Elden Ring Melee Build

Crushing all enemies standing in your path is the most famous way to play all FromSoftware Inc. games, and Elden Ring is no different. Almost all Souls veterans quickly set out to create a powerful Melee build in Elden Ring right from the First Steps Site of Grace.

The game offers a huge variety of weapons and equipment to support pure Strength builds. Therefore, you will never get bored from using the same weapons throughout the playthrough. 

However, focusing only on a single aspect also means that you must find new ways to deal with the enemies. For instance, almost all Knight enemies are immune to physical damage. So, you must find their weak spots to strike in a small window of time.

Still, playing with colossal weapons while wearing sturdy Armor Sets is a fun way to become the Elden Lord. Therefore, this article will explain the most powerful Melee Build in Elden Ring and how to make it.

Elden Ring Melee Build

Melee builds in Elden Ring are all about finding the most powerful weapons and using various items to make them even more deadly. However, you must also work on your character stats and other aspects of the game to polish your character. Most weapons for a Melee build scale with Strength and have high stat requirements.

Fortunately, with so many options at hand, you will never run out of new weapons to try out for your build. The basic concept of any Melee build is to kill all your opponents with brute force. In some cases, you can even cheese around the toughest bosses in the game with your build. In short, you should start with a Melee or Strength build if you are playing Elden Ring for the very first time. 

Melee Build Stats

Stats are the most important factors in any Elden Ring build. The stats govern which weapons you will use and how strong your attacks will be. Similarly, passive attributes like Vigor, Endurance, and Faith will give you the HP, Stamina, and FP to support your battle strategies. For this Melee build, your main focus will be on the Strength attribute.

So, make sure to invest as many Runes as possible till you reach the Hard Cap. Similarly, you must also upgrade Endurance and Vigor to have enough resources to resist enemy attacks. Lastly, Mind will be your final resort to efficiently use various Ash of Wars on your weapons. You can follow these stats goals to improve your character as you progress along the main story line:

Stats at level 30:

Stats at level 60:

Stats at level 90:

Your Starting Class plays a vital role in your future build. Although you can choose any Class and gradually work your way to upgrade the character. Still, selecting an appropriate Class will give you sufficient stats to move around in Limgrave.

For this build, you should start as Vagabond because it provides the resources to kickstart your melee build. Alternatively, you can also start as a Hero or Warrior if you prefer an aggressive style. In any case, these stats goals will guide you throughout the process of forming the most powerful melee build in Elden Ring. 

Melee Build Weapons

Weapons are the next most important elements of any Elden Ring build. As a matter of fact, most builds focus on one type of weapon only. So, having the right weapon according to your build and playing style can give you the upper hand in any conflict. Fortunately, the high Strength stat gives you numerous options for your Melee build.

However, choosing the perfect option can often confuse newcomers. Therefore, here are the top 5 picks that go well with any Melee build. Feel free to choose from these or substitute with any weapon that you consider a better alternative.

• Starscourge Greatsword: Starscourge Radahn is one of the toughest bosses in Elden Ring. So, naturally, his sword will match up with this killing machine. The Starscourge Greatsword is unarguably the largest and equally powerful weapon that you can find. It scales equally with Strength and Dexterity, so your Melee build will fully support it. Furthermore, the Starcaller Cry Weapon Art is a treat for the eyes. However, the only way to acquire it is to trade the remembrance with Enia in Roundtable Hold after defeating Starscourge Radahn.

• Bloodhound’s Fang: Bloodhound’s Fang is one of the most powerful weapons that you can find early on in the game. It is the main weapon for several bleed-based builds. So, if you want to overpower every foe in your path, you should go with this sword. Furthermore, this sword scales primarily with Strength, another plus point for your build. However, you must have at least 18 Strength and 17 Dexterity to wield this one. If you are interested in this sword, you can drop it by defeating the Bloodhound Knight Darriwil in Limgrave.

• The Grafted Blade: The Grafted Blade is a suitable contender for your Melee build. It is inspired by the Game of Thrones iron chair. This sword is as deadly as it looks. There are two reasons why you should consider this Greatsword. Firstly, it deals 162 physical damage to your enemies with 100 critical strikes. Secondly, the Oath of Vengeance Weapon Art buffs all your stats for 60 seconds (1.72 seconds for Poise). So, it is a suitable choice for your build after you accomplish the level 30 stats goals. The only way to acquire The Grafted Blade is by defeating the Leonine Misbegotten boss in Castle Morne at the Weeping Peninsula.

• Great Stars: The Great Stars isn’t necessarily a Legendary weapon, but its damage output matches most of them. It is the recommended weapon for most Strength and Melee builds. The benefit of this weapon is that it pierces all kinds of armor, staggers the enemy, and causes bleeding buildup. So, it is an all in one package if you are looking for a one-hit kill weapon. Furthermore, it scales primarily with Strength and doesn’t have high minimum requirements. You can acquire the Great Stars by defeating Magnus, the Beast Claw, near Writheblood Ruins in Altus Plateau.

• Prelate’s Inferno Crozier: The Prelate’s Inferno Crozier is your best bet if you are looking for a pure Strength character. This battle axe is strong enough to throw almost any enemy in the air. Moreover, the physical damage output is higher than most non-Legendary colossal weapons. Similarly, the Prelate’s Charge Weapon Art increases your range to deal with distant enemies. Moreover, you can also buff the weapon by infusing it with magic and consumables. You can acquire the Prelate’s Inferno Crozier by defeating the Fire Prelate wielding it inside Fort Laiedd near Seethewater Terminus Site of Grace.

Melee Build Armor

Armor is the next best protection after your shield. The enemies in the Lands Between are as unforgiving as they can get. So, you should expect the same damage as you plan to inflict. However, not every armor that you find is suitable for such deadly opponents.

Another problem is that there aren’t many armors suitable for a Melee build. Hence, the best way to boost your defense is to choose one shield and one armor from these picks. In any case, here are the best options that you should consider for your build. 

• Beast Champion Set: The Beast Champion Set is counted among the sturdiest Armor Sets in Elden Ring. It can protect you from physical and magical damage. Moreover, the Armor Set is aesthetically suitable for an Elden Lord. So, if you want to look cool in the online community, you should consider this option. You can drop the complete Beast Champion Set by defeating Knight Bernahl at Crumbling Farum Azula.
• Veteran’s Set: The Veteran’s Set is the second option that offers almost the same protection as the Beast Champion Set. The only difference is that this Armor Set makes you look like a barbarian rather than a Knight. So, if you want to appear like a badass dude, you should consider this Set. However, you must purchase this Armor Set for 18,000 Runes from Enia after defeating Commander Niall at Castle Sol Rooftop.
• Erdtree Greatshield: Erdtree is extremely important for the folks of the Lands Between. So, anything with its name must be strong and precious. The Erdtree Greatshield is undoubtedly the best protection you can find in the game. It protects you from physical and magical damage and comes with the Golden Retaliation Weapon Art. You can acquire the Erdtree Greatshield by defeating the Tree Sentinel Duo boss.
• Golden Greatshield: The Golden Greatshield is another suitable option for your Melee build. It offers a decent amount of protection from all forms of damage. However, the only drawback is that you can’t parry with Greatshields. So, you should start practicing your dodging moves right away. You can acquire the Golden Greatshield by defeating the Leyndell Knights in the Royal Capital.

Melee Build Talismans

Talismans are extremely important for all players in Elden Ring. You can use these items to buff your attacks, increase your defense, and boost various stats. In short, you will need talismans to support your character build. However, there are so many options at hand that you will feel lost. So, it would be best to have a detailed list of everything that you need. So, here are all the talismans that you should get for your Melee build.

• Great Jar’s Arsenal: Almost all your inventory will be heavy when going for a Strength or Melee Build. So, the Great Jar’s Arsenal is a must-have as it increases your maximum Equip Load by 19%. You can acquire this talisman by completing the Great-Jar’s challenge of defeating three NPC duelists in Dragonbarrow.
• Dragon Quest Shield Talisman: The Dragon Quest Shield Talisman is a useful item that can make you a battle tank. This talisman reduces physical damage by up to 17%, depending on your stats. You can acquire this item by looting the corpse in the northern section of Crumbling Farum Azula.
• Axe Talisman: The Axe Talisman is a passive item that boosts the damage output of all charged attacks by 10%. You can find this talisman in a cellar underneath the Mistwood Ruins in eastern Limgrave.

Conclusion

Elden Ring offers tons of options to create your dream build. However, first, you must understand the basics of your gear and how they benefit your character.

The only problem is that it is impossible to check out every item and enjoy the story line at the same time. Therefore, this Elden Ring Melee Build article provides a roadmap for the best Melee build in Elden Ring to save you time and effort.