Elden Ring’s expansive world continues to captivate players with its challenging bosses, deep lore, and inventive build possibilities. One of the most entertaining and, dare I say Elden Ring Items, “dishonest” ways to approach combat in the latest DLC is with a sorcerer build focused entirely on the infamous Finger Sorceries. Known among players as the Finger Wizard, this build combines raw intelligence scaling, precise spellcasting, and some of the most satisfying ranged pressure tools in the game. Whether you’re looking to dominate invasions or simply experiment with over-the-top sorceries, this guide will take you through every aspect of the Finger Wizard and why it deserves a spot in your Elden Ring arsenal.
What is the Finger Wizard?
At its core, the Finger Wizard is a high-intelligence sorcery build designed to maximize the damage and utility of Finger Sorceries, a subset of Glintstone spells introduced in Elden Ring’s DLC. Unlike standard offensive sorceries, these spells excel at both area control and long-range precision damage. Players who master this build can punish aggressive enemies, control choke points, and even one-shot unsuspecting invaders in PvP scenarios. It’s a playstyle that rewards creativity, patience, and an understanding of enemy behavior.
The Finger Wizard build focuses on spells like Glintstone Nail, Cherishing Fingers, Fleeting Microcosm, and supportive spells such as Star Shower, Terra Magicka, and Gravitational Missile. Together, these tools allow the player to mix burst damage, persistent area control, and mind games in both PvE and PvP.
Core Spells and Their Uses
Glintstone Nail
Glintstone Nail is the flagship offensive tool for this build. When fully charged, a single Glintstone Nail can deal upwards of 1,400 damage, and its tracking makes it difficult for enemies to avoid. This makes it an excellent finisher for aggressive opponents and a reliable damage source in long-range engagements.
For players experimenting with invasions or PvP duels, Glintstone Nail is invaluable as a high-pressure tool. It forces opponents to make split-second decisions: dodge early, risk trading damage, or get caught in the spell’s trajectory.
Cherishing Fingers
Cherishing Fingers functions as a “get off me” area-of-effect spell, ideal for controlling space and punishing melee aggressors. While the casting animation is slightly slow, combining it with Endure ensures you won’t get interrupted mid-cast. The spell’s wide coverage makes it perfect for crowd control, especially in team-based encounters or multi-enemy PvE zones.
Fleeting Microcosm
Fleeting Microcosm is unique in that it allows manual aiming at the caster’s feet or at a distant enemy, effectively acting as both a defensive and offensive tool. Its dual pulses deal significant damage, making it useful for both zoning enemies and punishing overly aggressive teams. When paired with Gravitational Missile, Fleeting Microcosm creates layered explosions that are difficult for enemies to avoid.
Complementary Sorceries
Other sorceries that synergize well with the Finger Wizard include:
Star Shower: A multi-projectile spell that can overwhelm enemies when combined with Glintstone Nail.
Terra Magicka: Buffs the caster and enhances survivability.
Gravitational Missile: Can be combined with Fleeting Microcosm for simultaneous explosions, creating unpredictable pressure on enemies.
These spells allow for creative combos and situational adaptability, ensuring the Finger Wizard remains a versatile threat across different encounters.
Stats and Scaling
The Finger Wizard relies primarily on intelligence, which should be maximized to increase spell damage. The build described here operates at level 200, meaning it also has high health and mind stats to maintain survivability while casting multiple spells in succession. Additionally, 40 dexterity is recommended to maximize cast speed, especially when paired with the Ratagan Icon Talisman.
Intelligence: Maximize for raw spell damage.
Health: Ensure survivability in invasions and boss fights.
Mind: Sustain longer fights without running out of FP.
Dexterity: Boost cast speed for rapid spell rotations.
This stat allocation allows the Finger Wizard to dish out massive damage while maintaining a flexible defensive posture.
Weapons and Armor
The primary casting tool for this build is the Lucat’s Glintstone Staff, which scales exceptionally well with intelligence and enhances the power of Finger Sorceries. In the off-hand, the Maternal Staff is crucial because it boosts the damage of all Finger Sorceries without requiring arcane stat investment, saving precious points for intelligence and dexterity.Armor choice is largely cosmetic, except for the Finger Robe, which provides a damage boost for Finger Sorceries. Many players pair this robe with the Bullote Helm for aesthetics and thematic consistency. Overall, this build allows for freedom in armor selection while maintaining maximum spell efficiency.
Talismans
Talismans are critical for enhancing the Finger Wizard’s offensive and utility capabilities. Recommended choices include:
Godfrey Icon: Enhances charge spells, perfect for fully charged Glintstone Nails.
Graven Mass and Graven School: Boost overall sorcery damage, increasing the lethality of all Finger Sorceries.
Ratagan Icon: Maximizes cast speed, enabling faster rotations and more responsive gameplay.
Crimson Seed Talisman: Optional for healing, ensuring longer sustain in invasions.
The combination of these talismans ensures the Finger Wizard remains a high-damage, high-sustain threat in both PvE and PvP.
PvP and Invasion Tactics
The Finger Wizard shines in invasions, offering unique ways to manipulate enemy behavior. Key strategies include:
1.Area Control: Using Cherishing Fingers and Fleeting Microcosm to restrict enemy movement, forcing them into vulnerable positions.
2.Layered Explosions: Combining Gravitational Missile and Fleeting Microcosm for overlapping damage zones that are difficult to avoid.
3.Bait and Punish: Using yourself as bait to lure enemies into Finger Sorceries. Many invaders underestimate the damage potential of these spells, resulting in surprise one-shots.
4.Tracking Pressure: Fully charged Glintstone Nails have excellent tracking, making it difficult for opponents to escape. Pairing with Star Shower adds projectile variety to keep enemies guessing.
In PvP, timing is everything. The Finger Wizard rewards patience and observation, punishing players who are too aggressive or fail to respect ranged control.
PvE Applications
While invasions and PvP get a lot of attention, the Finger Wizard is equally effective in PvE content. Boss fights and dungeon encounters benefit from the following:
High burst damage: Fully charged Glintstone Nails can deal massive single-hit damage, often punishing bosses during their attack animations.
Area denial: Cherishing Fingers and Fleeting Microcosm create zones that prevent enemies from reaching the caster, allowing for safe spell rotation.
Multi-instance damage: Layering spells like Gravitational Missile and Fleeting Microcosm produces multiple instances of explosion damage, synergizing well with large enemy mobs.
Players can mix standard sorceries with Finger spells for creative combinations, making this build versatile across different content types.
Combat Showcase: Finger Wizard in Action
In practical gameplay, the Finger Wizard excels at creating chaos while maintaining control. Examples from recorded invasions illustrate the build’s strengths:
Launching fully charged Glintstone Nails for 1,400 damage or more, punishing aggressive players who fail to dodge.
Using Fleeting Microcosm to create overlapping zones that damage multiple enemies at once.
Timing Cherishing Fingers with Endure to prevent interruptions during large AoE casts.
Baiting enemies into traps with layered projectiles, exploiting the tracking mechanics for massive surprise damage.
Combining Star Shower, Gravitational Missile, and Finger spells for unpredictable damage patterns.
Players have reported numerous successful double and triple kills in PvP using these tactics, highlighting the build’s efficiency in skilled hands. Even in chaotic scenarios, the Finger Wizard maintains high damage output while controlling the flow of combat.
Build Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths:
High burst damage: Finger Sorceries deal massive damage when combined with high intelligence scaling.
Area control: Effective against multiple enemies or in choke points.
Flexible PvE and PvP utility: Works across bosses, dungeons, and invasions.
Surprise factor: Many players underestimate the tracking and damage of Finger Sorceries.
Weaknesses:
Slow cast animations: Some Finger Sorceries, like Cherishing Fingers, are slow and can be interrupted without Endure.
Reliant on positioning: Optimal damage often requires careful placement and baiting.
Limited melee defense: While high health helps, the build lacks innate close-combat defenses.
Talisman dependence: Many synergies rely on specific talismans for maximum effectiveness.
Despite these weaknesses, the build’s strengths heavily outweigh the limitations, making it a fun and powerful choice for high-level Elden Ring players.Recommended Playstyle
To excel as a Finger Wizard:
1.Control space: Use area-of-effect spells to force enemies into disadvantageous positions.
2.Mix projectile types: Combine Glintstone Nail, Star Shower, and Fleeting Microcosm for unpredictable attacks.
3.Use buffs strategically: Terra Magicka and Gravitational Missile enhceries depending on enemy behavior.
This playstyle ensures the Finger Wizard remains a persistent threat, whether clearing dungeons, facing bosses, or invading other players.
Conclusion
The Finger Wizard build in Elden Ring DLC is a creative, high-intelligence sorcery setup that excels at both control and burst damage. With its combination of Finger Sorceries, layered AoE spells, and potent projectile options, it provides a unique gameplay experience that stands out in PvP and PvE alike.
Whether you’re fully charging Glintstone Nails for massive damage, zoning enemies with Fleeting Microcosm, or baiting invaders into Cherishing Fingers, this build rewards strategic thinking, precise timing, and an understanding of enemy behavior.
Players looking to experiment with wizard builds should definitely consider the Finger Wizard. Its potential for high-impact plays, satisfying combo setups, and sheer unpredictability makes it one of the most fun and “dishonest” ways to dominate the Lands Between cheap Elden Ring Runes. With the right stats, talismans, and a finger or two ready to point, this build turns any invasion or boss fight into an opportunity for high-stakes, high-damage magic chaos.
