Harnessing the power of dragon hearts in Elden Ring can make a formidable build. The Dragon Knight is a flavorful and high-damage way to take down The Lands Between, but it requires some late-game grinding. So, let’s spread our wings.
Best stats for Dragon Knights in Elden Ring
The Dragon Knight in Elden Ring primarily utilizes Dragon Communion Incantations to deal a lot of damage over time. However, it should have enough physical stats to wield potent weapons, like Colossal Swords. Begin play as a Wretch because you want all stats except Intelligence. The build below is at level 150.
- Vigor: 50
- Mind: 25
- Endurance: 26
- Strength: 19
- Dexterity: 11
- Intelligence: 10
- Faith: 28
- Arcane: 60
These stats are all over the place compared to most builds, but they have a purpose. An Arcane of 60 gives you good scaling with the Dragon Communion Seal, a powerful spellcasting implement for boosting Dragon Communion Incantations. A Dragon Knight wants to have the minimum Faith for casting these spells—and sadly, the cheapest is Greyoll’s Roar at 28.
A Vigor of 50 is for eating hits, which is great for late-game Elden Ring. An Endurance of 26 is for better armor—What good is a knight if they can’t wear good equipment? At 26, you need some Talismans to wear heavy armor—a sacrifice we’re willing to make. A Mind of 25 grants 147 FP, which is okay. You can cast a few Breaths before recharging, depending on how long you can cast during fights.
Your physical stats can change drastically, depending on the build. At 19 Strength and 11 Dexterity, you can barely heft an Occult Zweihander and use a Brass Shield to protect yourself.
If you prefer to be less of a caster and more of a physical character, we suggest looking up what weapon you want to use or using Rennala to respec your stats to use a specific weapon. Elden Ring has very lenient stat requirements, so it usually only takes a few levels to wield all but the most powerful weapons. For instance, if you want to use the Placiduax spear, the Dragon King’s Cragblade, you need 37 Dexterity, and Arcane becomes less important.
Best weapons and spells for Dragon Knights in Elden Ring
The weapon of choice for a Dragon Knight in Elden Ring is an Occult Zweihander and Brass Shield for melee and a Dragon Communion Seal for casting. For spells, important options include Agheel’s Flame, Borealis’s Mist, Ekzykes’s Decay, Greyoll’s Roar, and Theodorix’s Magma.
The most important part of your weapon is the Occult Affinity. We choose Zweihander for its impressive range and relatively low stat requirement. Your choice of weapon should match your playstyle since the Dragon Knight’s setup should be one you’re comfortable matching foes with. However, try to choose a weapon you can buff with Incantations—boss weapons, weapons with enchanted damage already applied, and some Affinities prevent you from buffing with spells like Vyke’s Dragonbolt.
In addition to the Dragon Incantations you get from Dragon Communion Churches, look for buffing spells and healing magic. The previously mentioned Vyke’s Dragonbolt can help damage enemies, but Incantations like Bestial Vitality and Flame, Grant Me Strength further cement your boss fight game.
Best armor for Dragon Knights in Elden Ring
While armor in Elden Ring is mostly for looks, you might want the Malformed Dragon Armor for flavor purposes. This armor is dropped by the Draconic Tree Sentinel guarding Malikath in Crumbling Farum Azula. However, replacing the helm with something like the Albinauric Mask for extra Arcane or a Faith-increasing helm like the Haligtree Knight Helm can help you be more flexible with stats.
Best Talismans for Dragon Knights in Elden Ring
Unfortunately, almost all Talismans for Dragon Knights are dedicated to defensive stats, equip load, and a tiny bit of damage.
- Roar Medallion: Perhaps the most important part of a Dragon Breath build, the Roar Medallion boosts damage by 10 percent for all Breath Dragon Incantations. Get it from the bottom of Limgrave Tunnels.
- Erdtree’s Favor +2: Largely necessary for its tiny boost to Equip Load, the Erdtree’s Favor +2 is still a solid Talisman for its Health and Stamina bumps. Earn it from the trail to the east of the Ashen Capital.
- Great-Jar’s Arsenal: If you want to wear heavy armor, this is a necessary evil. 20 percent Equip Load is no joke. Get this once you complete the Trial of the Great-Jar.
- Scorpion Charm: This should be a cycling array of the Scorpion Charms based on the boss you fight. For example, if you’re fighting Malenia, you might want to equip the Fire Scorpion Charm to burn through her health.
If you don’t want to wear heavy armor like the Malformed Dragon Set, the Lord of Rot’s Exultation is a good replacement. Just make sure you use Ekzykes’s Decay fairly often during fights.
