Elden Ring: Best Builds For Every Class (Including Guide)

Elden Ring is a game that allows you to begin with your desired class to jumpstart your journey in the game. However, while the classes do matter at the start, what you’re going to realize is that the build is entirely up to you. Still, the great thing is that these builds already have stats that have been pre-distributed and equipment that have been provided to them so that you have a jumpstart. As such, let’s look at what we believe are the best builds for every class in Elden Ring.

Best Hero Build – Pure Attacker Build

• Focus On: Strength and Endurance
• Also Invest On: Vigor and Dexterity
• Primary Weapon: Go for a colossal weapon like Dragon Greatclaw, Troll’s Hammer, Grafted Blade Greatsword, or Gargoyle’s Backblade)
• Recommended Armor: Any heavy armor available but go for Radahan’s Armor, Elden Lord set, or Crucible set
• Recommended Talisman: Talisman that improves Stamina or Health, such as Green Turtle Talisman, Erdtree’s Favor, and Crimson Seed Talisman

There are plenty of people who look at the Hero as the “knight” class of Elden Ring in the sense that it can be used as a tank or as a pure attacker. While there are some builds that may gear towards turning the Hero into a tank, it’s going to be a bit too half-baked later on in the game. That’s why we recommend that you use it as a pure attacker that’s similar to the “barbarian” class you often see in other games.

Using the Hero as a pure attacker build seems pretty straightforward, and that means that it’s going to be great for beginners. There’s no other way for you to make it stronger than focusing on Strength and Endurance, and that means that you should be able to improve your damage output while also improving your stamina and your capacity to carry more equipment. As such, you can carry the heaviest weapon you can possibly get your hands on and wear the heaviest armor in the game.

The key in using this build is to make sure that you can both dish out and absorb damage. Your goal is to maximize your damage output by going for massive strikes that can decrease a boss’s HP steadily. While the build isn’t supposed to be geared towards primarily surviving hits, wearing the best heavy armor and keeping your Vigor high should also be useful. And if you also want to maximize your damage output, you should also invest a bit in your Dexterity because there will be some weapons that will also scale towards your Dex.

Some of the best weapons throughout the game are colossal weapons that are large and heavy. You may not end up winning a speed battle with a colossal weapon, but every strike you deal should hurt quite a lot. There will be boss monsters that won’t allow you to get more than one or two hits because the window of striking them tends to be small. But having a barbarian Hero that can wield a colossal weapon should allow you to get one or two hits in without worrying about the amount of damage you deal.

As to your Ashes of War, there are plenty of different types that you can use. If you aren’t using a special weapon, go for War Cry because it can be very useful when it comes to beefing up your pure attacker Hero. Meanwhile, when it comes to your talisman, we recommend that you focus more on talismans that can increase your stamina or your stamina regeneration because you want to be able to roll around well and still have enough stamina to dish out a punishing attack.

Meanwhile, your armor should depend on what you have, but it is better to focus more on equipping heavy armor with high defensive capabilities because you want to make sure that your Hero can also absorb enough damage without folding like a rag doll with a few hits from a boss. 

Of course, you may want to eventually invest in Faith or Intelligence as well because there will be some weapons that you won’t be able to equip unless you have high enough points in those areas. There are some amazing weapons that should require you to have high Fai or Int, and that’s why it is important that you don’t leave those stats behind.

Best Bandit Build – Run and Gun Bleed Build

• Focus On: Dexterity and Endurance
• Also Invest On: Vigor and Arcane
• Primary Weapon: Quick and light weapons like Reduvia and Shortbow
• Recommended Armor: The best light armor set like Land of Reeds Set, Exile Set, Royal Remains Set
• Recommended Talisman: Talisman that improves range or bleeding, such as Lord of Blood’s Exultation and Arrow’s Reach Talisman

The thing that you need to know about the Bandit class is that it isn’t meant to be a hard hitter in terms of the damage that it deals per hit. Of course, the Bandit isn’t supposed to be able to take in some damage as well. Instead, Bandits are best for running and gunning while causing bleeding to your opponents. That’s because the bleed effect in this game is actually impressively broken.

Reduvia is one of the earliest daggers that you can pick up in the game, and it can actually end up becoming your main weapon for a very long time. That’s because this is a weapon that scales well with the stats of a Bandit. It is also very quick, and that means that it fits the stealthy and swift style of a Bandit in the sense that you can move pretty quickly and dish out attacks just as quickly.

Rivers of Blood should also be a great weapon to use because it deals more damage than Reduvia at the cost of being a bit slower. But, as of this writing, Rivers of Blood is suffering from a bug that keeps it from unleashing its true potential.

You can also opt for a Short Bow or any other lighter bow that can easily release attacks without spending too much time drawing an arrow. Using a Short Bow will allow you to run around evading a boss’s attacks without worrying about getting too close for a counterattack. As long as you have memorized the boss’s movement patterns while keeping a good distance, the Short Bow can be a very dangerous weapon, especially if you use the right kind of arrows.

So, with that said, it is important for you to focus a lot on your Dexterity. Weapons that are quick and light tend to scale towards Dex, and that means that you can equip daggers and bows, and other light weapons without having to worry about the damage you can deal. And because you will be spending a lot of time running and rolling, it is important that you also invest in your Endurance so that you will be able to have enough stamina left for a quick counterattack and a roll.

The best armor to use for a run and gun Bandit is a light armor because of how you need to make sure that your weight is low enough for you to be able to effectively dodge attacks. However, while the Royal Remains set is a bit heavier, it performs well with a run and gun Bandit. Just go get better light armor sets as you progress through the game.

While we did say that Dex and End are very important for a Bandit, there are some tricky aspects when it comes to the secondary stats that you need to invest in as well. That’s because Arcane does have an effect on the bleeding damage as well. There is also the fact that you will end up getting hit no matter how good you are at dodging, and that means that you may want to put in a few points in your Vigor stat as well.

As to your talisman, Lord of Blood’s Exultation is great because it increases your damage whenever there is blood loss within the immediate vicinity. This goes well with Reduvia, which is a great weapon for inflicting bleeding. Then there’s also the Arrow’s Reach, which allows you to increase the range of your arrows, and that’s going to be great when it comes to bosses that you want to distance yourself from as much as you can.

Best Astrologer Build – Magic-Focused Build

• Focus On: Intelligence and Mind
• Also Invest On: Endurance and Vigor
• Primary Weapon: A good staff of your choosing, but we recommend Azur’s Glintstone or Lusat’s Glintstone
• Recommended Armor: Any mage-oriented armor set, such as Raya Lucarian Sorcerer Set and Alberich Set
• Recommended Talisman: Erdtree’s Favor, Radagon Icon, and Cerulean Medallion
• Recommended Spells: Rock Sling, Glintstone Pebble, Carian Slicer, and Swift Glintstone Shard

The good thing about Elden Ring is that you can go for a magic swordsman build, depending on your equipment. However, if you started out as an Astrologer, then it might be better if you focus more on becoming a pure mage that deals solid magic attack instead of going for a sword-based magician. This build is the opposite of the pure attacker build of the Hero class.

Focusing on a mage build is pretty straightforward because you want to invest in Intellect and Mind for the most part because you need the FP to maximize the number of spells you can dish out while also improving the damage output of these spells. Meanwhile, giving a few points to your Endurance will also improve your stamina because casting spells still requires stamina. And it is also best to put Vigor at around 20 because you are still going to get hit.

There are a lot of different staves that you can use throughout the game, and the Meteorite Staff should be a good early-game choice because you can acquire it fairly early in the game. Of course, it is best to switch to stronger weapons like Azure’s Glintstone because it becomes really powerful when you upgrade it. But if you want to focus more on power, Lusat’s Glintstone does that but at the cost of making you use more FP when casting a spell. 

On top of the fact that mages can choose any weapon they want to use as long as they can get a good boost in their magic attack, the choice of armor is also subjective. However, because you want to focus on a pure mage build here, you may want to use the Raya Lucarian Sorcerer Set, which should serve you for a very long time. But there will be better choices down the road.

As early as possible, go for the Radagon Icon Talisman because it decreases the time spent on your spells. This allows you to take advantage of openings faster without having to worry about getting punished. Then there’s the fact that Erdtree’s Favor should be a staple. The Cerulean Amber Medallion should also be great because it increases your FP.

The message here is simple—you need to focus on spells that you can cast quickly while causing enough damage. Glintstone Pebble can be useful, but it does take more time to cast. But there are other spells that you should focus on more, especially if your opponents don’t have a lot of windows of opening for a quick hit.

Best Warrior Build – Dual Wield and Pure Attacker Builds

• Focus On: Vigor and Endurance
• Also Invest On: Strength and Dexterity
• Primary Weapon: Any dual-wield weapon you can use or Scimitar, Magma Wyrm’s Scalesword, and Starscourge Greatsword
• Recommended Armor: Heavy armor or any armor that provides enough defense, such as Bull-Goat Set or Radahn’s Set
• Recommended Talisman: Erdtree’s Favor and Green Turtle Talisman

This Warrior build is a lot like the pure attacker Hero build in the sense that you are focusing a lot on your offense to dish out a high damage output against most opponents. However, the difference here is that you are focusing on a more aggressive kind of an attacker with this dual-wield Warrior build instead of the dodge-and-counter style that a pure attacker Hero focuses on.

Your main focus when using this build is to dish out repeated attacks using two weapons that you wield at the same time. Dual-wielding is what makes this build special because of how it allows you to send strong attacks that come in quick succession. This allows you to stagger your opponent quickly.

But, unlike the pure attacker Hero, this Warrior build tends to be more focused on investing in Vigor and Endurance. A high Vigor allows you to withstand enemy counterattacks if you do get a bit too greedy with your flurries. On the other hand, a high Endurance stat is your best friend here because you’re going to be unleashing flurries of attacks that will eat your stamina.

Then there is the question of which between a larger weapon or a smaller weapon you should be using. There are others who want to use great swords in each hand to deal more damage at the cost of being slower. However, some players prefer using smaller weapons like katanas or straight swords. 

That’s why, if you prefer bigger weapons, invest more in Strength than on Dexterity. However, if your preference leans towards lighter weapons, it might be better to focus more on Dexterity instead.

However, you might want to use the great sword route here because of the fact that it looks better. Imagine wielding two large swords on each hand. On top of that, greatswords deal more damage in the limited window of attack that you may have when fighting certain types of bosses. This is why Warriors might want to focus more on bigger swords that they can dual wield, but smaller weapons like katanas can still be an option if you want to release your attacks in quick succession.

Regardless of what your preferred weapons are, it should be a delight to release your attacks in quick succession. This build demands that you are aggressive when you see an opening because you have to unleash flurries that may help stagger your opponent. However, you may want to keep a shield around because there are some instances when being too aggressive can be bad for you.

Of course, you might want to use heavier armor here because you need to be able to withstand damage. But some players might want to use lighter armor because of the fact that dodging is very crucial when it comes to using a build that puts so much emphasis on playing an aggressive style of offense.

Those who want to wear heavier armor should use talismans that will allow them to carry more equipment by increasing their equipment load and stamina. But you can also go for any other talisman that increases your HP or any other attribute that complements an aggressive dual-wielding style.

The best Ashes of War to use when you are wielding smaller swords are Storm Blade or Sword Dance. But don’t mind any of those if you are using special weapons that have their own special abilities.

Another thing that you should know is that using a dual-wielding style requires that you stay focused. This isn’t a style that beginners should try to use because most FromSoftware beginners tend to be a bit too greedy whenever they get aggressive on offense. Patience and pacing are the key elements here because you need to dodge well enough until you see an opening that will allow you to release flurries of attacks.

Best Prisoner Build – Magic Swordsman Build

• Focus On: Intelligence and Vigor
• Also Invest On: Mind and Dexterity
• Primary Weapon: Quicker swords like Estoc and then a staff like Meteorite Staff and Demi-Human Queen’s Staff
• Recommended Armor: Mage-oriented armor sets like Raya Lucarian Sorcerer Set or Sage Set
• Recommended Talisman: Talismans that increase FP and stamina like Radagon Icon, Graven-School Talisman, or Cerulean Amber Medallion
• Recommended Spells: Rock Sling, Glintstone Pebble, Carian Slicer, and Swift Glintstone Shard

One of the most interesting builds in the game is a half-build that tends to give you the best of both worlds once you’ve reached a certain point in the game. We are talking about the Prisoner’s magic swordsman build here. This may seem odd at first because Prisoners don’t look like they are mages. However, this build will make sense as we move along with our discussion.

The long-term goal of this build is to eventually reach a point where you can wield a great sword and then use magic. This will allow you to use great weapons like Dark Moon Greatsword. But the problem here is that this build will force you to start awkwardly because you’d have to focus between Strength and Intelligence at the beginning of the game. That’s why it might be best to use a magic swordsman build that doesn’t require a ton of strength at the start.

Your focus in this build is to be able to dish out melee physical damage and magical damage. The build will look half-baked at the start and can be resource-intensive. However, this build is going to be very versatile because you can switch between your physical damage and your magical damage, depending on what the occasion requires.

At the start, focus more on using a faster and quicker sword such as the Estoc. You should also use a good staff that will allow you to cast different spells effectively. As such, building your character should allow you to focus more on Int. But you should also invest in Mind, Vigor, and Dex as well.

In fights, you might want to switch between using your sword and your spells. Having a quicker sword will allow you to steal a few good hits whenever you want to conserve your FP for spells that you can cast later when you see a better opening. And when you see a window of opportunity, that’s when you should capitalize using your stronger spells.

Any fast sword should do because the purpose of using a sword here is to steal a few good hits. Don’t focus too much on the special ability of the sword you are using because you want to conserve your FP for your spells. But if you have a sword that has a great ability, such as Rogier’s Rapier, then that should be a good choice as well.

Your talisman selection here should be almost entirely up to you. But using something that will allow you to conserve your FP might be ideal because, as mentioned, you want to dish out your best attacks using your spells. The Winged Sword Insignia might be a good choice because it does well when you are using a faster sword. 

Best Confessor Build – The Anti-Paladin Build

• Focus On: Faith and Vigor
• Also Invest On: Mind and Dexterity or Strength
• Primary Weapon: Winged Scythe, Sacred Scythe, or Godslayer’s Seal
• Recommended Armor: Any great light armor
• Recommended Talisman: Two Fingers Heirloom, Radagon’s Soreseal, Radagon Icon
• Recommended Spells: Urgent Heal, Lightning Spear, Frozen Lightning Spear, and Flame of the Fell God

Conventional wisdom would dictate that you turn your Confessor into a paladin because of how it was made to be a character that focuses on being able to tank hits and use support spells that can improve damage output and defense. However, we believe that there is a better way to build a Confessor that will allow you to dish out damage like a beast.

The focus of what we call the anti-paladin build (because it’s the opposite of a paladin) is to focus a lot on your Faith because having enough Fai will allow you to be able to use the best gear, talisman, and incantations that should allow the Confessor to dish out incredible damage.

Your focus here is to cast big spells that allow you to cover a huge area while also allowing you to cover different boss weaknesses. However, you should still have a Faith-based weapon around because you can use that weapon to steal a few hits from a boss whenever you find a small opening that tends to be too small for your spells. But the goal here is to focus on your incantations.

That said, go with the big spells that we recommend because doing so will allow you to dish out insane damage output on most types of bosses without having to go near them. And the best part here is that you can use almost any kind of armor or talisman here because your main goal is to make sure that you have a high Faith stat (at least 40) and a good roster of incantations.

For the armor, it might be better to go with a lighter armor because you need to be able to move around well enough to dodge attacks. You don’t have to tank hits because you are going to be casting spells from a distance. The only time you have to go near the enemy is to steal a few good hits.

Best Wretch Build – Any Build You want or The Moonveil Build

• Focus On: Dex and Int
• Also Invest On: Endurance and Vigor
• Primary Weapon: Moonveil Katana
• Recommended Armor: Any Medium Armor
• Recommended Talisman: Green Turtle Talisman or Erdtree’s Favor

The Wretch class is basically the bare class that doesn’t start out with anything at all. That means that it is entirely up to you to decide what to do with it because of the fact that its stats are basic. This is why only Souls veterans usually start out with the Wretch, as this is one of the most versatile classes that will allow them to build whatever type of character they want.

Given that the Wretch is the most versatile in terms of what you can do with it, we recommend that you go with any build that you have in mind. Souls veterans probably already know what to do with this character, and that’s why they usually start off with it. It’s kind of a blank slate, in a manner of speaking.

However, if we had to recommend a build, it’s the Moonveil Katana build that has become so popular among different Elden Ring players. And we can even say that, as of this moment, the Moonveil Katana is the best weapon in the entire game (unless FromSoftware decides to nerf it). And you can get it pretty early in the game as well.

The Moonveil Katana requires initial states of 12 Strength, 18 Dexterity, and 23 Intelligence. That’s why it is best to focus more on Dexterity and Intelligence when using this build, as the weapon scales well with Int. Strength becomes an afterthought. That’s why you may want to focus on Endurance and Vigor instead. Raising your Endurance should allow you to tank some hits while also making sure you have enough stamina to roll around and attack.

What makes the Moonveil Katana so special is the Transient Moonlight unique skill that is a beefed-up version of the Unsheathe skill of the basic Uchigatana. However, Moonveil Katana’s skill has more range and has additional magic damage that will allow you to dish out insane damage to your opponent.

There are those that would say that the Moonveil Katana is the strongest and most popular weapon in the game, and that is true to a certain extent because of how “broken” it looks. That said, here’s to hoping it won’t get nerfed because this weapon is a surefire killer that will allow you to kill different types of bosses without too much trouble. So, if you’re using a Wretch, you might want to build its stats for the Moonveil Katana.

Best Vagabond Build – The Tank Build

• Focus On: Strength and Vigor
• Also Invest On: Endurance and Dexterity
• Primary Weapon: The great sword of your choice, but we recommend Lordsworn’s Greatsword, Gargoyle’s Greatsword, plus a shield like Spiked Shield or Dragonclaw Shield. You can also use a colossal weapon. 
• Recommended Armor: Any heavy armor, but we recommend Bull-Goat set, Radahn’s set, or Crucible Axe set 
• Recommended Talisman: Erdtree’s Favor and Green Turtle Talisman

The Vagabond is the best class to turn into a tank because of the fact that it starts out with stats that are more inclined to what a tank should be. That means that you want your Vagabond to be as beefy as possible by focusing a lot of its stat points on Strength and Vigor.

Truth be told, the tank life isn’t for everybody because it can get pretty boring, especially if you’re playing on your own. It’s going to be difficult to find a good balance between knowing how to stay aggressive and learning how to bide your time. But once you figure this build out, it’s going to be really worth it.

The first stat to focus on is Strength. That’s because you want to focus on being able to hit hard enough with your great sword or colossal sword. However, equally important are your Vigor and Endurance because you need to be able to take hits and have enough stamina to roll around, block attacks, and dish out counterattacks. And Dexterity should be a secondary concern because some weapons scale well with Dex.

There are plenty of different options to work with when it comes to your sword, armor, and shield because there is a lot of great equipment that fits the tank build. Your first priority here is to use a large weapon like a great sword but make sure that you pair it with a good shield like a great shield because you want to be able to tank those hits using your shield. Some people might want to use smaller Dex-based weapons so that they can counterattack quickly, but that seems to be a personal choice. The point here is that you should have a good shield because that’s the most important part of tanking.

Go for the strongest shield available so that you can tank those hits and focus more on blocking instead of rolling around too much. The more stamina you have, the better you will be at being able to withstand strong attacks. And once you have become accustomed to blocking attacks and dishing out counterattacks when you see an opening, that is when you will realize how good the Vagabond tank build is. 

But the problem here is that you should be able to master the art of parrying. There will be bosses that are going to be very easy to defeat if you know how to parry. A parry will allow you to quickly go for a counterattack because it opens up a window after staggering an opponent, and that’s why it is a lot better than simply blocking an attack.

For the most part, use talismans that are capable of improving your stamina. A talisman that will increase your equipment load should also be great because tanks are the heaviest characters around.

Use the Vow of the Indomitable for your shield because it has the ability to give you temporary invincibility. This should open up some opportunities for counterattacks. However, Barricade Shield should also be a good Ash of War to use because it allows you to beef up the tank’s already impressive defensive stats.

Whatever the case may be, the key to using the tank Vagabond is to know how to guard and parry effectively so that you can find ways to quickly punish an opponent. You don’t even have to roll around too much when using this build.

Best Prophet Build – Pyromancer Build

• Focus On: Mind and Faith
• Also Invest On: Vigor and Arcane
• Primary Weapon: Dragon Communion Seal, Finger Seal, Winged Scythe, any shield of your choice.     
• Recommended Armor: Sage Set or any Mage-leaning armor
• Recommended Talisman: Radagon’s Icon, Faithful Vangas Talisman, and Carian Filigreed Crest
• Recommended Spells: Flame of Frenzy, Black Flame, Black Flame Blade, Catch Flame, Dragonfire, Dragonclaw, Agheel’s Flame

While Elden Ring doesn’t have a Pyromancer, the Prophet is the closest thing to it because it is easy to build a Prophet that is geared towards pyromancy. And, to some extent, the Prophet’s pyromancy can be too crazy to the point that you are essentially a dragon with all of the fire you are casting.

Start by investing a good part of your points to Mind and Vigor because you want to be able to start out being able to cast magic and tank some hits. After that, that is when you should be increasing your Faith and Arcane stats because you need to rely heavily on spells that require them to be high enough. Such spells include Catch Flame and Dragonfire, which are both devastating.

In fact, you can rely on Catch Flame and Dragonfire a lot during the early part of the game because of how effective they are. And when you get the Dragon Communion Seal, that is when you should now focus on the more powerful fire spells like Flame of Frenzy, which is arguably the most important part of this build.

Because your goal is to dish out heavy doses of fire magic, there is no need to worry too much about your armor. You can go for any armor that is mage-related or is capable of providing you with enough defense. Of course, going for talismans that increase your FP are great to use because you don’t want to run out of FP while going crazy with your fire spells. There are also talismans that will allow you to conserve your FP as well, and that should help with this build.

Considering that your goal in this build is to make sure that you dish out as much damage as possible with your fire spells, the other thing that you need to keep in mind is the ability to survive. There will still be instances when you will get hit by different types of enemies, and that’s why you might want to look at your character’s Vigor as a stat to invest a few points on.

Best Samurai Build – Classic Samurai Build

• Focus On: Dexterity and Endurance
• Also Invest On: Vigor and Mind
• Primary Weapon: Uchigatana, Rivers of Blood, Lion Greatbow, and Longbow
• Recommended Armor: Land of Reed’s set, Raging Wolf set, or any medium armor
• Recommended Talisman: Green Turtle Talisman, Erdtree’s Favor, Lord of Blood’s Exultation, and Arrow’s Reach Talisman

The Samurai class tends to be a no-brainer when it comes to how you should play it. This is probably one of the most straightforward classes in terms of what it should do, as all you need to do is to watch samurai movies to understand how the traditional samurai fights. That is when you will understand how to build your Samurai in Elden Ring into a classic samurai.

Samurais tend to be very versatile in terms of their weaponry because they have always been known for their ability to deal quick and steady damage in melee range and their penchant for striking their opponents from a distance using a bow. That is exactly how you should be playing a good classic Samurai in Elden Ring.

Another great thing about the Samurai is that you can actually spend a few dozens of hours relying on the equipment you are given at the start of the game. The Uchigatana is already a great weapon to use because of its beastly Unsheathe unique skill that will allow you to deal quick strikes that deal a lot of damage. Meanwhile, the Land of Reeds set is already a good armor set that combines defense and weight well enough.

The Longbow you have at the start should also serve you well, but it will never hurt to replace it with a Lion Greatbow later in the game. This weapon will allow you to pick off any enemy from a distance before that opponent begins to close out on you. And once the enemy is close enough, that is when you should shift to the more traditional samurai way of fighting, which makes use of a katana.

Your Uchigatana (and most other katanas) and your bow will rely heavily on your Dex, and that’s why you might not have to increase your Strength too much. You will already deal massive damage with Dex. On top of that, the Uchigatana has a bleeding ability that will allow you to steadily damage an enemy when the bleeding stacks up. 

Meanwhile, your talismans should be geared towards allowing you to have enough stamina because the Samurai tends to dodge a lot. Think of the Samurai as a beefier yet slightly slower Bandit that is capable of taking hits and should be strong enough to cause a lot of damage as well. This is why it is important for you to master the art of knowing when to counterattack with a quick Unsheathe, which should already be enough in the early and middle portions of the game.