Elden Ring offers a vast array of weapons, spells, and stats, allowing players to shape their character into almost anything. Over time, certain builds have emerged as community favourites due to their balance, damage output, or sheer effectiveness in both PvE and PvP. Based on player feedback, online polls, and community discussions, here are some of the most popular and enduring builds in Elden Ring.
1. Strength/Faith (Blender Build)
Combining brute force with miracles, this build typically centres around colossal weapons and Dragon incantations.
- Key Weapons: Giant-Crusher, Ruins Greatsword, Blasphemous Blade
- Incantations: Flame, Grant Me Strength; Blessing of the Erdtree; Dragonfire
- Attributes: Strength and Faith as priorities, with Vigor and Endurance to tank hits
- Why it’s popular: It melts bosses while offering utility and healing. Excellent for hybrid players who enjoy melee and magic.
2. Dexterity/Bleed (Rivers of Blood Build)
This remains one of the most popular builds thanks to fast-paced combat and high bleed procs.
- Key Weapons: Rivers of Blood, Uchigatana, Nagakiba
- Ashes of War: Seppuku for massive bleed boosts
- Attributes: Dexterity, Arcane, and some Vigor
- Why it’s popular: Bleed scaling has consistently been strong. It’s effective in PvE and devastating in PvP when timed well.
3. Intelligence-Based Mage (Pure Caster)
A classic magic user with a glass cannon risk/reward playstyle.
- Key Weapons: Lusat’s Glintstone Staff, Dark Moon Greatsword
- Spells: Comet Azur, Stars of Ruin, Glintstone Pebble
- Attributes: Intelligence as the main stat, with Mind and some Vigor
- Why it’s popular: High burst damage and powerful ranged control. Comet Azur can delete bosses with the right setup.
4. Faith/Incantation Build (Prophet or Confessor Start)
Focuses on holy or elemental magic with flexibility across healing, buffs, and damage.
- Key Weapons: Erdtree Seal, Godslayer’s Seal
- Incantations: Lightning Spear, Black Flame Ritual, Flame of the Fell God
- Attributes: Faith, Mind, and Vigor
- Why it’s popular: One of the most diverse builds in the game. Effective in co-op support and solo boss killing.
5. Quality Build (Balanced Strength and Dexterity)
A reliable all-rounder that supports a wide weapon pool and consistent melee performance.
- Key Weapons: Claymore, Bloodhound’s Fang, Ordovis’s Greatsword
- Ashes of War: Flaming Strike, Bloodhound Step
- Attributes: Strength and Dexterity split evenly, with decent Vigor and Endurance
- Why it’s popular: Versatile and adaptable, ideal for players who like to experiment with different weapons.
6. Arcane Build (Status Madness)
Maximises the game’s status effects like Bleed, Poison, and Death Blight.
- Key Weapons: Mohgwyn’s Sacred Spear, Serpent Bow, Dragon Communion Seal
- Spells: Swarm of Flies, Rotten Breath
- Attributes: Arcane as the core, with some Dexterity and Mind
- Why it’s popular: Few builds match the sheer chaos this setup can unleash. It excels at overwhelming enemies with multiple procs.
7. Tank/Greatshield Build
Designed for those who want to absorb blows and punish overextensions.
- Key Weapons: Greatsword, Brick Hammer, Fingerprint Stone Shield
- Armour: Bull-Goat Set or similar
- Attributes: Strength, Endurance, and Vigor
- Why it’s popular: It’s slow but safe. Great for learning boss patterns and dominating in trades during PvP.
8. Dexterity/Intelligence (Spellblade Build)
Blends fast weapon scaling with supporting sorcery for a hybrid duelist.
- Key Weapons: Moonveil, Rogier’s Rapier
- Spells: Carian Slicer, Glintblade Phalanx
- Attributes: Dexterity and Intelligence with some Mind
- Why it’s popular: Strong mix of fast melee and ranged magical pressure. Excellent in duels and fast-paced PvE.
Community Observations
Across forums like Reddit, Discord groups, and YouTube commentaries, some patterns are clear. Bleed builds surged in popularity during the early patches and remain dominant. Hybrid builds that combine magic and melee tend to be favoured for flexibility. Pure tanks and heavy Strength builds see a slight drop in PvP but shine in boss encounters. Intelligence and Faith casters have distinct peaks depending on patch balance, but both have devoted followings.
Ultimately, the game is built to reward creativity. These builds reflect trends, not prescriptions. The best build is the one that aligns with your playstyle and makes you enjoy the Lands Between more.
Watch the broken builds guide:
