In this Elden Ring Build guide, we will recreate the Raging Wolf class from the Closed Network Test and improve it in every aspect. This is a well-balanced and sturdy build that’d work marvellously even in New Game + and further. This is my personal build that I use for NG+.
Focusing on making the character look as close to the Tarnished from Elden Ring’s trailers, we will include a few changes that will help enormously in gameplay. The goal of this guide is to design a build that looks good and performs just as well.
The Appearance and Weapons
First off, we will recreate the character from the trailers and promotional artwork. In them, the Tarnished wears the Raging Wolf armour set with the altered chest plate. His weapon is a Bastard Sword (you can obtain one easily in the Weeping Peninsula from the nomadic merchant next to the Castle Morne Rampart Site of Grace, who sells it for 3000 Runes) and his shield is an Iron Roundshield (which you can buy from the Nomadic merchant, for 900 Runes, south-east of the Coastal Cave in Limgrave).
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Other than sufficient Vigour and Endurance, 16 Strength and 10 Dexterity are enough to wield the armaments.
Exploring the world of Elden Ring and acquiring many items and equipment is essential for the Raging Wolf build. In order to obtain the Raging Wolf armour set, you must complete the Volcano Manor questline to a certain degree and visit the Royal Capital in Leyndell. I will not go into detail about the quest, as to refrain from spoiling the game.
Now that you’ve recreated the character, we will use this as a base and customise the build.
Attributes
Now, we will adjust the stats according to our playstyle. In this build, our main focus on offence is stance-breaking and critical hits. And the higher your level is, the better this build will be. At level 200 or higher, you’d be able to wield multiple weapons without being overweight. Let us assume that your level is 200. If not, simply level Strength to 66 or higher, and level Dexterity to about 15.
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Do not invest your points in any Magic-related attributes. You need to put the points in Strength, Vigour and Endurance, mainly. I personally have 99 Strength, 16 Dexterity, 80 Vigour and 50 Endurance (my character is Level 200+). These values need not be the same. Be reasonable and invest in them accordingly.
The Weapons and Shield
If you’d prefer to use another sword other than the Bastard sword, I suggest using either the Banished Knight’s Greatsword or the trusty Claymore. Both have excellent move sets and deal considerable damage at the +25 level. Whether to wield them two-handed or one-handed depends on the situation. If you’d like, you can also give your weapons the Heavy affinity, especially if you’re a Strength-focused character.
You can use a medium shield like the Brass shield or the Banished Knight’s shield, if you wish to upgrade from the Iron Roundshield.
There are two other weapons that I like to keep. One as backup and another for critical damage.
When dealing with particularly perilous enemies, I like to use my max level Heavy Nightrider’s Glaive which has an S in Strength scaling. For critical hits, the Misericorde dagger works perfectly. But you must upgrade it to the 25th level to wield it. Because this wonderful dagger has a whopping 140 Critical Damage, it will deal higher critical damage upon repostes or stance breaks.
If three weapons are too much, replace the greatsword with the Nightrider Glaive. It’s one of the best Strength weapons and it will work perfectly with this build. I use three weapons because I can use more Ashes of War and different attacks, and I think it’s a great and unique way to play the game.
As for the Ashes of War, the greatsword, which is our main weapon, will have the Lion’s Claw AoW that will shred through enemy defences. For the Nightrider Glaive, I use Braggart’s Roar AoW. This changes the heavy attacks into charged, powerful combos that also help break enemy posture.
It’s not essential to put a specific AoW on the Misericorde, but I like to put the Bloodhound’s step on it, to make tactical retreats. For your shield, put the Carian Retaliation parry which is arguably the best parry in the game. It can parry magical projectiles and turn them into damage. Excellent.
Because of my high Endurance, I can carry all of this without being overburdened. I advise you to invest in Endurance, especially for NG+ and further.
Armour
You can use practically any armour that suits your taste, but I suggest sticking to the Raging Wolf theme and using the helm and chest plate of the set. For your greaves and gloves, I also suggest going with the Bull Goat Greaves and Gauntlets. These look outstanding and it matches with the Raging Wolf helmet and chest plate. This combination will give you stellar protection while looking sharp.
Talismans
A major part of this build, we will use specific talismans to best suit the equipment and our playstyle.
I use the Assassin’s Crimson Dagger to refill lost health when doing Critical Hits, the Great-Jar Arsenal to manage weight, the Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman to negate physical damage and the Dagger Talisman to do even more critical damage.
Playstyle
I like to go into battle with the greatsword and the shield equipped. Parry using the shield, switch to Misericorde, and do a critical hit. This refills some of my lost health, because of the Assassin’s Crimson Dagger.
To quickly damage an enemy, I use the Lion’s Claw AoW. That weakens and sometimes even breaks the enemy’s stance. In any case of stance break, I use the Misericorde. If the enemies are armoured and possess a lot of health, I switch to the Nightrider Glaive and equip it with two hands.
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Using the Braggart’s Roar, I increase my damage resistance, attack power and stamina regen rate. With its heavy combo move set, I overwhelm the enemy before breaking their stance and stabbing with the Misericorde. Switching weapons will be tricky to master. Keep practising and you’ll do fine.
As for the Mixed Physick, you can customise it as per your needs. Almost in every case, you will not need assistance from Spirit Ashes with this build at its best. If you do require assistance, I suggest using an Ash of War from my list of Best Ashes of War in Elden Ring.
Overall, this build is quite advanced and technical. It’s certainly not the most powerful or broken build in the game, and making such a build was not my intention. This is a very sophisticated melee build that makes combat more enjoyable.
