Best Intelligence Builds

The best Intelligence (INT) 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 Intelligence Build Class

Class Guides

Astrologer

Prisoner

Best Late Game Intelligence Builds

Level 150 Intelligence Builds

Total Stats
Strength	12	Mind	9	Endurance	20
Dexterity	23	Intelligence	80	Faith	14
Vigor	40	Arcane	9	-

For Weapon-Based Builds

Armor
Spellblade's Pointed Hat	Spellblade's Traveling Attire	Spellblade's Gloves	Spellblade's Trousers
Total Armor Weight	8.6	Poise	2
Note:	While the wording on the Spellblade's Set only says it boosts glintstone sorcery skills, this is incorrect. It will boost all Magic and Cold Ashes of War Skills.

Talismans
Shard of Alexander	Carian Filigreed Crest
Ritual Sword Talisman	Magic 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
Radahn Soldier Ashes	・For builds using Cold weapons, their fire-based attacks will remove the Frost buildup, allowing you to proc it again and again
Mimic Tear	・The Mimic Tear copies the player's equipment, spells, and consumables when summoned (except for Flasks)

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

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.

Weapon	Best Ash of War	Alt. Ash of War
Wing of Astel Weight: 2.5	Nebula	-
Wing of Astel Weight: 2.5	Nebula	-

Dual-Wield Curved Swords Playstyle: This Curved Sword has a B scaling in Intelligence has several special properties. It's charged R2 attack sends out waves of magic, which can catch other players due to the range.

The weapon skill, Nebula, is also very notable due to having two instances of damage - the initial cast and the explosion afterwards. These deal magic damage and can chunk an enemy's health if they are caught inside. This can be used against players in PvP attempting to get close.

Weapon	Best Ash of War	Alt. Ash of War
Dark Moon Greatsword Weight: 10	Moonlight Greatsword	-

Dark Moon Greatsword Playstyle: This Greatsword has a B scaling in Intelligence has several special properties. It's charged weapon skill sends out a wave of moonlight, which can be spammed as the initial cast that imbues the sword with Cold is the only part that consumes FP.

The weapon itself also has innate Frost buildup, which is made stronger by using Moonlight Greatsword. The skill also increases magic damage done by the sword and can be used in PvP to deal large amounts of damage, especially when paired with the Spellblade's Set.

For Caster Builds

Armor
Azur's Glintstone Crown	Azur's Glintstone Robe	Azur's Manchettes	-
Total Armor Weight	11.8	Poise	5

Talismans
Primal Glintstone Blade	Graven-Mass Talisman
Graven-School Talisman	Magic 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
Magic-Shrouding Cracked Tear	Cerulean Hidden Tear

Recommended Intelligence Weapons 4	Best Spell	Alt. Spell
Lusat's Glintstone Staff Weight: 4	Comet Azur	Rennala's Full Moon
Carian Regal Scepter Weight: 4	Spinning Weapon	-

Caster Playstyle: This staff has an S scaling in Intelligence and is used for caster builds. Paired with the Terra Magica spell, Comet Azur deals insane amounts of damage, capable of downing bosses in one or two casts. In PvP, this will most assuredly take out another player, but is easily dodgeable.

In order to gain more benefits, have another staff with passive effects in the offhand. In this example, we have Carian Regal Scepter to boost the damage done by Rennala's Full Moon.

PvPers will supplement their arsenal of spells with Carian Greatsword, Carian Phalanx, and Glintstone Cometshard due to Comet Azur being difficult to land. It's also notable that Rennala's Full Moon temporarily increases magic damage dealt to the target if it hits.

In PvE, Summons can be a distraction so that the full charged Comet Azur can be cast without being focused by the boss or enemies.

Recommended Intelligence Weapons 5	Best Spell	Alt. Spell
Lusat's Glintstone Staff Weight: 4	Adula's Moonblade	Glintstone Icecrag
Carian Regal Scepter Weight: 3	Spinning Weapon	-

Caster Playstyle: This build plays similarly to the previous build but is focused on Cold sorceries. Paired with the Terra Magica spell, Glintstone Icecrag can deal huge amounts of damage despite having poor range. Comet Azur is still fully usesable in this build as another offesive spell option.

Additional spells that can be used are Ranni's Dark Moon (boosted both by the Carian Regal Scepter and the Snow Witch Hat), Shard Spiral, and Stars of Ruin. Ranni's Dark Moon, Glintstone Icecrag, and Adula's Moonblade have frost builtup and can trigger Frostbite. It's also notable that Ranni's Dark Moon temporarily increases magic damage dealt to the target if it hits.

In PvE, Summons can be a distraction so that spells can be cast freely without being focused by the boss or enemies.

Best Late Game Intelligence Hybrid Builds

Level 150 Strength-Intelligence Build

Total Stats
Strength	55	Mind	9	Endurance	34
Dexterity	16	Intelligence	55	Faith	8
Vigor	60	Arcane	9	-

Armor
Blackflame Monk Hood	Blackflame Monk Armor	Blackflame Monk Gauntlets	Blackflame Monk Greaves
Total Armor Weight	27	Poise	39

Talismans
Greatshield Talisman	Old Lord's Talisman
Radagon Icon	Great-Jar's Arsenal

Talismans are flexible and based on player preference.

Recommended Spirit Ashes	Description
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
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	Intelligence-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 or Spell	Alt. Ash of War or Spell
Clayman's Harpoon Weight: 5.5	Glintstone Pebble	Impaling Thrust
Carian Regal Scepter Weight: 3	Scholar's Shield	Comet
Fingerprint Stone Shield Weight: 29	Shield Bash	No Skill

Spear and Shield Playstyle: The Clayman's Harpoon has a C scaling in both Strength and Intelligence if infused with Cold, Poison, or Blood. Paired with the Fingerprint Stone Shield, attacks can be done safely behind it due to its very high Guard Boost and defenses. This can further be reinforced by casting Scholar's Shield on the shield with a scepter.

If infused with Cold, the Clayman's Harpoon will receive frostbite build up, making it also a weapon that is capable of bursting. Using Glintstone Pebble is also a good source of poke against enemies and in PvP there are very few other weapons that will be able to penetrate through the Fingerprint Stone Shield.

Weapon	Best Ash of War or Spell	Alt. Ash of War or Spell
Fallingstar Beast Jaw Weight: 21.5	Gravity Bolt	-

Fallingstar Beast Jaw Playstyle: This weapon has a C scaling in Strength and a D scaling in Intelligence and is recommended to be wielded two-handed. While its attacks are slow, its weapon skill more than makes up for it in PvE and in certain cases in PvP.

Gravity Bolt will send a bolt crashing on an enemy, dealing both physical and magic damage, which takes scaling from both Strength and Intelligence. This makes this skill good for bosses in PvE, and also requires enemies to dodge well in PvP.

In Invasions, the weapon skill can be used to pick off enemy players that are further away.

Weapon	Best Ash of War or Spell	Alt. Ash of War or Spell
Starscourge Greatsword Weight: 20	Starcaller Cry	-

Starscourge Greatswords Playstyle: This weapon has a B scaling in Strength and a D scaling in Intelligence and is recommended to be wielded two-handed (which will result in dual-wielding two swords like how Radahn uses them).

Light and jumping R1 attacks are recommended to be used as opposed to charged or R2 attacks as only one sword will be used as opposed to two, making them deal less damage.

Its skill, Starcaller Cry, can be used to deal with groups of enemies both in PvE and PvP. The first instance of the skill will deal magic damage, while the follow-up slam will deal a mix of physical and magic damage.

Weapon	Best Ash of War or Spell	Alt. Ash of War or Spell
Royal Greatsword Weight: 20	Wolf's Assault	-

Royal Greatsword Playstyle: This weapon has a C scaling in both Strength and Intelligence and is recommended to be wielded two-handed.

Rolling R1 or crouch R1 is very useful in 1v1 duels in PvP because of its speed, while Wolf's Assault is good for keeping players separated and can potentially one-shot low Vigor players.

In PvE, the knockback and burst of Wolf's Assault can take out groups of enemies. The skill itself has frostbite buildup and several casts can trigger it quickly.

Weapon	Best Ash of War or Spell	Alt. Ash of War or Spell
Meteoric Ore Blade Weight: 7.5	Gravitas	-

Meteoric Ore Blade Playstyle: This weapon has a C scaling in both Strength and Intelligence and can be wielded two-handed, paired with a staff and some spells, or with a shield.

Gravitas not only deals damage but pull enemies in, which is useful for interrupting players in PvP and also for bringing in groups of enemies in PvE.

This weapon also has a different R2 than other Katanas, it has a powerful downward swing that can break stances and also roll-catch if an enemy player panic rolls out of Gravitas.

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
Radahn Soldier Ashes	・For builds using Cold weapons, their fire-based attacks will remove the Frost buildup, allowing you to proc it again and again
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.

Level 150 Intelligence-Faith Build

Total Stats
Strength	11	Mind	30	Endurance	24
Dexterity	10	Intelligence	55	Faith	55
Vigor	60	Arcane	9	-

Armor
Greathood	Noble's Traveling Garb	Noble's Trousers	Noble's Gloves
Total Armor Weight	17.4	Poise	6

Talismans
Shard of Alexander	Godfrey Icon
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
Magic-Shrouding Cracked Tear	Cerulean Hidden Tear
Note: Physick mixes are flexible and can be up to player discretion.

Weapon	Best Ash of War	Alt. Ash of War
Sword of Night and Flame Weight: 4	Night-and-Flame Stance	-

Sword of Night and Flame Playstyle: This weapon has a B scaling in Intelligence and Faith at max rank and can be wielded either two-handed or paired with a shield or staff. With staff like Prince of Death's Staff, a spell like Rancorcall or Ancient Death Rancor could be used to chip away at enemies from afar or stagger bosses before following up with either of the Sword of Night and Flame's weapon skill attacks.

Night and Flame Stance is an interesting skill because using a normal attack (R1) will fire a version of Comet Azur, while using R2 will use a sweeping fire attack. The Comet Azur attack scales off Intelligence, while the flames scale off Faith, so adjustments can be made to stats and Talismans depending on which attack will be used more.

In PvE the Comet Azur attack will be more useful, but the flame attack can be used in PvP to either roll catch a player or used as a long-range attack.

Weapon	Best Spell	Alt. Spell
Azur's Glintstone Staff Weight: 4	Comet Azur	Glintblade Phalanx
Prince of Death's Staff Weight: 4	Ancient Death Rancor	Rancorcall
Golden Order Seal Weight: 4	Law of Regression	Triple Rings of Light

Caster Playstyle: These weapons have an S scaling in Intelligence, an A in both Intelligence and Faith, and again an A in both respectively when at max rank. This build plays similarly to the above, but instead is a pure caster build as opposed to using a weapon.

Use Ancient Death Rancor, Rancorcall, or Triple Rings of Light to poke enemies from a distance or stagger bosses, then follow up with a Comet Azur to deal large amounts of damage.

In PvP, Law of Regression will remove any buffs on both players while Glintblade Phalanx can help in long range poke. Comet Azur, unfortunately can be easily dodged in PvP, so other spells like Ancient Dragons' Lightning Spear, Lightning Spear, or Glintstone Pebble can supplement the damage needed or to change up the build.

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)