As a hardcore Elden Ring enthusiast with over 500 hours played, I‘ve tested the full arsenal of weapons across multiple characters. And in my experience, nothing rivals the raw thrill of bashing foes with colossal swords shielded by impenetrable metal.
The sword and shield build encapsulates the classic knight archetype, offering a robust balance of offense and defense. This guide will furnish you with pro gamer-level knowledge to construct an Elden Ring sword and shield build that can withstand any onslaught while dispatching enemies with devastating counters and skills.
Why Choose a Sword & Shield Build?
Before we break down the fine details, let‘s review the innate strengths of the sword and shield playstyle:
Survivability – High vigor, endurance investment paired with blocked attacks and beefy armor sets allow you to endure endless enemy combos. You are an immovable object.
Crowd Control – With sweeping R2s and wide arching weapon skills, groups of enemies pose little threat even when overwhelmed.
High Burst Damage – By parrying strikes with your shield, guard countering, or landing weapon skill slams, you can crush health bars and posture with colossal damage.
Adaptability – Sword and shield is compatible with regular smithing stones, somber stones, elemental and physical weapons. Maximum versatility.
Still need convincing? Let‘s dig into forging the ultimate sword and shield machine in Elden Ring.
Best Starting Class & Attributes
As mentioned previously, Vagabond remains the optimal origin for this build with its spread of vital stats and melee focused gear.
Here is the statistical allocation I recommend based on at least 150 completed levels:
| Attribute | Investment |
|---|---|
| Vigor | 60 |
| Mind | 12-15 |
| Endurance | 40 |
| Strength | 55-65 |
| Dexterity | 18 |
| Intelligence | 9 |
| Faith | 8-12 |
| Arcane | 9 |
- Vigor – Stop at 60 for max HP boost from points
- Endurance – Up to 40-50 for heavy armor
- Strength – 55 minimum to try all colossal weapons
- Dexterity – Base requirements for certain weapons
- Everything else is negligible
I experimented with 80 strength, but from testing on bosses, the damage difference from 55 to 80 was marginal compared to vig and end rewards.
Armor – Optimizing Your Defenses
Having the right protective gear for sword and shield is crucial to avoid being staggered by heavy blows. We will be using Bull Goat Armor set – the heaviest in Elden Ring.
| Bull Goat Set | Defense & Effects |
|---|---|
| Helm | 32 Poise 52 Physical Negation |
| Armor | 29 Poise 57 Physical Negation |
| Gauntlets | 14 Poise 37 Physical Negation |
| Greaves | 20 Poise 51 Physical Negation |
- Total Poise – 95
- Total Physical Negation – 197
- Weight – 102 units (133 max with Great Jar Arsenal)
Additionally, I recommend the Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman for another 15% physical damage reduction. The Bull Goat set reaches the highest defense in the game and lets you hyperarmor through enemy swings.
For lower equip loads, use the scaled set or a mix of Tree Sentinel, Lionel‘s, and Champions pieces.
Weapons – My Top Melee Options
Now for the juicy info – my personal weapons tier list for strength-focused sword and shield domination:
S-Tier
Blasphemous Blade
- Deals 194 physical + 143 fire skill damage
- Restores HP per kill
- 22 strength + 12 faith to wield
Grafted Blade Greatsword
- Impressive 168 physical + 110 critical
- Iconic moveset + an HP steal skill
- Only requires 16 strength
Golden Order Greatsword
- Golden holy aura with 202 critical
- Skill buffs damage by 10% for a duration
- Needs 38 strength + 22 faith
A-Tier
Nightrider Glaive
- 172 physical and 100 crit damage
- 17 strength 11 dexterity requirement
- Range helps crowd control
Siluria‘s Tree
- 162 physical + 117 critical rating
- Unique multi-hit skill wrecks posture
- 18 strength needed to use
Giant-Crusher
- 247 colossal physical damage
- Strength scaling is best-in-class
- Requires a staggering 60 strength
I won‘t list every exceptional weapon, but honorable mentions are the Starscourge Greatswords, Maliketh’s Black Blade, and the trusty Claymore.
Below are the top options for early and mid-game from each category:
| Sword | Greatsword | Colossal Sword |
|---|---|---|
| Banished Knight Sword – 138 Physical | Claymore – 132 Physical | Grafted Blade – 168 Physical |
| Broadsword – 115 Physical | Lordswords Greatsword – 127 Physical | Zweihander – 151 Physical |
Once you receive smithing stones, all these weapons can carry you against any major boss if upgraded. I stuck with the Grafted Blade for most of my playthrough.
Best Shields for Parrying & Guard Counters
Now let‘s review ideal shields to parry strikes and counterattack.
Parry-Focused Shields
Golden Beast Crest Shield
- 55 Guard Boost
- Sold by Merchant Kale for 3,000 runes
Carian Knight Shield
- 55 Guard Boost
- Dropped by Carian Knights
- Excellent stability
Greatshields for Guard Counters
Jellyfish Shield
- 77 Guard Boost
- Improves poise temporarily after blocking
Fingerprint Stone Shield
- 80 Guard Boost
- Boosts guard counters
Eclipse Crest Heater Shield
- Found on Mountaintops of Giants
- Reduces skill FP cost
For most encounters, I recommend using a parry shield in your main hand paired with a colossal weapon, and keeping a greatshield on your off-hand to swap to when faced with heavy aggression.
Talismans – Boosting Performance
For talismans, I consider these four non-negotiable for sword and shield:
- Great-Jar’s Arsenal – Equip heavy weapons and bull goat armor
- Bull-Goat‘s Talisman – More poise lets you trade blows
- Claw Talisman – To amplify guard counterattacks
- Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman – 15% less physical damage taken
The final slot can flex – I swap between Erdtree‘s Favor for health/stamina/equip load, Spear Talisman for counter damage, or Green Turtle for stam recovery.
But in most cases, sticking with the above four will get the job done in boosting all facets of the sword and shield playstyle.
Stats and Upgrade Milestones
I recommend using these upgrade milestones as you progress through the game:
Early Game Stats (Limgrave & Weeping Peninsula)
- Vigor: 20-25
- Endurance: 15-18
- Strength: 16 for Grafted Blade
- Shield: +2
- Weapon: +3
Mid Game Stats (Liurnia & Altus Plateau)
- Vigor: 30-40
- Endurance: 25-30
- Strength: 20-25 for colossal swords
- Shield: +6
- Weapon: +12/+4
End Game Stats (Mountaintops & Farum Azula)
- Vigor: 50-60
- Endurance: 35-45
- Strength: 50+
- Shield: +10
- Weapon: +24/+9
I also highly recommend grabbing the Clawmark Seal early on for access to key incantations like Golden Vow for an attack buff and Flame Grant Me Strength to imbue weapons with additional fire damage for tougher enemies.
Mastering Essential Sword & Shield Skills
You have all the gear – now it‘s time to hone sword and shield combat mastery. These are the key skills that will enable you to become unstoppable:
1. Guard Counters – After blocking an attack with your shield, press light attack for a devastating punish.
2. Parrying – Time your shield blocks to deflect enemy strikes and create openings for a riposte critical attack.
3. Weapon Skills – Each weapon has unique skills that should be used. Like the Grafted Blade‘s health stealing lunge.
4. Charged Heavy Attacks – Hold heavy attack to charge up slow but immense damage strikes that also poise break.
5. Chambering – The advanced technique of transitioning blocks into light attack strings to overwhelm foes.
Practice these core combat abilities thoroughly to master the sword and shield playstyle. Pay attention to enemy tells and attack patterns to recognize exact timings for parries, guard counters, and charged heavies.
Soon you’ll be an artist painting the walls red while shrugging off blows from all manner of foes.
Wrapping Up
And there you have it – everything you could need for succeeding with Elden Ring’s sword and shield build, straight from a seasoned Tarnished warrior.
The hours I‘ve spent throwing shields up to block Waterfowl Dance, using the Golden Parry to punish Crucible Knight tail swipes, and bludgeoning Erdtree Avatars with colossal weapon skills have all been distilled here.
Now you can stride through the Lands Between impervious to enemy strikes while unleashing holy hell with your arsenal of weapon skills and perfectly timed counters.
What are you waiting for? Hoist your greatshield, ready your trusty melee armament, and let none stand in your way. See you at the Erdtree, my friends.
