Everyone is talking about Elden Ring these days, especially after it won the Game of the Year award. The most enjoyable aspect of this game is that you can play it however you want. With so many mechanics working flawlessly, it is often overwhelming how you want to create your fantasy character. Still, some players go for a straightforward Strength build to crush everyone in their way. Similarly, some players want to feel like Zeus, the God of Lightning.
The Lightning is a divine power that can quickly down almost every enemy. However, you must focus on the Faith attribute and gather only the important resources to maximize your Lightning damage. So, what is the best Elden Ring Lightning Build? So, this article will solve all your problems by explaining everything that you must do to create the most powerful build in the Lands Between.
Table of Contents
What Is the Lightning Build
Lighting is a type of magical damage in Elden Ring. Very few opponents are immune to this damage, so you can use this build against most enemies in the Lands Between. So, there are several weapons and incantations in the game that inflict Lightning damage.
Moreover, you can further boost the damage output with the help of Crystal Tears, Talismans, spells and scaling. Hence, most items with Lightning require Faith and Dexterity. So, you must primarily focus on these two stats while also upgrading other attributes to some extent.
Secondly, most weapons and armor that you acquire for a Lightning build come in the later phases of the game. So, you can start with any character Class, choose any build, and gradually replace your inventory as you pick up the important items. However, you must trim your character throughout the playthrough so that you are eligible for the build when the time comes.
Best Lightning Build in Elden Ring
The weapons and spells for a Lightning build aren’t as diverse as Strength. So, your options are pretty limited when it comes to creating a powerful Lightning build. Still, you can combine various items for your custom Lightning build. So, here is all you need to create the best Lightning build in Elden Ring:
Lightning Build Stats Strategy
Stats are extremely important for creating any build in Elden Ring. The game gives you complete freedom to invest your Runes in any attribute. However, collecting the upgrade points isn’t an easy task. So, you must put a lot of thought into how you want to upgrade your stats, as they will shape your final product. Fortunately, managing your stats upgrade isn’t as confusing as it seems.
All you need to do is to prioritize one or two stats over others. Alternatively, you can divide various stats into categories A, B, and C, A being the most important one. In any case, here are some stat goals that you must achieve by the time you reach different Souls Character levels:
Stats for level 50:
| Stat | Points |
|---|---|
| Vigor | 30 |
| Dexterity | 20 |
| Faith | 20 |
| Mind | 15 |
| Strength | 15 |
| Endurance | 11 |
| Intelligence | 10 |
| Arcane | 9 |
Stats for level 100:
| Stat | Points |
|---|---|
| Vigor | 45 |
| Faith | 35 |
| Dexterity | 30 |
| Mind | 20 |
| Strength | 15 |
| Endurance | 15 |
| Intelligence | 10 |
| Arcane | 9 |
Stats for level 150:
| Stat | Points |
|---|---|
| Vigor | 60 |
| Faith | 50 |
| Dexterity | 40 |
| Mind | 30 |
| Endurance | 20 |
| Strength | 15 |
| Intelligence | 10 |
| Arcane | 9 |
The Lightning build is a long-term project, as most of your weapons and armaments will be available in the second half of the story. So, you shouldn’t worry too much if your stats are nowhere near these goals. However, it would be best to start upgrading according to this guide so that you don’t face any problems later on. Firstly, Vigor receives the most upgrades in this build because you will need as much HP as possible.
Similarly, Faith and Dexterity are extremely important because most of your armaments and incantations will use these skills. Lastly, Mind and Endurance will give you the FP and Stamina to support your build. In short, you shouldn’t compromise on these goals as each attribute is carefully calculated as per the build requirements.
Best Weapons for Lightning Build
Lightning is a damage-oriented build rather than a stats-oriented one. So, you won’t find many weapons exclusively made for your build. However, it doesn’t mean that you can’t find any weapons at all suitable for your character.
The goal is to find any Faith and Dexterity weapon and use it as your main till you find a better alternative. Furthermore, more faith-oriented weapons can be infused with Lightning incantations. So, all you need to do is to find the right weapon for your playing style and let the build do the magic for you. Here are a few options that, in my opinion, work best with every Lightning build:
- Uchigatana: Uchigatana belongs to the family of Katanas in the game. It is an impressive curved sword that not only offers serious physical damage but can also be infused with the Lightning incantations. Furthermore, you can easily get this melee weapon early on in the game. Firstly, you can get it for free by starting with the Samurai Class. However, if you prefer a Confessor or a Prophet, you can easily find this weapon from the Deathtouched Catacombs in the Stormhill section of Limgrave.
- Bolt of Gransax: The Bolt of Gransax is a melee-ranged hybrid weapon that can do wonders with the right build. It is a powerful weapon that primarily scales with Strength and Dexterity. Moreover, you can infuse it with the Ancient Lightning Spear Ash of War, which makes it even more deadly. Basically, the infused Gransax will destroy anything that it touches. However, its stats requirements are slightly high, so you should go for it after you complete the first stats goal. You can acquire the Bolt of Gransax by visiting the Ashen Capital and climbing the large needle structure.
- Gargoyles Keen Twinblade: The Gargoyles Keen Twinblade is yet another powerful weapon that you can use for your Lightning build. The beauty of this weapon is that it is one of the few Legendary swords that you can infuse with any Ash of War. Moreover, the Spinning Slash will make you unstoppable when fighting against multiple enemies. However, you can only get this sword in the middle phase of the game. To acquire the Gargoyles Keen Twinblade, you must defeat the Valiant Gargoyle (Twinblade) in the lowest level of the Siofra Aqueduct.
- Rapier: Rapier seems like an unusual sword when you are about to create the most powerful build in Elden Ring. However, it can be a game-changer when you combine its thrust attack with a robust shield. Furthermore, this sword is only suitable for those who are still in their early stages. So, you can hold on to this sword while you search for better alternatives. Lastly, you can easily purchase the Rapier from Twin Maiden Husks at the Roundtable Hold for 1,000 Runes.
- Erdtree Seal +10: Lightning builds are all about throwing bolts of energy at your enemies. So, the use of magic in this build is as important as oxygen. However, you can’t rely on any common seal to efficiently kill your enemies. Therefore, the Erdtree Seal +10 is the perfect seal that maximizes the Lightning damage of all your spells. However, you must only consider this seal after you have at least 40 points in Faith. You can acquire the Erdtree Seal from a corpse near the Omenkiller below the Prison Town Church Site of Grace in Volcano Manor.
Best Armor for Lightning Build
Armor is the most important element of any build after the primary weapon. So, in some cases, an unwise selection of Armor often affects your attacking strategies. For instance, your Armor determines how well you resist various attacks and your counterattack speed.
So, for this build, you should consider the Armor that grants you maximum poise. Hence, the higher your poise, the less easily you will get staggered by enemy attacks. Furthermore, you don’t have a lot of Strength to resist physical attacks, so your Armor must protect you from such attacks. Here are a few options that you should consider for your build:
- Confessor Set: The Confessor Armor Set is the perfect option for your early-game defense. The Armor grants you a balanced resistance against both physical and magical damage. So, the enemies in Limgrave and Liurnia of the Lakes won’t bother you too much. Furthermore, the Armor Set is pretty easy to get, as it comes with the Confessor Class. Alternatively, all other Classes can purchase the complete Set from the Nomadic Merchant in Mount Gelmir.
- Bull Goat Set: The Bull Goat Set is the most robust Armor Set in Elden Ring. It offers high resistance against physical, piercing, slashing, and all forms of magic damage. Furthermore, it will also make you look cooler in front of your buddies. Lastly, the Armor Set has the highest poise in the entire game. The only problem is that you can only acquire the Set by defeating an equally tough enemy. To get the Bull Goat Set, you must defeat Tragoth in the Volcano Manor covenant kill missions.
- Maliketh Set: The Maliketh Set is the final Armor Set that you will wear for the endgame sequence. This Set offers higher physical and magical immunity than the Bull Goat Set. The only drawback is that the poise is slightly inferior to it. However, you can make up for this flaw by replacing the helmet with the Confessor Hood. In short, this Armor Set will truly make you feel like an Elden Lord way before you defeat the Elden Beast. The Maliketh Set can be purchased from Enia at the Roundtable Hold after you defeat Maliketh, The Black Blade, in Crumbling Farum Azula.
Spells for Lightning Build
In this case, lightning damage is fully dependent on your magic abilities. So, all the power of your build will come from magic spells. In short, you must learn and upgrade all such spells for maximum efficiency. Furthermore, the high Fath stat will ensure that you have more than enough FP to use these spells and incantations in your battles. Here are the locations of spells that you will need for your Lightning build:
- Ancient Dragons’ Lightning Strike: You can purchase the Ancient Dragons’ Lightning Strike from Miriel by giving him the Ancient Dragon Prayerbook.
- Flame, Grant Me Strength: The Flame, Grant Me Strength spell is found on a corpse behind Fort Gael in Caelid.
- Golden Vow: The Golden Vow is an optional incantation for this build. You can acquire it from the Corpse-Stench Shack in Mt. Gelmir.
- Honed Bolt: You can purchase the Honed Bolt from Miriel by giving him the Dragon Cult Prayerbook.
- Lansseax’s Glaive: This spell is a special one, as it requires you to kill the Ancient Dragon Lansseax to get it. You can find this optional boss on the hill near the Abandoned Coffin Site of Grace in Altus Plateau.
- Lightning Spear: The Lightning Spear is the most important spell for your Lightning build. So, you should get it as soon as possible. This incantation can be purchased from Miriel by giving him the Dragon Cult Prayerbook.
- Vyke’s Dragonbolt: Another powerful incantation that will help you in the first half of the story line. However, you must defeat the Knight Vyke in Roundtable Hold to acquire it.
Talismans for Lightning Build
Talismans are the supporting items for any build. You can use different talismans to boost your stats, heal without flasks, and increase your damage output. For this build, the main focus is on talismans that can aid FP consumption and increase the damage output.
- Cerulean Amber Medallion: The Cerulean Amber Medallion increases your FP bar without upgrading the Faith and Mind attribute. So, you should equip this Talisman if you want to focus on other stats for a while. To get this Talisman, you must defeat the Bloodhound Knight in Lakeside Crystal Cave, Liurnia of the Lakes.
- Faith-Knot Crystal Tear: The Faith-Knot Crystal Tear is yet another useful item when you want to quickly boost your Faith stat without investing Runes. This Talisman increases your Faith by 10 points as soon as you equip it. You can find this item on the shore between Earthbore Cave and the Church of Pilgrimage in the Weeping Peninsula.
- Flock’s Canvas Talisman: The Flock’s Canvas is a must-have talisman for your Lightning build. This item boosts the damage output of all your incantations. So, the powerful Lightning Spear will become a one-shot weapon with it. You can acquire this Talisman by completing Millicent’s questline.
- Green Turtle Talisman: The Green Turtle Talisman is optional yet important if you plan to use the Lightning Spear. This Talisman increases the Stamina regeneration speed. You can find this Talisman on the outskirts of the Summonwater Village (in the underground section).
- Lightning Scorpion Charm: No Lightning build is complete without the Lightning Scorpion Charm. This Talisman boosts the damage output of all Lightning attacks by 12%. However, it also reduces your physical resistance by 10%. You can find this Talisman inside the room behind the imp statue in Wyndham Catacombs.
Conclusion
Lightning is one of the most effective attacks in Elden Ring. Hence, very few enemies have resistance against such magic. Moreover, you can efficiently use these attacks in both melee and ranged combat.
However, the items that inflict Lightning damage are pretty hard to find, let alone create a whole build around it. Therefore, this article provides all the essential components for creating the most powerful Elden Ring Lightning Build.
