Summary
Serving as the spiritual successor to theDark Soulsseries,Elden Ringtakes players to the open world of the Lands Between where demigods fight in the Shattering to gain lordship over the world through the Elden Ring, a physical manifestation of order. As a former exile called the Tarnished, players traverse the Lands Between to repair the broken Elden Ring and become its ruler, the Elden Lord.
WhileElden Ringplayers expect to have a hard time with the game, others anticipate duking it out with other players in the game’s PvP mechanic. Considering how intense the game’s builds can be at the hands of the right player, how can anElden Ringenthusiast dominate the PVP scene?
Updated on July 31, 2025 by Rhenn Taguiam:With the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC giving Elden Ring players not just new areas and bosses but also new weapon types ranging from Beast Claws, Hand-to-Hand Arts, and Thrusting Shields, fans of the FromSoftware title might be eager to test out these new armaments to create builds that not only can dish out a lot of damage but even make quick work of bosses. However, some players might be eager to see just how some of these weapon types fare in the context of PVP. While many players are still testing the potential of these new weapon types, some may want to test interesting Elden Ring builds that take full advantage of the DLC’s new systems. These include setups that unleash light-based attacks, a constant barrage of fire, and even one that emphasizes heavy combos.
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Flask
Players ofElden Ringoften reserve Strength-heavy buildsagainst tougher bosses like those against dragons, but players who want to boast the same heavy-hitting fighting style could use theDual Bloody Cleaveragainst other players in a PVP setup. The core of the build is tied into proccing Bleed and Poison effects as often as possible, as the damage-over-time and debuffs they provide can easily debilitate enemies and force them to think about clearing the statuses first instead of fighting.
The damage these effects provide is improved further with Lord of Blood’s Exultation and Kindred of Rot’s Exultation. However, players can dish out more pain with multi-hit attacks, especially when the combos of the Scavenger’s Curved Sword are rather straightforward. Combined with this build’s Talismans, players are encouraged not just to continuously proc Poisons and Bleeds but also to secure combos consistently.
At first glance, theAggressive Shinobifeels like anunderratedElden Ringbuildespecially with its thematic appearance. However, using this build correctly can result in rather broken fights, even against entire teams. Waterfowl Dance forms a major part of the player’s aggression, with its aerial multi-hit slash providing a relatively safe distance between players and opponents while dishing out Strength-augmented damage. However, it’s the moments leading up to this attack that make the Aggressive Shinobi quite merciless.
In line with its ninja theme is a penchant for vanishing, which can be made possible with Unseen Form which can make it much harder for enemies to lock onto players. Should players want to go for extra broken setups, they can use Sleep Pot to render opponents immobile, or even Mimic’s Veil to take the form of everyday objects and surprise enemies when they have their guards down.
Spells
While others may argue thatan Axe inElden Ringcould suit slow but heavy-hitting builds, the Greatsword becomes the dependable ally of theStrong Scholarloadout. While it’s true that both the Scarscourge Greatsword and the Ruins Greatsword require Strength and Endurance for their stats, the additional Intelligence for scaling could result in devastating combos in the right hands.
The key playstyle associated with the Strong Scholar has to do with timing and dodges, especially with Wave of Destruction which can inflict quite a fierce knock-up effect. When positioned correctly, even a mere Starcaller Cry can push opponents off ledges, scoring easy gravity kills for players.
While a PVP encounter with another player shouldn’t necessarily have an enemy player possessingthe same HP levels as anElden Ringboss, a skilled combatant may as well become the equivalent of a boss encounter if they know their playstyles well. In this regard, theDextrous Invadercan serve as a decent counter against these threats as long as players know how to capitalize on Lightning Damage.
Lightning Damage is an emphasis for this build, as Weapon Arts that cause this damage type can scale with Dexterity. Imbuing weapons with the Lightning element while also relying on Dexterity for damage. This also explains why the build relies on DEX-scaling weapons as main armaments, such as the Hand of Malenia, Keen Raptor Talons, and even the Lightning Rapier. The flexibility of this build is tied into the requirement of a heavy Lightning loadout, meaning players can freely adjust their arsenal as long as they retain their Lightning affinity to maximize damage.
Certainbosses inElden Ringcan feel a bit “lacking” when fought by more veteran players who understand their movement patterns, especially when attack registers become more apparent in subsequent playthroughs. At first glance, the poke-heavy mechanics of theTwin-Spear Devastationcan make a player using it also feel like an attack-spamming boss. However, despite this build’s traditional Dexterity-reliant setup, it’s the proper use of its components that can make it quite a dangerous loadout to tango with.
Much of the build’s efficiency has to do with using a pair of Keen Cross-Naginata with different Ashes of War. The left one uses Cragblade which can make stance-breaking easier, allowing players to dish out more combos without the risk of enemy parries when timed correctly. Meanwhile, the right one uses Beast’s Roar to condense the air in front of the player into a projectile, effectively giving them a ranged option that not only works as an enemy deterrent but also as a long-range poke. Combining these with Lightning Grease and Dexterity-heavy gear can transform the Twin-Spear Devastation into an extremely punishing kit, even if enemies feel like the players are just using the same attack rotations.
When players encounter desperate times in their playthroughs while usingElden Ringweapons that are difficult to handle, the ever-reliable spam attack can become a saving grace. With thePure Charge Juggernaut, players can deal devastating damage to foes with the right placement of charged attacks. In principle, the build capitalizes on weapons like the Heavy Zweihander and Heavy Claymore that possess fierce thrusts or slashes on a wide area of effect.
With this in mind, players can simply focus on damage mitigation while boosting overall damage (Axe Talisman, Spear Talisman) and keeping enemies at a distance for setups (Rejection). When done correctly, players can load their charged attacks that bypass an opponent’s immediate attack to stagger them with decent damage. While this move seems risky at first glance, players who get their timing right could eliminate opponents with their charged attacks more often.
One of theworst mistakesElden Ringplayerscould make in multiplayer is to use the same weapon across all fights. ThisFrostbite Supremacytakes full advantage of the Frostbite Status Effect, where enough applications can release a shockwave that deals damage alongside a 20-percent damage boost.
The main crux of this build is ensuring players deal enough damage consecutively to keep on proccing the Frostbite effect, which means the focus is less on using specific Spells. Instead, players need to have a reliable arsenal of Cold-based weapons to adjust to any opponent. For instance, a slower-moving Knight’s Cold Greatsword could transition into a sweeping Cold Godskin Peeler, or into a fast-paced frontal Rogier’s Rapier.
Flask of Wondrous Physik: Crimsonburst Crystal Tear
Players who frequently go toe-to-toe against heavy-hittingElden Ringgamers would understand the difficulty of breaking through juggernauts or outpacing DPS-specializing builds. To counter this, players can rely on theRegenerating Attrition Warriorto secure not just decent offense but supreme survivability. At base, players are recommended to start with a Confessor to easily build Dexterity and Faith, with Vigor and Endurance for other priority stats.
Offense-wise, the Ornamental Straight Sword used with Golden Tempering can deal a fast-paced Strong Attack combo for decent damage that is further augmented with Dexterity and Attack Power boosts on successful hits (Millicent’s Prosthesis). Where the build shines is its constant buffs to HP, with much of its Spells reserved for heals (Lord’s Heal, Blessing’s Boon),Talismans that grant healingon hit (Godskin Swaddling Cloth) and over time (Blessed Dew Talisman), as well as healing 7 HP per second across three minutes (Crimsonburst Crystal Tear).
Axe of Godfrey +10
Gamers who believe they’ve masteredthe timing mechanics ofElden Ringgameplaycan put their skills to the test in the timing-heavyGodfrey’s Obliteratorthat can make quick work of foes with its centerpiece: the Axe of Godfrey. A particularly special trait of this Colossal Weapon is its Regal Roar Skill, which not only has an unblockable shockwave (adds Attack Power, Strength), but also paves the way for a lunging slash Strong Attack.
Being a heavy build with a slow weapon, Great-Jar’s Arsenal guarantees rolling capabilities, Banished Knight’s Quality Shield assists with parries, Bull-Goat’s Talisman to resist falling on attacks, while Catch Flame is a safety net against faster players. Regal Roar transforms the Axe into a pure obliterator with the assistance of Talismans that buff Attack Power (Shard of Alexander).
Spellcasters canrely onElden Ringspellsto ensure enemies and bosses are kept away from them as much as possible, and theDark Moon Dominatortransforms players into versatile fighters with its straightforward kit. A central part of the build is a focus on Intelligence and Dexterity to empower spells and boost critical damage, which is improved further by drinking either Magic-Shrouding Cracked Tear or Greenburst Crystal Tear before fights.
Players using this build can approach combat on two fronts, but all begin with Ranni’s Dark Moon to hit foes with the Frostbite Status. When going long-range, players can rely on poking enemies with invisible Night Sorceries that are difficult for them to dodge. Those who want to get up close should use Glintblade Phalanx to break enemy stances and swoop in with their Cold Rapier to proc Frostbite and heavy-hitting criticals.
