As a long-time Souls player who has sunk countless hours perfecting strength builds across FromSoft games, I‘m thrilled to share my deep knowledge regarding creating dominant strength warriors in Elden Ring.
This extensive 1900+ word guide will arm you with in-depth analysis of weapons, spells and strategies to crush enemies through raw physical power. Let‘s get started!
What Makes Strength Builds So Powerful?
Before covering specific gear and stats, it‘s important to understand why strength builds are arguably the most deadly playstyle in Elden Ring PvE and PvP.
The Core Strength: Wielding ultra heavy weapons other builds cannot, perfectly timed charged R2 attacks will smash foes in just 2-3 hits. I‘ve one-shot even late game story bosses with fallingstar beast jaw‘s gravity magic slam.
Massive Damage: Upgraded colossal weapons exceed 1000 attack rating. When coupled with temporary buff spells, a single jumping L1 can devastate health bars. Prominent content creator Iron Pineapple displays taking down Malenia in four jumping attacks using two Grafted Greatswords.
Hyper Armor: Bull Goat armor coupled with heavy weapons grants relentless hyper armor. By poise tanking the first hit then counter attacking, few enemies withstand extended trading. You become an unstoppable force charging through blows to flatten enemies.
This combination of overwhelming offense through charged heavies and skills plus resilient defense via hyper armor means properly built strength characters can unleash their massive damage potential while absorbing incoming attacks.
Executed well, this rewards a highly aggressive, in your face playstyle that simply overwhelms opponents through raw physical might.
Top Weapons for Pure Physical Destruction
Strength builds hinge on equipping complementary colossal weapons tailored to your preferred moveset. Let‘s review exceptional options.
Grafted Greatsword
Without question, the grafted monstrosity reigns as one of the highest damaging colossal greatswords in Elden Ring. Its unique grafted dragon skill empowers the next attack, adding a brutal flaming strike. At +10 heavy, it reaches 1032 attack rating, A strength scaling.
Pros
- Highest AR among colossal greatswords
- Grafted dragon skill combos well
Cons
- Slow, easy to dodge in PvP
- 18 weight demands endurance investment
By properly timing charged, buffed R2s or catching players mid attack animation, the Grafted Greatsword fells foes rapidly thanks to its overwhelming attack rating.
Giant-Crusher
Weighing a mammoth 30.5 units, the Giant-Crusher demands 60 strength just to wield one handed. In exchange, fully leveled heavy it delivers 981 strike damage, breaking enemy guard and poise with ease.
Further empower charged attacks with its unique Lion‘s Claw Ash of War for explosive jumping overhead slams. Among colossal weapons, this hammer crushes through both PvE and PvP encounters thanks to range, damage and stunning capabilities.
Blasphemous Blade
In my extensive experience, the Blasphemous Blade stands matched only by Rivers of Blood as the most potent weapon by late game. It boasts 1121 AR heavy +10 with a built in fire buff skill, Taker‘s Flame, scorching groups of enemies mid combo.
Warriors use this sacred weapon‘s length to space attacks, unleashing fiery carnage across both PvP and PvE. If you seek a devastating greatsword capable of overwhelminggroups through range and skill combos, the Blasphemous Blade cannot be topped.
Iron Ball/Great Mace
Among fist weapons, Iron Ball and its larger version the Great Mace have quietly terrorized many dueling hotspots. Weighing 12 and 15 units respectively, these strike weapons demand only 18 strength to one hand, making them extremely accessible.
However, their rolling and charged R2s hit massively. Combined with raptor armor or bull goat for poise, hyper aggressive players dominate fights by simply out-trading enemies through enhanced poise damage on these already hard hitting hammers.
Customizing Your Build
While strength builds share core concepts around prioritizing vigor, endurance and strength to wield devastating weapons, customization through supplemental stats and gear significantly impacts gameplay. Let‘s explore popular variants.
Sacred Strength Hybrid
Combining strength and faith grants melee weapons buffed by incantations plus access to ranged dragon cult spells. I suggest aiming for 40/40 str/fai then boosting vitality and mind.
With enough poise, Golden Halberd and Siluria‘s Tree both enable aggressive trading against mobs. Support further with buffs like flame grant me strength then flame cleanse me if facing scarlet rot. Offensively Lightning Spear originating from raised faith will chip down more evasive foes.
Status Effect Strength
Cold and bleed both complement physical power by enabling frostbite or hemorrhaging targets.
Weapons like Ghiza‘s Wheel and Venomous Fangs already inflict poison while remaining very strength scalable. However Cold infusion on hard hitting hammers like creature barbed cracks activates chilling mist. Alternatively the prelates inferno crozier charges to ignite all in its wake.
Consider carrying kukris just to inflict blood loss once frostbitten or poisoned. Combining raw damage and passive effects keep pressure high.
Dual Wield Colossal Swords
Truly peak strength builds arise from simultaneously power stancing matched colossal greatswords like two Grafted Swords. This requires immense endurance managing 54+ weight with Bull Goat armor.
However with 60 strength the jumping L1 attack breaks poise and melts health bars. Clear mobs using running/rolling attacks then slam jump attacks on bosses.
Proper timing avoids fat rolling while inflicting devastating damage worthy of legends!
Supportive Spells & Talismans
While strength builds focus heavily on melee combat, supplemental ranged spells and support talents assist defeating troublesome enemies.
Sorceries
Gravity Bolt flings smaller foes then shatters poise on heavier ones like knights. Collapsing Stars bombards grounded enemies from safety. Otherwise chuck Lightning Spear then aggressively pursue targets.
Buffs
Flame Grant Me Strength shines as the premier attack buff. Golden Vow grants a supportive 10% damage and defense increase. Lastly Bloodboon coats weapons with bloodloss buildup.
Before major battles utilize these spells to set up initial pressure. Their relative fp efficiency makes repeatedly casting feasible too.
Talismans
Great-Jar‘s Arsenal enables wearing impossibly heavy armor and weapons. Claw medallion boosts successive attacks. Finally pearldrakes and Dragoncrest Shield medallions defend against elemental attacks and physical damage when needed.
Offensively consider Shard of Alexander amplifying Ashes of War. Or utilize Ritual Sword Talisman to further empower colossal weapons‘ jumping heavies attacking after charging.
Fundamentals of Strength Combat
Proper application of strength builds against enemies, particularly bosses, relies on understanding core concepts. Let‘s review essential strategy principles:
-
Break Poise Quickly: Land heavies, guard counters or weapon skills early even accepting hits to stagger foes for critical attacks.
-
Punish Recovery: Following lengthy attacks many bosses remain vulnerable, presenting windows for barraging charged heavies.
-
Burst Counter Damage: Against shield turtling focus on guard counters into weapon skills or backstabs. Outpace their stamina recovery.
-
Maintain Hyper Armor: Resist being staggered yourself to sustain offense. Prioritize armor boosting poise.
-
Mix Up Combos: Vary between light attacks, rolling/running heavies and jumps attacks making your barrages tougher to predict and counter.
Apply this knowledge situationally against different threats to dominate through strength!
Case Study: Crushing Radahn
Formerly one of Elden Ring‘s most notorious roadblocks, the gravity magic wielding general Radahn with his endless combos once frustrated countless players. By executing key strength strategies however, this heroic battle instead fuels our legend!
Equipping two colossal greatswords along with bull goat armor for relentless hyper armor and talismans boosting successive blows, we initiate by instantly rushing Radahn down.
Accepting the first attack, we poise break his stance through jumping L1s before following into a heavy charged R2, massive damage. However respect when Radahn gains distance casting dangerous projectiles like asteroids – evade then close back into melee range.
As we‘ve built up successive attacks from earlier trading, our damage compounds. We carefully space baiting certain punishes then unleash weapon arts the moment Radahn overcommits, though ready to roll his grab.
Stay hyper aggressive through poise. Again we accept an initial hit just to launch Radahn vulnerable to a critical attack from which he cannot recover! Strength‘s decisive, overwhelming offense topples even legends.
Concluding Thoughts on Mastering Strength
While demanding high attributes across strength, endurance and vitality, properly built and played strength builds demonstrate nearly unmatched domination over enemies and invaders thanks brutal weapon damage enabled through hyper armor resilience.
Yet customization exists between hybridizing with supplemental schools like faith or status effects compared to purely physical, colossal weapons based brute force strength builds. Master spacing, seizing initiative in trades and properly varying attack sequences.
I hope this extensive 1900 word guide to utterly dominating using Elden Ring‘s most physically imposing weapons equips fellow Tarnished to forge their legends through overwhelming power! May we shatter the Elden Beast itself as Elden Lords.
List any questions in the comments – now go unleash colossal power!
