Summary
FromSoftware’s Soulslike adventure,Elden Ring, released to much fanfare in early 2022. Despite having months gone by, the community remains as strong as ever and is on a constant lookout for new builds to add some variety to the gameplay. Experimentation would quickly dry up in a general AAA title, but Hidetaka Miyazaki’s brainchild boasts of an exhaustive number of armor, talismans, weapons, stats, and a lot more that bring a different build to the table each time.
One should always be careful when choosing a particular build sinceElden Ringis a classic Soulslike, i.e., extremely punishing. Those who are just starting out may benefit from going for straightforward magic or warrior builds. But there are other uncommon options for those who want to refresh their gameplay experience in their third or even the 11th playthrough.
Updated May 14, 2025, by Hamza Haq:With the arrival of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, FromSoftware has changed the meta completely. Not only are there new options for existing weapon types, but eight completely new weapon types have been added to the game, each with a unique moveset and playstyle not seen before in any Soulsborne game. Naturally, this gives rise to a plethora of new builds using these unique weapons, giving players a taste of never-before-seen playstyles. While some of these new additions are somewhat familiar, others are entirely alien.
12Mushroom King
The Mushroom King involves using thePoison status effectto take down enemies. Players can make use of theMushroom Crownand theKindred of Rot’s ExultationTalisman to stack buffs precisely and deal a lot of damage when Poison is applied.
Further, infusing weapons with Poison affinity increases Dexterity, enhancing the base damage itself. A third buff can be applied by placing Seppuku in the off-hand and going for Blood Loss before the start of any encounter. Adding to that, theLord of Blood’s ExultationTalisman can further increase one’s attack power when blood loss occurs in the vicinity.
11Dryleaf Monk
The Dryleaf Monk is a hand-to-hand combatant, relying on getting in close range to their enemies to deal damage with theDryleaf Arts weapon. TheRotten Winged Sword InsigniaandMillicent’s Prosthesisincrease the effectiveness of successive attacks, and theGodfrey Iconcan increase the effectiveness of the weapon skill. The fourth slot is variable, but theTwo-Headed Turtle Talismanis always good.
The Ash of War can be swapped for something like Dryleaf Whirlwhind or Golden Slam, but the defaultAsh of War: Palm Blastis quite useful in its own right. Players should alternate between Heavy, Cold, Blood, and Poison infusions, depending on the enemy type and weakness. For regular enemies, Heavy is more useful as it is a straight increase in DPS. But for bosses, relying on status effects is the way to go. Dexterity and Strength are equally important for this build.
10Ninja Turtle
This particular build inElden Ringallows players to effectively become a Ninja Turtle, at least as close as it’s possible in the game. With theGreat Turtle Shellon their back and theAlbinauric Maskequipped, they will certainly look the part.
FromSoftware has put a lot of work in the visual fidelity of the environment, items, and fight animation. In light of that, having a mask and a shell that looks silly is more than enough toensure a fun playthrough. To top it off, players can use theme-appropriate weapons like a katana, a pole or spear, and even a flail.
9Bubble Mage
The Bubble Mage, or Bubble Boy’s build, allows for yet another instance where players can take on an enemy’s weapon and wreak havoc. It calls for defeating Oracle Envoys to getEnvoy’s Greathorn. The weapon itself produces bubbles, but it’s recommended to wear an Envoy Crown to increase the base damage.
The attacks are primarily ranged but allow for great versatility if they want to get up and close. The bubbles' animation and color are well done and play a great contrast against the environment, especially in comparison to the headpiece’s white and the big greathorn’s yellow hues.
8The Wall
The Wall is a great build for players who want to relentlessly walk forward and see their enemies suffer just as they did in earlier playthroughs. Essentially, it involves equipping twoFingerprint Stone Shields and is a loose turn on the old “defend and poke” meta that causedchaos inElden Ring’sPvP.
Looking and playing the part of an immovable god, the Tarnished can just take let waves of damage fall to naught on their shields. Combining it with a secondary attack after the first block is the way to go. It is recommended that players brace themselves for the sluggish movement and equip theGreen Turtle Talismanfor increased Stamina recovery speeds.
7Holy Turret
The Holy Turret allows for a flexible gameplay experience and is effective in PvE as well as PvP. It allows for ranged damage by castingTriple Rings of Light, in case the enemy is running a close-range strength build that can take players down in a couple of hits.
Meanwhile, it simultaneously allows for a great short-distance boost as well, with theHoly Ground Ash of Warbuffing defense and healing. TheRadiant Gold Maskand theGolden Order Sealbuff enhance the damage dealt out and are thus critical for this composition. However, players can choose other elements based on their personal preferences.
6Shield Thruster
Thrusting Shields are some of the most broken weapons introduced inElden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLCas they allow players to deal damage and block in the same motion, making it so that if the character doesn’t run out of poise and stamina, they’re essentially unkillable. The idea is that the player holds the Thrusting Shield in two hands and holds block. Whenever an enemy comes close, they attack without releasing block to get in easy damage. Currently, there are only two Thrusting Shields in the game, and though both are equally viable, theCarian Thrusting Shieldis overall the better choice. Players canpick this up near the Storehouse, Back Section Site of Gracein the Shadow Keep.
TheSpear Talismanis a must-have as it increases the damage dealt for attacking an enemy while they are attacking the player, which with the Thrusting Shield should be every single time. TheTwo-Handed Sword Talismanincreases dual-wield damage, theTwo-Headed Turtle Talismanincreases stamina regeneration to ridiculous amounts, and theGreatshield Talismanmakes blocking take less stamina. Stat allocation should favor Intelligence, Vigor, and Endurance over everything else.
5All Fire
Players can use this particular build inElden Ringto go all out with an aggressive playstyle. It calls for preemptive moves after pattern analysis and leads to a lot of chaos on the field with fire, which leads to reduced visibility and short dodge windows. As such, it is not recommended for beginners or for those who want a casual experience.
The build calls for a few essential components:Burn, O Flame!,Flame, Grant me Strength,Giantsflame Take Theefor the massive fireball, and Magma Blades. When put to use, the combination can cause a massive amount of damage, quickly taking out even boss-level entities. However, this build is not recommended when facing bosses with high fire resistance, like Magma Wyrms and the Fire Giant.
4Howling Starfist
The Howling Starfist build will resonate with many gamers who like close-quarters combat. Seemingly similar to Kratos' Spartan Rage fromGod of War, this build allows players todeal massive damagewith their “fists.“Star Fistnaturally come with Bleeding, and the addition of theBloodflame Bladeincantation buffs it to a greater degree inElden Ring.
While a good chunk of players will use it to get up and close with enemies, addingAsh of War: Beast’s Roarallows for great and accurate ranged damage. Further, since Star Fist is dual-wielded as is a secondary option can be held in the off-hand. Doing this will allow players to gain a passive boost from the latter as well.
3Vampiric Knight
The Vampiric Knight is a great build for players who like to take the safer route. It consists of a specific set of items that increases healing to a great extent, ensuring that they outlast enemies in every fight. Using theButchering Knifeas the weapon allows players to get 1% of max HP per hit. TheAsh of War: Prelate’s Chargecan hit enemies rapidly, stealing massive chunks of HP from them. Further, equippingIcon Shieldhelps with protection and allows a passive gain of 3 HP/s.
The healing factor of this particular composition can be buffed even further with theBlessed Dew Talisman, which itself allows for continuous absorption of 2 HP/s. Players can choose armor and other components as per their preference. Altogether, this build comes in handy withsteady health regeneration.
