Elden Ring Carian Sovereignty Build Guide - Sovereign Spellblade (Shadow of the Erdtree)

Aug. 1, 2024

Elden Ring Carian Sovereignty Build Guide – Sovereign Spellblade (Shadow of the Erdtree)

In thisShadow of the ErdtreeGuide, I’m going to showcase my Sovereign Spellblade build. This build utilizes the newAsh of War,Carian Sovereignty, which many players have been raving about for its devastating power. In this guide, I’ll demonstrate how I use it and explain why it’s truly fantastic.

In this Elden Ring Build Guide, I’ll be showing you my Sovereign Spellblade build. This is aShadow of the Erdtreebuild that takes place after level 160. A build that focuses on dealing massive damage using the Carian Sovereignty Ash of War

We have over 110 Elden Ringbuilds. Each one is meticulously crafted to offer unique playstyles, strategies, and experiences, ensuring there’s something for every adventurer in the Lands Between. Whether you seek the raw power of heavy weapons, the finesse of spellcasting, or the versatility of hybrid builds, our collection has you covered. Explore the depths of the game’s mechanics and unleash your full potential with our diverse array of builds.

First, let’s delve into theAsh of War: Carian Sovereigntybefore discussing weapon selection, as my choice of weapon is influenced by its properties. Essentially, this weapon skill allows you to charge up a magic sword that slashes forward over a long distance and follows up with a horizontalAoE slash. This skill is quite similar toCarian Grandeurfrom the base game.

In my testing, the charge time between these skills is roughly the same, withCarian Grandeurbeing slightly faster, though not significantly. Initially,Carian Grandeurdoes slightly less damage thanCarian Sovereigntybut costs lessFP, resulting in comparable damage for the sameFPspent. However,Carian Sovereigntydeals more damage and allows for a follow-up attack, whichCarian Grandeurdoes not.

One main difference is the stance damage: fully chargedCarian Grandeurhas 30 stance damage, whileCarian Sovereigntyhas 48 stance damage, plus an additional 45 stance damage with the follow-up attack, totaling 93 stance damage. Thus, the two critical factors when usingCarian Sovereigntyare its extra follow-up damage and higher stance damage, both initially and cumulatively. This skill can significantly reduce a boss’s health if both attacks connect and deals enough stance damage to allow for additional attacks or stance-breaking withGreatblade Phalanx, enabling a critical strike or repeating the combo effectively.

Furthermore,Carian Sovereigntydeals 100% magic damage, which can be easily boosted with items likeMagic Scorpion Charm,Magic-Shrouding Cracked Tear, orTerra Magica. The magic infusion of this skill does about 20% more damage than the cold infusion if your stats are optimized for melee damage. If bothintvalues are equal (e.g., 80int), the magic infusion will outperform cold by about 5%, but cold allows for the cold debuff build-up with a slight hit to melee damage. The weapon skill, when fully charged, does two bursts of damage and a third with the follow-up, hitting larger targets more effectively than smaller ones.

The weapon skill also grants hyper armor, which varies depending on the weapon type.Great swords,curved great swords, andheavy thrusting swordsprovide the highest hyper armor, with great katanas slightly lower, and straight swords, twin blades, katanas, andcurved swordseven lower. Thrusting swords and daggers offer the least hyper armor. Therefore, using this skill on weapons likegreat swordsorheavy thrusting swordsminimizes interruption risks.

For this build, I chose theClaymorebecause it offers high hyper armor and has excellent reach with itsR2and chargedR2attacks, crucial for landing hits and maximizing stance damage. The weapon skill’s damage remains consistent across weapon types, so choosing a weapon with better hyper armor is beneficial. The magic infusion boostsCarian Sovereignty‘s damage and supports effective spell casting, which is essential for a spellblade build.

In my offhand, I use theCarian Regal Scepter, which scales well with sorcery and has no negative effects. This allows us to cast various intelligence-based spells, enhancing our build’s versatility. I recommend magic-damaging spells but also include fire-damaging ones if facing fire-weak bosses. My primary spells areTerra Magica, for situational magic damage boosts,Greatblade Phalanx, for stance damage and pre-casting, andGreat Glintstone Shardfor ranged attacks. Using theGodfrey Icontalisman enhances charged spells, making it beneficial to include such spells in this build.

For armor, I use theSpellblade setdue to its lightweight, enabling light rolling, which is crucial for dodging and positioning when usingCarian Sovereignty. The set also boosts magic weapon skills by 2% per piece, totaling an 8% increase. Alternatively, theRakshasha setoffers a general damage increase but may result in medium rolling, which is less optimal for this build.

Fortalismans, I consistently use three and swap the fourth based on the situation. First isShard of Alexander—an essential for boosting the damage ofCarian Sovereignty.

Then, there’sGodfrey Icon, which enhances damage when you chargeCarian Sovereignty; charging it every time maximizes damage and stance damage, allowing effective follow-up attacks.

Third, I use theMagic Scorpion Charmsince our build focuses on magic damage—both spells and melee—boosting our effectiveness significantly, though it comes with the drawback of increased damage taken.

For the fourth talisman, when exploring or in dungeons, I often use theBlessed Blue Dew Talismanto replenishFPover time, mitigating the high cost of our weapon skill and spells.

Another good option is theCrimson Amber Medallion, which increases health, providing extra durability in tough encounters. However, I prefer theBlessed Blue Dew Talismanfor its consistentFPregeneration.

In boss fights, three talismans work exceptionally well. First, theTwo-Headed Turtle Talismanfor stamina recovery, crucial for usingCarian Sovereigntyand its follow-up attack, which demands significant stamina.

Second,Rotten Winged Sword Insigniaboosts attack power after consecutive hits, synergizing well with stance-breaking bosses and following up withCarian Sovereigntyor spells.

Lastly, theDragoncrest Greatshield Talismanoffers enhanced physical protection, countering the light armor and the defensive drawback of theMagic Scorpion Charm.

For this build, at level 172, I allocate attributes as follows: 55 inVigor, 38 inMind, 33 inEndurance, 16 inStrength, 13 inDexterity, 80 inIntelligence, 7 inFaith, and 9 inArcane.

Vigoris set at 55 to ensure you can trade damage effectively, especially since we’re in light armor and have reduced protection from theMagic Scorpion Charm; aiming for 60Vigoreventually is ideal.

Mindis at 38 to handle the high FP consumption of both the weapon skill and spell casting, reducing reliance on flasks during boss fights.

Enduranceis at 33 to support light rolling and manage stamina, which is crucial asCarian Sovereigntyis quite stamina-intensive.

StrengthandDexterityare at 16 and 13 respectively to meetClaymore’sminimum requirements, which is a key reason for choosing this weapon due to its low attribute demands.

Finally,Intelligenceis maxed out at 80 to optimize spellcasting and maximize damage with both the weapon skill and melee attacks.

For theFlask of Wondrous Physick, I typically use theMagic-Shrouding Cracked Tearand theStonebarb Cracked Tear. However, I’ll occasionally swap theStonebarb Cracked Tearfor theGreenburst Crystal Tearto booststaminarecovery, depending on the fight.

TheMagic-Shrouding Cracked Tearremains a staple because this build relies heavily onmagic damage. TheStonebarb Cracked Tearis used to enhancestance damageby 30% for 30 seconds, allowing you to break a boss’s stance quickly if executed correctly. While it requires an aggressive playstyle and can increase the risk of taking damage, it’s particularly useful when you know you can break a boss’s stance quickly. With 93stance damage, theStonebarb Cracked Tearadds 27 more, totaling 120stance damage, which is often enough to break many bosses’ stances even without usingGreatblade Phalanx.

RegardingGreat Runes,Radahn’sis the preferred choice for this build. It boostshealth,stamina, andFP—three attributes that significantly enhance the effectiveness of this build.

That concludes mySovereign Spellbladebuild guide. It took some time to perfect the use of this weapon skill. Initially, I experimented withblock counter buildsand theDeflecting Hardtear, but I realized that to fully utilize this weapon skill, you need to play aggressively. I believe this build showcases its full potential.

As always, let us know if you have questions or other tips in the comments below. We have a ton more builds coming forElden RingandShadow of the Erdtreeso stay tuned for those. If you need help finding the spells, items, or equipment in this build, and securing some personal objectives, make sure to check theElden Ring Map.

Castielle

Senior Editor at Fextralife. I enjoy gaming, playing and watching sports, cooking yummy food, watching a good movie and hanging out with Fex.