Elden Ring Arcane Build: Spells, Weapons & More

Elden Ring Arcane Build is one of the top overpowered builds in Elden Ring. As you can see in this article, Arcane works best with Vigor, Endurance, and Dexterity. You don’t need to focus any scaling points on any other stats for your arcane build. Today’s build will talk about the recommended spells, talismans, armor, and the top 7 arcane + bleed weapons in the game. The amount of bleed damage is truly a marvelous sight to see, and you can unleash the full potential of this build on any boss in the game. Moreover, do not be confused by the significant number of weapons, spells, and talismans mentioned in the article. They are for you to choose from the rest of the others; also, they will blend in perfectly with the right situation.

Elden Ring Arcane Build

The arcane build is focused on Vigor and Arcane. The bleed weapons that go perfectly with these attributes are only a handful in number. Our guide will discuss the best arcane weapons you can go for regardless of your playstyle. Keep in mind that arcane weapons will include all those weapons that can trigger blood loss buildup. Blood loss buildup is an insane “perk” that comes with weapons such as Reduvia Dagger and Rivers of Blood Katana. More specifically, your character triggers Blood Loss by impaling himself with the weapon. After that, you can bleed the enemy’s HP at every passing second. The triggered blood loss has a meter that depreciates if you’re not getting hit by the enemy.

The same goes for hitting the enemy, so you need to be aggressive when triggering blood loss. The damage per second is great for smaller enemies and small for bosses. We have seen numerous “toxic” bleed builds in PvE invasions that literally shred the enemies. We will go over the stats down below;

Recommended Stats

• Vigor – (45-60)
• Mind – (19-24)
• Endurance – (30-38)
• Strength – (12-17)
• Dexterity – (28-40)
• Intelligence – (7-10)
• Faith – (15-25)
• Arcane – (50-60)

Before starting with your Elden Ring Arcane Build, you need to familiarize yourself with the recommended stats. If you are going to work on an arcane build that focuses on bleed weapons and blood loss buildup on enemies, you should have your stats scaled, as mentioned above. Vigor, Endurance, Dexterity, and Arcane are scaled above 30 points because most of the weapons in our Arcane build have a specific requirement that needs to be completed to wield or equip them. Therefore, you need to have higher stats to wield these weapons. Furthermore, the range for these values is optimal for your playstyle, which means you can configure the build however you like; you do not require any fixed attributes.

You can check out our stats guide on Elden Ring to better understand the concept of attributes in the game. Once you realize how crucial each stat is and what purpose they hold in the game, you will be able to mend them accordingly in your build. For instance, if you want to achieve a higher health bar, your primary focus will be to grind points in Vigor. Vigor will increase the health bar of your player, and you will be able to survive harsh battles. Not only will you be contributing to your health, but you will be immune to certain elements in the game, such as poison and fire.

Related: Poison Build in Elden Ring with recommended stats, spells, and weapons.

Spells For Arcane Build

You cannot survive any type of battle without equipping yourself with the best spells related to your build. It is not always necessary, but it is viable to keep spells up your sleeve. Spells and incantations can change the tides of the battle, and they can even help you avoid close-range fights. Furthermore, you may have seen spells quite effective for healing and dealing damage to the enemies. For instance, you can burn the enemy to a crisp using the Fire Sling or Bloodflame spell at a distance. On rare occasions, players can have a hard time beating enemies at close range. You can use additional spells to help you in the battle for that purpose.

We have listed the best spells you can use for your Elden Ring Arcane Build. These spells can help you get an edge over your enemies in PvE and PvP. However, a few spells such as Bloodboon and Placidusax’s Ruin might not significantly benefit you in PvE fights.

Swarm of Flies

It is a spell that summons a swarm of flies that target the enemy at a precise aim. The flies can do blood loss build-up on the enemies once hit, and players can spam the spell countless times. The cast time is significantly lower and costs minimal FP to conjure. Who knew that a swarm of flies could be your greatest weapon? Once you cast the spell, the flies will fly towards the target and follow them regardless of their movement. The blood loss inflicted on the enemy will be exponential because of the high arcane state.

You can keep casting the spell and watch the insane blood loss. To avoid the enemies in PvP rolling frequently, you can close the gap after casting the spell and hit them with your blood loss weapons. To obtain the Swarm of Flies spell, you need to head over to Mohgwyn Palace, get to the first sight of grace, follow the path down the red bloodstream, and enter the second cave. You will see a body lying on the ground, and it will have the spell.

Bloodboon

You can get the spell from the Lord of Blood Boss. Exchange the Remembrance of the Blood Lord with Bloodboon spell from a Vendor. With the suitable flask of wondrous Physick mix, you can amplify the damage output of the Bloodboon spell. The incantation costs 15 FP and lets the caster unleash blood flame at a distance. It causes an area of effect damage and has a good blood loss effect. The damage and the cast speed of the spell can be increased while decreasing the effect start-up time. You can use the spell in both PvP and PvE, in which case the damage is insane for grouped enemies.

Your character will throw the blood flames horizontally, and the spell will leave lingering effects of fire and blood loss. Again, players can spam the spell countless times due to its low FP cost. Combined with Swarm of Flies, you can get incredible damage from them.

Ekzyke’s Decay

The Ekzyke’s Decay summons a dragon head and spews a heavy cloud of scarlet rot, one of our favorite spells. The damage inflicted by the spell is exceptionally high once it starts to proc onto enemies. On top of that, you can control the cloud of scarlet rot breath by aiming it in any direction you want. However, the more you charge up the spell, the more FP it will consume. The range on this spell is insane, and it has an area of effect damage. It can also cause a huge blood loss build-up and poison effect on the enemy that lingers on for a few minutes.

Use this spell in PvE or PvP and watch the enemies drown themselves in their blood! The amount of FP it consumes is significantly higher, but that’s a good trade between heavy damage and the scarlet rot effect. Moreover, it requires 15 Arcane and 23 Faith. We have already discussed the minimum stat scaling for the Elden Ring Arcane Build, so you will not need to pump extra points into Faith or Arcane to use Ekzyke’s Decay.

Theodorix’s Magma

The spell is remarkably similar to Ekzyke’s Decay, as it summons a dragon head to spew flames of magma on the ground, causing an Area of Effect damage to multiple targets. The enemies will get more damage if they walk across the magma left by the spell. You can obtain Theodorix’s Magma after getting Dragon Heart from the Great Wyrm Theodorix. Go to the Cathedral of Dragon Communion and trade the Dragon Heart for this spell. Moreover, continuous use of the spell can stagger the enemies, giving you a window of opportunity to strike them with your blood loss weapons.

Additionally, the spell itself has an insane amount of blood loss build-up. After the initial hit of the spell is initiated, you can go for another round of magma breath that costs additional FP. The spell is excellent for dealing with multiple targets due to its heavy Area of Effect damage. It requires 21 Faith and 14 Arcane to be used.

Placidusax’s Ruin

It lets you summon a vicious dragon that spews golden breath of doom. The spell projects the golden breath like a laser beam, viciously sprayed across the field in multiple directions. An incredible animation with significant damage, the spell can also be triggered from the air, and believe it or not, it looks badass! Imagine jumping off from a high place and triggering Placidusax’s Ruin. You can see the dragon spew his golden breath on enemies and cause insane damage to them. A great thing about this spell is that you can aim it at a 360-degree angle, which means you can either focus the beam on a single target or move it around in any direction. Nevertheless, it causes huge damage and exhausts your stamina completely.

You can use the spell in PvP and hit the enemy with a combination of attacks. For instance, you can thrust the enemy with your sword and trigger the spell once they get hit by your initial attack. The damage done by the first attack will be enough to completely destroy the enemy once you hit them with the golden breath of Placidusax.

Flame, Grant Me Strength

It is an incantation that boosts melee damage and any fire spells that you use. Any weapon you use will have an increased damage effect if you use the Flame, Grant me Strength incantation. It is a perfect spell for any bleed or arcane build because you will gain more blood loss build-up or damage to your enemies once cast. Before entering into any fight, you can use the spell to buff up other spells and weapons in your arsenal, and you can see the insane difference in damage.

Flask of Wondrous Physick

Now, for your Flask of Wondrous Physick, you can use the following mix to produce significant effects. your 

• Flame-Shrouding Cracked Tear
• Thorny Cracked Tear

The Flame-Shrouding Cracked Tear will buff up your fire spells, and Thorny Cracked Tear will enhance your physical attacks. So, when you’re hitting combos, your attack damage will stack up and deal more damage to the enemy.

Weapons For Arcane Build

To further amplify the true potential of any Elden Ring Arcane Build, a player needs a perfect weapon. This section will discuss the top 7 arcane weapons you can use to trigger an insane amount of blood loss build-up on your enemies, along with considerable damage. The mentioned weapons are high in blood loss-build up, and the bleed damage can finish the enemies within minutes of the fight. They are extremely useful in PvE and PvP fights, and players can easily get an edge over the enemies. Additionally, any of the seven weapons mentioned below can easily face off with more than one enemy simultaneously, which means they are extremely overpowered and deadly.

Godskin Peeler

Basic Information:

Type	Twin Blade
Attack Type	Strike
Skills	Black Flame Tornado
FP Cost	30
Weight	8.0
Sell price	500

Stats:

Attribute	Attack	Guard
Physical Damage	121	47
Magical Damage	0	31
Fire Damage	0	31
Lightning Damage	0	31
Holy Damage	0	31
Critical Damage	100	-
Boost	-	31

Requirements:

Attribute	Values	Scaling
Strength	17	E
Dexterity	22	C
Intelligence	0	-
Faith	0	-
Arcane	0	-

To gain increased damage and bleed from your weapon, you should equip the Ash of War Seppuku with Occult. With the jump attacks, you can proc more blood loss on enemies with the Godskin Peeler. You can hit the enemy multiple times and increase the damage output inflicted on them. With a suitable talisman, you can get a good damage boost to those jump attacks. The ash of war lets you coat your blades in blood and increase the attack power along with your ability to inflict blood loss. The enemies will quickly have huge chunks of damage off their health bar.

Consequently, the blood loss build-up on this weapon alone is fearsome; together with a talisman, the weapon can be deadly. We discussed before that you need to be aggressive in your attacks after you trigger blood loss by impaling yourself with your weapon right in the chest. Otherwise, a delay in your hits will reset the blood loss, and you won’t be able to inflict any bleed damage to the enemies. On the other hand, the range of the weapon is significantly higher, and you can aim at those enemies that rely on mid-range fights.

Eleonora’s Poleblade

Basic Information:

Type	Twin Blade
Attack Type	Standard/Pierce
Skills	Blood Blade Dance
FP Cost	11(-6)
Weight	6.0
Sell price	100

Stats:

Attribute	Attack	Guard
Physical Damage	72	33
Magical Damage	-	23
Fire Damage	72	47
Lightning Damage	-	23
Holy Damage	-	23
Critical Damage	100	-
Boost	-	28

Requirements:

Attribute	Values	Scaling
Strength	12	E
Dexterity	21	D
Intelligence	-	-
Faith	-	-
Arcane	19	D

The Blood Blade Dance is a skill on the weapon with excellent damage output and range. The Poleblade scales with Arcane and requires 19 Arcane to equip it. Moreover, it has a double heavy attack, and at the end of the attack, the character leans back to cover some distance from the enemy. When you are fighting enemies in PvP, the skill of Blood Blade Dance can come in handy when evading certain attacks. The move set on the weapon is pretty neat, and the fact that it scales with arcane is incredible. You can get an insane amount of blood loss from this weapon, and its range gives you an extra buff for those long-range attacks.

Eleonora’s Poleblade can be obtained from Yura’s Questline. We have an article on that, so you can check out the link and find out what great rewards you’re missing from that quest. Anyways, with this weapon, you don’t need to stay close to the enemy to damage them. The heavy attacks take time to be executed, although the animation is impressive. You can get staggered if you use the heavy attacks in challenging situations. You need to be careful when and where you are executing your move sets.

Bloody Helice

Basic Information:

Type	Heavy Thrusting Sword
Attack Type	Standard/Pierce
Skills	Dynast's Finesse
FP Cost	5(-7)
Weight	8.0
Sell price	200

Stats:

Attribute	Attack	Guard
Physical Damage	121	57
Magical Damage	0	40
Fire Damage	0	40
Lightning Damage	0	40
Holy Damage	0	40
Critical Damage	100	-
Boost	-	34

Requirements:

Attribute	Values	Scaling
Strength	16	E
Dexterity	19	D
Intelligence	0	-
Faith	0	-
Arcane	17	D

The range of Bloody Helice can help you deal damage to the enemies at mid-range. The weapon has an excellent move set, one of which allows you to dash forward, followed by a lean back and then an instant thrust in front of the enemy. The animation can be pretty confusing to the enemy, as they will think you are retreating and rush you. Little do they know, the attack will blindside them and cause huge damage right off the bat! Bloody Helice is another blood loss weapon with an insane build-up of blood. Its hits can be deadly and dangerous once connected, and the effects can linger on for more than half a minute.

It is a heavy thrusting sword that combines great physical damage with bleed build-up and amazing animation art that allows you to dodge and counter with a deadly attack. In terms of PvP, we definitely recommend that you go with the Bloody Helice instead of the Rivers of Blood, even though that Katana is overpowered in most cases.

Reduvia Dagger

Basic Information:

Type	Dagger
Attack Type	Slash/Pierce
Skills	Reduvia Blood Blade
FP Cost	6(-6)
Weight	2.5
Sell price	100

Stats:

Attribute	Attack	Guard
Physical Damage	79	38
Magical Damage	-	22
Fire Damage	-	22
Lightning Damage	-	22
Holy Damage	-	22
Critical Damage	110	-
Boost	-	16

Requirements:

Attribute	Values	Scaling
Strength	5	E
Dexterity	13	D
Intelligence	-	-
Faith	-	-
Arcane	13	D

Another weapon that scales with arcane and does blood loss build-up is Reduvia. It is a dagger that players can obtain from Yura’s Questline. It is a neat dagger than can be quite deadly in close-range fights and is highly effective in situations where you need to get close to the enemy and use melee damage. The attack pattern on the dagger is satisfactory; however, with each deadly hit, you can proc blood loss on enemies. The Reduvia Dagger can be fairly ineffective in PvE fights in rare cases because you need to get close to the enemy, which can leave you open to countless attacks.

Furthermore, you can increase the weapon’s effectiveness if you dual-wield it. The insane amount of damage and that devastating blood loss build-up on enemies can leave them to their slow death. Especially in PvE, you can cause bleed to your enemies with every hit. After the blood loss is triggered, you can sit back and watch as the enemy’s health bar drains to the last bar. It is a fun weapon to use, especially if you’re into arcane and blood loss builds. The only downside of this weapon is its range; still, it suffices in terms of damage and blood loss, and you only need 13 arcane and 13 dexterity to equip the Reduvia Dagger.

Rivers of Blood

The Katana does incredible damage in PvP invasions, and you can use it to inflict blood loss build-up on your enemies. Many players have spammed its move set in PvP fights and succeeded in winning countless battles!

Basic Information:

Type	Katana
Attack Type	Slash/Pierce
Skills	Corpse Piler
FP Cost	17(-9)
Weight	6.5
Sell price	500

Stats:

Attribute	Attack	Guard
Physical Damage	76	36
Magical Damage	-	26
Fire Damage	76	52
Lightning Damage	-	26
Holy Damage	-	26
Critical Damage	100	-
Boost	-	31

Requirements:

Attribute	Values	Scaling
Strength	12	E
Dexterity	18	D
Intelligence	-	-
Faith	-	-
Arcane	20	D

Insane blood loss, fantastic range, deadly move set, and devastating damage; wow, the Rivers of Blood Katana has it all. The Katana lets you slash and pierce enemies and cause a considerable blood loss build-up that can destroy the enemies in mere seconds. The long-range of the Katana is very helpful in mid-range fights, and the slashes have a good range so that you can inflict damage on the enemies. We have seen many players use Rivers of Blood Katana in PvP. They use the weapon in a badass Samurai Build; moreover, the weapon scales with Arcane and does incredible damage.

During PvP fights, the weapon can be used to win unfair fights where the enemy is great in numbers. For instance, you can do double the damage to two players facing you in a dual. More than one player can be affected by the slashes and pierce attacks of the Katana, and it can trigger insane blood loss build-up. Additionally, you can combine various high base damage for such a fast weapon with good bleed build-up. It has a unique weapon skill that stacks up the bleed and raw damage to insane levels. Rivers of Blood is an excellent addition to your Elden Ring Arcane Build.

Talisman

• Ritual Sword

Mohgwyn’s Sacred Spear

Basic Information:

Type	Great Spear
Attack Type	Pierce
Skills	Bloodboon Ritual
FP Cost	20(-20)
Weight	10
Sell price	100

Stats:

Attribute	Attack	Guard
Physical Damage	96	57
Magical Damage	-	36
Fire Damage	62	49
Lightning Damage	-	36
Holy Damage	-	36
Critical Damage	100	-
Boost	-	46

Requirements:

Attribute	Values	Scaling
Strength	24	D
Dexterity	14	E
Intelligence	-	-
Faith	-	-
Arcane	27	D

The spear is broken in the game. With only the use of L2 on your controller, you can unleash the devils’ horns on the enemy. The amount of damage this spear does is insane. Not only that, the range is spectacular! Stand anywhere in the arena and cast the deadliest attack you could conjure and destroy your enemies. It does an area of effect damage to anyone that stands anywhere near the enchanted weapon. We personally enjoyed the pure red color it emits during the animation. It is as if Satan came to finish business.

Moreover, the spear is insanely refined, and you can unleash not one, not two, but three horrifying combos on any enemy! Yes, you heard us; you can use the move on the Sacred Spear three times in a row and cause devastating damage to the enemy! The recommended talisman can buff the damage output of the spear to insane levels, and it can obliterate the enemies or groups of mobs in an instant. The weapon is a devastating choice for all the Elden Ring players out there.

Talisman

• Lord of Blood’s Exultation

Marais Executioner’s Sword

Basic Information:

Type	Great Swords
Attack Type	Standard/Pierce
Skills	Eochaid’s Dancing Blade
FP Cost	15
Weight	11.5
Sell price	1000

Stats:

Attribute	Attack	Guard
Physical Damage	94	68
Magical Damage	61	49
Fire Damage	-	36
Lightning Damage	-	36
Holy Damage	-	36
Critical Damage	100	-
Boost	-	46

Requirements:

Attribute	Values	Scaling
Strength	24	C
Dexterity	14	E
Intelligence	-	-
Faith	-	-
Arcane	23	D

Although the weapon first scales with strength and Arcane second, it can still cause a huge blood loss effect. The requirements of the sword are 24 Strength and 23 Arcane with 14 Dexterity. The attributes are not that difficult to achieve if you have already balanced out your stats, as mentioned above in our Stats section. It is a badass weapon that looks amazing as well. Not to mention the unique skill of the sword is worth triggering. The Dancing Blade lets you infuse the sword with devilish energy, and you can swing it at the enemy regardless of their distance. Once the sword hits its mark, it will do a series of damage by violently spinning on one specific spot. The damage will be astonishing with the duration of the spin and the incredible range.

However, weapons such as the Marais Executioner’s Sword can be pretty ineffective in PvP fights, and you will know why. Due to the Dancing Blade skill, the weapon needs to be fired at the enemy, and it needs to connect in order for it to work. In PvP fights, enemies do multiple rolls and slides to dodge your attacks. Therefore, it is really hard to hit them with this skill. Nevertheless, it does tremendous damage once it hits both during and after the throw. Apart from the skill and damage, the blood loss build-up on this sword is truly magnificent. With the series of attacks, you can stack up blood proc and watch your enemies die instantly. From the top 7 alternatives of weapons, you can use Marais Executioner’s Sword in your Elden Ring Arcane Build.

Talisman

• Rotten Winged Sword Insignia
• Eochaid’s Dancing Blade
• Shard of Alexander

The above talismans are recommended for the Executioner’s Sword as they buff the damage output of the sword.

Related: Best Talismans to use in Elden Ring.

Dragon Communion Seal

It is not a weapon but a seal that can boost Dragon Communion incantations. These are your spells, such as Ekzyke’s Decay and Placidusax’s Ruin that we have mentioned before. It is a really good seal for your Elden Ring Arcane Build because you will be using any of those dragon incantations in your build. Many players will be confused between the Dragon Communion Seal and the Erdtree Seal. Each is best for Arcane and Faith scaling. However, it is clear that the Dragon Seal is better for Arcane builds and the Erdtree Skill is perfect for Faith builds, so don’t you get confused!

Related: Best Faith weapons in Elden Ring.

Man-Serpent’s Shield

It is a relatively small shield that you can use to defend yourself against more minor attacks. You don’t need it entirely, but it can help you fend off non-threatening attacks, and it pretty much makes you look good if you equip it with samurai armor. Regardless of that, there is no potential need to have a shield around if you’re basically going to go on a devastating blood loss build-up rampage. Who needs a shield when you can devour the souls of the enemies in only two to three hits? 

If you want to deal even more damage, you can wear certain armor pieces that boost your attack output. In such cases, the White Mask is perfect for additional damage. Well, that was a wrap of our Elden Ring Arcane Build guide; you can give us your honest feedback in the comments to let us know what combination of spells and weapons worked best for you. If you are in need of different builds, you can visit our page and have a look at our list of incredible guides on Elden Ring.