Elden Ring Arcane Build: Gear, Stats & Playstyle 

Elden Ring has had massive success, with millions of players gaming every day. With character attributes that adventurers can invest in to get the most out of their build, Elden Ring indeed has a lot to offer in the character attribute department.  In this Elden Ring Arcane Build, I will focus on one of the primary stats, Arcane. 

Below, I’ve outlined a comprehensive summary in the table for Arcane Build in Elden Ring:

ATTRIBUTES	WEAPONS	ARMOR SETS	TALISMANS	SPELLS	ASH
-Arcane -Faith -Vigor -Dexterity	-Scavenger’s Curved Sword  -Rivers of Blood  -Dragon Communion Seal -Eleonora’s Poleblade -Uchigatana	-Black Knife -Land of Reeds  -White Reed	-Dragon Crest Greatshield -Erdtree’s Favor  -Green Turtle’s -Lord of Blood’s Exultation  -Ritual Shield	-Swarm of Flies -Flame of Frenzy  -Rot Breath	-Bloodhound Step

Attributes For Arcane Build

Attributes offer adventurers countless options to make and experiment with different builds. There are a few primary attributes and some secondary attributes that players can research and invest in for this build. 

Arcane 

Starting Arcane, the star of this build, is one of the most critical attributes that adventures can invest in to obliterate their enemies. Arcane is essentially concerned with “item-finding” when players kill off or get rid of difficult or lighter opponents, allowing players to get more resources and become stronger. 

In essence, arcane determine’s player’s ability to control the “Discovery” stat. If players choose to invest in the arcane, they will experience an immediate boost in their Holy Defence, and opponents launching Holy Damage attacks at them will see a maximum reduction.

Investing in arcane considerable buffs Vitality, rendering players invincible. Not just that, investment into Arcane will allow adventurers to get increased attacks from weapons that scale off of Arcane. The higher the investment into Arcane Points, the more benefits players will experience. 

Read Also: Elden Ring Arcane Weapons

Faith 

Players are recommended to invest in faith as it is an important attribute. It controls how well an adventurer will be able to cast incantations, and how strong the incantations will be. To maximize the benefits of Faith, I suggest investing points into Faith. You don’t need to invest in Intelligence since this is not an intelligence build.

Vigor 

Yet another crucial attribute is Vigor, which controls players’ Health Points and how players will survive on the battlefield when they are in a heated battle with formidable foes. Since HP maintenance is essential to an adventurer during combat, investment in Vigor Points is essential. 

Players will also experience increased Fire Defence, allowing them to tank stronger Fire Damage attacks launched at them by enemies. Adventurer’s Immunity Resistance is also increased, and for that reason, the more points players invest in Vigor, the stronger the resistance will be. 

Dexterity 

Following through, the only secondary attribute is Dexterity that players can look into. Dexterity is concerned with players’ capabilities to weird weapons that scale off of Dexterity and how much damage the weapons will produce. Weapons that scale off of Dexterity will experience an enhancement to their overall attack power. 

When players are out on the battlefield, they will also be able to tank more hits as you will not get knocked off as easily. Fall damage from higher points is also significantly reduced. Therefore, players should consider investing Points into Dexterity and upgrading it for maximum potential. 

Weapons For Arcane Build

I suggest you go through the brief overview of the best weapon for the Arcane Build in Elden Ring:

Weapon	Physical	Magic	Fire	Light	Holy	Boost	Incantation
Scavenger’s Curved Sword	Attack: 105 Guard: 40	Guard: 30	Guard: 30	Guard: 30	Guard: 30	Guard: 25	-
Uchigatana	Attack: 115 Guard: 45	Guard: 30	Guard: 30	Guard: 30	Guard: 30	Guard: 30	-
Rivers of Blood	Attack: 76 Guard: 47	Guard: 26	Attack: 76 Guard: 52	Guard: 26	Guard: 26	Guard: 31	-
Eleonora’s Poleblade	Attack: 72 Guard: 42	Guard: 28	Attack: 72 Guard: 38	Guard: 28	Guard: 28	Guard: 28	-
Dragon Communion Seal	Attack: 25 Guard: 25	Guard: 15	Guard: 15	Guard: 15	Guard: 15	Guard: 15	Attack: 60

There are a set few weapons that will work well with the Arcane Build, and here they are! Also, you don’t need staff since this is far from an Intelligence build. 

Scavenger’s Curved Sword 

The Scavenger’s Curved Sword is one of the main components for the build, as it aims to support the players with close-range melee attacks launched towards enemies. Players can get close to opponents and launch heavy physical attacks that render enemies useless. Read my Greatsword build if you fancy heavy equipment playstyle.

The Skill, “Spinning Slash,” allows players to rotate their bodies while charging close to enemies and hitting them with consecutive regular and heavy attacks, resulting in a consistent Blood loss buildup, which will cause the opponent’s HP to deplete consistently. 

With the weapon scaling with Strength D and Dexterity D, players will need to invest about 14 Dexterity Points and 9 Strength Points to get the most out of the weapon. 

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Uchigatana 

The Uchigatana offers a compelling option for both PvP and PvE combat, excelling in consecutive bleed buildup to support players engaged in intense battles against formidable enemies. Boasting significant physical damage at 115, this weapon enables swift victories.

Navigating the arena, adventurers can strategically execute Pierce and Slash attacks, inducing the ‘Blood Loss buildup‘ status on opponents. This gradual HP reduction proves fatal over time, securing triumph for the wielder. The weapon skill ‘Unsheathe’ empowers players to wield the Uchigatana single-handedly, delivering precise and powerful regular and heavy attacks to obliterate foes. With scaling based on Dexterity D and Strength D, attaining 15 Dexterity Points and 11 Strength Points optimizes the Uchigatana’s effectiveness.

Rivers of Blood 

In my opinion, another great alternative is the Rivers of Blood, though it is yet to be highly buffed in Elden Ring itself. The main aim of the weapon is to cause a high amount of blood loss buildup when approaching enemies, all the while dealing Physical and Fire Damage, which can pair up to be deadly in combat. 

The Rivers of Blood is one of the best Katanas that players can wield and make their way across the battlefield and gain dominance over their enemies. The skill “Corpse Piler” allows adventurers to cast a blade equipped with cursed blood, launch consecutive attacks at enemies, and kill them off. The weapon itself scales off Arcane D, Dexterity D, and Strength E and requires adventurers to invest 20 Arcane Points, 18 Dexterity, and 12 Strength Points. 

Eleonora’s Poleblade 

Following through with Eleonora’s Poleblade, it is yet another weapon that I highly recommend investing in as soon as FromSoftware buffs its main stats. The main aim of this weapon remains to severely deplete the enemy’s HP by causing a high amount of Blood Loss Buildup. 

Players can follow through with Physical and Fire Damage that will cause players to lose HP and render them useless, allowing adventurers to come out victorious. The primary skill of Eleonora’s Poleblade remains “Bloodblade Dance,” which allows players to form a leaping stance and continue with tornado attacks toward enemies. With the weapon scaling off of Arcane D, Dexterity E, and Strength E, adventurers can pinch in 19 Arcane Points, 21 Dexterity, and 12 Strength Points to obliterate enemies with this weapon. 

Dragon Communion Seal 

To cast strong Dragon Communion Seals, players can help by equipping the Dragon Communion Seal, which can help place the “Madness” status on enemies and kill them off quickly. The main aim of the weapon itself is to help adventurers with Dragon Incantations and spell casting. 

With the weapon itself scaling with Arcane C and Faith D, players can put in 10 Arcane Points and 10 Faith Points to gain access to it. 

Armor Sets For Arcane Build

Here’s a quick rundown of the Armor Sets in comparison to each other:

Armor Set	Armor	Physical	Strike	Slash	Pierce	Magic	Fire	Light	Holy
Black Knife Set	Black Knife Hood	3.8	3.6	4.2	4.2	2.8	3.1	2.1	3.8
	Back Knife Armor	11.4	10.9	12.4	12.4	8.8	9.5	6.7	11.4
	Black Knife Gauntlets	2.8	2.7	3.1	3.1	2.1	2.3	1.6	2.8
	Black Knife Greaves	6.5	6.2	7.1	7.1	5.0	5.4	3.8	6.5
Land of Reeds Set	Land of Reeds Helm	3.1	3.4	4.2	3.4	3.6	4.0	4.2	3.8
	Land of Reeds Armor	8.8	9.5	11.9	9.5	10.2	11.4	11.9	10.9
	Land of Reeds Gauntlets	2.1	2.3	2.9	2.3	2.5	2.8	2.9	2.7
	Land of Reeds Greaves	5.0	5.4	6.8	5.4	5.8	6.5	6.8	6.2
White Reed Set	Okina Mask	3.4	3.6	4.0	3.1	3.8	3.8	4.2	3.6
	White Reed Armor	9.5	10.2	11.4	8.8	10.9	10.9	11.9	10.2
	White Reed Gauntlets	2.3	2.5	2.8	2.1	2.7	2.7	2.9	2.5
	White Reed Greaves	5.4	5.4	6.5	5.0	6.2	6.2	6.8	5.8

For the Arcane Build Class in Elden Ring, players can take advantage of these three armor sets that will greatly benefit them and help them out when they are in the midst of a fight with opponents. 

Black Knife Set

Following up with The Black Knife Set, is notorious for its primary passive, improving and buffing the player’s stealth moves, which can significantly help them move about while in combat. It comes equipped with Helms, Gauntlets, Greaves, and Chest armor. Let’s check it out! 

Black Knife Hood 

They start with the Black Knife Hood, which is mainly used in the heat of the battle with difficult bosses. It will significantly aid the players when it is worn on top of the adventurer’s head, as its main aim is to enhance the player’s Robustness and Resistance. When players are under the protection of the Black Knife Hood, they can fearlessly slash and thrust their way through enemies and render them useless. 

The hood itself does not contribute a lot to the Equip Load Limit. Therefore, it can be easily worn by players. Significant emphasis is placed on negating Physical, Slash, and Pierce damage, as well as enhancing Robustness Resistance. I suggest checking below for numbers and stats.

Black Knife Armor 

Following up with the Black Knife Armor, while it is adorned around the adventurer’s waist and torso, it not only looks elegant, but it also beautifully guards the players against all physical and elemental attacks that are aimed at the torso. The armor itself is considered heavy-weight, allowing adventurers to tank all sorts of damage. 

Physical, strike, Slash, and Pierce damage negation is the main aim of the armor, but elemental damage is not ignored. Robustness, immunity, and focus resistance are also considered. You can see below for damage negation stats. 

Black Knife Gauntlets 

The Black Knife Gauntlets are another vital asset to the Arcane Build in Elden Ring. It focuses mainly on protecting the player from difficult opponents and is adorned around the hands and the arms. Any enemy that dares launch attacks at the arms and hands will damage the adventurer. 

The Equip Load Limit will not be affected by a lot, and Magic, Fire, Light, and Holy damage protection are prioritized over everything else. Robustness Resistance is also highly considered. The gauntlets add to the stealth enhancement that players can experience while under the guard of the set. 

Black Knife Greaves 

Finishing off this set with the Black Knife Greaves is considered a relatively lightweight armor worn to guard adventurers against attacks launched at the legs. The leg protection is focused mainly on Magical and Physical protection; all the while, players can continue to launch attacks at their enemies and take down enemies. 

Land of Reeds Set 

Getting along with the Arcane Build, the Land of Reeds set is another viable armor set that players can take protection from and go into the arena to obliterate the worst of enemies and come out utterly victorious. The Land of Reeds set comes with chest armor, gauntlets, greaves, and helms. 

Land of Reeds Helm 

Starting with the Land of Reeds Helm, is armor wear that is meant to be adorned on the adventurer’s head and prevents you from taking any sort of headshots aimed at the player by enemies. It is a comparatively lightweight helm that can offer a consecutive balance between personal protection and damage negation. This headpiece also goes well with a Samurai build.

The main aim of the helm is to protect from Slash, Light, and Fire Damage, while also focusing on Immunity and Vitality Resistance. The weight is around 3.6, enough for the player to tank many hits. I recommend checking below for numbers.

Land of Reeds Armor 

The Land of Reeds Armor mainly aims to protect the adventurer from enemy attacks while also allowing players to launch consecutive slashing and thrusting attacks at the foes to take them down and gain dominance of the arena. Personal protection is the priority to keep the player alive for as long as possible.

Players will take over their foes when the Land of Reeds Armor guards them. Elemental damage negation is the priority compared to physical damage, and the main priority is focused on enhancing Immunity and Vitality Resistance. As someone who values survivability, I suggest checking out the damage negation stats below.

Land of Reeds Gauntlets 

Going right along with the Land of Reeds Gauntlets, they are there to aid the Player while in combat, whether PvP or PvE and allow adventurers to launch consecutive attacks at their opponents and obliterate them. The Player’s defense and personal protection are considerably buffed. 

Physical, Strike, Slash, and Pierce damage negation is aimed at and ensures players that their resistance to all kinds of enemy attacks is also catered to. Here are some of the main stats that you should invest in. 

Land of Reeds Greaves 

Lastly, the Land of Reeds Greaves participates in the Arcane Build to help players achieve victory as quickly as possible without needing to die or increase their health. The graves are adorned around the adventurer’s legs and feet, reducing damage intake from the enemy’s side. 

The greaves’ weight is around 5.1, which can determine that the greaves are considered heavy-weight armor and can add a bit to the Equip Load Limit. 

White Reed Set 

Getting through the Arcane Build, the White Reed Set is a fantastic alternative to the Black Knife set or any others, as it is produced from banded iron plates and dramatically aids the players in the battle. The set comes with its Chest Armor, Gauntlets, Greaves, and Helms. 

Okina Mask 

Starting with the Okina Mask, its appearance does not need to fool any player, as it can provide excellent guard and protection, strong adventurers, fighting their way through to victory against the most challenging bosses and enemies. The mask’s primary focus is to enhance the player’s overall skill. 

The minor side-effect is that it will reduce the adventurer’s focus. The main focus is on Physical, Slash, and Light damage negation, allowing players to tank light and physical damage from foes. Immunity, Focus, and Vitality Resistance are catered to. 

White Reed Armor 

The White Reed Armor is yet another fantastic piece, as it offers excellent damage protection when it is adorned around the waist and torso. Players can stay fully guarded while swiftly moving across the arena and working their way to the ultimate win. 

Adventurers, under the protection of the White Reed Armor, tank both elemental and physical damage, rendering the enemies useless. You can see below the numbers and stats for damage negation and resistances. 

White Reed Gauntlets 

The White Reed Gauntlets are meant to be worn around the arms and hands, and being made from banded iron plates, they are sure to allow players to stay protected the entire time they are in combat with their opponents. There is considerable resistance and protection enhancement from the player’s side. 

The primary damage negation comes from Slash, Light, Magic, and Physical damage, and the gauntlets provide excellent Immunity Resistance. See below for numbers. 

White Reed Greaves 

Ending it all with the White Reed Greaves, while they are adorned on the adventurer’s legs and feet, players will always be able to take in all sorts of damage that enemies dare to launch your way. Increased HP preservation is the primary goal of the greaves, all the while also providing excellent Physical, Strike, Slash, and Pierce damage negation. 

Talismans For Arcane Build 

Talismans are a crucial part of an adventurer’s kit, as they can offer countless offensive and defensive benefits to the player and help them achieve victory. To get the most out of the Arcane Build in Elden Ring, here are the five best talismans to use, in my opinion. Elden Ring players will benefit from them greatly. 

Dragon Crest Greatshield Talisman 

Starting with the Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman, while it is in the hands of adventurers, it will significantly help them take down the toughest of enemies. With the main aim of the talisman being to enhance players’ physical damage negation, it can significantly help with specific armor kits. 

In essence, if a player has around 0% physical damage negation, they will get a 20% physical damage negation buff, which will help them tank more hits without losing a ton of HP, which will indirectly help them survive longer on the battlefield. 

Erdtree’s Favor 

Yet another essential talisman that adventurers can equip is the Erdtree’s Favor. In essence, the main aim of the talisman is to support and help keep players alive for longer by enhancing and buffing their overall Health Points. When players face enemies in PvE matches, it is essential to ensure HP maintenance. 

Players will find their HP buffed by 3%, Stamina by 6.75%, and Equip Load by 5%, and with the +1 upgrade, their HP will be enhanced by 3.5%, Stamina by 6.75%, and Equip Load Limit by 6.5%, which can help adventurers wear stronger armor and be a lot stronger. 

Green Turtle’s Talisman

Based on my experience, another crucial talisman that adventurers might consider for the Arcane build is the Green Turtle’s Talisman. In essence, the talisman comes in handy when players sprint through the arena and takedown challenging enemies and bosses. 

With the talisman granting faster stamina recovery to players, they can regain 8 Stamina Points per second, which can significantly aid them in battle. 

Lord of Blood’s Exultation 

The Lord of Blood’s Exultationdeems itself incredibly useful when adventurers are working hard slicing enemies in half and making their central to gain dominance over their foes. The Lord of Blood’s Exultation allows players to experience enhanced attack power if there is a Blood Loss Buildup in a certain radius around them. 

This can work exceptionally well with weapons that cause Blood Loss buildup, as it will proc this talisman and instantly buff the player’s attack power, which can again increase the weapon’s overall damage output. 

Ritual Shield 

Finishing off with the Ritual Shield, this talisman greatly aids the players in combat, whether PvP or PvE, and it buffs players’ defense if their Health has not dropped at all. 

The talisman itself will decrease the incoming damage by 30%, allowing players to tank more hits launched at them by enemies and stay at total Health all the time. This can help in turn players launch attacks and render enemies useless. 

Spells 

Moving on, players can use spells to get buffs and healing, curing, or offensive buffs that can help the player get as many victories as possible and take out enemies with style and Vigor. Here are three essential spells that I suggest focusing on for the Arcane Build. 

Swarm of Flies 

Starting with the Swarm of Flies, when the adventurer equips the incantation and casts it, it causes the launch of a large crowd of flies infused with Blood that will be aimed to head in the direction of the opponents. When approached by the enemy, they will assault and attack the enemy, consistently building up Blood Loss and dealing damage. 

Even as the caster moves across the battlefield and takes down enemies, they can cast Swarm of Flies. The magic requires around 16 Arcane Points and 11 Faith Points from the caster, and it uses up around one 1 Memory Slot. 

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Flame of Frenzy 

Moving on with the Flame of Frenzy, when the player casts it, it launches down a burst of flames infused with enhanced Fire damage that will obliterate enemies and cause them to intake increased Fire Damage. This will continue to move all across and engulf the enemy in flames. 

Holding the incantation for a while charges it up, and when unleashed again, it buffs a broad range of flames that engulf the foes, causing an overall increase in Fire Damage output. The casting speed of Flame of Frenzy is fast, and it uses up 1 Memory Slot.

Rot Breath 

Finishing off with the Rot Breath Incantation is yet another essential one in the Arcane Build. The adventurer who approaches the enemies casts it, unleashing rotten breath in the direction of the foes as its main aim. 

The incantation requires players to invest in 12 Arcane Points and Faith Points, and it uses up 48 Stamina and one Memory Slot. In my opinion, having a Rot Breath is crucial for survival in Elden Ring.

Ash of War

I recommend equipping only one optimal ash of war for the Arcane Build. 

Bloodhound Step 

The Bloodhound’s Step ash of war grants the adventurer the skill, “Bloodhound’s Step,” which allows the player to become invisible to every opponent surrounding them temporarily and offers them enhanced dodging abilities so players can better dodge incoming damage. 

Arcane Build Tips 

• Wield Scavenger’s Curved Sword for fast victories, using heavy attacks for physical damage and blood loss.
• Use Lord of Blood’s Exultation for consistent Blood Loss Status, paired with Erdtree’s Favor for HP benefits and Green Turtle Talisman for agility.
• Equip Dragon’s Communion Seal to cast incantations, summon Swarm of Flies for extra blood loss, and utilize Flame of Frenzy for Fire Damage.

My Thoughts On The Arcane Build

After spending many hours in Elden Ring, I consider the Arcane Build to be one of the most potent options, if not the outright strongest. Despite bosses being immune to bleeding in the Arcane build, you can offset this limitation with powerful incantations. Though not a fan of spells, their overwhelming effectiveness cannot be denied.

For an optimal Arcane Build, prioritize upgrading Arcane, Dexterity, Faith, Vigor, and Endurance. Weapon-wise, opt for either Rivers of Blood or dual-wield Uchigatana for a remarkable Blood Loss effect. If you choose the Uchigatana build, enhance it further by utilizing Senpukku as the Ash of War for an incredible bleed build.

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