Dexterity Builds Are More Effective in Elden Ring PvE
While both strength and dexterity builds can crush Elden Ring with the right equipment and skill, dexterity edges out as the more versatile and damaging PvE option currently after patch 1.08. With greater speed, options for magic pairing, potent bleed potential and higher DPS weapons, dex builds simply outpace strength against most bosses and mobs.
Strength Builds: Simple Brute Force
Focused heavily on colossal weapons with high individual strikes, strength builds embody straightforward melee force. By meeting prohibitive equip requirements, you can smash enemies for massive damage per slam. Against staggered foes, this raw power shines:
| Weapon | Strength Required | Attack Rating | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Giant-Crusher | 60 | 947 | Single highest damage and poise break. Needs 60 strength, extremely heavy. |
| Grafted Blade | 38 | 740 | Iconic early boss weapon. Devastating heavy strikes + ranged ash of war. |
| Prelate‘s Crozier | 30 | 918 | Fire ashes render enemies defenseless. Strike the killing blow with colossal R2s. |
However, in longer engagements mobility issues arise. Without ranged options beyond ashes of war, you must constantly approach targets. Success greatly relies on staggering foes via charged R2s into criticals. Failing to poise break sees DPS nosedive trying to swing multiple times. Additionally, colossal weapons lack auxiliary effects like bleed or frost to whittle down resilient enemies.
Against Malenia for example, brief windows to attack without being punished are crucial. Her healing also demands concentrated vitality damage through bleed procs. These factors combined make strength far less efficient than dex/arcane alternatives.
Dexterity‘s Speed, Range and Bleed Outclass Most Bosses
Boasting faster movesets and long-range options via bows supplementing close quarters combat, dex builds simply offer better versatility than strength currently in PvE. Their quick slashes stack status effects rapidly as this example data shows:
| Weapon | Dexterity Required | Attack Rating | Bleed Buildup | Strong Against |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rivers of Blood | 18 | 532 | 110 | Virtually anything without high robustness. Destroys health bars. |
| Moonveil | 23 | 572 | 0 | Magic/physical hybrid. Swift Katana moveset supplemented by heavy ranged Transient Moonlight. |
| Hand of Melania | 40 | 616 | 88 | Lethal critical attacks, ideal for high poise bosses like Godfrey and Radagon. |
With superior mobility from lighter armor enabling players to evade otherwise devastating blows, attacking openings present themselves far more frequently. Rivers of Blood specifically shreds health even on robust enemies like Elden Beast thanks to considerable bleed ticks.
Meanwhile, powerstancing curved swords or twinblades buffs dexterity‘s already fast slashes to practically delete mid-tier opponents via bleed explosions. Against a single target, this dual wielding flurry simply out-damages strength weapons dependent on charged heavies and defense piercing.
Quality Builds Offer Best of Both Worlds
If opting to use a broader selection of armaments, pursuing quality over pure strength or dexterity has distinct advantages:
| Build | Strength | Dexterity | Benefits | Drawbacks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quality | 40-60 | 40-60 | Utilize most weapons effectively. Greater flexibility adapting to situations. High vigor and endurance feasible. | Spreading attributes can leave you master of none. |
| Strength | 80+ | 14-18 | Absolute highest individual attack ratings. | Extremely limited playstyle options. |
| Dexterity | 14-25 | 70+ | Speed, range, status effects and magic supplemented. | Still susceptible to one shots from heaviest weapons at low vigor. |
Achieving at least 50 strength AND dexterity expands your offensive repertoire extensively. Colossal swords, twinblade bleed combos and spellsword magic all become viable together. Compared to min-maxing either extreme, generalist quality builds allow Elden Ring’s vast weapons catalogue truly shine. You remain deadly effective no matter the circumstances.
Cap vitality around 60 alongside heavy armor too for survivability, then allocate spare points boosting chosen damage stats. This balanced approach leaves practically no strategic weakness.
Verdict: Dexterity Surpasses Strength Currently
In summary, while strength sports individually hard hitting options, dexterity simply offers superior versatility and damage-per-second currently against Elden Ring‘s main PvE challenges. Bleed weaponry enable steadily whittling down enormous health bars. Quicker movesets facilitate safely exploiting openings that heavier builds cannot without trading hits excessively. Magic and ranged bow integration bolster dexterity’s flexibility even further.
So there we have it friends, I recommend dexterity over pure strength right now for tackling the Lands Between until balance changes arrive. Quality builds also deserve high praise granting extensive armament variety without significantly sacrificing damage output. Hopefully this breakdown has given you insight on excelling with your own playstyle! Let me know what builds you are enjoying lately in the comments.
