Elden Ring Thrusting Sword Build Guide - Crimson Duelist
May. 6, 2024Elden Ring Thrusting Sword Build Guide – Crimson Duelist
In this Elden Ring Thrusting Sword Build Guide, I’ll be showing you myCrimson Duelistbuild. This is a New Game Plus build centered around thrusting swords, parries, and critical attacks. A lot of players have been requesting a duelist-style build that uses thrusting swords and parrying, and in my tests, I found that dual thrusting swords can be incredibly effective.
However, my focus with this build was to use a single thrusting sword and a parrying shield in the offhand, giving you the flexibility to deal damage while also having the option to parry. This setup allows for strong attack potential with the thrusting sword while maintaining the ability to parry for critical strikes. Although dual-wielding thrusting swords is powerful, this build is designed for those who want to balance attack and defense with parrying.
Before diving into the build, I should mention why this is a New Game Plus build. You can play this build at the endgame in a regular playthrough, but it requires theSeppuku Ash of War, which is found about four-fifths of the way through the game. SinceSeppukuis a key component of this build, you might not be able to fully set it up until late game.
Additionally, I wanted to challenge myself by creating a duelist build for New Game Plus, proving that it’s possible to play this style at a higher difficulty level. That said, this build can be adapted for endgame in a regular playthrough; this guide just covers the New Game Plus version.
An Arcane build that uses Rogier’s Rapier and Sepukku to bleed enemies to death very quickly.
We have over 110 Elden Ring builds. 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.
Let’s start with the weapon for this Elden Ring Thrusting Sword build. I useRogier’s Rapier, which you get early in the game fromRogier’squestline. The key reasons I chose this weapon are its high critical rating and unique R2 attack. With a critical rating of 110, thisrapierdeals more damage from critical hits and backstabs compared to other thrusting swords with lower critical ratings. This is significant when parrying and then following up with critical attacks.
Another feature that setsRogier’s Rapierapart is its unique R2 attack. It hits twice quickly, allowing you to build up bleed effects faster. When combined with the Blood Infusion andSeppuku, which adds additional bleed to your weapon, this R2 attack can quickly triggerHemorrhage, often resulting in massive damage to regular enemies and bosses alike.
Regarding the parrying shield, I use theMan-Serpent’s Magic Shield. The small shield is ideal because it has the best parry frames—9 startup frames and 11 active frames—which makes it easier to parry compared to medium shields or other weapons that can parry. TheCarian Retaliation Ash of Waris also helpful, as it offers a more forgiving parry window while allowing you to parry spells and projectiles without costing FP, except when parrying spells.
For talismans, I useShard of AlexanderandRoar Medallionto boost the damage ofBeast’s Roar, a key part of this build.Lord of Blood’s Exultationis great for when you set bleeding on enemies, boosting attack power by 20%.Rotten Winged Sword Insigniais useful when you know you’ll be doing a lot of rapid attacks with your thrusting sword. If you’re using more ranged attacks, consider swapping to theRitual Sword Talismanfor a 10% damage boost when at full health.Axe Talisman, which boosts charged R2 attacks, is also valuable since charged R2s can lead to stagger and critical strikes.
As for spells,Bloodflame Bladeis essential because it boosts the bleed buildup on your attacks, enhancing the overall effectiveness of this build. Using this spell can make a significant difference, especially when it also affectsBeast’s Roar, allowing you to maintain bleed buildup even from a distance.
In terms of armor, theWhite Maskis ideal because it boosts attack power by 10% when you set bleeding. Besides that, aim for light armor that allows you to light roll, which helps with mobility. If you want to min-max, theWhite Maskcombined with other light armor pieces will help you stay agile while benefiting from the increased attack power.
These components together create a versatile and powerful build that focuses on thrusting sword attacks, parrying, and critical strikes. Using these tips, you’ll be well-prepared to handle boss fights and challenging encounters.
Here are six talismans I typically use for this Thrusting Sword build, depending on the scenario. My primary setup consists ofMillicent’s Prosthesis,Rotten Winged Sword Insignia,Lord of Blood’s Exultation, and theSpear Talisman.
Millicent’s ProsthesisandRotten Winged Sword Insigniaboth increase your attack power as you land multiple hits in quick succession. If you don’t haveRotten Winged Sword Insignia, you can use the regularWinged Sword Insignia. Since this build is about fast-paced attacks, these two talismans work well together.
TheSpear Talismanenhances your counter damage when using a thrusting weapon against an enemy who is mid-attack. Given that the main weapon in this build is a thrusting sword, this talisman can significantly boost your damage, especially during aggressive combat.
Lord of Blood’s Exultationincreases your attack power by 20% when you cause a bleed effect, which this build does frequently. Keep this on for almost any fight unless you’re facing bosses or enemies that are immune to bleed.
If you encounter bleed-immune enemies, swap outLord of Blood’s Exultationfor theDagger Talisman, which increases your damage when landing critical hits after a parry. It’s useful for bosses or enemies where parrying is the key to winning the fight. Additionally, you might consider switching your weapon’sAsh of WarfromSeppukuto something likeRoyal Knight’s Resolve, which boosts R2 and charged R2 damage for more straightforward damage against bleed-immune enemies.
Assassin’s Crimson Daggeris another useful talisman, especially if you’re practicing parries or aren’t consistently landing them. It grants health when you land a critical strike, which can be a lifesaver if you miss a parry and take damage. Given the health-flask-heavy setup for this build (12 or more health flasks and only 1 or 2 FP flasks),Assassin’s Crimson Daggercan be a helpful backup.
The build uses Cold scaling onRogier’s Rapierand a highArcanestat to maximize bleed buildup. Buffing withSeppukuadds extra bleed damage, allowing you to triggerHemorrhagequickly, which can devastate most enemies with a single R2 attack. If you’re using theWhite Mask, the attack power boost from it and Lord of Blood’s Exultation will further increase your damage. WithMillicent’s ProsthesisandRotten Winged Sword Insignia, your attack power can reach impressive levels with just one R2 press, helping you dominate fights even without needing to constantly buff withSeppuku.
The attribute spread for this Elden Ring Thrusting Sword build is 60Vigor, 15Mind, 30Endurance, 8Strength, 22Dexterity, 16Intelligence, 7Faith, and 80Arcane. This build doesn’t requireStrength,Intelligence, orFaith.
The requirement forRogier’s Rapieris 7Strength, which is usually met by most starting classes, so the 8Strengthhere is fine. I started as anAstrologer, so theIntelligenceandFaitharen’t needed for this build.
The highVigoris crucial because of the light armor and lack ofDragoncrest Greatshield, providing a buffer against high-damage attacks and preventing one-shots. Since this build is aggressive, the extraVigoris a good idea.
Mindisn’t a priority for this build sinceSeppukuandCarian Retaliationhave low FP costs, so you don’t need a large FP pool. This makes 15Mindmore than enough.
30Enduranceallows you to light roll with the equipment used in this build. If you opt for different or heavier armor, you may need moreEnduranceto maintain mobility. This stat also gives you a larger stamina pool for attacking and dodging, which is useful given the aggressive playstyle.
22Dexterityis the minimum required forRogier’s Rapier, and 17Dexterityis the base requirement, with an additional 5DexterityforMillicent’s Prosthesis. The highArcaneof 80 is necessary for maximizing bleed buildup and damage output. The scaling forArcanedrops off after 80, so further stat increases should be directed towardDexterityfor additional damage.
For theFlask of Wondrous Physick, theThorny Cracked Tearboosts damage with consecutive hits, which pairs well with this build’s rapid attacks. TheGreenburst Crystal Tearenhances stamina recovery, allowing you to stay mobile during intense fights where you might need to dodge frequently or make repeated heavy attacks.
RegardingGreat Runes, considerRykard’s Great Rune, which provides HP recovery on enemy kills. This can be especially useful if you’re parrying or playing aggressively, allowing you to regain health without using health flasks.Morgott’s Great Runeis another solid choice because it boosts your maximum HP, offering additional survivability and helping you endure potentially deadly attacks.
That pretty much covers the build details and some final tips to help you get the most out of thisElden Ringbuild. 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.
