Elden Ring features one of the most diverse arrays of playstyles out of any FromSoftware title to date. From Spellblade to a classic full-Strength build, the possibilities are seemingly endless. Of course, some players may opt for an established fast-paced playstyle. Dexterity is all about attacking fast, and while you may do less damage than Strength builds with each swing, you’ll hit your enemies more than enough to make up for it.
If you’re interested in trying out Dexterity in Elden Ring, here’s the best build and weapons for it.
Best Dexterity build in Elden Ring
To start off, the stats you’ll want to invest in will vary slightly depending on the weapon you choose and the starting class you began the game with. But a general stat-line at level 150 that will allow you to wield any weapon on our list could look as follows:
- Vigor: 60
- Mind: 20
- Endurance: 27
- Strength: 18
- Dexterity: 80
- Intelligence, Faith, and Arcane: No points
Vigor and Dexterity are the two stats you’ll want to prioritize for this build while making your way through Elden Ring. Mind is helpful to get more uses out of whatever Ashes of War you have equipped, while Endurance can be leveled if you feel you’re running out of stamina or want to wear a shiny new set of armor you found. Lastly, Strength only needs to be brought up to 18 if you decide to dual-wield or use a shield with some of the recommended weapons on our list.
These stats can be changed however you please, but keep in mind that Vigor and Dexterity are at their soft caps in our build. If you decide to put more points into either you’ll see far less return for each level spent.
Best Dexterity weapons in Elden Ring
Uchigatana: Surprisingly, the Samurai’s starting weapon is one of the best to use for a Dexterity build. The Uchigatana has great scaling, a Strength requirement of only 12, and can be easily dual-wielded if you chose the Samurai as your starting class. Additionally, the Uchigatana, along with most other Katanas, has Blood Loss buildup, which is fantastic for dealing extra damage while whaling on that tanky boss.
Nagakiba: The Nagakiba is another great Katana to use with Dexterity. It has slightly worse damage at max level than the Uchigatana but makes up for it with a much longer reach. It does come with one downside, though: the weapon requires 18 strength to wield with one hand. In Elden Ring, if you two-hand a weapon, you get a 1.5x boost to your current Strength, so 12 is the minimum needed to use the Nagakiba with both hands. But if you decide to dual-wield the Nagakiba with another Katana, or with another copy of it if you’ve reached New Game Plus, you’ll have to bring your Strength up to 18.
Hand of Malenia: Rounding out the Katanas is the Hand of Malenia, primarily because of its breathtaking and powerful unique weapon skill, Waterfowl Dance. This ability allows you to close the distance on foes while dishing out an impressive number of strikes. In addition to this, Hand of Malenia scales great with Dexterity and has Blood Loss buildup. Similar to the Nagakiba, however, the weapon requires 16 Strength to wield if you decide to use a shield or another Katana.
Bloodhound’s Fang: The Bloodhound’s Fang is a Curved Greatsword with solid Dexterity scaling and a great unique weapon skill. When wielding this sword, you’ll be hitting enemies a little bit less than with the Katanas, but the damage per strike will make up for it. The weapon comes with the same downside as multiple others on this list, however, requiring 18 Strength to use if you decide to carry a shield or another Curved Greatsword in your off-hand.
Godskin Peeler: Finishing up our list of the best weapons for a pure Dexterity build in Elden Ring is the Godskin Peeler. As a Twinblade, it comes with one of the best (and coolest) move sets in the game. And seeing as it doesn’t have a unique weapon skill, you can apply the Keen affinity along with any Ash of War you’d like. Couple that with its already fantastic scaling and you have one of the most versatile Dexterity weapons in the game.
This article includes affiliate links, which may provide small compensation to Dot Esports.
