Elden Ring: 12 Most Uncommon Builds

Highlights

• Elden Ring offers a variety of unique and punishing builds for players willing to experiment with different playstyles.
• New weapon types and build options in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC bring fresh gameplay experiences to the table.
• From the Mushroom King to the Mad King, each build in Elden Ring offers a different approach to combat and strategy.

FromSoftware’s Soulslike adventure, Elden Ring, released to much fanfare in early 2022. Despite having months gone by, the community remains as strong as ever and is on a constant lookout for new builds to add some variety to the gameplay. Experimentation would quickly dry up in a general AAA title, but Hidetaka Miyazaki’s brainchild boasts of an exhaustive number of armor, talismans, weapons, stats, and a lot more that bring a different build to the table each time.

One should always be careful when choosing a particular build since Elden Ring is a classic Soulslike, i.e., extremely punishing. Those who are just starting out may benefit from going for straightforward magic or warrior builds. But there are other uncommon options for those who want to refresh their gameplay experience in their third or even the 11th playthrough.

Updated July 10, 2024, by Hamza Haq: With the arrival of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, FromSoftware has changed the meta completely. Not only are there new options for existing weapon types, but eight completely new weapon types have been added to the game, each with a unique moveset and playstyle not seen before in any Soulsborne game. Naturally, this gives rise to a plethora of new builds using these unique weapons, giving players a taste of never-before-seen playstyles. While some of these new additions are somewhat familiar, others are entirely alien.

12 Mushroom King

The Mushroom King involves using the Poison status effect to take down enemies. Players can make use of the Mushroom Crown and the Kindred of Rot’s Exultation Talisman to stack buffs precisely and deal a lot of damage when Poison is applied.

Further, infusing weapons with Poison affinity increases Dexterity, enhancing the base damage itself. A third buff can be applied by placing Seppuku in the off-hand and going for Blood Loss before the start of any encounter. Adding to that, the Lord of Blood’s Exultation Talisman can further increase one’s attack power when blood loss occurs in the vicinity.

11 Dryleaf Monk

The Dryleaf Monk is a hand-to-hand combatant, relying on getting in close range to their enemies to deal damage with the Dryleaf Arts weapon. The Rotten Winged Sword Insignia and Millicent’s Prosthesis increase the effectiveness of successive attacks, and the Godfrey Icon can increase the effectiveness of the weapon skill. The fourth slot is variable, but the Two-Headed Turtle Talisman is always good.

The Ash of War can be swapped for something like Dryleaf Whirlwhind or Golden Slam, but the default Ash of War: Palm Blast is quite useful in its own right. Players should alternate between Heavy, Cold, Blood, and Poison infusions, depending on the enemy type and weakness. For regular enemies, Heavy is more useful as it is a straight increase in DPS. But for bosses, relying on status effects is the way to go. Dexterity and Strength are equally important for this build.

10 Ninja Turtle

This particular build in Elden Ring allows players to effectively become a Ninja Turtle, at least as close as it’s possible in the game. With the Great Turtle Shell on their back and the Albinauric Mask equipped, they will certainly look the part.

FromSoftware has put a lot of work in the visual fidelity of the environment, items, and fight animation. In light of that, having a mask and a shell that looks silly is more than enough to ensure a fun playthrough. To top it off, players can use theme-appropriate weapons like a katana, a pole or spear, and even a flail.

9 Bubble Mage

The Bubble Mage, or Bubble Boy’s build, allows for yet another instance where players can take on an enemy’s weapon and wreak havoc. It calls for defeating Oracle Envoys to get Envoy’s Greathorn . The weapon itself produces bubbles, but it’s recommended to wear an Envoy Crown to increase the base damage.

The attacks are primarily ranged but allow for great versatility if they want to get up and close. The bubbles’ animation and color are well done and play a great contrast against the environment, especially in comparison to the headpiece’s white and the big greathorn’s yellow hues.

8 The Wall

The Wall is a great build for players who want to relentlessly walk forward and see their enemies suffer just as they did in earlier playthroughs. Essentially, it involves equipping two Fingerprint Stone Shield s and is a loose turn on the old “defend and poke” meta that caused chaos in Elden Ring’s PvP.

Looking and playing the part of an immovable god, the Tarnished can just take let waves of damage fall to naught on their shields. Combining it with a secondary attack after the first block is the way to go. It is recommended that players brace themselves for the sluggish movement and equip the Green Turtle Talisman for increased Stamina recovery speeds.

7 Holy Turret

The Holy Turret allows for a flexible gameplay experience and is effective in PvE as well as PvP. It allows for ranged damage by casting Triple Rings of Light , in case the enemy is running a close-range strength build that can take players down in a couple of hits.

Meanwhile, it simultaneously allows for a great short-distance boost as well, with the Holy Ground Ash of War buffing defense and healing. The Radiant Gold Mask and the Golden Order Seal buff enhance the damage dealt out and are thus critical for this composition. However, players can choose other elements based on their personal preferences.

6 Shield Thruster

Thrusting Shields are some of the most broken weapons introduced in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC as they allow players to deal damage and block in the same motion, making it so that if the character doesn’t run out of poise and stamina, they’re essentially unkillable. The idea is that the player holds the Thrusting Shield in two hands and holds block. Whenever an enemy comes close, they attack without releasing block to get in easy damage. Currently, there are only two Thrusting Shields in the game, and though both are equally viable, the Carian Thrusting Shield is overall the better choice. Players can pick this up near the Storehouse, Back Section Site of Grace in the Shadow Keep.

The Spear Talisman is a must-have as it increases the damage dealt for attacking an enemy while they are attacking the player, which with the Thrusting Shield should be every single time. The Two-Handed Sword Talisman increases dual-wield damage, the Two-Headed Turtle Talisman increases stamina regeneration to ridiculous amounts, and the Greatshield Talisman makes blocking take less stamina. Stat allocation should favor Intelligence, Vigor, and Endurance over everything else.

5 All Fire

Players can use this particular build in Elden Ring to go all out with an aggressive playstyle. It calls for preemptive moves after pattern analysis and leads to a lot of chaos on the field with fire, which leads to reduced visibility and short dodge windows. As such, it is not recommended for beginners or for those who want a casual experience.

The build calls for a few essential components: Burn, O Flame! , Flame, Grant me Strength , Giantsflame Take Thee for the massive fireball, and Magma Blades. When put to use, the combination can cause a massive amount of damage, quickly taking out even boss-level entities. However, this build is not recommended when facing bosses with high fire resistance, like Magma Wyrms and the Fire Giant.

4 Howling Starfist

The Howling Starfist build will resonate with many gamers who like close-quarters combat. Seemingly similar to Kratos’ Spartan Rage from God of War, this build allows players to deal massive damage with their “fists.” Star Fist naturally come with Bleeding, and the addition of the Bloodflame Blade incantation buffs it to a greater degree in Elden Ring.

While a good chunk of players will use it to get up and close with enemies, adding Ash of War: Beast’s Roar allows for great and accurate ranged damage. Further, since Star Fist is dual-wielded as is a secondary option can be held in the off-hand. Doing this will allow players to gain a passive boost from the latter as well.

3 Vampiric Knight

The Vampiric Knight is a great build for players who like to take the safer route. It consists of a specific set of items that increases healing to a great extent, ensuring that they outlast enemies in every fight. Using the Butchering Knife as the weapon allows players to get 1% of max HP per hit. The Ash of War: Prelate’s Charge can hit enemies rapidly, stealing massive chunks of HP from them. Further, equipping Icon Shield helps with protection and allows a passive gain of 3 HP/s.

The healing factor of this particular composition can be buffed even further with the Blessed Dew Talisman , which itself allows for continuous absorption of 2 HP/s. Players can choose armor and other components as per their preference. Altogether, this build comes in handy with steady health regeneration.

2 The Elementalist

Players can use this build in Elden Ring if they want to become a great mage. Essentially, it allows them to cast almost every spell in the game which doesn’t involve a lot of points invested in Faith. As such, they need to have a high degree of knowledge of the attacks they wish to use. Since these open up a player’s repertoire, they can go for ranged as well as close-quarters combat.

Some will work better on certain enemies and others can be used if they wish to have a fun time and troll enemies in PvE and PvP. When it comes to the main weapon, using the Prince of Death’s Staff comes in quite handy as it buffs Ancient Death Rancor .

1 Mad King

The Mad King build is another aggressive playstyle with a major focus on Madness and Blood Loss. Hence, prioritizing Arcane, Dexterity, and Mind is the way to go here. Incantations like Unendurable Frenzy, The Flame of Frenzy , and the Howl of Shabriri complete this build and deal massive damage to enemies caught in the huge area of effect.

Keeping high amounts of clarifying boluses is essential to mitigate the Madness built-up charged after casting such spells. Furthermore, choosing blood incantations and weapons like Swarm of Flies and Rivers of Blood can help players by taking advantage of their character’s high Arcane stat.