keep on cranking it higher. That means that there are a lot of open builds that this can fold into later. I usually like adding flaming swords later in the game and blending it into a dragon paladin type mix, giving me a sword and board tank that lays waste with the breath attacks.
- Breath attacks are pretty strong in general, and that's even more the case in the early game. They also can take out a horde of enemies like in front of Stormveil castle, clearing the way where other builds tend to falter or have to learn to navigate their way through an area.
- Even your torch is a weapon with this build and that means plenty of early game resources that don't really get used as much in other builds. There doesn't seem like a lot of benefit to that, but being able to spit fire from your torch can be a fun gimmick and gives the player one more breath attack even when their magic is starting to drop lower than they'd like.
- There are a lot of dragons that can be taken out in this game and they all have their own unique breath attacks or have upgrades to the early attacks. Most of those attacks are either stronger versions of the early game which means it carries well, or they give you new options to try.
Primary Build Loadout:
Main Hand Weapons:
- Sacred Order Seal
- Dragon Communion Seal
Second Hand Weapons:
- Brass Shield
- Lordsworn Straight Sword
- Steel Wire Torch
- Sword of Night and Flame
Helm:
- Navy Hood
- Sage Hood
- Banished Knight Helm
* There aren't a lot of helms in the early game that really get out there for boosting faith, so it's really about what other stats you need to buff to make this build more yours.
Armor:
- Commoner's Garb
- Exile Armor
- Fire Monk Armor
Gauntlets:
- Exile Gauntlets
- Fire Monk Gauntlets
- Warrior Gauntlets
- Battlemage Manchettes
Greaves:
- Battlemage Wraps
- Exile Greaves
Talismans:
- Filigreed Carian Crest
- Radagon Icon
- Erdtree's Favor
- Green Turtle Talisman
Required Spells:
- Flame Grant Me Strength
- Dragonfire
- Agheel's Flame
- Dragonice
- O, Flame!
Extra Gear:
- Fire Pots
Stats:
Faith and Mind are always going to be the highest stats for this build because you need a lot of FP and as much pumped into spell quality as possible. I also like to put some extra into my endurance because I usually need to be able to take more hits with close range spell builds. But as long as you get the most out of the dragon attacks, you don't really need to focus on much else.
- 18-22 Vigor
- 25-35 Mind
- 12-21 Endurance
- 15-24 Strength
- 15-19 Dexterity
- 12-20 Intelligence
- 22-30 Faith
- 12-20 Arcane
Credits for this Build Inspiration:
Dragon priest by Fextralife
http://fextralife.com/elden-ring-dragon-priest-guide-prophet-build-for-beginners/
Black Flame Apostle by Fextralife
http://fextralife.com/elden-ring-black-flame-build-guide-black-flame-apostle/
Dragon Priest Early Build by Nizar GG
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QotZocozj4E
Early Game Prophet Faith Build by RPG Labs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ye5ESgLGfjw
Faith Prophet Beginner Guide by cRPG Bro
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxB4VGKw1jg
3. Berserker
Berserker is one of the strengths builds that starts out with large swords, dual wielding, and trying to make each hit hurt as much as possible. There actually isn't too much difference between a berserker and a barbarian build when you really get into it except that the berserker dual wields and is a faster slightly more aggressive build in my opinion.
The goal for the Berserker is pretty simple, hit hard, hit fast, and then hit to last. So, what makes it different from the Barbarian? Mostly speed and the fact that this has a bit more customization to it. But the Berserker can deliver two or three more hits per attack sequence. It may not be as strong per hit, but when you can get three or four hits for every one, the damage builds up faster and can be a bit more mobile.
The Berserker Battle
- Dual Wielding is one of the faster play styles in the game and that's just good. It may not be easy to play, but it is enough to take out most of the more frustrating enemies. There are a lot of enemies I really don't want to give the chance to take a whack at me, so not feeling like a sitting duck with a colossal weapon makes this more my preference.
- Elemental damage can be added very quickly to this build to give it extra damage. Personally, I like adding lightning to this build just because it is one of the less defended against elemental damages in the game. But it really depends on how you want to play and enchantments and affinities can be changed at any time.
- Dual wielding isn't just fast, it's also useful in a majority of the later builds. Learning how to master the dual wield as a Berserker not only lets you play into heavy hitting styles like the barbarian, but it also opens up the blood warrior builds in the later games and gives the player plenty of comfort in this kind of play.
- This is a style for the blitz player who likes dealing as much damage per swing as possible while also swinging as fast as possible. There are a lot of jump attacks and this is probably the best build to just charge straight into any situation and assume that the enemy won't kill you before you break them.
Primary Build Loadout:
Main Hand Weapons:
- Zweihander
- Lordsworn Greatsword
- Bloodhounds Fang
Second Hand Weapons:
- Claymore
- Banished Knight's Greatsword
Helm:
- Banished Knight Helm
- Black Wolf Mask
- Blue Cloth Cowl
- Carian Knight Helm
- Champion Headband
- Haima Glintstone Crown
Armor:
- Banished Knight Armor
- Blue Cloth Vest
- Carian Knight Armor
- Cuckoo Surcoat
- Exile Armor
- Tree-and-Beast Surcoat
Gauntlets:
- Banished Knight Gauntlets
- Cuckoo Knight Gauntlets
- Exile Gauntlets
- Mausoleum Knight Gauntlets
- Godrick Knight Gauntlets
Greaves:
- Banished Knight Greaves
- Carian Knight Greaves
- Exile Greaves
- Fire Monk Greaves
- Godrick Knight Greaves
Talismans:
- Claw Talismans
- Erdtree's Favor
Required Spells:
- Bloodflame Blade
Extra Gear:
- Grease of choice
- Spirit Ash Allies
*Most berserker builds are pretty tank heavy, and try to end the fight fast but that doesn't mean sometimes a little extra firepower isn't needed to even out a hard fight. It never hurts to add grease, or spirit ashes into the mix.
Stats:
- 20-24 Vigor
- 10-15 Mind
- 20-25 Endurance
- 18-27 Strength
- 14-25 Dexterity
- 8-11 Intelligence
- 8-11 Faith
- 6-10 Arcane
*Berserker builds are just like Barbarian builds in a lot of ways, but they usually lean a little more towards a balance of strength and dexterity to dual wield effectively. It's important to look at how your favorite weapons scale in order to make the build fit better to you as a player.
Credits for Build Inspiration:
Champion Guide by Fextralife
http://fextralife.com/elden-ring-dual-greatswords-build-guide-champion/
Berserker Beginner Guide by Fextralife
http://fextralife.com/elden-ring-berserker-guide-vagabond-build-for-beginners/
Vagabond Beginner Guide by Lost Daze Gaming
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyeKMc5gR2Q
Vagabond OP Early Guide by Nizar GG
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_KrTeHBD-A
2. Paladin
The Paladin is a strong build because it's the tanky damage dealing build that is made for taking, and exchanging blows with enemies. Paladin builds evolve from a heavy use of the sword and board play style but also come with a strong set of magic buffing spells and healing abilities to keep them in the game long enough to take out the tougher enemies.
There is another reason that the Paladin build ended up so high on my list and that's because it really holds to the Dark Souls line, 'git gud'. It's not meant as an insult so much as this is the build that really gets the player thinking reflexively and timing their moves just right. Learning to master the counter skills and the enemy moves makes this an adaptable build that gets the player in the groove fast.
The Sanctified Sword
- A lot of the top builds in the early game are good because of one major reason, they try to be a little more tanky in order to take damage from tougher enemies. Being able to take a hit isn't necessarily good in Elden Ring, but it does mean that a player has a little bit more time to adapt and has some level of defense and healing as they need it.
- One of the best ways to take enemies down is by disrupting them, and this is a build that is made to stagger and counter. Countering can be tricky in the game because it really does require some precision timing, but that also means that the damage that it deals is that much better. If the weapon is enchanted or able to do some really strong damage, being able to counter and cause status damage or just straight up physical damage can be enough
- This build picks up faith incantations pretty early in the game or finds ashes of war that do the same thing. Being able to lean into those in the early game can be a huge deal, because there are some that can only be found later in the game.
- Believe it or not, there don't seem to be that many builds that have much of a healing factor. They can always put it in, but to make most builds work, they end up sacrificing something and the healing is the first to go because of the flasks. With more healing put into this build the player can explore longer, take more hits as they learn their enemy moves, and is more adaptable when they need to learn a new weapon or a skill.
Primary Build Loadout:
Main Hand Weapons:
- Nobles Slender Sword
- Lordsworns Straight Sword
- Finger Seal
Second Hand Weapons:
- Brass Shield
- Marred Wooden Shield
*With shield, you're really looking for anything in the medium shield category because this gives you the better mobility
Helm:
- Banished Knight Helm
- Black Wolf Mask
- Blue Cloth Cowl
- Carian Knight Helm
- Champion Headband
* This is really going to be about defensive stats while still giving you enough mobility to move around. As long as I can get my medium roll to dodge stronger enemy attacks, I just pick whatever has the best stats on it. Banished Knight Helms and Carian Helms are pretty high on the list, but items like the BlackWolf Mask are great for the player focused on the aesthetic as much as the stats.
Armor:
- Cuckoo Surcoat
- Exile Armor
- Tree-and-Beast Surcoat
- Highwayman Cloth Armor
- Knight Armor
- Kaidan Armor
*You're really looking for the strongest armor here that doesn't make you too heavy. I like armor like the Kaidan armor, even if it doesn't have the highest stats because it gives me good mobility and lets me focus other gear for higher stats on gear that might give me an extra effect buff somewhere else, like hems.
Gauntlets:
- Banished Knight Gauntlets
- Cuckoo Knight Gauntlets
- Exile Gauntlets
- Mausoleum Knight Gauntlets
- Godrick Knight Gauntlets
Greaves:
- Banished Knight Greaves
- Carian Knight Greaves
- Exile Greaves
- Fire Monk Greaves
- Godrick Knight Greaves
Talismans:
- Green Turtle Talisman
- Assassins Cerulian Dagger
- Blessed Dew Talisman
- Erdtree's Favor
- Curved Sword Talisman
- Mariska's Soreseal
Spells:
- Ash of War: Golden Vow
- Ash of War: Barricade Shield
- Ash of War: Sacred Blade
- Aspects of the Crucible: Tail
- Aspects of the Crucible: Horns
- Bloodflame Blade
- Blessing's Boon
- Heal
*This build is one of the few that has a bunch of healing spells mixed in, so don't be afraid to use them and spells that can stagger your enemy. You're looking to keep everyone off their footing, so go with the spells you like the most, as long as you remember to keep an eye on your health bar.
Stats:
Faith, Vigor, and Endurance are the most important parts of this build because this is meant to be a tanky build. You're going to need to be able to trade hits, time attacks, and cast your incantations with the least amount of trouble during combat.
- 20-24 Vigor
- 13-18 Mind
- 20-25 Endurance
- 16-20 Strength
- 12-18 Dexterity
- 8-12 Intelligence
- 28-35 Faith
- 8-13 Arcane
Credits for this Build Inspiration:
Paladin Guide for Beginners by Fextralife
http://fextralife.com/elden-ring-paladin-build-guide-confessor-build-for-beginners/
Crusader Build by Fextralife
http://fextralife.com/elden-ring-advanced-paladin-guide-crusader/
Powerful Early Paladin Build by Nizarr GG
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKkiRgsZHWU
Early Game Paladin build by Born 2 Game
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ktuo7m_jlXA
1. Blood Warrior
Blood Warriors is a build that focuses on the bleed status effect and how to trigger mass loss of enemy HP. This build usually focuses on dual wielding, which is pretty popular in many of the Elden Ring builds, but it has a goal of doing as much blood buildup as possible every swing in order to get the hemorrhage ability to trigger repeatedly. This kind of build focuses on allowing for decent mobility, but also an extremely aggressive style of game play before the enemy has a chance to get their special skills off.
Most of the build for the blood warrior build comes from dual wielding weapons that can be given a blood affinity or the ash of war Bloody Slash. It's not the only method, but it is the best way to get four or five strikes off to build up bleed before the enemy even has a chance to respond.
So why did I put this build as number one? Because Bleed is just such a strong skill and because it takes a percentage of the health bar, the damage scales with the enemies, even if your skills haven't caught up yet.
Bleed is King
- I make no qualms about being a player that gives into some of the big hype and I bought into the dual wielding hype in Elden Ring pretty fast. With the right weapons it's possible to land four or five blows before an enemy even has a chance to respond. So when you're focusing on a build that gets its best damage by landing consecutive hits, this is the best way to do it.
- Bleed is king in Elden Ring. I've said it before and I'm willing to stand by that conviction. It's easy enough to get off, not a lot of enemies are really equipped to handle it, and it takes a huge bite out of the enemy health bar. It may not be quite as aggressive with the damage as builds like the barbarian, but even the berserker can be turned into a bleed build later in the game with the right enchantments. So if the blade cuts, use it I say.
- Blood Warrior may have a huge focus on dual wielding to cause damage, but it has a little something for any player. If you go south in the early game you pick up a shield that stacks bleed damage with any weapon which means the sword and board style of the paladin. There's also plenty of bows that have barrage built in and that means firing off a dozen arrows to trigger bleed before some enemies even get into range. There's even thorn sorcery which is a type of bleed spell, so there's no shortage of ways to trigger bleed to fit the style and keep up with the fast pace of the battles.
Primary Build Loadout:
Main Hand Weapons:
- Uchigatana
- Scimitar
Second Hand Weapons:
- Uchigatana
- Scimitar
- Shield of the Guilty
- Misbegotten Bow
- Reduvia's Dagger
Helm:
- Blue Cloth Cowl
- Mask of Confidence
- Skeletal Mask
Armor:
- Blue Cloth Vest
- Land of Reeds Armor
- Fire Monk Robes
Gauntlets:
- Warrior Gauntlets
- Land of Reeds Gauntlets
- Exile Gauntlets
- Banished Knight Gauntlets
Greaves:
- Warrior Greaves
- Banished Knight Greaves
- Exile Greaves
Talismans:
- Green Turtle Talisman
- Erdtree's Favor
- Blessed Dew Talisman
- Radagons Scarseal
Required Spells:
- Bloodflame Blade
Extra Gear:
- Bloodbone Arrows
- Stormwing Bone Arrows
- Fire Arrows
Stats:
The big stats for this build are going to mostly be put into Dexterity for dual wielding weapons like curved swords, and Arcane to get the bleed effect to go off faster. The other stats really depend on what you feel you need. I usually put extra into Endurance for defense or Vigor for bigger health bars on builds that I'm more likely to get hit using.
- 20-25 Vigor
- 15-18 Mind
- 17-20 Endurance
- 12-20 Strength
- 16-22 Dexterity
- 13-15 Intelligence
- 17-20 Faith
- 33-35 Arcane
Credits for this Build Inspiration:
Bloodblade Guide by Fextralife
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7BpQXdgx7M
Blood Dragon Guide by Fextralife
http://fextralife.com/elden-ring-bleed-build-arcane-guide-blood-dragon/
Early Game Bleed Build by P4wnyhof
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeG4jcYqStk
OP Early Bleed Guide by Ashen One
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcRnHc_AVug
How Will You Sit on the Throne?
It's safe to say that in the Lands Between, there's just about any way you can imagine to approach the fights along your journey. Some of these builds are better for playing the game and some of them are better for taking out enemies. It really matters on the situation that the player finds themselves in.
If you're a player who likes to explore, there's a build for that, and it's usually a rogue or anything coming from the Bandit class. If you don't like taking hits, there's always the pure range mages and the archers. Or, if you just love to charge in and the complexities of battle are not something you signed up for, then just beat them down with the biggest weapon you can find.
That's part of what makes the game of Elden Ring so fun, because there's just so many ways to approach it. What's more, there's plenty of ways to cross over your classes and your builds as you get later into the story. Really what builds do is help shape your ability to play the game well, and when it comes to the Lands Between, there are literally hundreds of builds and even more ways to figure out how to take your rightful place as the Elden Lord.
