Want to try a new Elden Ring dexterity build? Though we all love swinging a person-sized hammer around our heads, dexterity continues to be the slightly superior stat when it comes to beating bosses and in PvP. If anything, it’s a testament to the power of bleed in Elden Ring and just how quickly it can delete bosses when you build things right.
But dexterity can be more than just bleed. It often seems like curved swords have fallen by the wayside a little in the face of their overwhelmingly powerful katana brethren, but they still have a very satisfying moveset, and pair extremely well with certain Ashes of War.
In this Elden Ring dexterity builds guide, I’ll go through four of my favourite dex-focused setups that you can try for yourself in the game, whether you want something a little slower to swing around, or just to slash away at enemies with speed.
The best Elden Ring dexterity builds
Flowing Swordsman
Weapons: Flowing Curved Sword (with Ash of War: Sword Dance) and Scavenger’s Curved Sword
Talismans: Shard of Alexander, Godfrey Icon, Carian Filigreed Crest, Winged Sword Insignia
Armour: Blue Cloth and Warrior set
Stat spread: Dexterity, Endurance, Mind
In the lore surrounding Malenia there are mentions of a blue-clad warrior who taught her how to be such a jerk of a boss. You can actually get their Flowing Curved Sword, and it features a special charged attack that’s similar to the Ash of War: Sword Dance. If you also add that Ash of War, you can create some pretty spectacular flowing combos. You’ll want another curved sword equipped, too, and in this case I chose the Scavenger’s Curved Sword due to its inherent bleed. Make sure to add the Keen affinity to both for that improved dexterity-scaling.
For talismans, you’ll want to buff the sword dance skill, and you can do this with Shard of Alexander, Godfrey Icon, and Carian Filigreed Crest. The Winged Sword Insignia and its variants should also help boost the damage caused by sword dance’s rapid, consecutive strikes.
Bloodhound Knight
Weapons: Bloodhound’s Fang and Bloodhound’s Claws
Talismans: Lord of Blood’s Exultation, Carian Filigreed Crest, Shard of Alexander, Godfrey Icon
Armour: Bloodhound Knight Armour set
Stat spread: Dexterity, Arcane, Endurance, Mind
Bloodhound’s Fang is still one of the best starting weapons for dexterity as it has excellent scaling and applies bleed. Lord of Blood’s Exultation will boost your attack whenever you trigger that bleed, while Shard of Alexander, Godfrey Icon, and Carian Filigreed Crest will increase your skill damage while reducing its FP cost.
If you choose to equip the Bloodhound’s Claws and use the Bloodhound’s Step skill, this FP reduction will also come in pretty handy. The finishing touch is the Bloodhound Knight Armour set from the Gelmir Hero’s Grave dungeon.
Samurai
Weapons: Dual-wield katanas or Cross Naginata
Talismans: Lord of Blood’s Exultation, Carian Filigreed Crest, Shard of Alexander, Godfrey Icon
Armour: Land of Reeds Helmet, Kaiden Armour set
Stat spread: Dexterity, Arcane, Endurance, Mind
The Samurai isn’t just a starting class, and you can build your wandering warrior in all sorts of ways. Katanas are the best weapons in the game: they pretty much all have bleed and excellent scaling. Your best bet is to grab the second Uchigatana in Limgrave and then give them both the keen affinity for extra dex scaling. As you discover Moonveil, Rivers of Blood, and the Meteoric Ore Blade, switch things up. The best thing about dual-wielding katanas is you can quickly apply multiple statuses at once, such as bleed and frost.
That said, you might be tired of katanas, and if so I recommend the Cross Naginata from the Gaol Tunnel dungeon. Personally, I think it’s one of the best weapons in the game. It has an incredibly fun moveset, gives you access to all of the amazing polearm Ashes of War, and applies bleed just like a katana. For armour, I went with the Kaiden set with the Land of Reeds helmet because they look very cool together and it’s available early on. Same as usual, this talisman set will boost your powerful katana skill damage and attack when you trigger bleed.
Ravenmount Assassin
Weapons: Raptor Talons or Hookclaws (in the early game)
Talismans: Lord of Blood’s Exultation, Winged Sword Insignia, Claw Talisman
Armour: Raptor’s Black Feathers, Skeletal Mask
Stat spread: Dexterity, Arcane, Endurance, Mind
The Ravenmount Assassins are a pretty cool group and feel like a fun reference to Eileen from Bloodborne. Their Raptor Talons are also the highest dexterity-scaling hand weapon in the game and apply bleed to boot. Add the keen affinity for even more dexterity-scaling. You can either spec into skill damage with Godfrey’s Icon and Shard of Alexander, or you can move more towards successive attack damage with the Winged Sword Insignia and its variants. You could even throw the Godskin Swaddling Cloth in there for some health regen.
The Claw Talisman is a nice thematic touch that empowers your jumping attacks, and the Lord of Blood’s Exaltation buffs attack when you trigger bleed. The finishing piece is the Ravenmount Assassin armour set that you can find in the Sages’ Cave dungeon behind some illusory walls.