Whips are hard weapons to use in Elden Ring, and most require a specific build to make do. But if you find a build that functions, Whips provide huge range, good status application, and surprising damage. Let’s get snapping.
There are a total of six Whips in Elden Ring, four of which can be infused with any given Ash of War. The two that are special, the Magma Whip Candlestick and Giant’s Red Braid, are Faith weapons. This means a Whip build has two realistic directions—a Faith build or an Arcane and Status build. We think the former is more suited for in-game content, such as fighting the Elden Beast, so we’ll focus on that for this guide.
Best stats for a Whip build in Elden Ring
These stats are calculated for a level 120 Elden Ring character. We’re going to start as a Prophet since their stats are the closest to what we want baseline.
- Vigor: 40
- Mind: 14
- Endurance: 17
- Strength: 11
- Dexterity: 60
- Intelligence: Seven
- Faith: 40
- Arcane: 10
Our stats largely serve our build’s main weapon, the Magma Whip Candlestick. This weapon deals a surprising amount of Fire damage and has good scaling in Dexterity and Faith. Vigor is the next stat to prioritize since getting used to a Whip’s moveset involves plenty of getting punched in the face. If you want to use the Giant’s Red Braid instead, check out our Strength/Faith guide and replace the main weapon.
This setup can work with other Whips if you invest in modifiers like Sacred or Flame. However, no other Whip does quite as much damage in the late game as the Magma Whip.
Against specific enemies, having other Whip types can be very fortuitous. Fire damage is a pretty highly resisted element—especially in the Mountaintop of the Giants and the Fire Giant boss.
Best weapons for a Whip build in Elden Ring
The Magma Whip Candlestick is the main weapon of choice for our build. This Whip has B scaling in Dexterity and C scaling in Faith, which is solid for a Whip. It comes with the unique Weapon Skill Sea of Magma, which gives you fantastic area control and stagger pressure.
Your alternative options are the other whips. Of them, Keen Urumi and Flame Thorned Whip can be very handy. Urumi is a weapon that can get S scaling in Dexterity, which is rare among Whips. A Thorned Whip with Flame Scaling can benefit from our setup of Talismans and also threaten Bleed. We recommend staying far away from normal Whips unless you want to do a pseudo-challenge run. Those are okay weapons but significantly weaker than every other Whip in the game.
We have enough faith to use a Seal, and I recommend the Giant’s Seal. This buffs fire Incantations, which we plan on using later.
Best armor for a Whip build in Elden Ring
While our Whip build doesn’t have the worst Endurance in the world, we still recommend lighter armor for Whip users. This leaves you more mobile for the aftermath of a Whip attack, capable of using as many invincibility frames as possible to avoid a punish window.
The only thing to consider adding is the Long-Tongued Imp head from the Subterranean Shunning Grounds. This improves your Dexterity by a handful, which is your highest scaling stat. You can also consider getting a Great Turtle Shell for stamina regeneration. Otherwise, check your character’s weight and just make sure you’re not slow rolling.
You can also use helms that boost Faith, like the Haligtree Knight Helm, to help you improve your fire damage.
Best sorceries and incantations for a Whip build in Elden Ring
Our chosen Whip build makes great use of fire damage. As a result, if we want to synergize a bit, we can use Giant and Fire Monk Incantations to deal Fire damage at a range and buff ourselves up a bit. The best spells in these schools include Flame, Grant Me Strength, Whirl, O Flame!, and Giantsflame Take Thee. We also have enough Faith for more generically strong spells, like Bestial Vitality or Bestial Sling.
Flame, Grant Me Strength is the best option since we want to flex our Faith. Our Fire damage build gets a huge buff from this spell, making it excellent for whittling down bosses a bit faster. Otherwise, Fire spells are pretty aggressive and focus on dealing damage at a medium range—just outside of where your Whip can reach.
Don’t be afraid to take other buffs that might help out in fights. Bestial Sling, for example, is great stagger pressure. Plenty of healing incantations let you spend fewer Crimson Tear Flasks. Mix and match as you get more Memory slots.
Best Talismans for a Whip build in Elden Ring
The best Talismans for a Whip build bolster our durability and improve our Fire damage. We can also make limited use of powerful generic damage boosters to augment our otherwise middling damage.
The four Talismans we recommend for the Whip build are as follows:
- Fire Scorpion Charm: Improves your Fire Damage by 12 percent but makes you take 10 percent more physical damage. It’s found within Fort Laiedd in Mt. Gelmnir. Alongside the Flame-Shrouding Cracked Tear for your Wondrous Physick, you can deal a ton of Fire damage.
- Dragoncrest Greatshield: Found within a church near the bottom of the Haligtree, this flat 20 percent physical damage reduction does wonders to negate the Fire Scorpion Charm’s downside.
- Erdtree’s Favor +2: This charm buffs Health, Stamina, and Weight, making it an all-around good choice for defense.
- Claw Talisman: Obtained through the rooftops of Stormveil Castle in Limgrave. This augments jumping attacks by 15 percent, something a Whip build can use rather nicely.
Alternatively, if this is too much defense, you can replace either the Greatshield or Erdtree’s Favor with a Flock’s Canvas Talisman for more Fire Incantation action. Or, you could get the Old Lord’s Talisman to improve the duration of your Flame, Grant Me Strength to around 40 seconds. And, if you’re still early game, Radagon’s Soreseal is a must-have.
