So you wanna smash things with giant hammers while blasting holy lightning? That's exactly why strength faith builds in Elden Ring feel so damn satisfying. I remember my first playthrough struggling with a pure dex build against Radagon - swapped to strength faith and suddenly that golden discus throw felt like cheating. This combo isn't just viable, it's arguably the most versatile playstyle in the game if you set it up right.
Why trust me? I've sunk over 700 hours across multiple NG+ cycles testing every possible strength faith permutation. Got stuck on Malenia for three days straight using the wrong seal - learned some brutal lessons about scaling mechanics. This guide fixes all the mistakes I made so you don't brick your character.
Why Strength Faith Builds Work So Well Together
Let's cut through the hype. Strength builds alone hit hard but struggle against flying enemies. Pure faith? Awesome ranged options but you're paper-thin in melee. Combine them and magic happens:
Where This Build Shines
- Bonk Factor: 60+ strength means staggering bosses in 3 hits (looking at you, Magma Wyrm)
- Buff Stacking: Golden Vow + Flame Grant Me Strength = 80% more damage
- Versatility: Switch between pancaking knights and sniping dragons
- Early Power Spikes: Grab the Clawmark Seal in Caelid within 2 hours
Where It Falls Short
- Stat Hungry: Need vigor, endurance, strength AND faith
- FP Management: You'll chug cerulean tears more than expected
- Dodge Rolling: Fat rolling happens fast with colossal weapons
- Holy Resistance: Late-game bosses laugh at your sacred damage
The real magic sauce? The Clawmark Seal. Found in Beastial Sanctum (just sprint past the gargoyle), this beauty scales incantations with BOTH strength and faith. My catch flame went from tickling Godrick to melting him after upgrading it.
Essential Gear Breakdown
Weapons That Will Carry Your Playthrough
Forget meta-slaving. These weapons actually feel good to use while destroying content:
| Weapon | Location | Why It Rocks | Infusion | Stat Req |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blasphemous Blade | Rykard remembrance | Life steal weapon art trivializes mobs | Fire (default) | 22 STR / 15 DEX / 21 FTH |
| Magma Wyrm Scalesword | Mt. Gelmir magma wyrm | Lava wave clears groups instantly | Fire (default) | 24 STR / 18 DEX / 20 FTH |
| Golden Halberd | Tree Sentinel (starter area) | Best early-game holy damage | Holy (default) | 30 STR / 14 DEX / 12 FTH |
| Gargoyle's Blackblade | Black Blade Kindred | Projectile weapon art for hit-and-run | Holy (default) | 22 STR / 18 DEX / 27 FTH |
Personal take? The Blasphemous Blade ruined other weapons for me. That health regen after every kill means you barely touch crimson flasks in dungeons. Downside? Makes you lazy at dodging.
Must-Have Incantations for Every Situation
Faith without spells is like cereal without milk. Prioritize these:
- Lightning Spear: Your bread-and-butter ranged option (buy from Liurnia monk)
- Bestial Sling: Instant cast for staggering dogs & invaders (Gurranq quest)
- Black Flame Melts high-HP bosses (Stormveil chapel)
- Flame Grant Me Strength: +20% physical/fire damage (Caelid ruins)
- Golden Vow: Better defense than armor (Mountaintops)
Pro tip: Always keep catch flame equipped. Casts faster than most weapons swing and costs peanuts. Saved me against Malenia's waterfowl more times than I can count.
Stat Distribution - Where to Put Points
Here's where most strength faith builds go wrong. Pumping strength to 80 while faith sits at 25? You're leaving 40% damage on the table. Ideal level 150 spread:
Endgame Stat Targets (Level 150)
- Vigor: 55-60 (Less than 50 gets you one-shot in late game)
- Mind: 20-25 (Enough for 5 lightning spears)
- Endurance: 30+ (Wear Bull-Goat set without fat roll)
- Strength: 54 (Two-handing hits 80 soft cap)
- Faith: 39-44 (Sweet spot for clawmark scaling)
- Dex: Minimal (Only meet weapon requirements)
Why strength at 54? When two-handing, you get a 50% strength bonus - effectively 81 strength. Going higher gives maybe 3% more damage - not worth 20 levels. Use those points for vigor instead.
Progression Roadmap - What to Do When
Early Game (Levels 1-40)
Grabbing the essentials:
- Start as Prophet (best starting seal)
- Immediately run to Caelid for Clawmark Seal
- Kill Tree Sentinel for Golden Halberd - trivializes Limgrave
- Collect Flame Grant Me Strength in Fort Gael
- Target stats: 30 vigor, 20 strength, 18 faith
"Don't sleep on the Winged Scythe if halberds feel slow. Found in Tombsward Ruins, its weapon art blocks flask healing - destroys early invaders."
Mid Game (Levels 40-90)
Power spike phase:
- Farm runes at Mohgwyn Palace ledge (550k/hr)
- Upgrade seal to +15 using mine bell bearings
- Collect Golden Vow in Mountaintops
- Kill Magma Wyrm for Scalesword near Ruin-Strewn Precipice
- Target stats: 40 vigor, 30 strength, 25 faith, 25 endurance
Late Game (Level 90-150)
Become unstoppable:
- Respec at Rennala to optimize stats
- Kill Rykard for Blasphemous Blade
- Farm Erdtree Avatar in Elphael for +2 holy tear
- Collect Ancient Dragon Lightning Strike at Farum Azula
- Target stats: 60 vigor, 54 strength, 40 faith
Talismans That Actually Matter
Stop wasting slots on +5% damage boosts. These four will carry you:
| Talisman | Effect | Location | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great-Jar's Arsenal | +19% equip load | Caelid coliseum challenge | Essential for heavy armor |
| Shard of Alexander | +15% weapon art damage | Complete Alexander quest | Non-negotiable for Blasphemous Blade users |
| Faithful's Canvas | +8% incant damage | Hidden in Sellia tunnel | Better than Flock's for hybrid builds |
| Bull-Goat | +33% poise | Dropped by Patches | Prevents stagger during incant casts |
I tested Flock's Canvas vs Faithful's with 40 faith - difference was 3% damage. Not worth sacrificing a slot unless pure caster.
Critical Mistakes to Avoid
Learn from my painful errors:
- Ignoring Holy Resistance: Against Elden Beast? Swap to fire or physical. Holy damage does negative damage late game
- Fat Rolling: Equip load >70% kills mobility. Use Arsenal Charm until you get Great-Jar's
- Buff Overlap: Flame Grant Me Strength doesn't stack with Golden Vow? Actually it does - they're multiplicative
- Wasting Stones: Save ancient stones for Blasphemous Blade or seal. Upgrading wrong weapons hurts
Biggest noob trap? Using Godslayer Seal for strength faith builds. That thing only scales with faith - your strength does nothing. Stick with Clawmark until 60+ faith.
Endgame Boss Matchups Made Easy
Malenia
Forget rivers of blood cheese. Two-hand Blasphemous Blade and bait her thrust. When she approaches, weapon art knocks her down. Phase two? Spam pest threads at close range - melts her faster than bleed builds.
Elden Beast
Holy resistance ruins sacred weapons here. Swap to heavy-infused Greatsword with Black Flame Tornado ash. Buff with Flame Grant Me Strength and watch health bars vanish.
Radagon
Golden Halberd with sacred affinity actually works here. Time lightning spears when he's charging hammer slams. Keep golden vow active to tank his AoEs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is strength faith viable in PvP?
Surprisingly yes - but different from PvE. Swap to Beast Claw and catch flame for roll catching. Giantsflame Take Thee one-shots mages if free-aimed. Avoid colossal weapons unless you master crouch-poke tech.
Should I dual-wield strength faith weapons?
Only with powerstanced magma blades. Jump attack melts bosses but farming them takes 3+ hours of temple runs. Not worth it unless you love pain.
What's better - sacred or flame art infusion?
Depends on the boss. Flame art generally better since fewer resist it. But against fire giants? Go sacred. Carry multiple weapons and swap situationally.
How much mind do I really need?
At 20 mind you get 120 FP - enough for 6 lightning spears. More comfortable at 25 mind but vigor is priority. Use cerulean tears for longer fights.
Personal Closing Thoughts
After testing every build imaginable, strength faith feels like the Swiss Army knife of Elden Ring. That moment when you stagger Malenia with Giant's Hunt ash then finish her with ancient dragon lightning? Pure dopamine. Sure, bleed builds might kill faster, but where's the style in that?
Final tip: Don't stress about optimization. My first successful Elden Ring strength faith build had 15 wasted points in arcane and still crushed NG+. Experiment with weapons you think look cool. After all, fashion souls always wins.
Still struggling with a specific boss? Hit me up in comments - I've probably died to them 50 times already.
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