Elden Ring Staff of the Great Beyond Build Guide - All-Knowing Sage (Shadow of the Erdtree Build)

Aug. 4, 2024

Elden Ring Staff of the Great Beyond Build Guide – All-Knowing Sage (Shadow of the Erdtree Build)

In thisShadow of the ErdtreeBuild guide, I’m going to be showing you myAll-Knowing Sagebuild. This build focuses on using the right spell for every situation you encounter, identifying enemy or boss weaknesses, and utilizing the appropriate spell to capitalize on those weaknesses, effectively trivializing many fights in the game.

In this Elden Ring Build Guide, I’ll be showing you my All-Knowing Sage build. This is aShadow of the Erdtreebuild that takes place after level 160. A sage build that fits any combat situation, regardless of mobs or bosses.

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.

We’ll start by discussing the staff used for this build, theStaff of the Great Beyond, a new addition to the DLC. This staff’s unique feature is its ability to cast both sorceries and incantations, eliminating the need to switch between aSacred Sealand a staff when using a Sage build. For those unfamiliar, a Sage build typically utilizes bothIntelligenceandFaith.

This specific Sage build emphasizes adapting your spells to fit the situation. We maximize the potential of theStaff of the Great Beyondby increasing our Intelligence and Faith to capitalize on its scaling. Although its sorcery scaling isn’t the best compared to other staves, it’s not terrible. You sacrifice some damage for the convenience of not needing aSacred Seal, allowing you to cast any spell on the fly, especially useful in boss fights or high-pressure situations.

At 50 Intelligence and 50 Faith, we achieve a decent sorcery scaling of 315. While it’s not as high as the 373 sorcery scaling of theCarian Regal Scepterat 80 Intelligence or the 353 incantation scaling of theErdtree Sealat 80 Faith, it offers significant flexibility. This flexibility allows us to use nearly any spell, although not all since some spells require higher stats. In contrast, a pure sorcery or incantation build would be limited to their respective spell types.

This build’s strength lies in knowing and exploiting enemy weaknesses, as detailed on various wikis. This knowledge allows you to select the most effective spells, potentially defeating bosses in under a minute. Hence, it’s dubbed the “all-knowing sage build.” It’s an advanced build for players familiar with boss weaknesses and spell effects.

At 80 Intelligence and 80 Faith, theStaff of the Great Beyondreaches a sorcery scaling of 352. The increase from 50-50 to 80-80 yields just 37 points for a 60 stat point investment, which isn’t substantial. Therefore, we focus on other stats like Mind to sustain spell casting without relying heavily on Flasks, particularly during boss fights.

Paired with this staff is theSword of Night and Flame, a weapon scaling well with bothIntelligenceandFaithand minimally withStrengthandDexterity. This versatility allows effective use of both its magic and fire weapon skills in various boss fights, making it more than just a backup weapon. It proves highly effective in both boss fights and general combat.

For armor, you have flexibility. I use three pieces of theAll-Knowing Setand theGreathelmfor aesthetics and a poise target of 51. While armor choice isn’t critical, achieving sufficient poise to avoid interruption during casting is essential. You might mix and match armor based on the incantations or spells you use, but the damage output of this build is robust enough that extensive adjustments are unnecessary.

For talismans in this build, versatility is key, and you’ll want a range of options to maximize your effectiveness. One talisman I consistently use is theGodfrey Icon. It’s ideal for spells that can be charged for increased damage. Since many spells across various damage types (magic, fire, holy, etc.) benefit from charging, keep this talisman equipped whenever possible.

Depending on whether you’re casting sorceries or incantations in a given situation, you’ll switch between theGraven-Mass Talismanfor sorceries and theFlock’s Canvas Talismanfor incantations. For example, use theFlock’s Canvas Talismanwhen casting fire incantations during a boss fight. Conversely, equip theGraven-Mass Talismanwhen using magic sorceries. These talismans are interchangeable based on your spell type.

You’ll also need aScorpion Charmin one slot, chosen according to the damage type you’re dealing:Magic,Fire,Sacred, orLightning. For the final slot, your choice depends on your activity.

TheBlessed Blue Dew Talismanis great for replenishing FP while exploring dungeons or the landscape, though its FP recovery rate isn’t sufficient for intense boss fights.

Consider other options like theCrusade Insigniafor increased damage on kills, or theTwo-Headed Turtle Talismanfor extra stamina, which is especially useful in boss fights due to our lower endurance.

TheDragoncrest Greatshield Talismanoffers additional protection, compensating for the physical defense reduction from theScorpion Charm. If you’re confident in avoiding hits, theRitual Sword Talismancan boost spell damage, but be cautious as I tend to be aggressive and take damage in boss fights, making it less ideal for me.

Finally, theOld Lord’s Talismanis useful for extending buffs from spells likeGolden Vow,Blessing’s Boon, orFlame, Grant Me Strength, depending on your damage type and needs.

Let’s dive into the spells for this build and the different elements. I’ll highlight some key spells rather than covering every single one.

ForHoly Damage, the new spellMultilayered Ring of Lightis a top choice. It delivers impressive damage and range, and you can charge it for even greater impact. It’s arguably the best all-around Holy Damage spell due to its effectiveness and ease of use. Another solid option isElden Stars, which I use at the start of boss fights when Holy Damage is required. It’s particularly useful against bosses weak to Holy Damage before they close in.

ForLightning Spells,Knight’s Lightning Spearis exceptional. It provides excellent damage and stance-breaking capabilities, though it’s quite expensive in terms of FP. If you’re running low on FP, consider usingLightning Spearfor more economical use on the landscape.Ancient Dragons’ Lightning Strikeis also outstanding with this build, ideal for stance breaking and finishing off bosses. Both spells can be charged, making them versatile for lightning damage.

When it comes toFire Spells,Flame of the Fell GodandGiantsflame Take Theeare highly recommended. Both can be charged, withFlame of the Fell Godbeing particularly useful for setting up boss fights, like against the Divine Beast and Romina.Giantsflame Take Theedeals substantial fire damage and is effective throughout.Frenzied Burstis excellent for long-range targeting and picking off enemies, whileRykard’s Rancorintegrates seamlessly into your fire spell setup, allowing for effective fire damage without changing casting methods.

ForMagic Damage,Ancient Death Rancoris a standout. It offers high damage, tracking capabilities, and decent stance damage, and can be charged for extra power.Night Cometis useful for picking off enemies at long range and can also be charged to increase its reach.Loretta’s Greatbowis another good choice for long-range attacks and can be charged as well.

ForPhysical Damage, while elemental damage often proves more effective due to buffs from Talismans and Flask of Wonders Physique, some physical spells are still worth mentioning.Pest-Thread Spearsis fantastic against dragons with its piercing damage and excellent tracking.Stone of Gurranqallows for quick chain casting and decent stance damage.Rock Slingis another effective physical spell, great for dealing with dragons and enemies from a distance.

For this build, allocate attributes as follows:50 Vigor,40 Mind,28 Endurance,12 Strength,12 Dexterity,50 Intelligence,50 Faith, and9 Arcane, reaching level 172.

Vigoris set at 50 for a strong health pool, though raising it to 55 or 60 could further improve survivability.

Mindat 40 is essential for a substantial FP pool, allowing frequent spell casting without over-relying on flasks, especially given some spells’ high FP cost. If you continue to level up, boostingMindcan help reduce your need for flasks.

Enduranceat 28 ensures you have enough stamina for casting spells and dodging effectively. Initially, 20Endurancemay have led to stamina shortages, affecting your ability to cast spells even with sufficient FP. MoreEndurancealso enables wearing heavier armor if desired.

StrengthandDexterityare at 12 to meet the minimum requirements for theSword of Night and Flame; higher values are unnecessary for this build.

IntelligenceandFaithare both set at 50 to maximize spell effectiveness and elemental damage. Increasing them to 80 in future levels can further boost your damage output, especially useful for New Game Plus or aiming for maximum damage.

Arcaneremains at 9, as it’s not needed for this build.

When it comes to theFlask of Wondrous Physick, I use theBloodsucking Cracked Tearconsistently. This increases our damage by 20% for any damage type, but it also drains health. To counteract this health drain during boss fights, I use theBlessing of the Erdtreespell to mitigate the health loss. This setup allows me to use theBloodsucking Cracked Tearmore effectively by buffing up before fights.

For the other slot, you’ll want to switch to aShrouding Crack Tearbased on the damage type you’re focusing on, such asfire,magic,lightning, orsacred, depending on the boss or the area you’re tackling.

You can swap out theBloodsucking Crystal Tearfor theOil-Soaked Tearif you’re focusing on fire damage, but note that it only boosts damage when the enemy is close. Given that this build doesn’t emphasize staying close to enemies, theOil-Soaked Tearmay not always be the best choice. Additionally, usingGolden Vowwill help buff both defenses and damage, applicable to any damage type, making it a valuable spell for this build.

ForGreat Runes, you’ll likely choose betweenGodrick’sorRadahn’s. Since this build requires stats in seven out of eight attributes,Godrick’s Great Runeis a strong choice.Radahn’s Great Runeis also a good option, providing increased health, FP, and stamina, which are all valuable for this build.

That wraps up myAll-Knowing Sagebuild. I hope this guide demonstrates how enjoyable this build is to play. It can effectively exploit enemy weaknesses, which you can look up on the wiki if needed. For detailed spell information, consult our damage type guide. Lastly, note that this is not a perfectly min-maxed build. For maximum damage per cast, you’d use theGolden Order Sealfor casting incantations and thePrince of Death’s Stafffor sorceries once your stats are higher. This would enhance your damage output significantly, especially in New Game Plus. For ease of use, I’ve kept the build straightforward, focusing on convenience rather than optimization.

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.