You can make some very effective builds with the Sword and Shield combo in Elden Ring. This guide will cover complete details about some defensive and offense-oriented builds with the sword and Shield in Elden Ring.
Elden Ring Sword and Shield Builds
If you’re the type of player who wants to go into beast mode and damage any opponent in your way, then the Sword and Shield build suits your playstyle the best, as it’s based upon attacks and defense with no spells added to the mix, just lethal strength, and attacks.
Beastman Sword and Shield Build
- Class: Vagabond or Samurai
- Flask Spread: Crimsonburst Crystal Tier.
- Weapon: Beastman’s Heavy Curved Sword +25
- Talisman: Claw Talisman, Dragoncrest Shield +2
- Shield: Dragonclaw Shield +10
- Armor: Radahn’s Set
- Skills: Shield Bash
- Stats: Strength and Endurance (Primary)
Bloodloss Sword and Shield Build
- Class: Any Class
- Flask Usage: HP
- Weapon: Long Sword
- Skills: Bloody Slash
- Shield: Golden Beast Crest Shield
- Armor: D, Hunter of the Dead Armor Set.
- Talisman: Claw Talisman, Erd Tree’s Favor, Great-Jar’s Arsenal.
- Stats: Strength and Endurance (Primary), Dexterity and Vigor (Secondary)
Best Class for Sword and Shield Builds
You can use either Vagabond or Samurai class as a starting point for Beastman Sword, and Shield build since they have decent Strength and Endurance stats (your primary stats for this build).
You can use any class with this build for Bloodloss Sword, and Shield build as long as you tweak it right and have an aggressive playstyle because you’ll be fighting up close to build up Bloodloss and inflict damage.
This Bloodloss Sword and Shield Build is suitable for players with an aggressive playstyle. Your primary weapon will have Bloodloss buildup, allowing you to deal serious damage as you counter with your Shield.
Best Stats for Sword and Shield Builds
The primary stats for Beastman Sword and Shield build are Strength and Endurance. As you know, you will be using Beastman’s Heavy greatsword, which scales primarily with strength.
So, you need to put more points into strength and endurance to roll properly with heavy equipment.
- Vigor: 25
- Mind: 25
- Endurance: 35
- Strength: 30
- Dexterity: 17
Strength and Endurance should be your primary stats for Bloodloss Sword, and Shield build, as you are using D Hunter of the Dead’s armor, which is quite heavy, and you will also be wielding a great shield with it.
- Vigor: 20
- Mind: 15
- Endurance: 35
- Strength: 30
- Dexterity: 25
Best Weapons for Sword and Shield Builds in Elden Ring
For Beastman Sword and Shield build, Beastman’s Heavy curved sword is very well-balanced. Using this sword, you’ll see your character perform heavy ground attacks along with 2 jump attacks mid-air.
Because this sword scales primarily with strength, the heavy affinity is just like a cherry on top. With the addition of a heavy affinity on the Beastman’s Heavy Curved Sword, expect nothing less than an A-Scaling strength.
The Long Sword proves to be an excellent choice for Bloodloss Sword and Shield build because once you level it up and use an ash of war that builds up Bloodloss, you’ll be removing chunks of health in a matter of seconds.
Best Armor for Sword and Shield Builds
The armor set you will be using for Beastman Sword and Shield build is Radahn’s Set. It will become a fantastic combination once you combine it with a shield.
You’ll be using the Dragonclaw Shield to absorb the opponent’s damage, providing extra protection when dealing with hard-hitting opponents.
Dragonclaw Shield favors you in multiple ways by providing you with a block for 100% Physical Damage, 52% Magic/Fire, 76% Lightning, and 47% Holy. You can now use the Shield Bash Skill to absorb the opponent’s attacks while attacking simultaneously to deal damage.
In Bloodloss Sword and Shield build, you are using D Hunter of the Dead’s armor, which is quite heavy, and you will also be wielding a great shield with it.
The Golden Beast Crest Shield is one of many greatshields in Elden Ring. Because of its weight, it will slow you down, but you can block every physical attack the opponent performs as this Shield has 100 Physical damage negation and use guard counters to sneak in a few cheeky hits.Best Talismans for Sword and Shield Builds in Elden Ring
Since there will be no spell usage in Beastman Sword and Shield build, and it is heavily reliant on close-range combat, the Claw Talisman will always come in handy.
The Claw Talisman will boost the jump attacks you perform with your sword. You can use it as a continuation of a combo to perform extra hits after dodging a boss.
The Dragoncrest Shield Talisman will also add to the damage negation by 10% to 15%, depending upon the type of the talisman.
To help with all the weight in Bloodloss Sword and Shield build, Great-Jar Arsenal and Erdtree’s Favour will enhance your overall equipment load, stamina, and Endurance.
Best Skills for Sword and Shield Builds
You can now use the Shield Bash Skill in Beatman Sword and Shield build to absorb the opponent’s attacks while attacking simultaneously to deal damage.
Despite being a heavy build, Bloodloss Sword and Shield build still offers you a fast-paced action. Using this build is quite simple. Before the battle, to get additional buffs and health regeneration, use the extra flask, i.e., Crimson-Burst Crystal Tear or Strength-Knot Crystal Tear.
As mentioned above, using an ash of war that builds up blood loss is key for this build, so we are going with the Bloody Slash ash of war. It deals a single blow that builds up blood loss and staggers the enemy.
