The Best Builds in Elden Ring – Meta builds, cheese builds, and more

There are hundreds of potentially viable builds in Elden Ring, and far more that aren’t what anyone would qualify as “good” but can still be fun. However, if you want some of the best builds in the game, you’ll need to invest in specific weapons and armor pieces, many of them locked behind quests or only found in the later parts of the the Lands Between. Taking the time to gather all the pieces together is worth it, as the builds we’re presenting here are among the most powerful in all of Elden Ring, capable of either massive damage, incredible cheese, or a little bit of both.

Related: Which stats should you level up in Elden Ring? Attributes and stats, explained

Best PvE Builds in Elden Ring

These PvE builds in Elden Ring will be helpful if you’re looking at taking down enemies and bosses, or just trying to progress further through the game if you find yourself stuck.

Bleed (also good for PvP)

• Weapons: Rivers of Blood, Bleed-Infused Scavenger’s Curved Sword and Bandit Curved Sword, Bleed-Infused Greatsword
• Best Starting Class: Bandit, Hero for Greatsword
• Armor: White Mask is the optimal choice, but you can still hit 2000+ attack rating without it. All other armor pieces are up to your fashion sense and what your Equip Load can accommodate
• Talismans: Lord of Blood’s Exultation, Millicent’s Prosthesis, Rotten Wing Sword Insignia, Shard of Alexander, Red-Feathered Branch Sword (when at low HP)
• Flask of Wondrous Physick Tears: Dexterity-Knot Tear, Leaden Hard Tear

Bleed has been probably the best overall build strategy since Elden Ring released — so much so that the status and the weapons that cause it have been nerfed several times over the course of the game’s lifecycle. That shouldn’t stop you from putting in the effort to optimize a Bleed build, though. With the equipment we’ve listed above, you can buff yourself such that Rivers of Blood has over 2000 attack rating, and a pair of Bleed Curved Swords with either Seppuku or Spinning Slash equipped, both bosses and enemy players will quickly and messily melt into a puddle of their own gore. You can also Bleed infuse a greatsword for both massive raw damage and plenty of Bleed buildup as well.

Comet Azur Mage

• Weapons: Dark Moon Greatsword, Moonveil, Lusat’s Glintstone Staff
• Best starting class: Astrologer if using Moonveil, Prisoner if using Dark Moon Greatsword
• Armor: Azur’s Glintstone Crown, whatever armor you can equip at a given Endurance value
• Talismans: Graven-Mass Talisman, Godfrey’s Icon, Radagon’s Icon, Stargazer Heirloom (if needed), Magic Scorpion Charm (if no Stargazer Heirloom)
• Spells: Comet Azur, Stars of Ruin, Carian Slicer
• Flask of Wondrous Physick Tears: Magic-Shrouding Cracked Tear, Intelligence-knot Crystal Tear (if needed), Crimsomwhorl Bubbletear, Crimson Bubbletear

The Comet Azur specialist mage isn’t particularly effective in PvP, but it shreds large, slow-moving bosses. This build is somewhat famous in the community for its ability to delete Mohg, Lord of Blood before the fight even started. The build itself is a bit one note, but that doesn’t make it any weaker. The strategy is: walk toward the enemy you want to kill. Lock on. Cast Comet Azur unit either your FP or Stamina runs out, repeating if needed (it won’t be). Adding Moonveil, Stars of Ruin, and Carian Slicer rounds out the build with some additional options, all of them good.

Best PvP Build in Elden Ring

If you’re invading players in Elden Ring and looking for a build that will get the job done, then this proven set is where you should start your journey in causing pain for other tarnished.

Veteran’s/Bull Goat’s Rush Down

• Best Starting Class: Vagabond
• Weapons: Mohgwyn’s Sacred Spear, Finger Seal
• Armor: White Mask. All other armor is your choice.
• Talismans: Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman, Radagon’s Soreseal, Lord of Blood’s Exultation, Starscourge Heirloom
• Flask of Wondrous Physick Tears: Strength/Dexterity Knot Crystal Tear, Crimsonwhorl Bubbletear

If you must use one of the most stereotypical (but rightly so) try hard builds in Elden Ring, mix and match the Veteran’s and Bull Goat armor sets plus something like the Nightrider Glaive, Godskin Piercer, or the Bloody Helice and rush down your opponent forever. Absolute aggression is the goal here, to the detriment of every other strategy (or so I’ve seen when invading against these players). The armor and weapons are the best in the game for that kind of playstyle, and while you can be more stylish than this, if winning is your only goal, this build is probably the ticket.

Best Cheese PvP Build in Elden Ring

Cheese builds are a viable tactic in Elden Ring, and if it gets the job done then why not give it a go. Here is one that is built around using the Sleep status effect.

Sleep

• Best Starting Class: Vagabond
• Weapons: Two Swords of St. Trina
• Armor: Any you enjoy that allows you to at least have a medium roll.
• Talismans: Claw Talisman, Rotten Winged Sword Insignia, Crimson Amber Medallion +2, Bull-Goat Talisman (for more Poise), Great Jar’s Arsenal
• Flask of Wondrous Physick Tears: Strength/Dexterity-knot Crystal Tear, Magic-Shrouding Cracked Tear

Any Elden build centered around the Sleep status is powerful, but equipping two Swords of St. Trina, armor or other gear that allows you to Light or Medium roll with good defenses, and the Claw Talisman and Rotten Winged Sword Insignia turns you from strong to downright obnoxious. Sleep won’t insta-kill almost any player, but no matter what the situation, inflicting Sleep all but seals an encounter. In my experience, it’s also capable of instilling more fear than any of the other statuses. Even Bleed and Frenzy don’t elicit the same visceral response as rushing down someone with two Swords of St. Trina’s.

Most Fun PvPvE Builds in Elden Ring

There are a few all-around builds in Elden Ring that are fun to play no matter if you’re going up against enemies or other players. Here are two that will provide you with plenty of firepower.

Giantsflame Pyromancer

• Best Starting Class: Vagabond for heavier weapons, Prophet for more spell focus
• Weapons: Two Giant’s Seals, any weapon that takes the Flame Art infusion
• Armor: Whatever armor you think looks good on someone throwing huge fireballs around
• Talismans: Godfrey Icon, Flock’s Canvas Talisman, Shard of Alexander, Crimson Amber Medallion +2
• Spells: Giant’s Flame Take Thee, O, Flame!, Catch Flame, Flame Grant Me Strength, Golden Vow
• Flask of Wondrous Physick Tears: Flame-Shrouding Crystal Tear, Faith-knot Crystal Tear (if needed)

Using Giantsflame Incantations are some of the most fun you can have in Elden Ring, because who doesn’t love huge explosions? At its simplest, this build is just a lot of Giant’s Flame Take Thee spam, but you’ll want to learn how to free-aim the fireballs or even the lower-mobility bosses will be able to avoid your attacks. Catch Flame and O, Flame! are there for faster, more agile enemies like players or smaller bosses, and FLame Grant Me Strength and Golden Vow provide massive damage and defense buffs to make everything about the build more powerful.

Cannoneer Mage

• Best Starting Class: Astrologer for lower levels, Prisoner for higher levels thanks to the slightly higher Dexterity gains
• Weapons: Lusat’s Glintstone Staff in your main hand, optional Azur’s Glintstone Staff in your off-hand
• Armor: Preceptor’s Big Hat for the extra three points to Mind, and whatever else you enjoy.
• Talismans: Graven-Mass Talisman, Godfrey Icon, Radagon Icon, Crismon Amber Medallion +2
• Spells: Cannon of Haima, Gavel of Haima, Comet, Carian Piercer, Carian Slicer, Adula’s Moonblade
• Flask of Wondrous Physick Tears: Magic-Shrouding Cracked Tear, Intelligence-Knot Crystal Tear

This mage build follows a similar thought process to the pyromancer, but instead of fireballs, you’ll have large magical projectiles fired from a staff. Also big, green hammers. And like the pyromancer, I’ve added Carian Slicer, Piercer, Comet, and Adula’s Moonblade for faster, closer-ranged options. The one major weakness here is there’s no primary weapon: magic is your only offensive option. You can add Moonveil or other magic-damage weapons, but the purpose here is to maximize your spells, and you may not have the necessary points to put into the stat requirements.