The Flail is a weapon type in Elden Ring that attacks enemies with single strikes. The biggest asset of this weapon type is its ability to inflict hemorrhage damage, making it a great weapon for blood loss builds. This weapon generally excels well in pure melee builds.
This guide’ll look at the best Flail build in Elden Ring. We’ll cover everything from the best starting class and stats down to the most appropriate Talisman, shields, Ashes of War, and more.
Elden Ring Flail Build Overview
- Class: Vagabond
- Flask Spread: HP Only
- Stats: Strength and Dexterity (primary) Endurance and Vigor (secondary)
- Weapons: Chainlink Flail and Nightrider Flail
- Shield: Inverted Hawk Heater Shield
- Ash of War: Wild Strikes
- Spirit Summons: Lone Wolf/Mimic Tear
- Armor: Crucible Axe Set
- Flask of Wondrous Physick: Thorny Cracked Tear and Strength-Knot Crystal Tear
- Talisman: Green Turtle Talisman, Radagon’s Sorseal, Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman, and Erdtree’s Favor
Best Stats Choices
Flail Build Stats Level 60
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Faith | 10 |
| Mind | 10 |
| Dexterity | 26 |
| Strength | 24 |
| Endurance | 23 |
| Vigor | 28 |
| Intelligence | 10 |
| Arcane | 8 |
Flail Build Stats Level 100
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Faith | 10 |
| Mind | 12 |
| Dexterity | 33 |
| Strength | 36 |
| Endurance | 32 |
| Vigor | 36 |
| Intelligence | 11 |
| Arcane | 9 |
Flail Build Stats Level 150
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Faith | 10 |
| Mind | 12 |
| Dexterity | 47 |
| Strength | 49 |
| Endurance | 47 |
| Vigor | 44 |
| Intelligence | 11 |
| Arcane | 9 |
Best Weapons for Flail Build
Elden Ring features only a handful of flails, but the best ones are Chainlink Flail and Nightrider Flail. Both scale with Strength and Dexterity have the highest damage output in this weapon category. The biggest advantage of both these Flails is that they cause bloodloss buildup.
If you’ve inflicted enough damage, Bloodloss lets you quickly take off large chunks of an enemy’s health. The Nightrider Flail can be acquired after killing the Nights Cavalry boss in the Weeping Peninsula, while the Chainlink Flail can be acquired from killing Lesser Mad Pumpkin Heads in the Limgrave area.
Best Shield Picks
The Flail requires you to move fast, meaning only small to medium shields work best for this build. While you can use Greatshields, they will considerably hinder the effectiveness of this build. We recommend using the Inverted Hawk Heater Shield if you want to use a shield. It has a strength requirement of 10, scales primarily with strength, and can be found in the Siofra River area.
Best Ashes of War Picks
While you’re free to choose from several Ashes of War, for Flails, the best choice will always be Wild Strikes. Wild Strikes unleashes a flurry of quick attacks that instantly decimate your enemies. If all your shots connect, it also greatly aids in the build-up of both the Flails’ inherent Bloodloss capabilities.
Best Spirit Summons Picks
Any Spirit Summon works for the Flail build in Elden Ring, but given the strength and utility of the Mimic Tear, there isn’t a better option to pick than that. Mimic Tear summons a replica of your build that fights alongside you in a similar fashion.
The Mimic Tear can also be used to take some of the heat off you, giving you plenty of time to pop a flask in case you’re low on health or FP.
Best Armor for Elden Ring Flail Build
Crucible Knight Ordovis drop the Crucible Axe Set in Auriza Hero’s Grave. This well-rounded armor set provides ample protection without weighing you down too much.
| Stats | Crucible Axe Set |
|---|---|
| Damage Negation | |
| Physical | 33.8 |
| Physical (Strike) | 27.3 |
| Physical (Slash) | 33 |
| Physical (Pierce) | 31.1 |
| Magic | 25.6 |
| Fire | 24.2 |
| Lightning | 22.6 |
| Holy | 27.6 |
| Resistance | |
| Immunity | 120 |
| Robustness | 170 |
| Focus | 84 |
| Vitality | 84 |
| Poise | 71 |
Best Flask of Wondrous Physick Choice
The Flask of Wondrous Physick can give you the edge you need during combat. For the Flail build in Elden Ring, use these two Tears:
- Thorny Cracked Tear: This Tear increases the potency of your successive attacks. When paired with the Wild Strikes Ash of War, this increases your damage output considerably, and with the Bloodloss effects of Flails, even more so.
- Strength-Knot Crystal Tear: The Strength-Knot Crystal Tear temporarily boosts your strength stat. Since the Flail scales with strength, this slightly increases your damage output.
Best Talismans
Talismans allows you to buff your builds in several ways, there are a total of four Talisman slots that you can use. For the Flail Build, these are the best Talisman:
- Green Turtle Talisman: The Green Turtle Talisman raises the rate at which you can recover your stamina. Since the Wild Strikes Ash of War eats a significant portion of your stamina, this allows you to get back into the fight much quicker.
- Radagon’s Sorseal: This Talisman raises your Strength, Dexterity, Vigor, and Endurance, all these stats are important for this Flail build and help increase your overall effectiveness.
- Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman: The Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman reduces all incoming physical damage by +20%, this works especially well when you’re executing the Wild Strikes Ash of War as it prevents you from taking too much damage when you’re in the midst of the animation.
- Erdtree’s Favor: The last Talisman, Edtree’s Favor raises your maximum HP and equip load giving you a little more leeway when dual-wielding Flails or when equipping a shield.
