When diving into Elden Ring, players often feel drawn to the mystical allure of sorcery and incantations. However, there’s an entirely different way to experience the game: through pure, unadulterated combat. For those who prefer to avoid the complexities of magic and focus on raw physical prowess, there are several builds that cater to this playstyle. In this guide, we’ll explore five such builds that don’t require any magic at all, allowing players to enjoy the game through brute force, strength, and agility.
1. The Strength-based Tank Build
A classic approach for those who want to take on Elden Ring without the need for spells is a tank build focused on Strength. The primary goal here is to wield heavy weapons and armor, becoming an unstoppable force on the battlefield.
Key Stats:
Vigor: For health, which is critical for a tank.
Endurance: To equip heavy armor and manage stamina effectively.
Strength: The higher this stat, the stronger your physical attacks with large weapons.
The Strength tank build excels in close-quarters combat. Weapons like the Greatsword or Colossal weapons allow you to deliver devastating blows while absorbing massive amounts of damage. The key is to balance your stamina and armor weight to ensure you don’t sacrifice mobility.
Tip: Consider using Elden Ring runes to quickly level up your character to ensure you can equip the best possible armor and weapons. If you're playing on PC, you can buy Elden Ring runes PC to speed up the process and get ahead in your build.
2. The Dexterity Duelist Build
If you prefer a quicker, more agile playstyle, a Dexterity-based build will serve you well. Instead of relying on heavy weapons, you’ll be using lighter, faster weapons such as katanas or twin blades.
Key Stats:
Dexterity: To increase your damage output with fast, precise weapons.
Endurance: To maintain stamina for rapid strikes and dodges.
Vigor: A moderate investment here ensures survivability.
With this build, mobility is key. You’ll focus on dodging, counterattacking, and maintaining distance between you and your enemies. A weapon like the Uchigatana or Reduvia can provide excellent bleed buildup, especially when paired with Ashes of War for added effects.
Tip: For those looking to avoid the grind, you can buy Elden Ring items PS4 to get specific gear that suits this fast-paced playstyle. This will allow you to skip certain farming stages and jump straight into high-tier dueling.
3. The Bleed Build
Bleed builds have become increasingly popular due to their ability to deal consistent damage over time, and they don’t require any magic. By focusing on weapons that inflict bleed, such as the Rivers of Blood katana, you can defeat enemies with the power of bleeding damage.
Key Stats:
Dexterity: To boost the damage of bleed-inducing weapons.
Arcane: While not strictly magic, a small investment in Arcane increases the buildup of bleed damage.
Vigor: Ensures you stay alive long enough to land the critical blows.
The key to a bleed build is patience. Instead of relying on brute force, you’ll be wearing down your enemies over time, leading to devastating bursts of damage once the bleed effect activates. With the right setup, bleed builds can tear through bosses in mere seconds.
4. The Pure Tank Build
A step beyond the Strength-based tank is the pure tank build, which relies solely on defensive abilities and the ability to outlast your enemies. Here, your primary goal is to minimize damage taken while slowly whittling down your enemies’ health.
Key Stats:
Vigor: You want as much health as possible to survive heavy hits.
Endurance: Essential for blocking and parrying without being overwhelmed.
Strength: A solid investment to wield large shields and heavy weapons effectively.
While some might prefer to dish out damage quickly, the pure tank build is about endurance. Equip yourself with a massive shield like the Greatshield and focus on perfecting your parries and blocks. This allows you to mitigate incoming damage while waiting for the perfect opening to strike back.
5. The Unarmored Agility Build
For those who want to experience Elden Ring with a completely different challenge, the unarmored agility build offers a fascinating approach. By wearing minimal armor and focusing entirely on speed, you’ll be dodging and weaving around enemies while landing precise hits with your weapons.
Key Stats:
Dexterity: The main stat to increase for higher weapon damage.
Endurance: It’s still important, especially for stamina management.
Vigor: A bit of health is necessary, though you can forgo heavy armor for better agility.
The unarmored agility build requires precise timing and a deep understanding of enemy attack patterns. By wearing minimal armor, you’ll trade durability for speed, making you more nimble and capable of evading almost every attack.
In , while magic is an incredibly powerful tool in Elden Ring, it's far from the only way to succeed. Whether you’re looking to wield massive weapons as a tank, become an agile duelist, or rely on bleed for powerful damage, there are plenty of ways to approach the game without relying on sorcery.
For players who prefer more direct combat or want to explore new builds, these five paths will allow you to tackle the challenges of the Lands Between with nothing but raw skill and determination.
Remember, your journey is yours to create, and with the right build, the challenges ahead will feel more like opportunities for greatness.
