Elden Ring has been one of the most successful games by FromSoftware. Not only the story of the game but also the visuals and open-world exploration won the hearts of the fans. Therefore, since players have heard about the expansion of the game, Shadow of the Erdtree, their expectations and excitement have become boundless. Though the expansion hasn’t yet been released, preparations should be made beforehand to avoid struggles.

Shadow of the Erdtree is almost at the edge of its official release. It’s only a few days away, but if you aren’t yet sure about the best Elden Ring build to start the journey in the Land of Shadow, we will tell you the best build for the most popular classes.

How to Prepare Your Elden Ring Build for Shadow of the Erdtree

The Shadow of the Erdtree trailers and demo have shown how interesting and intense the expansion will become. So, to get a recap of the events and understand the DLC with deeper knowledge, players have been once again exploring The Lands Between, trying to make their best build. However, for each class, weapons and Ashes of Wars will differ.

Best Faith Build (Prophet)

If you have decided to make a build based on Faith, the most important thing to keep in mind is to choose Blasphemous Blade as the primary weapon. This greatsword is mostly recommended for its weapon skill, named Taker’s Flame, which essentially ensures that every hit will revive your HP. Also, the blade delivers damage along with the flame. 

Making a Faith-based build requires players to deal more Faith-based damage to their enemies, and in that case, using Lightning Scorpion Charm, Flock’s Canvas Talisman, and Lightning-Shrouding Cracked Tear will give players an advantage over most bosses. In Elden Ring, most bosses are vulnerable to lightning attacks. This may change in the DLC, but still, this build will help players get a powerful start.

Best Intelligence Build (Sorcerer)

Intelligence is one of the strongest aspects to focus on in Elden Ring. Choosing to be a Sorcerer will help players build the best Intelligence build in the game, but that’s not necessary. The first thing to equip to focus on Intelligence build is the Night-Comet spell. This used to be one of the trickiest spells in the game with its ability to become semi-invisible. This essentially means that enemies can’t easily detect the spell; therefore, they can’t dodge it.

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For the weapons, we would recommend choosing the Wing of Astel. This sword is incredibly effective at dealing devastating damage at any range. This will deal magic damage, and if you equip Terra Magica sorcery or Marika’s Soreseal, the attacks of the weapon will get a new height.

Best Dexterity Build (Samurai)

Dexterity build is basically to boost Dexterity damage and choose weapons and equipment accordingly. So, the first thing you should know is that the Dexterity build is basically for the Samurai class. For the best weapon, we would suggest going with the Bloodhound’s Fang and Bloodhound’s Claw. Wielding them will give you a balance of power and speed. When you attack enemies, these two weapons deal tons of damage to them.

However, players can give these weapons a further boost by equipping the Claw Talisman or the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia Talisman. Both of these swords give players a massive boost to their attacks. Hitting bosses with a few consecutive attacks from these weapons used to take them down faster. The scenario may differ in the DLC, but still, it won’t be bad as a starting build. 

Best Strength Build (Hero)

The next build players should consider for their starting build for Shadow of the Erdtree is the Strength build. The main focus of this build is on the strength and endurance of the players, and we recommend going with the Giant-Crusher as the primary weapon for the build. This weapon not only appears big but also does massive damage.

Now, if you want to give it some buff, two incantations should not be missed. Among them, the first one is the Flame Grant Me Strength incantation, which boosts physical attack power, and the next one is the Royal Knight’s Resolve Ash of War to give your weapon damage rate an 80% boost instantly. 

Best Arcane Build (Bandit)

This is another strong build that players can consider if they want to start the DLC with lots of power, at least in the beginning. This is the bleed build, to be precise, where players will deal bleed damage to enemies using Mohgwyn’s Sacred Spear or Gargoyle’s Twinblades. As an Elden Ring player, you must know that bleed damage is one of the most effective ways to take down even the toughest bosses of the game. 

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No matter how powerful the opponent is, infusing bleed damage will drain their health over time, making them vulnerable to taking damage. While using Mohgwyn’s Sacred Spear, you will eventually realize that it is the Bloodboon Ritual Weapon Skill that has made this weapon incredibly powerful.

However, if you have Gargoyle’s Twinblades, they are enough to deal enough bleed damage to the enemies, but to give it a little boost, players need to equip the Cragblade Ash of War with it. It not only increases bleed damage but also buffs raw damage. No matter how things change in the expansion, the bleed-based build should be one of the best ways to begin the journey. 

These are the most recommended builds from Elden Ring that players can carry forward to start their Shadow of the Erdtree expansion journey. These builds will ultimately change as soon as they start getting new weapons and equipment, but considering them as the initial build will hopefully help you get a smooth start.

However, if you have started the Elden Ring journey to get a deep understanding of the story, don’t miss the endings of the game, as it has multiple to explore. Additionally, for any confusion you have regarding Elden Ring or Shadow of the Erdtree, check out our guides for relevant information.