Elden Ring
Elden Ring

Melee Builds

Build a powerful Elden Ring melee character with this guide. Focus on Strength or Dexterity builds using Colossal Weapons, Katanas, and heavy armor.

·Multi-source verified (90/91)

Melee builds focus on close-quarters combat, using several weapons and armor. They are often robust and capable of dishing out high physical damage.

Popular Melee Archetypes:

  • Strength Build (Colossal Weapons): Focus on Vigor, Endurance, and Strength. Wield massive weapons like Greatswords, Greataxes, and Colossal Weapons. Prioritize heavy armor for poise.
  • Dexterity Build (Katanas, Curved Swords): Focus on Vigor, Endurance, and Dexterity. use faster, lighter weapons for quick attacks and dodges. Often incorporates status effects like Bleed.
  • Quality Build (Strength & Dexterity): Balances Strength and Dexterity to use a wider variety of weapons that scale with both. Offers versatility.
  • Bleed Build (Arcane & Dexterity/Strength): Focuses on Arcane with a secondary investment in Dexterity or Strength. Uses weapons with innate Bleed or applies Blood affinity to inflict massive damage through blood loss.