The best builds in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree can absolutely destroy the hardest of foes that are introduced in the new DLC. Some of the new weapons and incantations are so broken that with the right attribute setup, players can defeat most bosses in four or five hits. It all comes down to choosing the right talisman setup paired with the perfect Wondrous Physick mix to boost your maximum damage output.
- The build variety in Shadow of the Erdtree is amazing with the addition of new weapon types.
- The current patch consists of some really broken weapons, spells, and incantations.
- There are new talismans in the DLC as well, which adds more variety to the build crafting process.
- My Bloodfiend’s Arm and Pest-Thread Spears build can demolish health bars of bosses.
- Author’s Note: I have over 400 hours in Elden Ring, including over 70 hours in the new DLC, so you can trust the information provided in my guide because I have tested these builds on multiple bosses myself.
Elden Ring Shadow Of The Erdtree Best Builds
Here is a brief summary of my two best builds that are extremely powerful in the DLC:
| Build | Strength And Arcane | Faith/Maadness |
|---|---|---|
| Attributes | -Strength to 40 or above levels -Arcane to 60 or above levels -Vigor at 60 levels -Endurance at 30 or above levels | -Faith to 70 or above levels -Vigor at 60 levels -Endurance at 30 or above levels |
| Armor Set | Bull Goat Armor Set | Black Knife Armor Set |
| Weapon | Bloodfiend's Blood Arm | Madding Hand and Erdtree Seal |
| Talismans | Lord of Blood's Exultation, Two-Handed Sword Talisman, Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman, Axe Talisman | Aged One's Exultation, Flock's Canvas Talisman, Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman, Godfrey Icon |
| Incantations | - | Pest-Thread Spears, Howl of Shabriri, Golden Vow |
The Bloodfiend’s Arm Build
| Build | Wondrous Physick Mix | Weapon | Talisman |
| Strength And Arcane |
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|
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- Why I Chose This: The DLC bosses were giving me a really tough time due to their small punishment openings, but this build allowed me to tank through their attacks and kill them with only a few hits.
With the blood affinity on the Bloodfiend’s Arm, you can proc bleed in almost two charged R2 hits of the weapon and that not only leads to blood loss but also staggers most bosses. You can then follow up with a riposte, and another charged R2 to deal deadly damage. This allowed me to skip the first phase of most DLC bosses in only three hits since I was getting both a bleed proc and a riposte.
Poise is going to be really necessary for this build, and you’re going to maximize that by using the Endure ash of war on the weapon and the Leaden Hardtear in the Wondrous Physick. Next, the charged R2 attacks are boosted by the Axe Talisman as well as the Spiked Cracked Tear in the Wondrous Physick. Most of your attribute points will end up in strength and arcane, and the Lord of Blood’s Exultation will boost damage with blood loss.
- High melee damage.
- Quick bleed build-up.
- Bosses stagger in two or three hits.
- Stamina management gets hard.
The Pest-Thread Spears Build
| Build | Wondrous Physick Mix | Weapon | Talisman |
| Faith/Madness |
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|
|
- Why I Chose This: This build makes bosses that are huge in size, like dragons, extremely easy to beat, and I found it really effective for bosses with a big hitbox.
The Pest-Thread Spears incantation is already really broken, but I am going to maximize the damage output through madness buildup. All of your attributes for this build are going to go in the Faith stat after Vigor and Stamina. Use Howl of Shabriri to build up Madness, which itself will buff your damage, and the Aged One’s Exultation will further boost that effect.
Having the Madding Hand equipped on your off-hand is going to give a passive damage buff when Madness is built up. Flock’s Canvas Talisman will boost the damage of the incantation, and since you can charge the Pest-Thread Spears, the Godfrey Icon will maximize the damage output further. Slap on the Golden Vow on top of all these buffs, and the bosses will die in a few casts.
- Great range.
- High damage output.
- Bosses die in a few casts.
- Low stagger damage.
- Incantation needs to be charged from range.
This concludes my guide on the best builds in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree. I have listed two broken builds that can demolish bosses in the current patch. If you like going melee, then you can rely on the Bloodfiend’s Arm, and if you like to play around with incantation, then the Pest-Thread Spears is the way to go. Let me know if you’re currently enjoying the DLC in the comments below!
Before you go, check out my review of Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree to get an in-depth analysis regarding the highs and lows of the new DLC.
NEXT:
- Elden Ring: How To Defeat Midra
- Elden Ring: How To Defeat Commander Gaius
- Elden Ring: Best Remembrances To Duplicate
- Elden Ring: The Best Buffs
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