If there’s one thing that keeps Elden Ring fresh years after its release, it’s the sheer variety of builds you can experiment with. Between weapons, Ashes of War, affinities, and talismans Elden Ring Items, there are countless ways to tailor a character to your playstyle. And thanks to continued requests from the community, today we’re diving into nine more fun-and surprisingly overpowered-builds that you should definitely try in your next playthrough.
Whether you’re looking for raw damage, creative mechanics, or simply a new twist on faith, strength, or intelligence scaling, these builds bring something unique to the table. From fiery crushers to vampire fists, here are nine setups worth your time.
1. The Eruption Giant Crusher Build
Let’s kick things off with one of the most brutal weapons in the Lands Between-the Giant Crusher, paired with the Eruption Ash of War. By applying Flame Art affinity, this colossal weapon gets a C in Strength scaling and a B in Faith scaling, making it perfect for a hybrid Strength/Faith build.
AR Potential: 900-950, with heavy fire damage output
Core Stats: 60 Strength (two-handed), 50 Faith, 55 Vigor
Equipment Highlights:
Giant Crusher +25 (Flame Art, Eruption)
Giant Seal
Fire Scorpion Charm & Shard of Alexander
Arsenal Charm +1 or Great-Jar’s Arsenal
The beauty of this build is its versatility. Eruption’s fiery slam deals huge AoE and poise damage, while standard attacks still chunk bosses and players alike. With buffs like Golden Vow and Black Flame’s Protection, you’re both tanky and devastating. If you’ve ever wanted to roleplay as a walking volcanic eruption, this is your build.
2. The Carian Slicer Tank
Requested by a viewer, this unique setup flips the usual sorcerer script by combining Carian Slicer spam with tanking capability. Instead of fragile glass cannons, you’re looking at a mage who shrugs off blows while dishing out reliable melee sorcery damage.
Core Stats: 60 Vigor, 65 Intelligence, 35 Endurance
Equipment Highlights:
Lusat’s Glintstone Staff +10
Magic Broadsword (Glintstone Pebble)
Solitude Set with Knight Helm (90 Poise)
Great-Jar’s Arsenal & Magic Scorpion Charm
With defensive layers like Golden Vow, Opaline Hardtear, and boiled crab consumables, this build reaches over 50% physical damage reduction at its peak. Meanwhile, Carian Slicer remains one of the fastest, most cost-efficient sorceries in the game, shredding through enemies that underestimate your “tank mage” setup. It’s unconventional, but it works shockingly well even deep into NG+.
3. Lifesteal Fist “Vampire” Build
Ever wanted to heal by literally punching the life out of enemies? Enter the Lifesteal Fist Ash of War, paired with the Peripata fist weapon in Blood affinity. This is a niche but extremely fun “vampire” build that thrives against humanoid NPC invaders or PvP opponents.
Core Stats: 60 Vigor, 45 Dexterity, 40 Arcane
Equipment Highlights:
Peripata +25 (Blood, Lifesteal Fist)
Dragon Communion Seal
White Mask, Lord of Blood’s Exultation
Winged Sword Insignia & Shard of Alexander
The downside? Enemies often get long recovery animations after Lifesteal Fist, limiting bleed follow-ups. But when it works, you’ll trigger blood procs and heal simultaneously, keeping the pressure high. Think of it as a flashy “risk-reward” melee build for players who like to brawl up close.
4. Venomous Fang Heavy Strength Build
The Venomous Fang is typically run with Poison or Blood affinity. But here’s a twist: running it Heavy affinity grants an A in Strength scaling, turning it into a sleeper powerhouse. Pair it with Royal Knight’s Resolve, and suddenly you’re hitting charge attacks that deal outrageous numbers.
Showcase Damage: 6,400+ on charged R2s (yes, really)
Core Stats: 65 Strength, 60 Vigor, 25 Faith
Equipment Highlights:
Venomous Fang +25 (Heavy, Royal Knight’s Resolve)
Axe Talisman & Kindred of Rot’s Exultation
Thorny Tear & Bloodsucking Cracked Tear
This build is deceptively strong. Successive attacks stack with poison buildup, while Royal Knight’s Resolve turns charge R2s into boss melters. For a weapon most people overlook, this one punches way above its weight.
5. Dual Great Axe Strength Build
For players who love raw power, this one’s for you. Running two great axes-a Heavy Great Axe with Spinning Slash and an Executioner’s Great Axe with Wild Strikes-lets you dominate with both jump attacks and poise-breaking Ashes of War.
Core Stats: 60 Strength, 60 Vigor, 33 Endurance
Equipment Highlights:
Dual Great Axes +25
Claw Talisman & Millicent’s Prosthesis
Greatbird Chestpiece for thematics
The combination of Spinning Slash’s crowd control and Wild Strikes’ relentless aggression makes this build ideal for mowing through enemies. Jumping attacks hit like a truck, and the dual stance animation feels as brutal as it looks.6. Faith Katana Build
For katana fans who want something different, this Sacred Blade dual katana setup delivers holy-themed successive damage with a faith twist. Using both the starting Uchigatana and the Nagakiba, you can push 700+ AR each with Faith scaling.
Core Stats: 62 Faith, 27 Dexterity, 60 Vigor
Equipment Highlights:
Sacred Nagakiba +25 & Sacred Uchigatana +25
Erdtree Seal
Sacred Scorpion Charm & Claw Talisman
While pure holy damage struggles in late-game against resistant enemies, it shines in early and mid-game (and in the DLC).
Alternatively, swap to Flame Art affinity and run fire buffs without changing your stats. Smooth, stylish, and devastating-perfect for Faith samurai roleplay.
7. Dual Godskin Stitchers (Flame Art)
Heavy thrusting swords don’t get enough love, but dual Godskin Stitchers in Flame Art affinity unlock B-tier Faith scaling and massive AR potential. With one running Flaming Strike and the other Flame Spear, you’ve got an elegant but deadly thrusting setup.
Core Stats: 75 Faith, 27 Endurance, 60 Vigor
Equipment Highlights:
Dual Godskin Stitchers +25 (Flame Art)
Giant’s Seal
Godfrey Icon & Fire Scorpion Charm
The moveset takes some getting used to (it’s slower than katanas), but the payoff is great. These weapons chunk through defenses, and their scaling synergizes perfectly with incantations. If you like hybrid Faith melee builds, this is one of the most satisfying.
8. Roaring Axes Build
Another request that turned out better than expected: dual small axes, one Highland Axe with Chilling Mist (Cold affinity) and one Warped Axe with Braggart’s Roar (Blood affinity). This setup procs both bleed and frost while boosting roar damage via Highland Axe’s passive.
Core Stats: 50 Strength (two-handed), 40 Arcane
Equipment Highlights:
Warped Axe +25 (Blood, Braggart’s Roar)
Highland Axe +25 (Cold, Chilling Mist)
Roar Medallion & Lord of Blood’s Exultation
It’s a fun mix of status procs and aggressive melee. The roar buff stacks nicely with jump attacks, while frost and bleed ensure bosses lose huge chunks of health quickly.
9. Fire & Frost Faith Katana Hybrid
Finally, one of my personal favorites: a dual katana build mixing fire and frost. Using a Flame Art Nagakiba with Flaming Strike and a Cold Uchigatana with Chilling Mist, you can alternate frostbite procs with fire resets to chunk bosses with percentage-based damage.
Core Stats: 60 Faith, 27 Dexterity, 60 Vigor
Equipment Highlights:
Flame Art Nagakiba +25 (Flaming Strike)
Cold Uchigatana +25 (Chilling Mist)
Godslayer’s Seal
Fire Scorpion Charm & Claw Talisman
This “elemental duality” build isn’t the highest DPS compared to bleed, but it’s stylish and effective. Resetting frostbite with fire damage creates unique pacing, while Faith incantations round out the kit. It’s a fun, creative option that stands out among typical katana builds.
Final Thoughts
From colossal crushers to dual katanas, these nine builds showcase just how flexible Elden Ring’s combat system really is. Each one plays differently, offering fresh challenges and powerful results. Some are straightforward powerhouses, while others-like Lifesteal Fist or Fire & Frost katanas-lean into unique mechanics that make them as fun as they are effective.
If you’re looking to spice up your next playthrough, give one (or several) of these builds a try. And if you’ve got your own dream setup in mind, keep the requests coming-the Lands Between are vast Elden Ring Runes, and there’s always another way to break the game in style.
