A Comprehensive Guide to Stats, Questline, and Perfect Builds
Hailed by many Dexterity focused players as the pinnacle medium armor set in Elden Ring, the Raging Wolf armor offers an unrivaled blend of offense and defense. Its lone wolf knight theme combines beautifully with its robust stats to create an iconic set perfect for counter and critical hit builds.
According to prominent community theorycrafters, Raging Wolf‘s superlative immunity, focus, vitality, and decent poise outclass comparable sets like Hoslow‘s and Ronin‘s. These enable savage counter attacks, rapid powerstanced strikes, and lethal critical hits.
However, acquiring the armor means embracing the path of a volcano assassin. A winding quest across the Lands Between awaits, full of deceit and dangerous adversaries.
In this extensive guide, I detail everything there is to know about obtaining, optimizing, and dominating with the Raging Wolf armor set including:
- Comprehensive Questline Walkthrough
- Stats & Resistances
- Best Weapons, Skills, & Talismans
- Perfect Raging Wolf Builds
- Comparison to Hoslow‘s & Bloodhound Knight Sets
- The Mystery of Vargram the Raging Wolf
Let‘s delve into Tamith‘s volcanic den of secrets and unmask the truth behind this dexterity defining armor set!
Elden Ring Raging Wolf Armor Questline Explained
Arguably the most complex and perilous armor set quest in Elden Ring, obtaining Raging Wolf will push your assassination skills to the very limits. With numerous targets spread across Liurnia, Altus, and Mountaintops, perseverance and preparation are key.
According to dedicated player GrndhogDth found success by approaching it systematically:
"I found having a checklist for each target and area helped immensely with the lengthy quest. Stock up on defensive talismans and weapons your build excels with before tackling new zones. Learning the new enemies took time but soon I could traverse areas quickly without wasting flasks. Ultimately, it all comes down to patience and pattern recognition. The payoff for Raging Wolf is so worth it!"
Here is the complete walkthrough:
Step 1 – Infiltrate Volcano Manor: Journey through northern Liurnia into Mt. Gelmir until you reach the imposing Volcano Manor. Nestled against a volcano‘s flaming peak, a sense of unease permeates the grounds. Head inside the decaying walls without hesitation. 
Step 2 – Gain Audience with Queen Tanith: Seek an audience with Queen Tanith herself, an enigmatic half-serpent leader. Pledge yourself as an recusant and gain the key to the Drawing Room, your staging ground for assignments. Access your first target lead within.
Step 3 – Slay Old Knight Istvan: Istvan awaits at the Warmaster‘s Shack in northern Liurnia. Beware his bombarding grenades and relentless spear combos. Upon his demise, return to Tanith for a reward.
Step 4 – Execute Rileigh the Idle: Another lead takes you below Altus Plateau where Rileigh‘s idling must be stopped permanently. His gravity magic combos with formidable melee strikes. Report back after landing the finishing blow.
Step 5 – Hunt Hoslow the Bloodhound Knight: Juno Hoslow must die by your hand before earning Tanith‘s full trust. Traverse the snowfields of Mountaintops to cut down this destined heir. Rich rewards in both armor and weaponry await the victor.
Juno Hoslow Location
Step 6 – Receive the Final Contract: Return to Volcano Manor‘s drawing room after proving yourself in the Knight of Blood‘s slaughter. There the Beast Champion Bernahl awaits with one finale assignment – a contract to assassinate legendary Tarnished who once sat at the Roundtable Hold.
Step 7 – Slay Vargram the Raging Wolf: Travel now to Leyndell, the Royal Captial, in search of your marks at the Avenue Balcony site of grace. From there locate the duo and engage Vargram first. His swift katana wielding style and flaming arrows push dexterity to the limits. But with Bernahl‘s assistance, strike the fatal blow.
Step 8 – Claim the Raging Wolf Armor Set: Only by felling the legendary Raging Wolf himself can you obtain his prized armor set. With Vargram slain by your hand, destaingh his armor and don it yourself. At long last, the fruits of the Volcano Manor can be enjoyed.
Through these eight critical steps, the Raging Wolf set passes from assassin to assassin. While the journey is long, the might bestowed upon dexterity masters proves worthwhile.
Optimizing Raging Wolf: Complimentary Stats & Resistances
Now that you‘ve claimed the hotly contested Raging Wolf armor set, it‘s time to leverage its formidable stats towards lethal ends. As MenuPhobia determined through extensive testing, several factors influence ideal Raging Wolf optimization:
"There‘s deep synergy between Raging Wolf‘s Dexterity boosting perks and bleed/frost builds. Specifically, its high immunity, blood loss negation, and frost defense allow you to capitalize on the Frozen Needle or powerstanced bleed without self-sabotage. Talismans like Lord of Blood‘s Exultation then reward the playstyle further through damage spikes after blood procs. Only Hoslow‘s armor compares defensively but it lacks the vitality and focus that enable Raging Wolf‘s offensive potential."
Let‘s analyze the nitty gritty stats:
Resistances
| Resistance | Immunity | Robustness | Focus | Vitality | Poise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 77 | 13 | 54 | 34 | 33 | 32 |
- Immunity – Negates build up status effects likes bleed, frost, rot etc. Perfect for wielding katanas and twinblades
- Vitality – Boosts counterattack damage directly
- Focus – Reduces skill FP cost, ideal with Weapon Arts
Defenses & Negations
| Type | Weight | Physical | Slash | Strike | Pierce | Magic | Fire | Light | Holy | Frost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24.1 | 29.3 | 25.8 | 29.3 | 28.1 | 22.1 | 24.7 | 15.3 | 20.3 | 36 |
- Excellent frostbite negation – Enables aggressive frost builds
- Strong physical and slash defense
- Very solid strike, pierce, and magic negation
- High frostbite resistance and immunity prevention
Weapons with innate bleed or frost like katanas and twinblades mesh perfectly with Raging Wolf. The armor mitigates their self-damage while skills and crits inflict blood loss rapidly.
Meanwhile, Frost Spear sorceries complement nicely. Raging Wolf‘s robust magic defense reduces their friendly fire, permitting relentless aggression. The high poise also prevents interruption mid-cast.
So in summary, pursue bleed, frost, or hybrid builds to fully exploit Raging Wolf‘s potential. Talismans that enhance blood loss, counters, or frostbite work wonders as well.
Best Weapons for Raging Wolf Dexterity Builds
While Raging Wolf empowers countless dexterity weapons, these five options stand above the rest:
Rivers of Blood
- 640 AR when fully upgraded
- Innate bleed buildup on katana strikes
- Corpse Piler skill inflicts massive hemorrhage
Hand of Melania
- 612 AR when maxed out
- Charged heavy attack wrecks posture
- Waterfowl Dance deals savage bleed procs
Blade of Calling
- 590 AR when complete
- Frost infusion causes frostbite rapidly
- Sacred Blade provides a frost buff
Dragon King‘s Cragblade
- 723 AR at full upgrade
- Innate frost on charged strong attack
- Cragblade skill hits for high poise damage
Bloodhound Fang
- 538 AR when complete
- Quicksteps skill boosts mobility
- Charged R2s inflict blood loss
I recommend wielding two katanas like Rivers and Hand for aggressive bleed stacks. Otherwise, the Blade of Calling offers a nice frost battlemage hybrid.
Talismans Perfect for Raging Wolf Builds
While Raging Wolf provides offense innately, these four talismans augment its lethality:
| Talisman | Effect | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Lord of Blood‘s Exultation | Raises attack power with blood loss buildup | Rewards you for inflicting hemorrhage |
| Rotten Winged Sword Insignia | Successive attacks raise damage | Boosts twinblade, katana combos |
| Millicent‘s Prosthesis | Restores HP upon blood loss proc | Offsets bleed builds‘ self-harm |
| Magic Scorpion Charm | Raises magic attack but lowers defense | Empowers melee sorceries like frost/magic swords |
Lord of Blood‘s Exultation and Rotten Winged Sword Insignia should be central to any Raging Wolf bleed build. They enhance both Corpse Piler and your normal attacks dramatically.
Meanwhile, Millicent‘s Prosthesis helps counteract the gradual HP drain most blood loss weapons inflict. The magic scorpion charm can fit into battlemage builds nicely to amplify icy spells without sacrificing too much defense thanks to Raging Wolf‘s high magic negation.
Complete Raging Wolf Armor Builds
Now let‘s examine well rounded builds centered around unleashing the Raging Wolf‘s full devastating potential:
Raging Frostwolf Spellblade
- Primary Attributes: Dexterity and Intelligence
- Weapons: Frozen Needle and Sword of Night and Flame
- Armor: Raging Wolf set and Snow Witch Hat
- Talismans: Magic Scorpion Charm, Radagon Icon, Carian Filigreed Crest and flex spot
- Spells: Adula‘s Moonblade, Ice Spear, and Glintstone Icecrag
This battlemage tears through foes with frostbite by blending ranged icy sorceries and glintstone melee spells. The Frozen Needle shreds posture allowing deadly ripostes while Moonblade pressures groups. Raging Wolf‘s high frost immunity prevent self-proc while boosting Adula‘s damage.
Vargram‘s Bloodhound Knight
- Primary Attributes: Dexterity and Arcane
- Weapons: Rivers of Blood and Eleonora‘s Poleblade
- Armor: Raging Wolf set and White Mask
- Talismans: Lord of Blood‘s Exultation, Rotten Winged Sword Insignia, Millicent‘s Prosthesis and Dagger Talisman
Live up to Vargram‘s legacy with this vicious blood loss build. Powerstance bleed katanas and relentlessly pressure the enemy. Corpse Piler and Eleonora‘s Weapon Art melt bosses with stacking hemorrhage. Take to the skies and wreak red carnage.
Raging Wolf Samurai
- Primary Attribute: Dexterity
- Weapons: Hand of Malenia and Uchigatana
- Armor: Raging Wolf set and Okina Mask
- Talismans: Green Turtle Talisman, Rotten Winged Sword Insignia, Dagger Talisman and Crimson Seed Talisman
A lethal yet flexible bleed build epitomizing the samurai archetype. Aggressively challenge enemies with the Hand‘s unparalleled Waterfowl Dance or punish whiffed attacks with the Uchigatana‘s Unsheathe. Lighter armor keeps stamina high while talismans maintain offense.
Modify these templates by substituting your preferred bleed or frost weapons. The core idea is to complement Raging Wolf‘s damage and resistances using similar armaments. Together they form a positively reinforcing feedback loop of destruction.
Hoslow vs Raging Wolf Armor Comparison
With both excelling for Dexterity warriors seeking offense and defense, a common question emerges – should you grind for Hoslow‘s or Raging Wolf? Here is an in-depth comparison:
Defensive Stats
- Hoslow‘s has superior physical defense and poise
- But Raging Wolf beats it decisively in immunity, focus, magic negation
- Both have nearly equal robustness, slash/strike defense
- Hoslow‘s is heavier too which impacts stamina regen
So Hoslow‘s does excel at enduring enemy combos thanks to higher poise. However, Raging Wolf‘s critical Dexterity boosts enable evasion and faster counterattacks after trades.
Offensive Potential
- Raging Wolf enhances bleed/frost better through immunity
- The extra focus reduces skill FP costs significantly
- Better magic defense improves melee sorceries
- Vitality directly boosts counter damage
Here there‘s no contest – Raging Wolf‘s offense pushing effects like vitality and focus separate it when playing aggressively. Hoslow‘s has no equivalent perks.
The Verdict?
According to avid theorycrafters like Knightly Knowledge, Raging Wolf pulls ahead for pure dexterity builds thanks to the utility and damage potential offered by heightened focus, frostbite immunity, and vitality. Still, Hoslow‘s remains a top choice for quality builds seeking poise and well balanced defenses.
So optimize around aggressiveness and crits, Raging Wolf adds far more value relative to other medium armors. Slow tankier builds find more success with Hoslow‘s however. Choose wisely based on your playstyle!
Unmasking Vargram the Raging Wolf
Very little is known about the enigmatic figure known as Vargram the Raging Wolf. By piecing together obscure item descriptions and character dialogue however, elements of his past come to light.
Once a formidable figure bathed in flames, Vargram earned the title of hero at the Roundtable Hold‘s inception…until his ambition consumed him. Some claim radagon‘s ringed amber staff corrupted Vargram and his sorcery, igniting his ego like the volcanos of Gelmir.
Others suggests more sinister influences from the Two Fingers themselves. Perhaps his role extended beyond a mere Tarnished warrior to an experiment on destiny‘s limits.
Now only Telith seems to recall this burned legend. Her weapon gave Vargram purpose in place of his lost great rune. Still, the temptation of godhood persists. Did Vargram locate the rallying Standard of Lupidus in efforts to raise an army fit for the Erdtree?
Many mysteries linger on his charred cape…embrace the master-less legacy of the Raging Wolf today and carve out your own Elden Ring legend!
