Elden Ring Strongest Battle Mage Build (2024)

There are many ways to play Elden Ring, the notoriously difficult, open-world fantasy game released by FromSoftware (the developers of the Dark Souls franchise) in February 2022. Whether the Tarnished chooses to fight like a ruthless barbarian, a crafty mage, or something in between, the game's combat possibilities are virtually endless. However, players who put all their eggs in one basket tend to suffer against certain bosses, which is why the versatile battle mage is arguably the best build that Elden Ring has to offer.

Battle mages are sorcerers that can dual-wield spells and one-handed melee weapons, giving them a unique duality that is lacking in most builds. Battle mages are incredibly effective fighters, and in most cases, they possess the ability to engage in both close combat and ranged battle. Given the difficulty of Elden Ring, this diversity is much needed, so battle mages are one of the most commonly sought-after builds.

Updated on February 5, 2024, by Kennedy King: As Elden Ring rapidly approaches its two-year anniversary, millions of players await news about its confirmed DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree. Since 24-plus months will have passed by the time this DLC finally releases, it's a good time for players to familiarize themselves with its strongest builds. In preparation for this release, the following has been updated to reflect the most up-to-date information about Elden Ring's meta.

How To Play As A Battle Mage In Elden Ring

Before players attempt to tackle the specifics of building a battle mage build, they should first familiarize themselves with its play style. Battle mages place roughly equal importance on melee and magical attacks and are especially versatile when compared to "pure" builds that focus on a specific weapon type. Therefore, the build lends itself to players who are comfortable regularly switching between different modes of fighting.

Since battle mages can effectively engage in both close-quarters and ranged combat, they're at their best when they're tailoring their strategy to attack the specific weaknesses of their opponent. Although "pure" builds are better at maximizing damage output, their strengths can be negated by specific bosses, making them highly ineffective in the worst circ*mstances. By comparison, battle mages should always be able to find a path to victory that makes sense as long as they consider their opponent's weaknesses.

Recommended Starting Classes for Elden Ring's Battle Mage

When players begin their journey in Elden Ring, they're given the option to choose between 10 different starting classes. Although these classes aren't binding and can be adjusted as players level up and gain access to certain in-game mechanics, they're a helpful way for the Tarnished to start their journey on the right foot.

Any starting class in Elden Ring can be transformed into a quality battle mage build, especially considering the game's easy-to-access respec system. However, there are a few classes that naturally lend themselves to the battle mage play style more than others.

The Confessor

When it comes to Elden Ring's starting classes, it's tough to find a better option for building a battle mage than The Confessor. This class' Mind, Strength, Dexterity, and Faith stats are all equal to or higher than Level 12, so it immediately offers plenty of combat versatility for the Tarnished.

The Confessor class comes equipped with a broadsword, Incantation casting item, and shield, making it a great option regardless of how players choose to approach combat. However, this class is specifically geared toward Faith-based Incantations; as a result, players looking to utilize Intelligence-based Sorceries should divert their attention elsewhere.

The Prisoner

Despite its haunting appearance, the Prisoner class has proven to be a favorite among Elden Ring fans, due in no small part to its impressive starting stats. Given its high starting level (14) in both Dexterity and Intelligence, the Prisoner class has a natural synergy with the battle mage build, especially for Tarnished using Intelligence-based Sorceries.

The only drawback of the Prisoner Class is its exceptionally low Faith stat, which makes most Incantations an impossibility until the player levels up several times. However, considering it possesses a variety of impressive physical stats, this shouldn't be too much of a problem for experienced battle mages.

The Wretch

At first glance, the Wretch class seems as though it offers zero upside, instead existing for the sole purpose of adding difficulty to the Tarnished's journey. However, the class is actually the most versatile in Elden Ring, as it allows the player to waste zero levels on unnecessary stats and dedicate every single Rune to perfecting their desired build.

While there's no question that the life of a Wretch is more difficult than that of other starting classes, battle mages who can survive the early parts of this journey will be rewarded more than other players as they level up. That said, only the most hardy Tarnished should take on this challenge.

Recommended Early Game Gear for Elden Ring Battle Mages

In the early parts of Elden Ring, most battle mages will find the Glintstone Staff to be extremely useful. The starting weapon of the Prisoner class, the Glintstone Staff can also be dropped by the sorcerers of Caria Manor, so it's fairly accessible to all players from the very beginning of the game. Another option is the Academy Glintstone Staff, which players can loot from Thops' body after killing him or receiving the Academy Glintstone Key.

For melee weapons, battle mages would be wise to seek the Uchigatana. This item is instantly obtained by starting Elden Ring as a Samurai, but it's also found deep within the recesses of the Deathtouched Catacombs. When the Bloody Slash Ash of War is applied to this item, it becomes the Blood Uchigatana — one of the most overpowered items in the entire game. Players can also wield the Reduvia Dagger, which they can loot from Bloody Finger Nerijus outside Murkwater Cave. Other strong options are the Reduvia Dagger and Bloodhound's Fang, which can be looted from Bloody Finger Nerijus near Murkater Cave and the field boss in the Forlorn Hound Evergaol, respectively.

In terms of early-game armor, the Carian Knight Armor (found in Raya Lucaria) is fairly accessible and solid compared to other early-game items. Another choice is the Lazuli Sorcerer Set, which players can loot from the Raya Lucaria sorcerors that are also found in the Raya Lucaria Academy. For Talismans, Radagon's Scarseal is a strong early option, as it raises Vigor, Endurance, Strength, and Dexterity (although it also increases damage taken). The Ancient Hero of Zamor, who is admittedly a tough opponent in early game, drops Radagon's Scarseal in the Weeping Evergaol.

How To Progress As A Battle Mage

Although any class can be molded to work as a battle mage, they all require that the Tarnished use their Runes to level up the right attributes. For this specific play style, it's vital that the player split their stats between Vigor, Mind, and Endurance, while also focusing on Strength or Dexterity and Intelligence or Faith.

Vigor determines how much HP players have, which is important when fighting late-game, heavy-hitting bosses that can kill characters with a single combo. Similarly, Mind and Endurance determine how much FP (used to cast spells) and Stamina the Tarnished has, respectively. Dexterity determines the casting speed of spells and the speed at which characters move, and it's also an important scaling stat for many weapons, much like Strength. Finally, Intelligence and Faith affect the character's ability to cast Sorceries and Incantations — the major components of any mage build.

Whatever path the player chooses to follow, Elden Ring is an adventure-filled game that FromSoftware fans are guaranteed to love and adore. Battle mages, while they have their own challenges, make for one of the most versatile and enjoyable builds in the game.

There are almost endless possibilities available to the player in Elden Ring, but when it comes to combat, it's hard to beat the advantages of a skilled battle mage. Hopefully, in the upcoming Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, even more elements will be introduced to enrich the battle mage build further.

Elden Ring

Once ruled by the immortal Queen Marika, keeper of the Elden Ring, the Lands Between are now divided between several demigods. As the battling demigods fought over the ring, they created the Shattering, granting each of them a shard. As the Tarnished, it is up to the player to confront these demigods, collect their Great Rune pieces, repair the Elden Ring and become the Elden Lord.

Platform(s)

PS5 , Xbox One , PS4 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , PC

Released

February 25, 2022

Developer(s)

From Software

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence

Publisher(s)

Bandai Namco Entertainment , From Software

Genre(s)

RPG , Action

Multiplayer

Online Co-Op , Online Multiplayer

How Long To Beat

58 Hours