1. Bloodfiend's Arm Bleed Build

• Starting Class: Bandit

• Key Stats: Arcane 50, Strength 60, Endurance 50

• Essential Items: Rakshasa armor set, White Mask, Axe Talisman, Two-Handed Sword Talisman

• Ash of War: Endure (Blood Affinity)

This Bleed build focuses on wielding the Bloodfiend's Arm, a colossal weapon capable of dealing devastating damage while building up Hemorrhage on enemies. This setup scales with both Strength for raw damage and Arcane for Bleed buildup. Use Endure to sustain attacks, and wear the Rakshasa set and White Mask for extra damage when Bleed is triggered. This build is all about understanding attack patterns and hitting hard.

2. Lightning Perfume Bottle Prophet Build

• Starting Class: Prophet

• Key Stats: Faith 50, Dexterity 50, Vigor 50

• Essential Items: Blasphemous Blade, Bloodsucking Cracked Tear, Perfumer's Talisman, Shard of Alexander

• Best Incantation: Knight's Lightning Spear

Although nerfed, the Lightning Perfume Bottle build still deals significant damage using Faith and Dexterity. Pair the Blasphemous Blade for health regeneration with Ash of War: Rolling Sparks to deal concentrated bursts of lightning damage. The Perfumer's Talisman boosts Perfume attacks by 20%, and the Shard of Alexander enhances skill damage by 15%. This build is optimal for both large-scale AoE and boss encounters.

3. Bleeding Thorns Mage Build

• Starting Class: Astrologer

• Key Stats: Intelligence 50, Faith 50, Vigor 50

• Essential Items: Albinauric Staff, Alberich's Set, Opaline Hardtear, Magic-Shrouding Cracked Tear

• Best Spell: Impenetrable Thorns

A mage build that capitalizes on the new spell Impenetrable Thorns. This spell traps enemies in thorns, causing Hemorrhage buildup and immobilizing them. It's effective against bosses and groups of enemies. For protection, use Opaline Hardtear for a shield and Magic-Shrouding Cracked Tear for a magic damage boost. If you want to enhance this build, equip Alberich's Set to power up thorn sorceries.

4. Colossal Knight Strength Build

• Starting Class: Barbarian

• Key Stats: Strength 21+, Endurance 25, Vigor 25

• Essential Items: Warcry Ash of War, Axe Talisman, Roar Medallion, Great or Colossal weapon

For those who prefer a pure Strength build, this setup revolves around slow, devastating hits with Colossal weapons. The Warcry Ash of War enhances your attacks, while Axe Talisman and Roar Medallion boost your damage further. Invest in Endurance to carry heavy armor and wield these giant weapons without slowing down. Timing is key, as landing your hits will flatten most enemies.

Each of these builds can be optimized with Vigor, Mind, and Endurance, with soft caps of Vigor 60, Mind 55, and Endurance 32 to ensure survival, stamina, and ample resources for casting or swinging.

Key Tips for the Shadow of the Erdtree Expansion:

Scadutree Fragments and Revered Spirit Ashes are new Elden Ring items in the expansion. These will buff your attacks and mitigate incoming damage, so collect them early to ensure you can handle the tougher enemies in the new areas.

Be ready to respec your character using Elden Ring Runes if your build gets nerfed. You can adapt quickly without switching out your core armor or weapons.

With these builds, you'll be ready to tackle both PvP and PvE challenges in Elden Ring, including the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion!