In the ever-expanding world of Elden Ring, where players are always on the hunt for the most powerful builds, it's easy to overlook certain playstyles and weapons. Some builds might not make it into the limelight as frequently as others, but that doesn't mean they aren't just as effective — or even more fun — to play. Whether you are a veteran player looking to try something new or a beginner trying to find your groove, this article will explore some of the best builds that didn't quite make it to the "Top 5" lists but are definitely worth your time. Let's dive deep into some interesting weapon combinations, stats, and strategies that can take yourElden Ring Runes gameplay to the next level.
1. Warped Axe Bleed Strength Build
The Warped Axe might not be the first weapon you think of when imagining the best Elden Ring strength-based weapons, but it delivers incredible potential for damage. With its heavy infusion, the Warped Axe can hit A-scaling in Strength, making it a powerhouse when used two-handed. The weapon's light attack combo is deceptively fast, almost on par with the speed of a curved sword, but with far more damage output.
Key Features:
Warped Axe with Bleed Infusion: Not only does the Bleed infusion retain an A-scaling in Strength, but it also boosts your bleed buildup, rivaling that of the greatsword class. This makes it excellent for a build focused on consistent, high burst damage.
Talismans: To amplify the damage, use Two-Handed Talisman for added power, along with Multi-Hit Talisman and Thorny Cracked Tier to maximize your offensive output by up to 20%. Lord of Blood Exaltation and White Mask will further increase your damage when the bleed status is triggered on enemies nearby.
Weapon Skill (Spinning Slash): While the Warped Axe's light attack spam is great for consistent damage, you can add some versatility with Spinning Slash. This skill adds decent stance damage and can stagger tougher enemies like Knights or Omens.
Faith Investment: If you want to add a little extra to your build, consider reaching 26 Faith. This grants access to powerful buffs like Golden Vow, Flame Grant Me Strength, and Blessing of the Earthtree, which can significantly boost your damage.
This Warped Axe Bleed Strength Build provides high burst damage with bleed while also maintaining solid survivability through its stance break and buffs. Pairing it with Fire and Lightning spells, such as Catch Flame and Stone Gaze, creates a multi-faceted build that can take on any challenge Elden Ring throws your way.
2. Lightning Powerstance Straight Swords Build
One of the most versatile and powerful builds in Elden Ring is the Powerstance Straight Swords build. By wielding two straight swords in Powerstance, you gain access to some of the fastest and most fluid movesets in the game, combining both offensive and defensive capabilities seamlessly.
Key Features:
Weapon Setup: For this build, you can choose the Lord Sworn Straight Sword in the main hand and the Long Sword in the offhand. Both weapons perform excellently in Powerstance, giving you quick and strong attacks that feel similar to one-handed but with the added benefit of dual-wielding.
Infusion (Lightning): Infuse the Lord Sworn Straight Sword with Lightning for extra elemental damage. Lightning is one of the most effective elements in Elden Ring because it is rarely resisted by enemies. Paired with the Long Sword's natural scaling, this infusion maximizes your damage output in almost any encounter.
Ash of War (Square Off): The Square Off Ash of War is invaluable in this setup. This Ash has the ability to break stances easily with its heavy attacks, doing up to 40 stance damage. The ability to stagger tough enemies while dishing out high damage is incredibly useful for both PVE and bosses.
Talisman Setup: Pair this build with Multi-Hit Talisman, Thorny Cracked Tier, and Brave Roar in your offhand. Brave Roar gives you additional damage and stamina recovery, which is critical when performing multiple attacks in quick succession.
Additional Buffs: For added synergy, consider using Perfume Bottles to increase your Fire damage output, and make sure to equip Elemental-infused Mystery Cord for critical damage boosts. Golden Vow and Flame Grant Me Strength will round out your buffs.
This Powerstance Straight Swords Build is built for speed, maneuverability, and overwhelming pressure on enemies. It's perfect for players who love quick-paced combat and need to switch up between powerful attacks and staggering moves when dealing with larger bosses.
3. Magma Blade Strength/Faith Build
Since the release of the DLC, the Magma Blade has risen as one of the most destructive fire-based weapons in the game. With the Talisman of the Dread, the weapon's already potent Magma skill receives a 15% damage boost, making it a fearsome option when combined with Alexander’s Shadow for an even more devastating attack.
Key Features:
Magma Blade: The weapon skill Magma Breath launches a devastating fire-based attack that can melt through groups of enemies with ease. This attack becomes even more powerful when combined with the Shadow of Alexander for increased attack power.
Infusion (Fire): With a Fire-infused Magma Blade, you can further stack fire damage for a double hit combo — one from the Magma attack and another from the fire infusion.
Faith Investment: Since Faith is a core stat for the Magma Blade build, you'll need to level up Faith to around 30-40. With these stats, you'll gain access to Fire Serpent and Dragon's Fire, two extremely potent fire spells that melt through bosses and large groups of enemies.
Talisman Setup: Equip the Multi-Hit Talisman, Thorny Cracked Tier, and Fire Tier to boost both the fire damage and total output of your weapon skills. The Lord of Blood Exaltation talisman also helps you gain more damage when bleed is applied to enemies, making it a great addition for prolonged fights.
This Magma Blade Strength/Faith Build is all about brute force, devastating spells, and managing to stack Fire and Magma damage for excellent control over the battlefield. Use this build if you want an in-your-face, no-holds-barred approach to conquering Elden Ring’s most challenging bosses.
4. Cold Infused Backhand Blade Build (Guard Counter Focus)
The Backhand Blade has long been a beloved weapon for its combination of light weight, good scaling, and versatile moveset. With the right infusion and a guard counter build, the Backhand Blade becomes one of the most efficient weapons for dealing with aggressive enemies and bosses alike.
Key Features:
Cold Infusion: Infuse the Backhand Blade with Cold, which allows it to scale with both Dexterity and Intelligence. The Frost buildup from the blade will quickly stack on enemies, making it great for long-lasting engagements.
Guard Counters: The Backhand Blade has excellent guard counter options, with its running heavy attacks and guard counter combos dealing massive damage when executed correctly. Use the Deflecting Tier and Curva Talisman to further increase the stance breaking potential.
Talisman Setup: Equip Multi-Hit Talisman, Thorny Cracked Tier, and Great Shield Talisman to reduce stamina consumption when blocking. This ensures your guard counters are more efficient and deadly.
Spells for Support: Since you’re going for a more Dexterity-focused build with some Intelligence investment, use Dragon Ice for Frost buildup and debuffs, and Pest Threads for large, tanky enemies.
This build is all about using the Backhand Blade’s fast and precise guard counters to break through enemy defenses. The addition of Cold infusion and elemental debuffs makes it an excellent choice for players who want a more tactical and defensive playstyle while still delivering strong damage.
5. Bloody Helis Arcane Build
For players who enjoy the Arcane stat and want to explore the power of bleed, the Bloody Helis is an excellent choice. This Somber-based weapon excels in inflicting bleed damage and is one of the best Arcane weapons in the game, with great scaling and a killer weapon skill that does tremendous damage over time.
Key Features:
Weapon Setup (Bloody Helis): This thrusting sword has A-scaling in Arcane, making it perfect for players who want to stack bleed damage quickly. The Dast Finesse weapon skill provides a unique, invincible iframe dodge and allows you to follow up with a powerful thrusting attack. The follow-up attack can deal over 50 stance damage, making it incredibly effective against both mobs and bosses.
Talisman Setup: Equip Lord of Blood Exaltation and White Mask to boost the damage when you proc bleed. With this setup, bleed explosions will become even more potent, clearing enemies in seconds.
Arcane Spells: Arcane builds can benefit from some useful spells like Dragon Ice and Pest Threads, both of which help deal with large bosses and tanky enemies while keeping up the pressure with elemental damage.
The Bloody Helis Arcane Build is tailored for players who want to capitalize on bleed procs while using a light weapon with excellent mobility and status effect buildup.
Conclusion
These builds may not always make it to the top-tier "best of the best" videos, but they hold their own and can be extremely fun to play. Whether you're wielding the Warped Axe for bleed damage, powerstancing straight swords, or going full Faith and Fire with the Magma Blade, there’s a build here for everyone. Experiment, mix up infusions, talismans, and spells to Elden Ring Items find your perfect playstyle in Elden Ring. If you have any questions or need help fine-tuning your build, feel free to drop a comment below — the Lands Between awaits!
