5 underpowered Elden Ring builds that are fun to play

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Elden Ring Bow-Only Build (Image via FromSoftware)
Elden Ring Bow-Only Build (Image via FromSoftware)

Elden Ring is a difficult game that honors players' talent and originality. While several strong builds can be employed to win the game, many weaker builds can provide a distinctive and gratifying experience. Planning ahead, being accurate, and being open to new things are necessary while playing with weaker builds.

While some of the more conventional builds may be more potent, these weaker builds present a novel and challenging challenge for seasoned players looking for a change of pace. This article will discuss five underpowered Elden Ring builds that are fun to play.

Disclaimer: This listicle is subjective and solely reflects the writer's opinions.


Pacifist Build and four other Elden Ring builds that are fun to play

1) Shield-Only Build

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The Shield-Only Build in Elden Ring is a complicated and distinctive build that only uses shields for defense and offense. The Shield-Only Build may struggle against foes who employ magic or elemental attacks, but it can be powerful against enemies who use physical attacks. To boost your shield's effectiveness, you should invest in a high-quality shield with good stability and upgrade it as much as possible.

With this build, you can employ shield bashes to stun opponents and position them for critical strikes, adding some offensive power. Using a shield with a weapon art that enables you to toss your shield at opponents or deliver a substantial shield bash is also an option.


2) Pacifist Build

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Elden Ring's Pacifist Build is a unique and difficult way to play the game because it requires you to finish it without killing any enemies. The Pacifist Build relies on sneaking up on foes and employing non-lethal tactics to avoid fighting. Players will have to think outside the box to find different paths forward, such as slipping past adversaries, creating a distraction to divert their attention, or using spells or objects to render them helpless.

The Pacifist Build is a fun and complex way to play Elden Ring, as it requires you to use your wits and creative thinking to advance without resorting to violence.


3) Unarmed Build

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In Elden Ring, the Unarmed Build is a distinctive and difficult build that relies primarily on using your fists for combat. When using this build, you must have a lot of patience, be an expert dodger, and have perfect timing as you punch your way through adversaries.

The Unarmed Build may struggle against foes who employ magic or elemental attacks, but it can be powerful against foes who only use physical attacks. To make your fist weapons more effective, you should spend money on a good pair and upgrade them as much as possible.

To give this build more offensive power, you must concentrate on boosting your strength and dexterity stats to deal more damage with your fists. Additionally, you can use a unique move set of fist weapons, which includes gripping targets, throwing a barrage of punches, and even unleashing powerful, charged assaults.

While you won't be directly dealing any damage with this build, it's still fun to use, at least in the opening hours of the game.


4) The Glass Cannon Build

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The Glass Cannon Build in Elden Ring is a complex and dangerous build that prioritizes increasing damage output at the expense of defense. This build may struggle against opponents in high health or deliver substantial damage, but it can be useful against opponents who can be quickly dispatched. To make your guns more effective, you'll need to spend money on weapons with high damage output and improve them as much as possible.

Depending on the sort of weapon you choose to employ, players can concentrate on improving their strength and dexterity stats to add some offensive power to this build. Additionally, you can utilize spells and items like enchantments or resins that can increase your damage output.

The Glass Cannon Build is generally a fun and difficult way to play the Elden Ring. It's a distinctive method to play the game and can present seasoned players with a novel and thrilling challenge.


5) Bow-only build

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The Bow-only construct in the Elden Ring is a special and difficult construct that concentrates primarily on bow-based ranged combat. With this construct, you must have a lot of patience, accurate aim, and tactical positioning to keep foes at a distance while shooting them with arrows.

You can concentrate on raising your dexterity and perception stats to add some offensive power to this build and deal more damage with your bow. You can also utilize different kinds of arrows, such as fire or poison arrows, to improve your damage output.

Playing Elden Ring with just a bow is a rewarding and challenging experience that calls for careful preparation, deft execution, and a lot of patience. It's a different gameplay method that can present seasoned players who prefer ranged combat with a new and demanding challenge.


Overall, Elden Ring is a complex game that can be played in a variety of ways. However, for players searching for a fresh experience, playing with underpowered builds gives a distinctive and gratifying experience. These builds demand meticulous preparation, exact execution, and a readiness to try out novel tactics.

Playing with weaker builds can give the game new life and present seasoned players with a novel and challenging task. So why not try something new and take the risk? You might even stumble upon a new playstyle that you adore.

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