Top 5 Builds for Elden Ring Greatswords in 2023: Enhance Your PvP and PvE Experience

Introduction

In this article, we present the top 5 Elden Ring greatsword builds after the 1.09 patch. These builds feature the best greatsword weapons available in the game: Blasphemous Blade, Dark Moon Greatsword, Godslayer’s Greatsword, Morgott’s Cursed Sword, and Heavy Greatsword.

Greatsword Builds After the 1.09 Patch

With the release of patch 1.09, greatswords in Elden Ring have received significant buffs that have greatly affected the weapon class. The moveset of greatswords has been improved, making the initial heavy attack much faster. This allows players to easily follow up with a heavy attack after stunning their opponent with a light attack, creating effective roll catches. Greatswords also possess high single-attack damage and are more easily power-stanced compared to colossal weapons due to their lower weight. Additionally, the low requirements of greatswords make them easily two-handed in most cases. The changes from the 1.09 patch have solidified greatswords as the best weapons in Elden Ring, dominating both endgame PvE content and PvP. In this article, we will break down the top 5 best Elden Ring greatsword builds, utilizing the most powerful greatsword weapons.

1. Blasphemous Blade Build

Weapons & Ash of War:

• Blasphemous Blade+10 (Right Hand)
• Fingerprint Stone Shield+25 (Left Hand)
• Gravel Stone Seal+25 (Left Hand)

Armor Sets:

• Crimson Hood
• Sanguine Noble Robe
• Millennia’s Gauntlets
• Hoslow’s Greaves

Talismans:

• Shard of Alexander
• Fire Scorpion Charm
• Ritual Sword Talisman
• Flock’s Canvas Talisman

Spells:

• Flame
• Grant Me Strength
• Gold Vow
• Blessing of the Erdtree
• Giantsflame Take Thee
• Ancient Dragons Lightning Spear

Flask of Wondrous Physick:

• Flame-Shrouding Cracked Tear
• Faith-Knot Crystal Tear

Stats (Level 200):

• 55 Vigor
• 30 Mind
• 40 Endurance
• 60 Strength
• 16 Dexterity
• 10 Intelligence
• 60 Faith
• 9 Arcane

The Blasphemous Blade has gained popularity in Elden Ring due to its decreased speed range and recovery time. This build is perfect for players who enjoy guard counters. The Blasphemous Blade deserves a spot among the top three greatsword weapons in Elden Ring, especially on faith builds. This build focuses on maximizing strength and faith, providing the highest possible damage output. The weapon skill of the Blasphemous Blade is the main reason for its top-tier status. Another great feature of this weapon is that it stores HP upon defeating an enemy. The unique skill, Taker’s Flame, raises the sacred sword Aloft, engulfing it in Blasphemous Flames. It then brings the sword down to unleash a forward blast. This skill boasts incredible range, a decent radius, and the added bonus of restoring HP upon killing an enemy, making the Blasphemous Blade build highly effective in both PvE and PvP.

2. Dark Moon Greatsword Build (Moonlight Build)

Weapons & Ash of War:

• Dark Moon Greatsword (Right Hand)
• Carian Regal Scepter (Left Hand) or Lusat’s Glintstone Staff (Left Hand)

Armor Sets:

• Greathelm
• Confessor Armor
• Spellblade’s Gloves
• Spellblade’s Trousers

Talismans:

• Shard of Alexander
• Godfrey Icon
• Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman
• Magic Scorpion Charm

Spells:

• Ranni’s Dark Moon

Flask of Wondrous Physick:

• Greenburst Crystal Tear
• Magic-Shrouding Cracked Tear

Stats (Level 150):

• 50 Vigor
• 35 Mind
• 13 Endurance
• 16 Strength
• 12 Dexterity
• 80 Intelligence
• 14 Faith
• 9 Arcane

The Dark Moon Greatsword is widely recognized and regarded as one of the most powerful greatswords in Elden Ring. This sword scales impressively with intelligence and provides respectable scaling with strength and dexterity. The unique weapon skill of the Dark Moon Greatsword, the Moonlight Greatsword, allows players to unleash a magical long-range attack with every swing. Patch 1.09 has further increased the speed, range, and recovery time of some attacks, making the Moonlight Greatsword even more powerful. This build focuses on maximizing damage output not only with the sword but also with high-intelligence-cost spells. By utilizing spells that enhance magic damage, this build synergizes perfectly with the Dark Moon Greatsword, delivering devastating attacks to enemies.

3. Heavy Greatsword Build

Weapon:

• Heavy Greatsword+25 with Lion’s Claw

Armor:

• Bull-Goat Armor Set

Talismans:

• Erdtree’s Favor
• Pearldrake Talisman+2
• Great-Jar’s Arsenal
• Shard of Alexander

Stats:

• 70 Vigor
• 30 Mind
• 53 Endurance
• 99 Strength
• 19 Dexterity
• 14 Intelligence
• 13 Faith
• 19 Arcane

The Heavy Greatsword possesses a unique charged heavy attack, becoming the only sword in the game with this feature. This devastating attack spins the sword around the player, obliterating all enemies within a 360-degree radius. The greatsword’s moveset is one of the many factors that contribute to its immense power. Additionally, when two-handing the greatsword, players have a solid guard counter without the need for a shield, allowing for the use of heavier and more powerful armor sets. Although players may receive a small amount of chip damage from most attacks, the two-handed guard of the greatsword is highly effective, providing minimal damage taken and the ability to follow up with a guard counter that staggers and stuns enemies. The Lions’ Claw Ash of War is used to take advantage of the amazing strength scaling on this sword. While Blood Infusion is also viable, a pure strength build with heavy scaling still offers superior raw attack power, even at 99 strength and 99 arcane.

4. Godslayer’s Greatsword Build

Weapon:

• Godslayer’s Greatsword+10 with The Queen’s Black Flame (Right Hand)
• Godslayer’s Seal+25 (Left Hand)

Armor:

• Blackflame Monk Hood
• Blackflame Monk Armor
• Blackflame Monk Gauntlets
• Radahn’s Greaves

Talismans:

• Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman
• Fire Scorpion Charm
• Ritual Sword Talisman
• Shard of Alexander

Flask of Wondrous Physick:

• Flame-Shrouding Cracked Tear
• Opaline Hardtear

Stats (Level 150):

• 50 Vigor
• 25 Mind
• 31 Endurance
• 20 Strength
• 40 Dexterity
• 9 Intelligence
• 40 Faith
• 14 Arcane

Godslayer’s Greatsword is a highly enjoyable weapon to wield. Its Ash of War, The Queen’s Black Flame, deals percentage-based fire and physical damage, resulting in significant overall damage. While the Godslayer’s Greatsword requires some hefty strength requirements to wield single-handedly, it shines when combined with dexterity and faith. The Ash of War scales with both dexterity and faith, with fire damage stemming from faith and physical damage coming from dexterity. This build aims to maximize the potential of both dexterity and faith, utilizing the powerful Ash of War. This combination makes the build highly effective in both PvP and PvE. The damage output is remarkable, with each trade dealing almost a thousand damage, making it a force to be reckoned with.

5. Morgott’s Cursed Sword Build

Weapons & Ash of War:

• Morgott’s Cursed Sword+10 (Right Hand)
• Bloodhound’s Fang+10 (Left Hand)
• Dragon Communion Seal+10

Armor Sets:

• White Mask
• Raptor’s Black Feathers
• All-Knowing Gaunltets
• All-Knowing Gauntlets

Talismans:

• Shard of Alexander
• Lord of Blood’s Exultation
• Great-Jar’s Arsenal
• Erdtree’s Favor

Flask of Wondrous Physick:

• Flame-Shrouding Cracked Tear
• Crimson Bubbletear

Stats (Level 150):

• 60 Vigor
• 10 Mind
• 15 Endurance
• 18 Strength
• 75 Dexterity
• 9 Intelligence
• 25 Faith
• 17 Arcane

The adjustment of speed, range, and recovery time of various attacks has greatly improved curved greatswords. The increased speed and range, especially when used with one or two hands, make them highly versatile. The improvements are further enhanced by powerful Ashes of War, such as Bloodhound’s Fang and Bloodhound Finesse, which include an uppercut strike that deals significant damage. In patch 1.09, the curse blood slash of Morgott’s Cursed Sword has been improved, resulting in faster projectile generation speed and recovery time. This allows for smoother combo execution, particularly in PvP battles. This build combines the strengths of these improved weapon types with the two fantastic Ashes of War, making it highly effective in both PvP and PvE. With nearly a thousand damage dealt per trade, this build is a formidable force.

In conclusion, these top 5 Elden Ring greatsword builds will greatly enhance your PvP and PvE experiences. Whether you choose the Blasphemous Blade, Dark Moon Greatsword, Godslayer’s Greatsword, Morgott’s Cursed Sword, or Heavy Greatsword, you’ll have a powerful weapon at your disposal. Choose the build that best suits your playstyle and dominate the world of Elden Ring.