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Having the right build in a game can be imperative for both your progression and your enjoyment of the game. There is no point in usinga powerful samurai buildif you are not having fun. Likewise, it is no fun if the build you like to use most isn’t able to help you progress.
Elden Ring: 10 Best Holy Damage Weapons, Ranked
Holy weapons in Elden Ring enable you to make short work of those who live in death. The list presents 10 of the best holy weapons in Elden Ring.
Elden Ringfeatures countless builds, each having different requirements. Two of the stats you will make use of in the game are your Strength and your Intelligence. This can lead to high damage when enemies get up close to you, as well as give you access to a large arsenal of spells to deal with enemies at range.
Elden Ring
Best Starting Class
You will want to start with theAstrologer or Prisoner class. This will give you the perfect spread of predetermined points without you needing to respec your character using aLarval Tear.Both of these classes will give you plenty of Intelligence to deal withalmost any situationearly on while you develop the Strength portion of the build.
Best Stats For Str & Int Build
For your Stats, focus onraising your Vigor earlyon to help with those squishier early levels. Once you get a good 20-30 Vigor, focus onraising your Intelligence and Strengthfor your damage output. Beyond those, continue increasing what you need tomeet the requirements of your equipped gearand weight load, then fill out stats periodically to fall into the level 150 stat spread below.
Below, you find arecommended list of stat valuesyou should be aiming for toward the path to level 150.
Do not forget to allocate points to Vigor early on. You will get hit at some point, and if you get one-shot, you will regret it. You don’t need to worry about being tanky, though; you only need to worry about having enough Vigor to survive any enemy or boss assault. This provides you the opportunity to get to safety and then use a flask to heal up to survive the next one.
Best Weapons For Str & Int Build
One thing to note about Elden Ring is that you can pretty much run off in any direction andactivate Sites of Graceas a means of fast traveling. You should get your spectral steed Torrent first — tomake exploration significantly faster and easier. While you have little to no runes on you, you can then just run past and dodge enemies that would otherwise kill you in a single hit while trying to get to chests in difficult places. This means you canget a lot of really powerful itemsby being nimble enough.
One of the best weapons will be theClaymorefor its charged thrust. This can have your attacks connect with enemies whilestill having some distance to make avoiding damage easier.The claymore is also a greatsword, meaning you will have a much easier timebreaking your opponents' stances. This weapon’s requirements includeStrength 16 and Dexterity 13.
A large sword with a long, straight blade. This heavy sword is usually wielded with two hands, but for those with enough strength, one is sufficient. In addition to the heavy sweeping attacks, it can also make a heavy piercing thrust making this a versatile weapon
This weapon can be acquired byopening a chest inCastle Mornelocated near the southernmost part of the game’s map.
Royal Greatsword
Two other noteworthy blades to consider hunting down are theTroll Knight’s SwordandDark Moon Greatsword.However, this one just manages to beat them for this build. The Dark Moon Greatsword has better scaling, but theRoyal Greatswordis aColossal Sword(despite its name) with a longer reach and better stance breaking.
Greatsword decorated in royal Carian Style. Favored weapon of Blaidd the Half-Wolf. In defiance of the fate he was born to, Blaidd swore to serve no master but Ranni. As proof. the sword was imbued with a cold magic at the moment oath was sworn.
You will get this weapon bycompleting Ranni’s questlineafter you havedefeated Blaidd in battle.
Meteorite Staff
A great staff to get early on is theMeteorite Staff. This staff has a base Sorcery damage of138and scales with bothStrength and Intelligence. Its scaling for both is also quite high, withStrength scaling at D, and Intelligence at S. However, it is sadly not a weapon that you can upgrade. This means later scepterswill become more powerfulin the later parts of the game. This will be thebest magical weaponyou can make use of until you upgrade another one later in the game. Its requirements includeStrength 6 and Intelligence 18.
Staff embedded with a dark purple glintstone, said to be the fragment of a meteorite. Boasts high sorcery scaling and boosts gravity sorceries as well. However, this staff cannot be strengthened in any way.
This scepter can be picked up from a corpse located in theStreet of Safes Ruins of Aeonia Swamp, located in Caelid.
Academy Glintstone Staff
Academy Glintstone Staffstaff has a base sorcerydamage of 130 and will scale with both your Strength and your Intelligence stats. Strength will scale at E, while Intelligence will scale at B. This weapon’s requirements includeStrength 6 and Dexterity 28.
Staff of the Academy of Raya Lucaria, embedded with a turquoise glintstone. Only a recognized sorcerer is permitted to wield this staff.
This weapon can belooted from a Glintstone Sorcerer while you are in the Raya Lucaria Academy. Alternatively, you can kill and loot Thops after giving him the Academy Glintstone Key — this will mean he will no longer be available to teach you the sorceries he offers.
Carian Regal Scepter
Carian Regal Scepterhas a basesorcerer damage of 162, Intelligence scaling of B, Strength scaling of E, and a Dexterity scaling of E.Once you get your Intelligence and Strength high enough, they will start to givediminishing returns— albeit still worthwhile. However, Dexterity will make youcast your spells fasterand help with damage scaling, making this a brilliant upgrade option. This weapon’s requirements areStrength 8, Dexterity 10, and Intelligence 60.
Magic scepter of Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon. The glintstone is known as a Carian Blue, enhancing full moon sorceries. Only those of the highest intelligence may wield this, the finest of all glintstone staves.
After you havedefeated Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon, take theRemembrance of The Full Moon Queento Roundtable Hold andspeak with Enia.
Elden Ring: 13 Rarest Items In The Game, Ranked
Elden Ring has a massive world that is full of unique items & weapons. Here are some of the rarest ones you should definitely look for in the game.
Best Spells For Str & Int Build
As an Intelligence build, you will be able to make effective use of an obscenelyhigh number of sorceriesin the game, second only to a pure caster build. There are 2 spells in particular to be aware of for this build, but you will be free toexplore and equip many other spells you findthroughout the game.
Scholar’s Armament
You can use this spell on your Claymore togive it a magic affinity, which will cause it to havehigher damage scalingfrom your Intelligence stat, as well asdeal magic damage.
One of the glintstone sorceries of the Academy of Raya Lucaria. Enchants armaments held in the right hand with magic-affinity attacks. This sorcery can be cast while in motion. Taught to the Knights of the Cuckoo by the academy as payment for their contract.
you may acquire this spell by heading to theWaypoint Ruins in Limgrave and speaking with Sellen. She will sell you the spell for3000 runes.
Glintblade Phalanx
This spell synergizes miraculously well with anyone using a Strength and Intelligence build. This willcreate an arch of magic glintbladesabove the player. You will be able to move around both while casting and after casting this spell. The glintblades willautomatically attack the first foe you get close to. This will dramatically help you stance break higher health opponents thanks to combining them with your greatsword. Making the two stats synergize into a complete playstyle.
One of the sorceries of the Carian royal family. Creates a defensive arch of magic glintblades overhead, which automatically attack nearby foes. This sorcery can be cast while in motion.
Bestowed upon the enchanted Carian knights, who combined this art with their swordsmanship to maintain pressure upon their foes, striking in waves of steel and sorcery.
This spell can be obtained byspeaking with eitherSellen, Seluvis, or Miriel Pastor of Vows. Offer theRoyal House Scrollto any of them, and they will be able tosell you the spell for 2,500 runes.
As a spellcaster, there areplenty of sorceriesthat you will find useful for dispatching different enemies before they can get close. While a Strength & Intelligence build is all aboutgetting close up and breaking your foeswith a combination of magic and might, here are some standout sorceries you may want toseek out and enjoy usingthroughout your playthrough.
Sorcery Name
Description
Terra Magica
Buffs sorceries you castwhile standing within a sigil it creates. Perfect when usedin conjunction with the next two sorceries in this table.
Defeat theboss of Academy Crystal Cave, and ride the elevator. This leads to a tower with the sorcery at the top.
Crystal Torrent
Releases acontinuous blast of projectilesat the targeted enemy.
DefeatPutrid Crystalians Boss.
Shattering Crystal
Creates a large wave that canhit groups of nearby enemies.
WithinRaya Lucaria Academywill be the Church of the Cuckoo.Loot the corpse on the second floor.
Bestial Vitality
This willheal you over time. Great for when you are not in the heat of battle andwant to hold onto your HP flasks.
GivethreeDeath Rootsto Gurranq, the Beast Clergyman.
Best Ash Of War For Str & Int Build
Do not sleep on your Ash of War just because you have a large number of spells. A lof the Ash of War you find willhave an Ash of War counterpart. Using one of these can havedifferent outcomesin terms of damage — especially when factoring inwhat Talismins you are using.
Glintblade Phalanx (Ash Of War)
This spell also comes in the form of an Ash of War, and some players may prefer this. This would mean your Claymoredoes not have access to a different Ash of War option, but it will mean you do not need to cycle through spells constantly. It will alsogive your Claymore a Magic Affinity.
Skill used by the enchanted knights who served the Carian royal family. Form an arch of magic glintblades overhead, which will attack foes automatically. Follow up with a strong attack to chain this skill into a lunging thrust. Usable on swords as well as polearms capable of thrusting.
This Ash of War can beextracted from Rogier’s Rapier. You can receive this Rapierfrom Rogier in Roundtable Holdafter you havedefeated Gorick the Grafted. However, the rapier is +8, and this means once you receive it, you willface significantly harder invading playersdue to how the game calculates how strong an invader is allowed to be.
Best Armor For Str & Int Build
The armor you wear is not that important, so long as youdo not have less than 50 poise. You are free to use any combination of armor so long as it does not push you into a heavy load to interfere with your dodging. Veteran Souls players will generally recommend fashion above all else (whatever looks the best to you), but if you’re on the hunt for the best armors in the game, that’s good too.
Elden Ring: 10 Best Armor Sets In The Game, Ranked
Confused about stats on armor in Elden Ring? This list breaks down the best bonuses for complete armor sets in the Lands Between.
Best Talismans For Str & Int Build
You will havefour talisman slotsto make use of. Once you get one of these three, keep it equipped for the best results with this build. you’re able to have the other slots equipped with any othergreat talismans that you feel work bestin the meantime.
You will not need Carian Filigreed Crestwith this build due to how stance breaking is the main focus to replenish FP.
Magic Scorpion Charm
This charm will increase your Magic Damage by 12%, but it alsoincreases the damage you take by 10%. This can help you easily dispatch enemies while at range and finish off harder enemies before they can hit you.
This is the onlymissable Talisman for this build, so be mindful of your choices. You will need toacquire andgive the Amber Starlight to Seluvisbefore giving the Fingerslayer Blade to Ranni the Witch.
Axe Talisman
Increasescharged attack damage by 10%.For the big, devastating attacks you may pull off with a large Strength Weapon, the Axe Talisman offers a great boost in power. It will also synergize beautifully with the next Talisman below.
It can bepicked up in the Mistwood Ruinscellar.
Assassin’s Cerulean Dagger
Critical attacks restore 15 FP. This means that the stance breaks from combining your Glintblade Phalanx (spell or Ash of War) and your charged greatsword attacks willhelp keep refueling this combo.
Defeat theoptional bossin theBlack Knife Catacombslocated in Liurnia of the Lakes.
Shard of Alexander (Late Game)
Greatly boosts theattack power of Skills by 15%(This will significantly improve the build while Glintblade Phalanx is an Ash of War rather than a spell).
This Talisman will come much later in the game once you havecompleted the questline of Iron Fist Alexander.
How To Play This Build
There are somebrilliant heavy weapons that will scalewith both your Strength and Intelligence, as well as come with someunique Ashes of War. However, what you really want to commit to for this build is theGlintblade Phallanx— especially as anAsh of War on the Claymore. This lets you pile on stance damage alongside Glintblade Phalanx to stance break your foes.
This will open them up to a powerful follow-up attack. Weaker enemies can bepicked off at a distancethanks to the numerous spell options available. Enemies that are weak to magic damage can befurther exploited thanks to the Magic Affinity granted by Scholar’s Armament.
From Demon’s Souls To Elden Ring, How FromSoftware Developed A Masterpiece
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