Sometimes, you just want to swing a massive weapon and send your enemies flying. Other times, you might feel like embodying Guts from *Berserk*. Whether it’s the thrill of wielding an enormous weapon or the fun of pretending to be a legendary hero, choosing a Strength build in *Elden Ring* suits enthusiasts of brute force.
To excel with a Strength build, you need the courage to confront the formidable beasts scattered across the Lands Between. Each powerful strike that you unleash can inflict more damage than many other playstyles can manage.
Last updated February 12, 2025, by Andrew Scariati: A successful Strength build in *Elden Ring* goes beyond just maxing out your Strength stat to 99. Thoughtful choices regarding weapons, Talismans, and armor are crucial to developing a build that fits your preferred play style. New additions from *Shadow of the Erdtree* are included to broaden your Strength weapon options.
What Is A Strength Build?
A focused Strength build in *Elden Ring* puts the utmost importance on the Strength stat.
Big weapons demand even bigger strength and landing that critical blow is part of the excitement. Regardless of your opponent’s size or speed, the goal is to crank up your Strength as much as possible, build up your Stamina, and start swinging.
Strength Build – Stats To Aim For
|
Stats |
Value |
|---|---|
|
Vigor |
55 |
|
Mind |
15 |
|
Endurance |
29 |
|
Strength |
80 |
|
Dexterity |
16 |
|
Intelligence |
10 |
|
Faith |
15 |
|
Arcane |
9 |
Focusing solely on Strength means aiming for a staggering 80 Strength.
80 is the maximum cap for Strength, so aim to hit that as soon as possible.
This does not mean you should ignore other stats entirely.
Vigor and Endurance are essential as you will need HP to absorb damage, and Stamina and Equip Load to swing your weapon effectively.
Neglect these stats, and you might find yourself falling before you can deal any real damage.
As a general approach, choose a weapon, then quickly allocate points until you meet the minimum requirements for that weapon.
You may need to invest some points in Dexterity for most cases.
After securing your weapon choice, focus on boosting your Endurance and Vigor.
Aiming for 50-60 Vigor and maximizing your Endurance is advisable.
While you’re at it, consider putting a few points into Mind. Even if Magic isn’t part of your strategy, your Weapon Art will still consume FP, so having a decent pool reduces downtime.
15-20 Mind should suffice, but prioritize allocating points elsewhere if needed.
If you’re interested in branching into later builds, investing in Faith is worth considering, or you can allocate those points to Endurance.
Strength Build – Giant Crusher
Overview
This build represents the ultimate reckless approach in an Elden Ring Strength build.
Equipping the largest weapon you can find along with the heaviest armor available, you can jump attack your foes into the abyss.
Few Strength builds in *Elden Ring* can rival your massive damage with each swing.
If you’re ready to charge in and slam with wild abandon, this build is for you.
Weapons and Talismans
Your Strength build shines with the Giant Crusher.
This formidable weapon can be obtained in the Altus Plateau and requires an impressive 60 Strength.
Ideally, you should have two—one for each hand—but one will work if you can’t find a second.
To unleash the full potential of the Giant Crusher, upgrade it to a Heavy Giant Crusher and apply the Royal Knights Resolve Ash of War.
This enhancement will double your next attack’s damage, which is incredible given the weapon’s inherent power.
If you have two, place Royal Knights Resolve on both weapons for even more devastation.
Due to the speed and damage potential of Jump Attacks, equipping the Claw Talisman will enhance your power.
To further increase your attack power, consider the Commander’s Standard as a secondary weapon to activate the Rallying Standard Skill for a significant damage boost.
As for other talismans, select according to your preference, but here are some strong candidates:
- The Green Turtle Talisman for improved Stamina regeneration
- The Axe Talisman enhances your charge attacks
- The Great Jar’s Arsenal increases your Equip Load
Armor
Opt for the heaviest armor you can while still maintaining the ability to Medium Roll.
Consider sets like Veterans, Banished Knights, or Bull-Goats.
Alternatively, you can push your Equip Load into the Heavy category for a slower roll while using the 
Winged Crystal Tear mixed into your Flask of Wondrous Physick for 3 minutes of Light Rolling regardless of your Equip Load.
Flask Of Wondrous Physick
The Winged Crystal Tear is an excellent choice for your flask, but you might also want these options:
Strength-knot Crystal Tear increases your Strength by +10, significantly boosting your damage.- The Spiked Crystal Tear amplifies your Charge Attacks, complementing an Axe Talisman.
- The Leaden Crystal Tear allows for perfect Poise for ten seconds, making it useful in certain situations.
Strength Build – Lion’s Claw
Overview
This *Elden Ring* Strength build is a variation of the Unga-Bunga style but doesn’t rely on the same gimmicks as others. This build focuses on Poising through attacks while delivering overwhelmingly powerful one-hit swings using the Lion’s Claw Weapon Art.
Weapons and Talismans
The Greatsword can be obtained by following the main road through Caelid and checking near an overturned carriage.
The Ash of War is also located nearby at Fort Gael in southeast Caelid.
As always, upgrade the Greatsword to a Heavy Greatsword to maximize its Strength scaling.
With the Lion’s Claw, you’ll deal incredible damage easily once the build is complete. Don’t forget to equip the Commander’s Standard for that additional damage boost.
The advantages of Lion’s Claw are plenty, with its most prominent feature being its high damage output.
Notably, this Ash of War boasts remarkable Poise, allowing you to power through most attacks within *Elden Ring*.
We’ve never been interrupted while using this attack, even against many different foes.
In short, when you use this attack, it’s guaranteed to hit.
As for Talismans, go for anything that enhances your Stamina and Stamina Regeneration.
The Lion’s Claw demands significant Stamina, so being able to escape after using it can prevent follow-up damage.
Additionally, the Shard of Alexander can further amplify Lion’s Claw’s effectiveness.
You may be tempted to use the Claw Talisman since Lion’s Claw appears to be a Jump Attack.
However, testing shows that Lion’s Claw does not qualify as a Jump Attack, making the Axe Talisman a better choice instead.
Armor
Similar to before, opt for the most robust and heavy armor available.
If rolling is important to you, aim for a Medium Roll.
If not, equip the Bull-Goats or Banished Knights armor for maximum defense and poise.
Flask Of Wondrous Physick
Opt for the Winged Crystal Tear for a Light Roll while wearing heavy armor.
However, if you seek more damage, combining the Strength-knot Crystal Tear with the Flame-Shrouding Cracked Tear will be your best option.
Incantations
The essential incantation for this build is Flame, Grant Me Strength.
This incantation acts as a biphasic buff that enhances both Physical Damage and Fire Damage.
Since you employ both damage types, this results in a significant boost.
This increase is crucial and forms the foundation of this build.
You might also contemplate using Golden Vow for further stat enhancements, but it can easily be swapped out for the Commander’s Standard instead.
