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In the vast and treacherous world of Elden Ring, players are presented with a plethora of options to craft their own unique gameplay experience. With 16 distinct builds, there’s a unique blend of weapons, armor, Incantations, and Talismans. As choosing the right build can be a daunting task, I have ranked all builds based on my personal experience in the game.
- Elden Ring provides players with 16 different builds.
- Builds are ranked based on the quality of weapons, armor, Incantations, and Talismans they offer.
- Magic, Frostbite, Dexterity, and Bleed Elden Ring Builds are considered the best.
- The Bow, Poison, Spear, and Whip Builds are deemed below average, offering highly restricted use.
- Author’s Note: I have played 160+ hours in Elden Ring using all kinds of builds, which is why I have enough information to curate a complete tier list.
Builds Comparison
| Builds | Tier | Weapons | Wondrous Physiiks Mixture | Armor | Incantations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bleed | S | Uchigatana, River of Blood, Bloodhounds fang, and Ghizas wheel | Greeburst Crystal Tear and Thorny Cracked Tear | War Surgeon Set and Crucible Tree Set | Bloodflame Blade |
| Dexterity | S | Katanas, Rapiers, Bows, and Curved Swords | Virulent, Coalesced, and Thunderous Cracked Tears | Shadow Set and Black Leather Set | None specified (depends on playstyle) |
| Frostbite | S | Vordt's Great Hammer, Friede's Great Scythe, and Irithyll Straight Sword | Frostbite Crystal Tear and Frozen Cracked Tear | Outrider Knight Set and Dancer's Set | Frost Blade and Frozen Weapon |
| Magic | S | Sorceries and Staves, Crystal Sage's Rapier, and Moonlight Greatsword | Crystalized, Iridescent, and Violet Cracked Tears | Sage's Big Hat and Court Sorcerer Set | Magic Shield, Magic Weapon, and Magic Blade |
| Scarlet Rot | A | Warden Twinblades, Grave Warden's Scythe, and Bloodlust | Noxious, Blistered, and Scorched Cracked Tears | Grave Warden Set and Bloodbite Ring | Blood Magic and Bleed Blade |
| Strength | A | Greatswords, Greataxes, and Ultra Greatswords | Radiant, Blazing, and Thunderous Cracked Tears | Havel's Set and Smough's Set | Iron Flesh and Stone Flesh |
| Faith | A | Maces, Axes, and Hammers, and weapons that can be infused with Lightning Gems | Holy, Glowing, and Radiant Cracked Tears | Paladin Set and Archdeacon Set | Lightning Blade, Sunlight Blade, and Divine Blessing |
| Blackflame | A | Weapons that can be infused with Dark Gems, such as the Onyx Blade and Dark Hand | Dark, Ashen, and Smoky Cracked Tears | Dark Set and Fire Witch Set | Black Flame and Dark Blade |
| Quality | B | Versatile weapons that scale well with both Strength and Dexterity, such as the Claymore and the Lothric Knight Sword | No specific tears mentioned | Elite Knight Set and Cathedral Knight Set | None specified (depends on playstyle) |
| Dragon | B | Dragon Tooth, Drakeblood Greatsword, and weapons that can be infused with Dragon Gems | Dragonfire Crystal Tear and Dragon Blood Cracked Tear | Dragon Scale Set and Dragonrider Set | Dragon Breath and Dragon Roar |
| Frenzy | B | Weapons that deal Bleed or have innate Frenzy, such as the Bloodletter and Chikage | Frenzy Crystal Tear and Insane Cracked Tear | Cainhurst Set and Knight Set | Blood Magic and Frenzy Blade |
| Colossal Sword | B | Greatswords, Ultra Greatswords, and weapons that are particularly large or heavy, such as the Fume Ultra Greatsword and Black Knight Greatsword | Crushing, Smashing, and Thunderous Cracked Tears | Black Iron Set and Knight Set | Iron Flesh and Stone Flesh |
| Bow | C | Bows, Crossbows, and weapons that can be used effectively at range, such as the Black Bow of Pharis and Avelyn | Crystalized, Iridescent, and Violet Cracked Tears | Archer Set and Hunter Set | Hawk Eye and Feather Arrow |
| Poison | C | Weapons that deal Poison or can be infused with Poison Gems, such as the Spotted Whip and Poison-infused Estoc | Poison Crystal Tear and Toxic Cracked Tear | Shadow Set and Antiquated Set | Poison Mist and Toxic Mist |
| Spear | C | Spears, Pikes, and Halberds, and weapons that can be infused with Sharp Gems | Crystalized, Iridescent, and Violet Cracked Tears | Drang Set and Lothric Knight Set | Lightning Spear and Great Lightning Spear |
| Whip | C | Whips, Flails, and chains, and weapons that can be infused with Sharp or Poison Gems | Whipcrack, Blistered, and Scorched Cracked Tears | Witch Set and Master's Attire | None specified (depends on playstyle) |
S-Tier
S-Tier builds contain the use of the most overpowered and best weapons in Elden Ring. These builds will not only melt bosses in PvE but they will also help you dominate PvP.
Following is the list of S-Tier Builds in Elden Ring;
- Bleed Build
- Frostbite Build
- Magic Build
- Dexterity Build
These are the absolute best builds in Elden Ring with almost no flaws. Now I will discuss the S-Tier builds in complete detail.
Bleed Build
Bleed Builds are probably the best in Elden Ring. The blood Build-up has been completely buffed up by Fromsoftware this time around. The Assassin’s Build in Elden Ring guide goes into detail about the bleed mechanic. Using a bleed weapon will procure a percentage of Boss’s health.
- Great Stunlock.
- High percentage damage.
- Procure Boss’s health.
- Weak raw damage.
Dexterity Build
- Quick attacks.
- Light equipment load.
- Low stagger.
- Low burst damage.
Frostbite Build
- High damage output.
- Freeze effect.
- Vulnerability to fire.
- Slow casting time.
Magic Build
- Crowd control.
- Versatility.
- Vulnerability to physical attacks.
- High intelligence stat required.
A-Tier
A-Tier builds are also very good in Elden Ring but there are some minimal flaws in them. However, the pros outweigh the cons by a huge mile.
Following is the list of A-Tier Builds;
- Scarlet Rot Build
- Strength Build
- Faith Build
- Blackflame Build
Scarlet Rot Build
Scarlet Rot is a new addition to the different ailments in Fromsoftware’s games. Rot is a buffed-up version of Poison and does massive amounts of damage. Scarlet rot procs faster than poison and lasts for longer as well.
I recommend using the Antspur Rapier or Power Stance if you’ve got two for faster procs.
- Synergy with other afflictions.
- Versatility.
- Slow affliction spread.
- Vulnerability to healing.
Strength Build
- High attack damage.
- Burst damage.
- Slow attacks.
- Heavy equipment load.
Faith Build
- Healing abilities.
- High damage output.
- Limited weapon options.
- Vulnerability to physical attacks.
Blackflame Build
- Control over the battlefield.
- Deals massive damage.
- High Faith stat required.
- Vulnerability to frostbite.
B-Tier
B-Tier Builds are neither impressive nor that bad to use. Sure you can make do with but you’re gonna make the game harder for yourself. There are certainly good things about the B-Tier builds but there are a lot of cons too.
Following is the list of B-Tier builds;
- Quality Build
- Dragon Build
- Frenzy Build
- Colossal Sword Build
These are the best B-Tier builds in my tier list. Now I will Discuss these builds in complete detail.
Quality Build
Quality Builds have never been too good since they require investments in two different stats. Almost every Quality weapon scales off both Strength and Dexterity. Additionally, the damage dealt by these weapons is not on par with something like a pure strength or pure dexterity weapon.
- Weapon choice flexibility.
- Deals massive damage.
- Limited armor options.
- Slow weapon switching.
Dragon Build
- Unique playstyle.
- Vulnerability to ice.
- Limited spell options.
Frenzy Build
- Debuffing abilities.
- Vulnerability to physical attacks.
- Mental instability.
Colossal Sword Build
- Staggering potential.
- Effective against bosses.
- Slow swing speed.
- Limited mobility.
C-Tier
C-tier builds are below-average builds that I will not recommend on a normal playthrough. Although there are some benefits of using these builds they are very limited.
Following is the list of C-Tier Builds;
- Bow Build
- Poison Build
- Spear Build
- Whip Build
These are the best C-Tier builds. Now I will Discuss these builds in complete detail.
Bow Build
Even though bows have been extremely buffed in Elden Ring, they are still not viable for killing bosses in the end game. Bows are rarely used as main weapons. They are only kept as secondary ranged weapons to kill fodder enemies silently. For more info, I suggest you check out the Best Bow Weapons in Elden Ring guide.
- Stealth and mobility.
- Limited close-range options.
- Vulnerability to melee attacks.
- Slow reload time.
Poison Build
- Stealthy playstyle.
- Slow poison effect.
- Vulnerability to fire.
Spear Build
- High poise damage.
- Slow attack speed.
- Vulnerability to parries.
Whip Build
- Scales with Dexterity.
- Low damage output.
- Limited range.
- Weak against shields.
My Thoughts And Recommendations Regarding Different Builds
With my experience, I would say that Bleed, Magic, and Strength builds are the most overpowered ones in Elden Ring. I don’t like pure magic builds, so I wouldn’t recommend that. However, hybrid magic builds are always welcome. A Melee build that allows you to utilize spells or projectiles instantly is my favorite one. I spent tons of hours playing with the Dark Moon Greatsword, as it is enjoyable to use.
Elden Ring Tier List Criteria
This Tier List was written after complete research on every build. I discussed the best S-Tier builds and the below-average C-Tier builds. I also explained the best gear that you could use for the build that you like.
Hopefully, the Tier List helped you understand what builds are good for you. Let me know what you think about Fromsoftware’s Magnum Opus in the comments below!
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No Bubble build? C\'mon it\'s so good xD
Dexterity is a really good build for beginners
The Dexterity and Intelligence build is my favorite! Moonveil Katana and Moonlight Greatsword are absolute beasts
I’ve been rocking the Bleed build with the Uchigatana, and it’s been devastating in PvP
Bleed and Frost dominate everything
These game screenshots are the best part of this article. showcasing each build with not only text is lovely
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