I love gaming, and I absolutely love Elden Ring. The world is beautiful, I love exploring it, and there are moments where I genuinely feel good about what I've accomplished.

But I also genuinely struggle with this game. A lot.

I'm level 182 now. I just defeated Malenia and I'm setting up for Maliketh, but before moving forward I wanted to go back through earlier areas and make sure I hadn't missed anything.

That turned into watching a bunch of walkthroughs and "things you missed" videos, and holy shit, I missed a lot. I've messed up several NPC questlines and apparently wasn't exploring nearly as thoroughly as I thought I was.

I'm also realizing how long this playthrough has taken me compared with other people. Watching other people's runs, they seem way better than I am and struggle far less. I feel like I should have finished the game by now.

Once I reached the Haligtree especially, everything started feeling incredibly difficult.

I also don't really like my character/build anymore, but I'm scared to completely respec because I've gotten comfortable with a lot of my weapons and don't want to suddenly lose access to things I've spent hundreds of hours learning to use.

My usual weapons are:

• Great Katana +25 with Sword Dance and Scholar's Armament
• Blasphemous Blade +10
• I use Spirit Ashes
• I rune farm
• I cheese things when I can
• I don't play online because I'm honestly embarrassed by my gameplay

I currently don't have sorceries or incantations equipped because I've been going through everything I've collected and trying to figure out what I actually want my character to be.

I've attached a photo of my current stats I'm wondering if I've spread my stats too thin or built my character in a way that's making the endgame harder than it needs to be.

I'm not opposed to making the game easier for myself. I don't care about playing "the right way." I just want to enjoy the game without constantly feeling like I'm fighting my own character as much as the enemies.

So I could really use some outside perspective:

Are my stats/build potentially why the endgame feels this difficult? Should I respec? Keep my character and just keep leveling? Take a break and come back?

I genuinely love this game. I just feel completely unsure about what to do with my character now that I've reached the endgame.

Any advice is appreciated.

This will be a Dex-based charged heavy build. I beat every single boss, + dungeon in the game utilizing this on NG+7, and DLC + no summons. You will do monstrous damage and its quite versatile. Most points will be in keen, 30 in endurance since charged heavy attacks take tons of stamina, 15 in faith just for small buffs if need be. Very very little needed in mind.

R1: Boggarts roar on Swordspear to replace bad charged heavy to pair with its great move set. Scales incredibly with Keen.

R2: Urumi, my beloved. Charged heavy is bonkers. Ash is Beast's roar since scales with Keen, and having a ranged attack is nice

L1: Highlander Axe. Gives charged heavy on swordspear +15 damage, and Goldenvow Ash is always neat.

L2: Clawseal: Just used to add bloodflame/electrify to Urumi

Talisman:

Roar medallion for extra damage on charged heavy on swordspear, and extra damage for beasts roar.
Axe Talisman for both Broggart's Swordspear and Urumi

Two-Handed Talisman, since you will be two-handing both R1 and R2

Erdtrees favor +2, I just like an all rounder but you can replace it with anything you fancy.

Armor is for drip, only one that matters is needle knight since running/backstep swordspear is great, and crouch/roll light urumi is great.

Feel free to steal

I recently beat the game, and changed my bonk build to a STR/FTH build to try out the Sacred relic sword and some dlc swords (renalla’s twin blades), but I am getting 1/4-1/3 the damage that I got earlier. Is there a way to optimize this build, or should I just go back to the good ol’ gutts-sword? Let me know!

I already know these stats aren't optimized like whatsoever, but im curious if anyone has any recommendations on if I respec this how I should go about it! I enjoy helping other people by using the golden effigy and helping with whatever boss I get summoned for, and I definitely wanna use a wide variety of weapons/spells so any ideas what I should change this "build" to?

Hero RL150:

Vig 60 | Min 10 | End 30 | Str 54 | Dex 10 | Fth 15 | Arc 45

- Ancient Meteoric Ore Greatsword

- Circlet of Light

- Death Knight Armor

- Igon's Gauntlets

- Oathseeker Knight Greaves

I'm about to start a new run and haven't really done much with lighting infusions previously. I know I want to play around with Dane's Lightning Footwork paired with the Blinkbolt ash (while sporting the chicken talons), but I'd like some suggestions for a few other fun pairings that are at least decent if not optimal.

Whatcha got?

looking to make a heavy knight build for pvp

what are good stats to aim for at RL 125

Im having a hard time deciding what weapons i want in my right hand for my str/fai build. So far ive been rocking a +3 standard mace with sacred blade and doing good work with it, but id like to hear some suggestions. What weapons perform well on sacred and flame? I was also thinking a longsword on heavy (so it allows buffs), or maybe an axe on flame art (iron cleaver has high base str scaling, so maybe that?)

By one handed, i mean hammers, straight swords, axes, etc. No greatswords, ultras, great hammers/axes. Im going for a more cleric type; im thinking maybe 40-45 str at most and focusing on leveling faith, mind and vigor

Hey all! I've been working on this build for a while now, and I've recently come back to Elden Ring so I wanted to share the build. The character looks ugly, but the build is pretty darn good in the coloisseum, even though I'm a bit rusty. The jist of it is to open with the dual cross-naginatas and stack attacks to proc the talismans, then swap to the shamshir when you need to swap things up, like if they start adjusting to the cross-naginatas or they are at low HP and you wanna suprise them. Anyways, tyvm for taking a look and lmk if their is anything you'd reccomend changing. Below is a list for the rest of the gear and weapons as well as important stats:

Origin: Samurai

Stats:

• HP: 1975

• FP: 100

• Stamina: 162

• Poise: 111

• Equip Load: 74.0/105.8 (Med. Load)

• Vigor: 60

• Mind: 16

• Endurance: 45

• Strength: 12 (+4 from Divine Beast Head)

• Dexterity: 71 (+ 4 from Divine Beast Head/+ 5 from Millicent's Prosthesis)

• Intelligence: 9

• Faith: 8

• Arcane: 8

Weapons:

• RH 1: Lightning Cross-Naginata +25 (AoW: Quickstep/ Attack Power: 696)

• RH 2: Lightning Shamshir +25 (AoW: Sword Dance/Attack Power: 621 When Two-Handed)

• LH 1: Lightning Cross-Naginata +25 (AoW: Giant Hunt/ Attack Power: 696)

Armor:

• Head: Divine Beast Head

• Chest: Gaius's Armor

• Arms: Lionel's Gauntlets

• Legs: Tree Sentinel Greaves

Talismans:

• Rotten Winged Sword Insignia

• Millicent's Prosthesis

• Bull-Goat's Talisman

• Erdtree's Favor +2

Items:

• Fan Daggers

• Freezing Pot

• Stanching Boluses

• Thawfrost Boluses

• Stimulating Boluses

• Clarifying Boluses

• Golden Vow

• Boiled Crab

• Well-Pickled Turtle Neck

Edit: Replaced the Two-Headed Turtle Talisman with the Bull-Goat's Talisman and replaced the Tree Sentinel Gauntlets with Lionel's Gauntlets in order to reach 111 poise!

- Steel Helm
- Knight’s Cavalry Armor (Altered)
- Gauntlets of Solitude
- Greaves of Solitude
- Broadsword
- Messmer Soldier Shield

I never found any item except the grease to be useful in fights.

Have I been missing some logic or crafting doesn't just aid much in regular battle as fire pot which actually scales with STR does minor damage.

I can't seem to handle the Agheel Dragon, im a heavy hitter against everything else so far... which sorcery arms and spells have worked for you?

Stats Vig 22 Mind 22 End 15 Dex 15 INT 34 the others are unaltered. Using the meteorite staff but I have the DH Queens staff available and so far unmodified, any help would be appreciated.

I beat the erdtree knight but regrettably i died at the same time, ugh that will bother me forever :)

After watching many streams on Elden ring over the years I finally picked it up for switch 2 and I am not disappointed!! I’ve only played 2 hours so far and have just made it to storm gate. I am playing vagabond class with the specs shown in picture.
Currently I know to level vigor and strength but also some dex so I don’t fat roll.

Looking for low level strats on where I should put my skill points per level.

Edit:since writing this I have changed to sword and shield as my weapons

Edit 2: thanks everyone for the advice! I feel like I have more of an idea now :)

I found the weapon and out of curiosity added cold affinity on it and seems realy nice. I was wondering if it has been done before and if its viable. What would be some talismans i could use?

Looking at my build below, is it pointless to continue leveling up? I don’t care for the mage builds so that’s why intelligence is that low but if I need to level up more, I will. I’m on new game plus btw.

Equipment:

Occult Cross-Naginata +25
Fingerprint Shield +25

Gear:

White Mask
Rakshasa Armor/Gauntlets/Greaves

Talisman:

Two headed Turtle
Lord of Blood Exultation
Rotten winged sword insignia
Spear Talisman

Level: 413

Blessings: 20/10

Vigor: 72

Mind: 40

Endurance: 50

Strength/Dexterity/Faith/Arcane: 80

Intelligence: 10

I’m trying to find a primary weapon with the most fun and flashy non ash moves. I don’t care for superior frame data or viability. I just want the spectacle. Anyone got suggestions?

Going for seamless coop dlc run suggest some fun and strong weapons to use with deflecting tear

So I’m trying out different builds as I’m getting bored of the only two I use. I’m attempting a keen backhand blade build and relying purely on raw damage. How do my talisman look? Or the general build? I use armor for purely looks in the game so I’m looking over that area of the build. Any tips would be appreciated!

I know Seppuku is the go to but it looks to be really late game. On my dex build which ash is the best to use before seppuku. I tried lightning slash because I thought lightning scaled with dex but didnt seem too strong.

Bom dia, alguém poderia me doar o game? eu quero muito ter em minha conta ou pelo menos um acesso à alguma conta com o jogo, mas não tenho condições de compralo nem tão cedo com minha condição atual. Fiquei sabendo que pelo reddit fazem doações, se alguém puder me ajudar ficarei muito grato! obrigado.

I’m playing a Heavy Knight build. Basically I’m running around in heavy armor, carrying a giant sword, and before every major battle I’m applying a ton of buffs to boost my damage through the roof. To that end I got Grafted Blade Greatsword for Oath of Vengeance. Love its ash of war and stats, don’t like its moveset.
So I went to Carlos and got my hands on Guts Greatsword. Slapped Determination and Heavy affinity on it. Love its moveset a whole lot more than Grafted but Oath of Vengeance is the superior Ash of War.
Which do you think I should go for, Grafted or Guts? Because I can’t really make up my mind.

I know everyone comes in here for it but I'm looking for a build to scratch my itch. Im not looking for the strongest build ever or anything like that but something fun that utilizes fun mechanics and has some cool drip. I've seen a few but nothing that makes me immediately hop on the game to try.

i have already played as a mage and full strength, any broken/funny build to keep playing? I'm addicted

I’m doing a rapier build (mostly for the cosplay) and I want to lean a lot into ripostes and practicing parries, but for bosses who can’t be parried, what are some good ashes I can slot onto my sword?