Best Dexterity Builds

The best Dexterity (DEX) Builds for Elden Ring. From early game to late game, we've got some great builds to cut your way through the Lands Between.

Best Dexterity Build Class

Class Guides

Warrior

Samurai

Best Late Game Dexterity Builds

Level 150 Dexterity Build

Base Stats
Strength	20	Mind	9	Endurance	30
Dexterity	80	Intelligence	14	Faith	15
Vigor	40	Arcane	30	-

Armor
Okina Mask	White Reed Armor	White Reed Gauntlets	White Reed Greaves
Total Armor Weight	19.8	Poise	16

Talismans
Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman	Ritual Sword Talisman
Rotten Winged Sword Insignia	Millicent's Prosthesis

Talismans are flexible and based on player preference.

Recommended Spirit Ashes	Description
Greatshield Soldier Ashes	・Can tank physical attacks very well and will throw Ghostflame pots from a distance
Ancient Dragon Knight Kristoff	・What Kristoff lacks in damage, he makes up for with insane tankiness as well as being able to hurl lightning from range
Mimic Tear	・The Mimic Tear copies the player's equipment, spells, and consumables when summoned (except for Flasks)

Physick
Dexterity-Knot Crystal Tear	Greenspill Crystal Tear
Note: Physick mixes are flexible and can be up to player discretion.

Weapon	Best Ash of War	Alt. Ash of War
Hand of Malenia Weight: 7	Waterfowl Dance	-

Hand of Malenia Playstyle: Using this weapon favors two-handing Hand of Malenia and taking advantage of its B scaling in Dex at max rank. Its skill, Waterfowl Dance, has 3 flurries of attacks that can be canceled in between attacks and is also capable of changing direction.

If you would like to cast Waterfowl Dance without interruption, we recommend using heavy armor to boost Poise, though points in Endurance will be needed to prevent fat rolling. However, this skill can be parried, so using it in PvP will require good timing.

Weapon	Best Ash of War	Alt. Ash of War
Guardian's Swordspear Weight: 9	Phantom Slash	Bloodhound's Step

Guardian's Swordspear Playstyle: Using this weapon favors two-handing Guardian's Swordspear and imbuing it with the Keen affinity to bump its Dexterity scaling to an A.

The long reach gives this an advantage in PvP and its normal attacks consist of sweeping movements, which is different from the moveset of other Spears.

Ashes of War are pretty flexible for this weapon, though Phantom Slash will do large amounts of damage if both the phantom and the player's attacks connect, which can catch other players off guard in PvP.

Weapon	Best Ash of War	Alt. Ash of War
Nagakiba Weight: 7	Bloodhound's Step	Seppuku
Nagakiba Weight: 7	Bloodhound's Step	Seppuku

Dual-Wield Katanas Playstyle: Using this weapon favors dual-wielding two Nagakiba and imbuing it with the Keen affinity to bump its Dexterity scaling to an A.

The long reach is an advantage and using Bloodhound's Step and then L1 will do a sweeping attack that is very good in roll-catching players in PvP. This attack can also be executed after rolling.

Weapon	Best Ash of War	Alt. Ash of War
Scythe Weight: 7.5	Bloodhound's Step	Sword Dance

Scythe Playstyle: This Reaper has an A scaling in Dexterity if infused with the Keen affinity. Another option is to infuse this with the Cold affinity and paired it with the Sword Dance Ash of War to close the gap and trigger Frosbite on enemies.

This weapon also ignores a certain percentage of damage from blocking, enabling it to bypass negation brought on by shields.

Weapon	Best Ash of War	Alt. Ash of War
Urumi Weight: 3	Bloodhound's Step	Hoarfrost Stomp
Urumi Weight: 3	Bloodhound's Step	Hoarfrost Stomp

Dual-Wield Whips Playstyle: This whip has an S scaling in Dexterity if infused with the Keen affinity and is the only whip to hit this scaling. Another option is to infuse one or both of these whips with the Cold affinity in order to trigger Frostbite to devastating effect.

Using L1 will enable combo attacks using both whips while jumping L1 or R1 attacks will stagger weaker enemies and playrs in PvP, which will stunlock if successive attacks are timed correctly.

The Urumi also has a surprise charged attack which is a slash and then a thrust, a move that can catch players off guard in PvP.

Best Late Game Dexterity Hybrid Builds

Level 150 Quality Build (Strength + Dexterity)

Total Stats
Strength	55	Mind	9	Endurance	34
Dexterity	55	Intelligence	9	Faith	14
Vigor	60	Arcane	9	-

Armor
Fingerprint Helm	Fingerprint Armor	Fingerprint Gauntlets	Fingerprint Greaves
Total Armor Weight	25.3	Poise	40

Talismans
Carian Filigreed Crest	Radagon's Soreseal
Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman	Green Turtle Talisman

Talismans are flexible and based on player preference.

Recommended Spirit Ashes	Description
Greatshield Soldier Ashes	・Can tank physical attacks very well and will throw Ghostflame pots from a distance
Black Knife Tiche	・Very agile and aggressive, Tiche's attacks reduces the maximum HP of enemies and bosses
Mimic Tear	・The Mimic Tear copies the player's equipment, spells, and consumables when summoned (except for Flasks)

Physick
Strength-Knot Crystal Tear	Dexterity-Knot Crystal Tear
Note: Physick mixes are flexible and can be up to player discretion.

Recommended Weapons & Ash of War

Weapon	Best Ash of War	Alt. Ash of War
Bloodhound's Fang Weight: 11.5	Bloodhound's Finesse	-

Bloodhound's Fang Playstyle: This weapon has a C scaling Strength and a B Dexterity at max rank and can be wielded either one-handed or two-handed. It's skill, Bloodhound's Finesse, can be used as a dodge and gap closer, with invisibility before the gap closer. This can throw off some players in PvP due to the invisibility.

If used with a shield with No Skill, then Bloodhound's Finesse can be cast normally while still keeping defenses up.

Weapon	Best Ash of War	Alt. Ash of War
Zamor Curved Sword Weight: 9	Zamor Ice Storm	-

Zamor Curved Sword Playstyle: This weapon has a C scaling Strength and a B Dexterity at max rank and can be wielded either one-handed or two-handed. It's skill, Zamor Ice Storm, deals high Poise damage and be used to stagger enemies. In PvP, this can be used to interrupt players using Bloodhound's Step, making them unable to get away or gap close.

It also has frost build up, so pairing this with another weapon with blood loss is an effective combo to burst enemies.

Weapon	Best Ash of War	Alt. Ash of War
Claymore Weight: 9	Bloodhound's Step	Seppuku

Claymore Playstyle: This weapon has B scaling in both Strength and Dexterity at max rank if infused with the Quality attribute. The Ashes of War for this weapon is very flexible, with Bloodhound's Step good for mobility or Seppuku for more burst damage.

Weapon	Best Ash of War	Alt. Ash of War
Twinned Knight Swords Weight: 8	Seppuku	Bloodhound's Step
Twined Knight Swords Weight: 8	Seppuku	Bloodhound's Step

Dual-Wield Twinblades Playstyle: These weapons have B scaling in both Strength and Dexterity at max rank if infused with the Quality attribute. If powerstanced with L1s and buffed with Seppuku, there's a lot of opportunity for multiple hits to proc Hemorrhage.

Weapon	Best Ash of War	Alt. Ash of War
Ghiza's Wheel Weight: 19	Spinning Wheel	-

Ghiza's Wheel Playstyle: This weapon has a C scaling in both Strength and Dexterity at max rank and has blood loss buildup. If equipped with armor with high Poise, its skill can be left casting without being interrupted.

In PvP, a charged attack or the skill can deal lots of damage or one-shot low vigor enemies.

Level 150 Dexterity-Intelligence Build

Total Stats
Strength	11	Mind	30	Endurance	24
Dexterity	55	Intelligence	55	Faith	9
Vigor	60	Arcane	9	-

Armor
Okina Mask	Raptor's Black Feathers	Bandit Manchettes	Bandit Boots
Total Armor Weight	17	Poise	9

Talismans
Carian Filigreed Crest	Radagon's Soreseal
Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman	Green Turtle Talisman

Talismans are flexible and based on player preference.

Recommended Spirit Ashes	Description
Greatshield Soldier Ashes	・Can tank physical attacks very well and will throw Ghostflame pots from a distance
Ancient Dragon Knight Kristoff	・What Kristoff lacks in damage, he makes up for with insane tankiness as well as being able to hurl lightning from range
Mimic Tear	・The Mimic Tear copies the player's equipment, spells, and consumables when summoned (except for Flasks)

Physick
Strength-Knot Crystal Tear	Greenspill Crystal Tear
Note: Physick mixes are flexible and can be up to player discretion.

Weapon	Best Ash of War or Spell	Alt. Ash of War or Spell
Death's Poker Weight: 8.5	Ghostflame Ignition	-

Death's Poker Playstyle: This weapon has a C scaling in Dexterity and a D scaling in Intelligence. While its normal attacks aren't anything special aside from inflicting frost buildup, what sets it apart is its weapon skill

Ghostflame Ignition has damage in 2 stages, the initial cast, which can catch players in PvP off guard, and the secondary trigger which is set off by either R1 or R2.

Triggering the ghostflame with R1 will send out a line AoE that can roll catch players in PvP because its direction can be changed simply by facing another way. Triggering it with R2 will result in an AoE explosion which can also roll catch other players who attempt to dodge the first instance of the cast.

Weapon	Best Ash of War	Alt. Ash of War
Scavenger's Curved Sword Weight: 3.5	Bloodhound's Step	Seppuku
Scavenger's Curved Sword Weight: 3.5	Bloodhound's Step	Hoarfrost Stomp

Dual-Wield Curved Swords Playstyle: Both these swords have a C scaling in Dexterity and a B scaling in Intelligence if infused with the Cold affinity. With Cold, not only will the swords deal blood loss buildup, but frost buildup as well, enabling large amounts of burst when both status effects trigger.

Powerstancing both swords and using jumping attacks will deal more damage and also help trigger both Hemorrhage and Frostbite faster. This will burst down enemies in PvP or outright one-shot them if they have low Vigor.

Weapon	Best Ash of War	Alt. Ash of War
Lance Weight: 9	Glintstone Pebble	Hoarfrost Stomp

Lance Playstyle: Using this weapon favors two-handing it and it has a C scaling in Dexterity and a B scaling in Intelligence when infused with the Cold attribute. A shield can also be used in the offhand to have protection while attacking, though heavier shields will require more points in Endurance.

Infusing the weapon with Cold gives 127 frost buildup and triggering Frostbite will open enemies up for increased damage through Spells or Ashes of War like Glintstone Pebble.

Weapon	Best Ash of War	Alt. Ash of War
Vulgar Militia's Shotel Weight: 8	Ice Spear	Glintstone Pebble

Vulgar Militia's Shotel Playstyle: This weapon has a B scaling in Dexterity and a C scaling in Intelligence when infused with the Cold attribute and can be wielded either two-handed or one-handed.

Paired with a damaging spell like Ice Spear and the weapon's innate ability to bypass a certain percentage of shield blocks makes this a very powerful combination against turtles in PvP. In PvE, this is still effective against enemies weak to Frostbite, but becomes mediocre against those that are immune.

Spells like Ice Spear, Glintstone Pebble, or Glintblade Phalanx can supplement this build's arsenal and a staff can be used in the offhand.

Weapon	Best Ash of War	Alt. Ash of War
Nagakiba Weight: 7	Double Slash	Hoarfrost Stomp
Nagakiba Weight: 7	Bloodhound's Step	Double Slash

Dual-Wield Katanas Playstyle: These weapons have a B scaling in Dexterity and a C scaling in Intelligence if infused with the Cold affinity. By dual-wielding and powerstancing these weapons with L1, Frostbitecan be triggered quickly and then Hemorrhage right after.

The running R2 of these weapons make it effective as roll-catch tools in PvP due to its range and using Double Slash as the Ash of War mimics the effects of Rivers of Blood's Corpse Piler.

Weapon	Best Ash of War	Alt. Ash of War
Moonveil Weight: 6.5	Transient Moonlight	-

Moonveil Playstyle: Using this weapon favors two-handing Moonveil and taking advantage of its B scaling in Intelligence at max rank. Its skill, Transient Moonlight, sends out a wave of magic at an enemy, making this effective for attacking enemies at range. This makes it a popular weapon in PvP.

If you would like to cast Moonveil without interruption, we recommend using heavy armor to boost Poise, though points in Endurance will be needed to prevent fat rolling. However, this skill can be parried using Carian Retaliation, so using it in PvP will require good timing.

Level 150 Dexterity-Faith Build

Base Stats
Strength	11	Mind	30	Endurance	24
Dexterity	55	Intelligence	9	Faith	55
Vigor	60	Mind	12	Arcane	9

Armor
Carian Knight Helm	Carian Knight Armor	Carian Knight Gauntlets	Carian Knight Greaves
Total Armor Weight	25.1	Poise	26

Talismans
Shard of Alexander	Marika's Soreseal
Carian Filigreed Crest	Sacred Scorpion Charm

Talismans are flexible and based on player preference.

Recommended Spirit Ashes	Description
Greatshield Soldier Ashes	・Can tank physical attacks very well and will throw Ghostflame pots from a distance
Ancient Dragon Knight Kristoff	・What Kristoff lacks in damage, he makes up for with insane tankiness as well as being able to hurl lightning from range
Mimic Tear	・The Mimic Tear copies the player's equipment, spells, and consumables when summoned (except for Flasks)

Physick
Faith-Knot Crystal Tear	Holy-Shrouding Cracked Tear
Note: Physick mixes are flexible and can be up to player discretion.

Weapon	Best Ash of War	Alt. Ash of War
Sacred Relic Sword Weight: 11	Wave of Gold	-

Sacred Relic Sword Playstyle: This weapon has a B scaling in Dexterity and a C scaling in Faith and can be wielded either two-handed or with another weapon in the offhand.

Wave of Gold is one of the best farming skills in the game due to its range, width, and also full Faith scaling. One such area would be where there are several Albinaurics near the Palace Approach Ledge-Road Site of Grace at Mohgwyn Dynasty Mausoleum. Equipping the Ancestral Spirit's Horn will gain back the FP spent to cast the skill if its used to farm large groups of enemies.

In PvP, the width and range of Wave of Gold may catch players off guard and will result in them taking a lot of damage. The FP cost is higyh but can be made cheaper with a Talisman like Carian Filigreed Crest and investing several points in Mind.

Weapon	Best Ash of War	Alt. Ash of War
Godslayer Greatsword Weight: 17.5	The Queen's Black Flame	-

Godslayer Greatsword Playstyle: This weapon has a B scaling in Dexterity and a C scaling in Faith. It's recommended to wield this weapon two-handed and has quick light attacks for a Colossal Sword.

Its skill, The Queen's Black Flame, is very useful in reducing the health of bosses which makes taking them down easier. While it is a bit slow, one hit in PvP can take out a large amount of health and its wind up swing also deals damage and causes HP reduction.

Weapon	Best Ash of War	Alt. Ash of War
Halo Scythe Weight: 8.5	Miquella's Ring of Light	-
Halo Scythe Weight: 8.5	Miquella's Ring of Light	-

Dual-Wield Scythes Playstyle: These weapons have a C scaling in Dexterity and a D scaling in Faith. Wielding two means that they can be powerstanced with L1 and make triggering Hemorrhage faster.

Miquella's Ring of Light scales off of Faith and can be spammed as long as FP and Stamina allow, making this tricky to dodge in PvP and can also be used to poke enemies at a distance in PvE. It's also useful against enemies using shields in both PvP and PvE due to the weapon's innate ability to ignore a certain percentage of a shield's block.

Weapon	Best Ash of War	Alt. Ash of War
Winged Scythe Weight: 7.5	Angel's Wings	-
Winged Scythe Weight: 7.5	Angel's Wings	-

Dual-Wield Scythes Playstyle: These weapons have a C scaling in both Dexterity and Faith. Wielding two means that they can be powerstanced with L1 and make triggering Hemorrhage easier.

While not useful in PvE, Angel's Wings has a niche in PvP in that enemies hit by it cannot temporarily heal using Flasks of Crimson Tears (but can heal using the Flask of Wondrous Physick). This can make Invaders level the playing field a little more against the Host and their friends if they are hit by this skill.

Weapon	Best Ash of War	Alt. Ash of War
Beastclaw Greathammer Weight: 9	Regal Beastclaw	-

Beastclaw Great Hammer Playstyle: This weapon has a C scaling in Dexterity and a D scaling in Faith. It's recommended to wield it two-handed and to use R1 attacks for faster swings.

It's skill is powerful both in PvP and PvE as it can stagger enemies and even some bosses. In PvP, its range can fool some players and can deal large amounts of damage if they are hit. The slam also has its own instance of damage, so it can one-shot players if they are hit by both the slam and the ensuing AoE.

Elden Ring Related Guides

Best Builds: PvE & PvP

Best Builds By Stat

Builds by Stats
Strength	Dexterity
Intelligence	Arcane
Faith

Best PvP Builds

Best PvP Builds (Ver 1.04)