Elden Ring is a game that offers endless opportunities for players to customize their playstyle and approach to combat. Whether you’re a fan of heavy-hitting builds or prefer the subtlety of spellcasting, the game provides a variety of powerful builds that can cater to different playstyles. With the ongoing updates to Elden Ring, the meta continues to evolve, bringing forth new weapon types and strategies to experiment with. In this article, we’ll take a look at the best builds and weapons in Elden Ring as of 2025, offering you insights to help shape your journey through the Lands Between.
1. Strength Builds – The Ultimate Powerhouse
If you’re looking for a tanky and high-damage playstyle, a Strength build is one of the most effective ways to tackle enemies in Elden Ring. Strength-based builds focus on wielding large weapons, like Colossal Greatswords and Ultra Greatswords, which can deal massive damage with a single swing. The key to a successful Strength build lies in optimizing your endurance and poise, allowing you to tank through hits while dishing out overwhelming damage.
Best Weapons for Strength Builds:
Ruins Greatsword: This weapon is a beast when it comes to scaling with Strength. Its massive damage output can easily stagger enemies, even in the late-game sections.
Great Club: A classic weapon for Strength builds, its sheer damage and ability to crush through defenses make it a top-tier option.
Giant Crusher: As the name suggests, this is a crusher of giants. Its massive size and devastating impact make it one of the most powerful weapons in the game.
Pro Tip: Strength builds typically benefit from a high investment in Endurance to wield these heavy weapons effectively. Don't forget to upgrade your armor to match your playstyle!
2. Dexterity Builds – Fast and Furious Combat
Dexterity builds in Elden Ring offer a more nimble playstyle, focusing on speed and precision. If you prefer fast attacks and evasive movements, a Dexterity build might be more your speed. Dexterity scaling works wonders with lighter weapons, such as katanas, spears, and curved swords, allowing you to land multiple hits before your enemy even has a chance to react.
Best Weapons for Dexterity Builds:
Moonveil Katana: Known for its impressive scaling with Dexterity and Intelligence, Moonveil offers both fast slashes and a potent magic projectile, making it a versatile choice for many combat situations.
Nagakiba: Another top-tier katana, Nagakiba shines with its long range and impressive bleed buildup, making it perfect for Dexterity builds that rely on swift, precise strikes.
Reduvia Dagger: This dagger is perfect for a quick-hitting, high-mobility approach to combat. Its ranged blood blade attack adds an extra layer of versatility.
Pro Tip: Dexterity builds excel in agility, so don’t forget to prioritize your mobility and timing. A good set of light armor can help keep you agile in the heat of battle.
3. Faith Builds – The Power of the Gods
Faith builds focus on casting powerful incantations while also wielding weapons that scale with Faith. These builds are perfect for players who want to harness the magic of the gods while still being able to stand strong in close-quarters combat. Faith-based incantations provide powerful healing, buffs, and offensive spells that can melt through enemies, making this build one of the most flexible in the game.
Best Weapons for Faith Builds:
Blasphemous Blade: A fan-favorite, the Blasphemous Blade is a great weapon for Faith builds, offering both high damage and the ability to restore health on enemy kills, which is invaluable in tough battles.
Golden Order Greatsword: This weapon provides strong Faith scaling and an incredibly powerful weapon art, making it a great choice for hybrid builds.
Saint Trina’s Torch: While not as potent in pure damage, this unique weapon deals sleep buildup, adding a strategic layer to your Faith build.
Pro Tip: Faith builds often benefit from a good balance of offensive and defensive spells. Don’t neglect your defense spells, as they can provide much-needed protection when dealing with the toughest enemies in the game.
4. Intelligence Builds – The Art of Sorcery
If you prefer a more traditional magic-user playstyle, an Intelligence build is perfect for harnessing the raw power of sorcery in Elden Ring. Sorceries can deal massive amounts of damage from a distance, allowing you to keep enemies at bay while dealing devastating blows. However, this build requires careful management of your FP (Focus Points) and positioning to avoid being overwhelmed.
Best Weapons for Intelligence Builds:
Azur’s Glintstone Staff: This is one of the best staff options for Intelligence builds, offering a high scaling for sorceries and great synergy with high-level spells.
Lusat’s Glintstone Staff: If you’re aiming for pure raw damage output, Lusat’s staff is ideal, though it drains more FP than other options.
Carian Regal Scepter: This is another fantastic staff for Intelligence builds that allows you to cast powerful sorceries while offering solid scaling.
Pro Tip: Intelligence builds often struggle with defense, so it's vital to maintain a safe distance and use sorceries that control the battlefield, such as the powerful Comet Azur or Stars of Ruin.
5. Hybrid Builds – The Best of Both Worlds
Hybrid builds combine the strengths of different attributes to give players a balanced and flexible approach to combat. These builds can mix any combination of Strength, Dexterity, Faith, and Intelligence to create a versatile character that can adapt to different scenarios. Hybrid builds are perfect for players who want to dabble in both magic and physical combat.
Best Weapons for Hybrid Builds:
Godslayer Greatsword: A perfect choice for hybrid builds that focus on both Faith and Strength, this sword offers high damage and the added bonus of scaling with both attributes.
Dark Moon Greatsword: A fan-favorite, this weapon can work with both Intelligence and Strength, making it an ideal weapon for a hybrid caster-fighter.
Elden Lord’s Greatsword: For those looking to combine heavy weaponry with a bit of magic, this sword offers both solid physical damage and magical properties.
Pro Tip: When building a hybrid character, focus on balancing your stats so that neither your physical damage nor magic suffers. A flexible approach to gear and spells will let you adapt to any situation.
Elden Ring’s variety of builds and weapons makes it an endlessly exciting game, and with the latest updates in 2025, the possibilities are even greater. Whether you want to wield massive swords, cast destructive spells, or combine both, there’s a build for every player. Experiment with different weapon types and playstyles, and remember that there’s no one "best" build — the key is finding what suits your personal approach to combat.
If you’re struggling to gather the necessary materials for your perfect build, consider options like buying Elden Ring items or buying Elden Ring runes to speed up your progress and unlock the tools you need. After all, the goal is to enjoy the adventure, no matter how you choose to approach it!
