The long-rumored and speculated colosseum arenas have finally been activated in Elden Ring Patch 1.08.
After laying dormant since the game’s launch in February, we finally know the purpose of these arenas, and it is what you might expect it to be: mass PvP events. Players can either fight one-vs-one or battle in teams of three against each other. If you like the chaos, you can also go full battle royale mode with up to five other players fighting each other.
With so many possibilities in the Colosseum update, which is totally free for all Elden Ring players, it becomes necessary to identify the parameters required to dominate in these arenas. Simply put, you’ll want to know the best builds to succeed in the colosseums of Limgrave, Caelid, and Leyndell, and we are here to tell you the best ones.
Best Elden Ring Colosseum builds
When it comes to one-vs-one or mass PvP, we can think of five builds that can cause chaos in these arenas. We will be listing the best builds for each stat that are competitively viable in both one-vs-one or team battles. These builds will be based on Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Faith, and Arcane stats so that you can feel free to stick to your preferred stat without needing to re-roll much.
These builds are all based on preference and there are plenty of other builds that work just as well based on your preferred playstyle. But we believe these builds work well in the hands of beginners and experienced players alike, so it would be best to give them a shot.
Best Strength PvP build
This build involves using Colossal Swords, specifically the Greatsword. While they are slow by nature and easy to dodge in general, they make up for it with high poise damage and temporary immunity to poise breaks during their attacks. The build requires a lot of Strength with a secondary focus on Vigor and Endurance.
- Weapon: Greatsword, either two-handed or one in each hand
- Ash of War: Bloodhound’s Step or Lion’s Claw
- Spells: N/A
- Talisman: Bull-Goat’s Talisman, Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman, Great-Jar’s Arsenal, Spear Talisman
While Bloodhound’s Step is not as powerful as it once was, it is still very viable in PvP. Lion’s Claw is great as an offensive tool because enemies can’t poise break you, making it great in battle royales or team battles. The choice in talismans only amplifies these builds even more, making for great synergy.
Best Dexterity PvP build
This build uses a high Dexterity investment with minor increases to Endurance and Mind. It involves using the Flowing Curved Sword infused with Sword Dance as your primary offensive tool while you use the Scavenger’s Curved Sword in your off-hand to proc bleed as often as possible.
- Weapon: Flowing Curved Sword and Scavenger’s Curved Sword
- Ash of War: Sword Dance
- Spells: N/A
- Talisman: Carian Filigreed Crest, Godfrey Icon, Shard of Alexander, Winged Sword Insignia
The strategy here is to flow from one combo to the next using your high attack rate and Sword Dance to your advantage. Adding the Keen affinity to both weapons will make them use your Dexterity to the fullest, bringing out the best this build has to offer. The constant barrage of strikes will ensure dead enemies in no time.
Best Intelligence PvP build
This build revolves around using the highly effective (and sometimes cheesy) Moonveil katana. It requires a high investment in Intelligence with a secondary focus on Dexterity. The active ability of this weapon is strong enough to kill less experienced players before they realize what hit them.
- Weapon: Moonveil and Lusat’s Glintstone Staff
- Ash of War: Transient Moonlight
- Spells: Adula’s Moonblade, Comet, Comet Azur
- Talisman: Carian Filigreed Crest, Crimson Amber Medallion, Dragoncrest Shield Talisman, Radagon’s Icon
While the spells used in this build are flexible, your focus should be on using Moonveil and its active ability as often as possible. The stunlock effect from Transient Moonlight isn’t as overpowered as it once was, but in a chaotic arena setting, the constant procs can be debilitating.
Best Faith PvP build
This build revolves around a hefty Faith investment with just enough Strength and Dexterity to keep up with the requirements of its primary weapon: The Blasphemous Blade. This weapon is currently one of the top meta weapons in the game and its weapon art restores your health with the high damage it deals. Golden Vow is thrown in to buff your attack and defense before the fight begins.
- Weapon: Blasphemous Blade and any Sacred Seal to cast Incantations
- Ash of War: Taker’s Flames
- Spells: Flame, Grant Me Strength and Golden Vow
- Talisman: Carian Filigreed Crest, Fire Scorpion Charm, Godskin’s Swaddling Cloth, Shard of Alexander
This build works by buffing up the Blasphemous Blade’s fire damage even further with Flame, Grant Me Strength. This works in conjunction with the Fire Scorpion Charm, further boosting your fire damage. The Shard of Alexander and Carian Filigreed Crest will keep Taker’s Flames strong while reducing its FP cost, while the Godskin’s Swaddling Cloth will increase the amount of health restored.
Best Arcane PvP build
This build uses the infamous Rivers of Blood katana to make it a monster of hemorrhage. A healthy investment into Arcane followed by Dexterity is the way to go with this one. Stack on as many talismans with additional bleed effects to get the most out of this build.
- Weapon: Rivers of Blood and Dragon Communion Seal
- Ash of War: Corpse Piler
- Spells: Swarm of Flies
- Talisman: Lord of Blood’s Exultation, Rotten Winged Sword Insignia, Shard of Alexander, White Mask
While Corpse Piler by itself is borderline overpowered in both PvP and PvE, no matter how many times it gets nerfed, this build shines with additional bleed effects and the talismans magnify that even further. Abilities that provide additional chances to proc bleed or increase your stats while bleed procs are the recommended ones to keep.
These are the best builds that are easy to get into for new and experienced players alike. You can choose to experiment with these builds by mixing other talismans or weapons as per your fancy because the patch just dropped and players are already experimenting with many builds as we speak. The Elden Ring meta is currently going to be experiencing a rapid shake-up and we are all for it.
