Elden Ring Build Guide: Faith/Dexterity (2024)

Faith is a stat that can be dipped in, dabbled with, dedicated to, and slotted. As a stat, it opens up so many avenues for power that no other stat in Elden Ring can compare. With incantations that can deal damage, buff your stats, and heal, even a few points can make or break a build.

If you want to survive in Elden Ring, a Faith/Dex build comes in clutch for a variety of situations. Combining some of the strongest weapons in the game with some of the best buffs does tend to have positive results. After all, a Dex/Faith build lets you become lightning incarnate with a strong melee weapon to boot.

Updated July 6, 2024, by Andrew Scariati: Now that the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is accessible, there are plenty of new items that can improve the best Dex/Faith build in Elden Ring. We've updated this build with more recommendations for an Elden Ring Dex/Faith build than ever before.

What Is A Faith/Dexterity Build?

Elden Ring's Dex/Faith build combines the utility of Faith with the overwhelming damage you'd get from a Dexterity build.

You can cast, buff, debuff, heal and even harness the limitless power of dragons if you want to go all out. You have access to every combat style, and all it takes is a bit of preparation to pop off.

Faith/Dex Build – Stats To Aim For

See Also

Elden Ring Build Guide: Intelligence/DexterityWhat are Elden Ring’s soft caps for all stats in 2024?Elden Ring Attributes GuideThe Best Elden Ring Dexterity Build - Stats, Weapons, Skills & More

For stats, you want to reach a mostly even split between Dexterity, Faith, and Vigor.

This build has pushed them all to 55, which is only five points off the soft cap, and with Talismans, it will hit that cap with most of those stats.

This Dex/Faith build maximizes damage output at long range and in close combat, while also keeping your HP as high as possible.

Endurance is as high as you can push it based on starting class.

Anywhere between 20 and 25 is good, as this will let you wear heavier armor, and increase your Stamina gauge.

How To Make The Best Faith/Dex General Builds

Weapon

• Scythe

OR

• Nagakiba
• Cross-Naginata
• Uchigatana

DLC-Only Weapons

• Barbed Staff-Spear
• Black Steel Twinblade

This Dex/Faith build primarily focuses on the Scythe as the main weapon for these key reasons:

1. The Scythe as a weapon has great reach.
2. Your Scythe inflicts bleed and even boasts a fantastic moveset that can deal with single targets and hordes.
3. Furthermore, when infused to be a Keen Scythe, it even has A-Scaling in Dexterity, which is ideal.
   • You don’t want to make this a Sacred Scythe
     • This will decrease its overall damage due to the inferior split scaling, and because it will also split the damage profile.
   • It will also prevent you from buffing it as much, which is antithetical to this build’s identity.

The Uchigatana and Nagakiba are excellent alternatives to your Scythe, as is the Cross-Naginata.

Use what you feel most comfortable with, but remember to infuse them into Keen variants to help improve their Dexterity scaling.

The Barbed Staff-Spear is the best weapon from the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC for a Dex/Faith Elden Ring build, given it caps out at A-scaling in Faith along with D-scaling for Dexterity.

Main Incantations

• Electrify Armament
• Flame, Grant me Strength
• Lightning Spear
• Golden Vow

Golden Vow is the best incantation in Elden Ring – it buffs your attack and defense, making you much more effective in combat.

Electrify Armament is your most important incantation, as, without this, most of your other buffs will not function.

This will increase your damage while also enveloping your weapon in Lightning. This Lightning damage can then be buffed with Tears and Talismans, making you even more powerful.

Flame, Grant Me Strength is the last buff you will need.

Of all the powerful incantations you can choose in Elden Ring, this one is the least impactful due to the build's lack of Fire damage.

Thankfully, this buff also increases Physical damage, which is very useful.

Finally, Lightning Spear is your go-to ranged spell as it deals great damage, can be charged, and casts quickly.

Talismans

There are only two must-have Talismans for this build, as the rest are up to your discretion:

1. Radagon’s Soreseal
2. Lightning Scorpion Charm.

Radagon’s Soreseal will increase your Vigor and Dexterity to 60, which is the soft cap.

However, feel free to use as many of the following recommendations as possible for your Elden Ring Dex/Faith build, as these are some of the best Talismans in Elden Ring.

Erdtree’s Favor will increase your HP, FP, Stamina, and Equip Load, allowing you to take more damage, use more stamina, cast more spells, and wear heavier armor.

The final Talisman to consider would be the Dragoncrest Greatshield, which increases your Physical damage resistance.

Radagon’s Soreseal and Lightning Scorpion Charm make you more susceptible to damage, so the Dragoncrest Greatshield can help offset that.

The Two-Headed Turtle Talisman will help ensure your Stamina is always available when you need it to dodge or attack.

Beloved Stardust will help you to cast your incantations quickly, defeating enemies faster.

Lastly, the Enraged Divine Beast, which can be acquired after defeating the Divine Beast Dancing Lion and changing its Remembrance at the Roundtable Hold. It increases your lighting storms, giving you a damage boost for your Elden Ring Faith/Dex build.

Armor

Due to your Endurance (and Erdtree’s Favor), you should be able to wear some of the heavier armor in the game.

Aim to maximize your Damage Reduction and Poise while maintaining a Medium Roll.

Flask Of Wondrous Physick

• Lightning-Shrouding Cracked Tear
• Dexterity-knot Crystal Tear

You want to use the Lightning-Shrouding Tear and Dexterity-Knot to maximize your damage output.

These will increase your damage output significantly for three minutes, and they stack with all of your other buffs from Incantations and Talismans.

With everything in place, you're ready to put your Elden Ring Dex/Faith build to the test.