Elden Ring gives its players the opportunity to experiment with all sorts of builds and playstyles. The sheer number of builds you can create in this sandbox is insane ranging from melee only to range along with magic builds of so many kinds, and on top of that you can easily create hybrid builds to your heart’s content. If you are confused with what build guide to go with in Elden Ring, we have a complete ranked tier list for the best builds.
Some people will love to try out a plethora of builds and styles but there are purists out there who just want to rely on their brute strength to face any challenge in their way. They stand in the way of danger and say “nothing hurts me” and mindlessly swing their sword till their foe falls. We will be discussing such a juggernaut build in this article. We have also covered a melee and sorcery hybrid build.
Starting Class Selection
The Vagabond class is the perfect starting point for this build. This class has the best stat spread in Vigor (Health) and Strength. Along with that, it has the heaviest armor of all the starting classes. You can choose the Hero class as well but it lacks the defensive capabilities of Vagabond.
Related: Elden Ring Samurai Class Guide: Bleed Dex Build
Armor Choice
The thing to consider in this build is to check the Physical Damage negation number which should be the highest to withstand as much damage as you can. Also, the Poise number needs to be the highest as well to not get staggered from continuous blows from enemies to yourself.
Vagabond armor set has a good starting number for each and can be used in some starting locations. The next armor you should consider is the Banished Knight Armor found by killing the said knights in the Stormveil Castle. This armor is a random drop from these enemies so keep loading back in and killing them until you complete the set.
Keep upgrading and equipping the armor which has the best physical and poise numbers.
Weapon
Any weapon can work but a good Colossal weapon is recommended, mainly the Zweihander colossal sword. This weapon has amazing reach and with its heavy hits, it can easily stagger enemies. You can buy the weapon from an Isolated Merchant in the Weeping Peninsula, marked on the map below. If you are below the STR requirement of the weapon then just wield it in two hands to lower this threshold, holding it like this will further increase the effectiveness of the attacks.
Ash of War
The Ash of War that compliments this build the most is the Golden Vow. Found by killing a mounted knight near the location marked on the map below. Using this Ash of War will buff you for 45 seconds, granting increased damage by 10% and damage negation by 5%. Do consider the FP cost of using this, save it for fights you really need it for. Another thing to remember is when you are applying this Ash of War change your weapon’s affinity to Sacred to deal Holy damage for increased base damage.
Related: Elden Ring Strength Weapons Tier List | Best Weapons Ranked
Talisman
The Talismans that are best suited for this build are:
Dragoncrest Shield Talisman
A very tricky Talisman to find, this allows for 10% in physical damage reduction to truly embrace the tankyness of this build. It is located in the lower section of the Bestial Sanctum after a perilous platforming section, get ready to die a lot in getting this. We will put up a picture to guide you through the platforms.
Bull-Goat’s Talisman
This Talisman will further increase your Poise by approximately 33%, giving you a much higher threshold to get staggered. This can be found in the Dragonbarrow Cave south of the Bestial Sanctum.
Other Talismans
With a higher Talisman count, you can equip the specific damage negation talisman keeping the enemy in mind. If an enemy cast spells and deals magic damage use the Spelldrake Talisman. Keep changing these to better fit your needs.
Attributes
Invest heavily in Vigor. This will provide the biggest HP pool to hold out against enemy punishment. The maximum number of Vigor you should have is 60. Upgrade Endurance enough to carry the heavy equipment associated with the build and not be overburdened.
Also, keep the maximum number of HP flasks on you to replenish lost health. Do consider the FP cost of the Ash of War and keep the FP flask accordingly.
Related: How to Get Meteoric Ore Blade Katana Early in Elden Ring
How To Play With This Class?
For normal mobs, you can just move in and take them out with the weighty swings of the Colossal sword. The light attack of this sword has swings that are wide so enemies within the hit radius will easily fall or get staggered.
The damage output in this class is mainly reliant on just keeping the pressure on the enemy even when you are getting hit in the face keep that attack chain going. For boss encounters you will have to buff up with the Golden Vow Ash of War and charge into the fight. Keep the hitting with light or heavy attacks until the boss is staggered then go in for the Critical Strike. Keep this loop going and you will be done with the boss in no time.
The attacks you will receive will slowly chip away your health owing to the armor, talisman, and Golden Vow combination. And you won’t flinch with that high Poise number so your onslaught can carry on without interruption.
Do you like this basic yet deadly build guide? Which build are you rocking in Elden Ring? Let us know in the comments below. And for more Elden Ring guides and news follow our dedicated section.
