Elden Ring: Castlevania Build Guide

One exciting way to dive back into the Lands Between is by creating unique character builds inspired by other franchises. Among the most iconic of these is a Castlevania-themed build, specifically modeled after the legendary vampire-hunting Belmont family. In this guide, we'll cover how to create a Belmont-style character in Elden Ring.

Belmont Build Overview

The Belmonts are known for their mastery of whips, their use of sub-weapons like holy water and throwing knives, and their ability to take down supernatural threats, especially vampires. For this Castlevania-inspired build, we'll lean heavily into whip-based combat, holy-themed Elden Ring Items, and ranged tools that mimic the Belmont's classic sub-weapons. The build will excel in both close-range and ranged combat, with a focus on dexterity, faith, and strength to deal massive damage to enemies, particularly those weak to holy attacks.

Key Stats for the Belmont Build

To get started with your Belmont build, you'll need to prioritize certain stats to stay true to the Castlevania theme while also ensuring your character can survive the many dangers of Elden Ring. Here's what to focus on:

    Dexterity: Whips scale primarily with dexterity, making this your primary stat for damage output. Aim to reach at least 40 dexterity to maximize whip damage and improve your attack speed.

    Strength: Some of the better whip weapons in the game have strength requirements, so you'll need to invest in strength to wield them effectively. Around 20-25 strength should suffice for this build.

    Faith: Since this build will incorporate holy and light-themed attacks (inspired by Castlevania's holy powers), faith will be crucial. Focus on raising faith to around 30-35 to access the best incantations and buffs.

    Endurance and Vigor: Like any successful Elden Ring build, endurance and vigor are vital for survival. Having high vigor ensures you can take a few hits while endurance helps you keep swinging your whip and evading enemy attacks without running out of stamina.

Elden Ring Items for the Belmont Build

To embody the Belmont family's vampire-hunting prowess, you'll need to hunt down the right Elden Ring Items that align with the Castlevania theme. These items include whips, holy-themed consumables, and sub-weapon stand-ins that can be used for ranged combat.

Whips

The whip is the hallmark weapon of the Belmonts, and Elden Ring offers a few solid options:

    Hoslow's Petal Whip: This weapon has a great combination of dexterity scaling and range. Its slashing attacks deal significant damage and are perfect for punishing enemies that get too close. Upgrade this weapon using Smithing Stones to keep its damage scaling with your dexterity stat.

    Thorned Whip: For a bleed-focused variation of the Belmont build, the Thorned Whip can fit perfectly. Its attacks inflict bleed buildup, allowing you to deal massive damage over time as you whip enemies. This weapon can be enhanced to trigger bleed faster, making it ideal for tougher bosses.

    Urumi: A unique whip weapon that delivers piercing rather than slashing damage, the Urumi can stagger enemies with its heavy attacks. It's a versatile option for this build, especially against armored foes that require a bit more impact to break their defenses.

Ranged Sub-Weapons

In Castlevania, the Belmonts often rely on various sub-weapons like throwing knives, axes, and holy water. While Elden Ring doesn't have exact replicas of these items, you can find close substitutes:

    Throwing Knives: These are perfect stand-ins for the classic Castlevania dagger sub-weapon. They allow you to deal chip damage at range, especially when an enemy is trying to retreat.

    Holy Water Pot: For your holy water equivalent, the Holy Water Pot is a great consumable that deals holy damage to enemies. Use it to clear groups of enemies or when facing foes with a vulnerability to holy attacks.

    Lightning Pots: In Elden Ring, these can simulate the ranged lightning attacks the Belmonts sometimes use to dispatch enemies. You can craft them using simple materials found throughout the Lands Between.

Holy Incantations

The Belmonts have always wielded holy powers to destroy undead enemies, and in Elden Ring, you can achieve this through faith-based incantations. Some key spells to include in your build are:

    Litany of Proper Death: This faith-based incantation fits perfectly with the Belmont's mission of defeating the undead. It specifically deals additional damage to skeletons and other reanimated foes, making it a great tool for taking on enemies in the catacombs or similar areas.

    Lightning Spear: This is an excellent ranged option for dealing holy damage from afar. It's fast, powerful, and can stagger enemies from a distance.

    Lord's Divine Fortification: Use this buff to enhance your defense against dark and magical attacks, making you more resilient in battles against supernatural foes.

Conclusion

The Belmont-inspired build for Elden Ring's "Shadow of the Erdtree" DLC is not only fun to play but also brings a unique spin to the game's combat mechanics. With the right combination of Elden Ring Items, weapons like the whip, and carefully chosen incantations, you can effectively create a Castlevania-themed character. By farming Elden Ring Runes and optimizing your stats, you'll become a formidable vampire hunter in the Lands Between, ready to face the dark challenges that await in the new DLC.