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![Best Builds In Dark Souls, Ranked (2) Best Builds In Dark Souls, Ranked (2)](https://i0.wp.com/static1.thegamerimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/the-best-dark-souls-builds.jpg)
Why, oh why do you keep coming back to Lordran? Is it the sense of purpose in an endless maze of hopelessness and abyss? Or perhaps you only feel the rush of life among the dregs of fallen kingdoms? Whatever the reason, we won't judge you for wanting more power and flame. There is no more familiar home and haven for those indoctrinated into the masoch*stic embrace of Souls-like games than the original Dark Souls.
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As a veteran Chosen Undead, you'll not settle for candlelight when you can grasp the whole firestorm. Nothing makes subsequent runs in Dark Souls more exciting than being able to unleash vengeance upon those adversaries that oppressed you during your neophyte days. So reclaim that flame once more using these powerful, thematic, and occasionally hilarious builds.
Updated on March 04, 2024, by Marco Vito Oddo: Thanks to a clever mix of PvE and PvP challenges, every game in FromSoftware's beloved line of action RPGs remains extremely popular. That includes Dark Souls, the first entry in the studio's groundbreaking trilogy. Thanks to the unprecedented success of Elden Ring, many players are returning to Lordran or discovering the fallen kingdom for the first time. It's dangerous to go alone, so you should plan ahead and stick to a build that will help you slay mighty bosses and destroy your opponents as an invader or host.
13 MLG Sorcerer
![Best Builds In Dark Souls, Ranked (4) Best Builds In Dark Souls, Ranked (4)](https://i0.wp.com/static1.thegamerimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/mlg-sorcerer-dark-souls.jpg)
Required Stats
Soul Level | 120 |
---|---|
Vitality | 38 |
Attunement | 19 |
Endurance | 25 |
Strength | 16 |
Dexterity | 40 |
Resistance | 11 |
Intelligence | 44 |
Faith | 9 |
Required Equipment
Weapons | Moonlight Greatsword, Balder Side Sword, Tin Crystallization Catalyst |
---|---|
Armor | Crown of the Dark Sun (Helmet) |
Rings | Ring of Favor & Protection, Bellowing Dragoncrest Ring |
Spells | Crystal Magic Weapon, Crystal Soul Spear, Homing Crystal Soulmass |
MLG stands for Moonlight Greatsword (not Major League Gaming). But beyond that, this is a pure sorcery build. You'll mostly rely on the spells, before buffing up your weapons with Crystal Magic Weapon to push back anyone who gets close using the MLG or Balder Sword.
12 Faith Build
![Best Builds In Dark Souls, Ranked (5) Best Builds In Dark Souls, Ranked (5)](https://i0.wp.com/static1.thegamerimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/sunlight-blade-in-dark-souls.jpg)
Required Stats
Soul Level | 120 |
---|---|
Vitality | 44 |
Attunement | 23 |
Endurance | 35 |
Strength | 16 |
Dexterity | 14 |
Resistance | 11 |
Intelligence | 9 |
Faith | 50 |
Required Equipment
Weapons | Divine Claymore, Balder Side Sword, Darkmoon Talisman, Heater Shield |
---|---|
Armor | Crown of the Dark Sun (Helmet) |
Rings | Ring of Favor & Protection, Wolf Ring |
Spells | Great Lightning Spear, Emit Force, Sunlight Blade, Wrath of the Gods, Replenishment, Great Magic Barrier |
This build plays out similarly to the MLG sorcery build, except you hurl miracles at your enemies instead of sorceries. Great Lightning Spear is your main damage source. If anyone comes close, use Emit Force or buff your weapon with Sunlight Blade and make their flesh grossly incandescent.
11 Pure Pyro Build
![Best Builds In Dark Souls, Ranked (6) Best Builds In Dark Souls, Ranked (6)](https://i0.wp.com/static1.thegamerimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/piromancia_ds-1.jpg)
Required Stats
Soul Level | 120 |
---|---|
Vitality | 50 |
Attunement | 28 |
Endurance | 36 |
Strength | 13 |
Dexterity | 45 |
Resistance | 11 |
Intelligence | 10 |
Faith | 9 |
Required Equipment
Weapons | Quelaag's Furysword, Pyromancy Flame, Heater Shield |
---|---|
Armor | Crown of the Dark Sun (Helmet) |
Rings | Dark Wood Grain Ring, Bellowing Dragon Crest Ring |
Spells | Great Chaos Fireball, Power Within, Great Combustion, Fire Tempest, Fire Whip, Poison Mist |
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For something a bit hotter, but also more offense-focused, this Pyromancy build will not disappoint. If the target is far, use the Chaos Fireball. If they get near, burn them with everything you got. If they're still not dead, skewer them with Quelaag's burning sword and turn them into a kebab.
10 Dexterity And Bleed
![Best Builds In Dark Souls, Ranked (8) Best Builds In Dark Souls, Ranked (8)](https://i0.wp.com/static1.thegamerimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/dark-souls-bleed-build.jpg)
Required Stats
Soul Level | 120 |
---|---|
Vitality | 50 |
Attunement | 12 |
Endurance | 50 |
Strength | 16 |
Dexterity | 45 |
Resistance | 11 |
Intelligence | 9 |
Faith | 9 |
Required Equipment
Weapons | Lifehunt Scythe, Gold Tracer, Bloodshield, Pyromancy Flame |
---|---|
Armor | Gauntlet of Thorns (Gauntlet) |
Rings | Ring of Favor & Protection, Havel Ring |
Spells | Black Flame |
Oh no, Dexterity? Well, it's a Bleed build, so you can excuse that. In any case, it's not as annoying or as tedious as Dark Souls 3's Bleed build, where you have to keep reapplying the Bleed infusion on the weapon. The Scythe does that for you already. All you have to do is keep landing those attacks to build up the bleed stacks. The target will eventually drop.
9 Quality Build
![Best Builds In Dark Souls, Ranked (9) Best Builds In Dark Souls, Ranked (9)](https://i0.wp.com/static1.thegamerimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/dark-souls-quality-build.jpg)
Required Stats
Soul Level | 120 |
---|---|
Vitality | 41 |
Attunement | 12 |
Endurance | 40 |
Strength | 40 |
Dexterity | 40 |
Resistance | 11 |
Intelligence | 9 |
Faith | 9 |
Required Equipment
Weapons | Halberd, Gold Tracer, Tower Kite Shield, Pyromancy Flame |
---|---|
Rings | Ring of Favor & Protection, Wolf Ring |
Spells | Great Chaos Fireball, Fire Tempest |
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'Quality' is Dark Souls jargon for a healthy combination of the Strength and Dexterity stats. This opens up many opportunities for both weapons and armor, so armor choice is really up to you — and you can even opt for the Zweihander instead of the Halberd. The playstyle requires that you learn to dodge and poke enemies. The damage is reliable enough to carry you through most duels and fights and pyromancy spells are great as panic buttons.
8 Kirk Knight Of Thorns
![Best Builds In Dark Souls, Ranked (11) Best Builds In Dark Souls, Ranked (11)](https://i0.wp.com/static1.thegamerimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/dark-souls-kirk.jpg)
Required Stats
Soul Level | 120 |
---|---|
Vitality | 45 |
Attunement | 16 |
Endurance | 40 |
Strength | 27 |
Dexterity | 45 |
Resistance | 11 |
Intelligence | 9 |
Faith | 9 |
Required Equipment
Weapons | Barbed Straight Sword, Spiked Shield, Pyromancy Flame |
---|---|
Armor | Thorns Armor Set |
Rings | Ring of Favor & Protection, Havel Ring |
Spells | Great Chaos Fireball, Fire Tempest |
The beauty in cosplay builds that work both in PvE and PvP is that you get to look stylish. It beats donning min-maxed armor that looks like a fantasy character trope. This is by far one of the most intimidating builds in Dark Souls. On top of the shock factor, the Kirk build also has the potential for a Bleed setup.
7 Knight Artorias
![Best Builds In Dark Souls, Ranked (12) Best Builds In Dark Souls, Ranked (12)](https://i0.wp.com/static1.thegamerimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/dark-souls-artorias.jpg)
Required Stats
Soul Level | 120 |
---|---|
Vitality | 43 |
Attunement | 12 |
Endurance | 42 |
Strength | 31 |
Dexterity | 27 |
Resistance | 11 |
Intelligence | 18 |
Faith | 18 |
Required Equipment
Weapons | Abyss Greatsword, Cleansing Greatshield, Pyromancy Flame |
---|---|
Armor | Artorias Armor Set |
Rings | Ring of Favor & Protection, Wolf Ring |
Spells | Power Within, Black Flame |
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Another cosplay build that will surely put fear into the hearts and minds of your enemies is the legendary Corrupted Knight Artorias. With this one, you'll also have to play offensively, since it doesn't have as many tricks as the spellcaster builds or Bleed builds. The things it does have going for it are staggering capability and good damage. Black Flame is a backup that many PvP players won't expect from something like this.
6 Slow-Walk Build
![Best Builds In Dark Souls, Ranked (14) Best Builds In Dark Souls, Ranked (14)](https://i0.wp.com/static1.thegamerimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/giant-set-dark-souls.jpg)
Required Stats
Soul Level | 120 |
---|---|
Vitality | 60 |
Attunement | 8 |
Endurance | 30 |
Strength | 50 |
Dexterity | 25 |
Resistance | 11 |
Intelligence | 9 |
Faith | 9 |
Required Equipment
Weapons | Stone Greatsword, Dragonslayer Spear, Havel's Greatshield |
---|---|
Armor | Giant Armor Set |
Rings | Ring of Favor & Protection, Bloodbite Ring |
The Slow-Walk build, courtesy of JerpDoesGames, is the very antithesis of the current and most popular meta in Dark Souls PvP. Instead of all the flipping ninja Havel moms and dads, this one is content with a slower movement speed. Poise is still great due to the giant set, and trading blows is one of the most effective tactics here.
5 Ayriak's Quality Pyromancer
![Best Builds In Dark Souls, Ranked (15) Best Builds In Dark Souls, Ranked (15)](https://i0.wp.com/static1.thegamerimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Dark-Souls-Laurentius-Pyromancer-Cropped.jpg)
Required Stats
Soul Level | 120 |
---|---|
Vitality | 45 |
Attunement | 16 |
Endurance | 40 |
Strength | 32 |
Dexterity | 40 |
Resistance | 12 |
Intelligence | 10 |
Faith | 8 |
Required Equipment
Weapons | Black Knight Halberd, Caduceus Round Shield, Ascended Flame |
---|---|
Armor | Thief Mask (Helm), Hollow Thief's Leather Armor (Body), Knight Gauntlets (Hands), Hollow Soldier Waistcloth (Legs) |
Rings | Ring of Favor & Protection, Wolf Ring |
Spells | Great Fireball, Fire Tempest, Fire Surge, Great Combustion |
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For a Pyromancer that can still do a bit of everything — including fighting in melee range, then this build from Ayriak does the job well. As always, you'll have to pelt and pepper your enemies with fire spells from a distance, and then skewer them with the halberd once they get close. It can catch some PvP players by surprise, especially if they think you're a helpless Pyromancer in melee.
4 Crestfallen Warrior
![Best Builds In Dark Souls, Ranked (17) Best Builds In Dark Souls, Ranked (17)](https://i0.wp.com/static1.thegamerimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Crestfallen-Warrior-build-in-dark-souls.jpg)
Required Stats
Soul Level | 120 |
---|---|
Vitality | 45 |
Attunement | 8 |
Endurance | 40 |
Strength | 40 |
Dexterity | 40 |
Resistance | 11 |
Intelligence | 9 |
Faith | 9 |
Required Equipment
Weapons | Longsword, Heater Shield |
---|---|
Armor | Chain Armor (Body), Leather Gauntlet (Hands), Chain Leggings (Legs) |
Rings | Ring of Favor & Protection, Wolf Ring |
Everyone knows by now that the Longsword is a powerful meta weapon in Dark Souls. The best thing about this weapon is that it still allows cosplay builds like this to function properly. This time around, you're the Crestfallen Warrior, and you're getting tired of just sitting around in the Firelink Shrine. So, you might as well collect some Humanity or kill some gods.
3 Bonewheel Skelly
![Best Builds In Dark Souls, Ranked (18) Best Builds In Dark Souls, Ranked (18)](https://i0.wp.com/static1.thegamerimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/bonewheel-build-dark-souls.jpg)
Required Stats
Soul Level | 120 |
---|---|
Vitality | 37 |
Attunement | 8 |
Endurance | 89 |
Strength | 30 |
Dexterity | 9 |
Resistance | 11 |
Intelligence | 8 |
Faith | 10 |
Required Equipment
Weapons | Bonewheel Shield x2 |
---|---|
Armor | Mask of the Child (Head), Thorn Armor Set (Body, Hands, Legs) |
Rings | Cloranthy Ring, Havel's Ring |
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This one's more of a joke build, but it still works surprisingly well in multiplayer. It's a cosplay of those wretched Bonewheel Skeleton enemies in the Catacombs. The dual Bonewheel Shields can prove enough as weapons, and you can just keep attacking and dodging lightly thanks to the monstrous Stamina allowance. At the very least, you'll strike some fear into the hearts of PvP enemies.
2 Oroboro's Falchion Build
![Best Builds In Dark Souls, Ranked (20) Best Builds In Dark Souls, Ranked (20)](https://i0.wp.com/static1.thegamerimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/oroboros-falchion-build-in-dark-souls.jpg)
Required Stats
Soul Level | 120 |
---|---|
Vitality | 50 |
Attunement | 16 |
Endurance | 40 |
Strength | 12 |
Dexterity | 40 |
Resistance | 11 |
Intelligence | 8 |
Faith | 30 |
Required Equipment
Weapons | Falchion, Grass Crest Shield, Talisman |
---|---|
Armor | Elite Knight Helm (Head), Elite Knight Armor (Body), Havel's Gauntlets (Hands), Wanderer Boots (Legs) |
Rings | Ring of Favor & Protection, Havel's Ring |
Spells | Darkmoon Blade, Wrath of the Gods, Sunlight Blade |
From Oroboro himself comes this notorious build that is as close to being a hate-mail magnet as the Giant Dad build. You'll simply need to cast either Darkmoon Blade or Sunlight Blade on a Falchion, and just spam two-handed attacks. Wrath of the Gods will help you deal with multiple enemies. It also works well in PvE, thanks to the fast attack speed.
1 Giant Dad
![Best Builds In Dark Souls, Ranked (21) Best Builds In Dark Souls, Ranked (21)](https://i0.wp.com/static1.thegamerimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Giant-Dad.jpg)
Required Stats
Soul Level | 99 |
---|---|
Vitality | 48 |
Attunement | 12 |
Endurance | 66 |
Strength | 16 |
Dexterity | 10 |
Resistance | 11 |
Intelligence | 8 |
Faith | 10 |
Required Equipment
Weapons | Chaos Zweihander, Grass Crest Shield, Pyromancy Flame |
---|---|
Armor | Mask of the Father (Helmet), Giant Armor Set (Body, Hands, Legs) |
Rings | Ring of Favor & Protection, Havel's Ring |
Spells | Black Flame |
Speaking of legends in the Dark Souls mythos, none can match the notoriety and esteem of the fan-created Giant Dad character. It's a build so cheesy and efficient that it shoved its way into the game's fan canon as an extra character. The idea is simple: use the Zweihander's staggering ability to stun-lock enemies in PvP; they usually go down in three to four swings. Be prepared for some toxic post-PvP mail, but just tell them that's how it is and that you're an in-game boss — because the legend never dies.
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