Elden Ring has plenty of playstyles that are bound to keep you entertained for hundreds of hours, across many playthroughs, and through countless deaths. The game has plenty of room for creativity when it comes to making a fun build you want when searching for something outside your usual go-to build.

The classics are always fun to return to, but it's always nice to spice things up with the viable, the objectively bad, and the straight-up weird. Whether you want to use brute force or stealth tactics to slay foes, the lands between are full of weapons and armor to help make even the most strange builds something to be feared.

8 Assassin

Thanks to the addition of a good sneaking system, you can sneak around the Lands Between and slay your foes in silent precision. Arm yourself with your favorite dagger or short sword and make quick work of some of the more difficult enemies you've encountered on previous runs.

The recommended armor set for this build will be the Black Knife set due to its great aesthetic and bonus attribute that stems from the Black Knife chest piece. The chest muffles all footsteps produced by the player, and it also applies to jumps and rolls, so it can really come through in a pinch.

7 Black Flame Wielder

It's no secret that some of the coolest-looking spells in Elden Ring are the Black Flame spells. Not only are they nice to look at, but they're also immensely powerful and can decimate in both PvP and PvE with the right build.

It's recommended that you use the Raging Wolf set due to its stats being tailored to general defense rather than being very effective against one type and less so against others. Being that this build requires high amounts of faith, your starting class should be the Prophet for good starting stats and also since you have instant access to the Catch Flame spell.

6 Holy Knight

Why be a boring regular Knight when you can fight the forces of evil with holy magic and save the Lands Between from its dark denizens? This build has a plethora of weapons to choose from, but the Golden Order Greatsword shines above the other options thanks to its great faith scaling.

The Winged Scythe is also a great option if you're a fan of looking like a holy harbinger of light. For spells, you can use any of the ones that deal holy damage.

5 Pure Bleed

It's no secret that, at launch, bleed was the most overpowered status effect in the game. Even after multiple tweaks, it's still extremely powerful and fun to use.

In terms of armor, you'll want to use the sinister-looking White Mask due to its innate ability to raise bleed damage done to enemies. For the rest of your armor, you can use whatever you'd like. The only weapon you'll need for this build is the Rivers of Blood katana due to its high bleed buildup and great damage stats.

4 Spellsword

Unleash a barrage of spells on your enemies before they can get close and finish off the stragglers with swift melee attacks. The spellsword build is a great choice for those of us who always struggle to decide on what playstyle we want no matter the game.

For armor, choose anything you like but bear in mind that you'll be spreading your levels across more stats than normal builds since you're a mage and melee fighter. Weapons are also viable across the board for the melee portion. The Carian Regal Staff is ideal for endgame due to its high damage potential but a standard Glintstone staff will do just fine for beginners.

3 Hunter Of The Dead

D is undoubtedly one of the coolest NPCs in-game, so it's no surprise he landed a spot on the list. You'll need to progress through Fia's quest to be able to grab his armor. For the weapon, we'll be using the Inseparable Twins sword, which is also acquired by advancing Fia's quest.

It's a long process, but the outcome is worth it since you leave with some of the best faith-based gear available. After you obtain both the armor and sword, unleash your holy fury on those pesky undead enemies around the Lands Between.

2 Vigor/Strength Hybrid

If brute force is the answer to life's problems in your eyes, this build is for you. You'll want to start by making sure you invest most, if not all, of your level-ups into vigor and strength to keep with the brutish theme. Use the Grafted Blade Greatsword for both its effective stats and its great weapon skill.

The skill for the Grafted Blade levels up each of your stats by five, which makes for an excellent buff to an already great weapon. The armor is ultimately up to your discretion, but bear in mind that being even more durable than before never hurts so consider something hardy to use.

1 Intelligence/Dexterity Hybrid

Universally regarded as one of the most powerful builds available, the intelligence/dexterity build is a great choice for veterans and newcomers alike. The build had solid choices for weapons throughout all levels of game progression, so you'll never feel underpowered as long you allocate your level-ups appropriately. The Moonveil is a great choice for the build since it scales well with dexterity and intelligence and it has a great weapon skill.

For armor, the Carian Armor set fits in great due to the history of the set and the good balance between physical and magical defense the set boasts. The weapon skill, Transient Moonlight, fits great both in aesthetics and combat. It allows the wielder to send out a wave of magic from a sheathed stance that varies depending on whether it's a normal or heavy attack.

Source: Read Full Article