Having the right build in a game can be imperative for both your progression and your enjoyment of the game. There is no point in using a powerful samurai build if you are not having fun. Likewise, it is no fun if the build you like to use most isn’t able to help you progress.

Elden Ring features countless builds, each having different requirements. Two of the stats you will make use of in the game are your Strength and your Intelligence. This can lead to high damage when enemies get up close to you, as well as give you access to a large arsenal of spells to deal with enemies at range.

Best Starting Class

You will want to start with the Astrologer or Prisoner class. This will give you the perfect spread of predetermined points without you needing to respec your character using a Larval Tear. Both of these classes will give you plenty of Intelligence to deal with almost any situation early on while you develop the Strength portion of the build.

Best Stats For Str & Int Build

For your Stats, focus on raising your Vigor early on to help with those squishier early levels. Once you get a good 20-30 Vigor, focus on raising your Intelligence and Strength for your damage output. Beyond those, continue increasing what you need to meet the requirements of your equipped gear and weight load, then fill out stats periodically to fall into the level 150 stat spread below.

Below, you find a recommended list of stat values you should be aiming for toward the path to level 150.

• Vigor: 55 (To survive what the game throws at you)
• Mind: 23 (Enough FP to tackle any foe. You can use FP flasks when needed)
• Endurance: 26 (Allows you to wear heavy enough armor to take a hit)
• Dexterity: 13 (For the Claymore requirement)
• Strength & Intelligence: 50+
• Faith & Arcane: Dump stats. Do not invest in these.

Do not forget to allocate points to Vigor early on. You will get hit at some point, and if you get one-shot, you will regret it. You don’t need to worry about being tanky, though; you only need to worry about having enough Vigor to survive any enemy or boss assault. This provides you the opportunity to get to safety and then use a flask to heal up to survive the next one.

Best Weapons For Str & Int Build

One thing to note about Elden Ring is that you can pretty much run off in any direction and activate Sites of Grace as a means of fast traveling. You should get your spectral steed Torrent first — to make exploration significantly faster and easier. While you have little to no runes on you, you can then just run past and dodge enemies that would otherwise kill you in a single hit while trying to get to chests in difficult places. This means you can get a lot of really powerful items by being nimble enough.

Claymore

One of the best weapons will be the Claymore for its charged thrust. This can have your attacks connect with enemies while still having some distance to make avoiding damage easier. The claymore is also a greatsword, meaning you will have a much easier time breaking your opponents’ stances. This weapon’s requirements include Strength 16 and Dexterity 13.

A large sword with a long, straight blade. This heavy sword is usually wielded with two hands, but for those with enough strength, one is sufficient. In addition to the heavy sweeping attacks, it can also make a heavy piercing thrust making this a versatile weapon

This weapon can be acquired by opening a chest in Castle Morne located near the southernmost part of the game’s map.

Royal Greatsword

Two other noteworthy blades to consider hunting down are the Troll Knight’s Sword and Dark Moon Greatsword. However, this one just manages to beat them for this build. The Dark Moon Greatsword has better scaling, but the Royal Greatsword is a Colossal Sword (despite its name) with a longer reach and better stance breaking.

Greatsword decorated in royal Carian Style. Favored weapon of Blaidd the Half-Wolf. In defiance of the fate he was born to, Blaidd swore to serve no master but Ranni. As proof. the sword was imbued with a cold magic at the moment oath was sworn.

You will get this weapon by completing Ranni’s questline after you have defeated Blaidd in battle.

Meteorite Staff

A great staff to get early on is the Meteorite Staff. This staff has a base Sorcery damage of 138 and scales with both Strength and Intelligence. Its scaling for both is also quite high, with Strength scaling at D, and Intelligence at S. However, it is sadly not a weapon that you can upgrade. This means later scepters will become more powerful in the later parts of the game. This will be the best magical weapon you can make use of until you upgrade another one later in the game. Its requirements include Strength 6 and Intelligence 18.

Staff embedded with a dark purple glintstone, said to be the fragment of a meteorite. Boasts high sorcery scaling and boosts gravity sorceries as well. However, this staff cannot be strengthened in any way.

This scepter can be picked up from a corpse located in the Street of Safes Ruins of Aeonia Swamp, located in Caelid.

Academy Glintstone Staff

This staff has a base sorcery damage of 130 and will scale with both your Strength and your Intelligence stats. Strength will scale at E, while Intelligence will scale at B. This weapon’s requirements include Strength 6 and Dexterity 28.

Staff of the Academy of Raya Lucaria, embedded with a turquoise glintstone. Only a recognized sorcerer is permitted to wield this staff.

This weapon can be looted from a Glintstone Sorcerer while you are in the Raya Lucaria Academy. Alternatively, you can kill and loot Thops after giving him the Academy Glintstone Key — this will mean he will no longer be available to teach you the sorceries he offers.

Carian Regal Scepter

This weapon has a base sorcerer damage of 162, Intelligence scaling of B, Strength scaling of E, and a Dexterity scaling of E. Once you get your Intelligence and Strength high enough, they will start to give diminishing returns — albeit still worthwhile. However, Dexterity will make you cast your spells faster and help with damage scaling, making this a brilliant upgrade option. This weapon’s requirements are Strength 8, Dexterity 10, and Intelligence 60.

Magic scepter of Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon. The glintstone is known as a Carian Blue, enhancing full moon sorceries. Only those of the highest intelligence may wield this, the finest of all glintstone staves.

After you have defeated Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon, take the Remembrance of The Full Moon Queen to Roundtable Hold and speak with Enia.

Best Spells For Str & Int Build

As an Intelligence build, you will be able to make effective use of an obscenely high number of sorceries in the game, second only to a pure caster build. There are 2 spells in particular to be aware of for this build, but you will be free to explore and equip many other spells you find throughout the game.

Scholar’s Armament

You can use this spell on your Claymore to give it a magic affinity, which will cause it to have higher damage scaling from your Intelligence stat, as well as deal magic damage.

One of the glintstone sorceries of the Academy of Raya Lucaria. Enchants armaments held in the right hand with magic-affinity attacks. This sorcery can be cast while in motion. Taught to the Knights of the Cuckoo by the academy as payment for their contract.

You can acquire this spell by heading to the Waypoint Ruins in Limgrave and speaking with Sellen. She will sell you the spell for 3000 runes.

Glintblade Phalanx

This spell synergizes miraculously well with anyone using a Strength and Intelligence build. This will create an arch of magic glintblades above the player. You will be able to move around both while casting and after casting this spell. The glintblades will automatically attack the first foe you get close to. This will dramatically help you stance break higher health opponents thanks to combining them with your greatsword. Making the two stats synergize into a complete playstyle.

One of the sorceries of the Carian royal family. Creates a defensive arch of magic glintblades overhead, which automatically attack nearby foes. This sorcery can be cast while in motion.

Bestowed upon the enchanted Carian knights, who combined this art with their swordsmanship to maintain pressure upon their foes, striking in waves of steel and sorcery.

This spell can be obtained by speaking with either Sellen, Seluvis, or Miriel Pastor of Vows. Offer the Royal House Scroll to any of them, and they will be able to sell you the spell for 2,500 runes.

As a spellcaster, there are plenty of sorceries that you will find useful for dispatching different enemies before they can get close. While a Strength & Intelligence build is all about getting close up and breaking your foes with a combination of magic and might, here are some standout sorceries you may want to seek out and enjoy using throughout your playthrough.

Best Ash Of War For Str & Int Build

Do not sleep on your Ash of War just because you have a large number of spells. A lof the Ash of War you find will have an Ash of War counterpart. Using one of these can have different outcomes in terms of damage — especially when factoring in what Talismins you are using.

Glintblade Phalanx (Ash Of War)

This spell also comes in the form of an Ash of War, and some players may prefer this. This would mean your Claymore does not have access to a different Ash of War option, but it will mean you do not need to cycle through spells constantly. It will also give your Claymore a Magic Affinity.

Skill used by the enchanted knights who served the Carian royal family. Form an arch of magic glintblades overhead, which will attack foes automatically. Follow up with a strong attack to chain this skill into a lunging thrust. Usable on swords as well as polearms capable of thrusting.

This Ash of War can be extracted from Rogier’s Rapier. You can receive this Rapier from Rogier in Roundtable Hold after you have defeated Gorick the Grafted. However, the rapier is +8, and this means once you receive it, you will face significantly harder invading players due to how the game calculates how strong an invader is allowed to be.

Best Armor For Str & Int Build

The armor you wear is not that important, so long as you do not have less than 50 poise. You are free to use any combination of armor so long as it does not push you into a heavy load to interfere with your dodging. Veteran Souls players will generally recommend fashion above all else (whatever looks the best to you), but if you’re on the hunt for the best armors in the game, that’s good too.

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Best Talismans For Str & Int Build

You will have four talisman slots to make use of. Once you get one of these three, keep it equipped for the best results with this build. You can have the other slots equipped with any other great talismans that you feel work best in the meantime.

You will not need Carian Filigreed Crest with this build due to how stance breaking is the main focus to replenish FP.

Magic Scorpion Charm

This charm will increase your Magic Damage by 12%, but it also increases the damage you take by 10%. This can help you easily dispatch enemies while at range and finish off harder enemies before they can hit you.

This is the only missable Talisman for this build, so be mindful of your choices. You will need to acquire and give the Amber Starlight to Seluvis before giving the Fingerslayer Blade to Ranni the Witch.

Axe Talisman

Increases charged attack damage by 10%. For the big, devastating attacks you can pull off with a large Strength Weapon, the Axe Talisman offers a great boost in power. It will also synergize beautifully with the next Talisman below.

It can be picked up in the Mistwood Ruins cellar.

Assassin’s Cerulean Dagger

Critical attacks restore 15 FP. This means that the stance breaks from combining your Glintblade Phalanx (spell or Ash of War) and your charged greatsword attacks will help keep refueling this combo.

Defeat the optional boss in the Black Knife Catacombs located in Liurnia of the Lakes.

Shard of Alexander (Late Game)

Greatly boosts the attack power of Skills by 15% (This will significantly improve the build while Glintblade Phalanx is an Ash of War rather than a spell).

This Talisman will come much later in the game once you have completed the questline of Iron Fist Alexander.

How To Play This Build

There are some brilliant heavy weapons that will scale with both your Strength and Intelligence, as well as come with some unique Ashes of War. However, what you really want to commit to for this build is the Glintblade Phallanx — especially as an Ash of War on the Claymore. This lets you pile on stance damage alongside Glintblade Phalanx to stance break your foes.

This will open them up to a powerful follow-up attack. Weaker enemies can be picked off at a distance thanks to the numerous spell options available. Enemies that are weak to magic damage can be further exploited thanks to the Magic Affinity granted by Scholar’s Armament.

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