Elden Ring is all about freedom—freedom to explore, fight, and most importantly, to shape your character however you want. Whether you’re diving into your first playthrough or refining a New Game+ run, having a strong and focused build makes all the difference. Here are 10 versatile and powerful builds that can help you dominate the Lands Between and make the most out of every Elden Ring Rune you collect.

1. Strength-Faith “Blasphemous Paladin”

This hybrid build centers around the Blasphemous Blade, one of the most reliable PvE weapons in the game. It scales well with Strength and Faith and heals you on kills, giving you massive sustain during long fights. Pair it with Flame, Grant Me Strength and Golden Vow for max output.

2. Dex-Bleed “Rivers of Blood Samurai”

Fast, flashy, and deadly. This Dexterity-focused build uses Rivers of Blood to apply bleed at lightning speed. With the right talismans and Arcane investment, enemies melt under repeated Corpse Piler slashes. Great for bosses and crowd control alike.

3. Pure Strength “Colossal Crusher”

Heavy weapons, poise, and raw power. Using weapons like the Greatsword or Ruins Greatsword, this build focuses on staggering enemies with charged attacks and breaking bosses’ stance. It’s slower, but extremely rewarding for players who love high damage and tanky armor sets.

4. Intelligence-Magic “Dark Moon Sorcerer”

If you enjoy staying at range, this build is for you. It revolves around the Dark Moon Greatsword and high-intellect spells like Comet Azur and Ranni’s Dark Moon. Great for players who enjoy glass cannon styles with huge burst potential.

5. Dexterity-Intelligence “Moonveil Battlemage”

This hybrid build takes advantage of the Moonveil katana’s powerful weapon skill, Transient Moonlight. It offers solid melee and ranged options and is especially good for dungeon diving and agile boss fights.

6. Arcane-Poison “Scarlet Rot Reaper”

Focusing on status effects, this build uses weapons like the Serpentbone Blade or scavenger’s curved swords to apply poison and Scarlet Rot. It’s slower to ramp up, but incredibly effective against high-HP enemies. Keep a stockpile of Elden Ring Runes to upgrade your weapons and boost effectiveness.

7. Faith-Pyromancer “Burning Disciple”

Fire-focused builds are flashy and destructive. With incantations like Flame of the Fell God and weapons like the Giant’s Seal, this build dishes out massive fire damage and can burn through groups with ease. Flame, Grant Me Strength enhances your output even more.

8. Quality Build “Versatile Knight”

For players who can’t decide between Strength and Dexterity, a Quality build offers flexibility. Using weapons like the Claymore, Nagakiba, or Bloodhound’s Fang, you’ll adapt to almost any combat situation without needing to respec constantly.

9. Dexterity-Faith “Lightning Lancer”

Lightning builds are fast, flashy, and excellent against armored foes. Using incantations like Lightning Spear and weapons like the Bolt of Gransax, this build is great for PvE and offers strong utility in co-op as well.

10. Faith-Defense “Sacred Tank”

This build maximizes survivability while keeping solid damage. Greatshield, high Faith, and incantations like Blessing of the Erdtree keep you and your allies alive. It’s especially effective in group play or tough solo boss runs where sustain is essential.

No matter your playstyle, having a well-optimized build will make your journey through Elden Ring smoother and more satisfying. Focused builds also help you use your Elden Ring Runes more efficiently, avoiding waste and maximizing your power curve.

If you're short on upgrade materials or looking to experiment with high-end gear early, some players look to the Best Place to buy Elden Ring Items as a way to test builds without excessive farming. Just be sure to stick with trustworthy sources.