Archer builds have always had their audience in the Souls series, and it’s no different in Elden Ring. Even though you’ll never do the same amount of damage compared to practically any other weapon type, the ranger fantasy is still viable in the Lands Between, especially if you’re willing to commit to it and take on the challenge. Here is the best Archer build for Elden Ring to prepare you for the base game and expansion.
Elden Ring Archer Build Recommended Weapon
The Black Bow is easily one of the best bows in the entire game, especially because it acts like a short bow despite being a longbow.
This means you’ll get all the moves of a traditional short bow but with the additional damage and a great skill to boot. So you can jump around and shoot in midair, giving you a lot of maneuverability.
| Attribute | Points |
|---|---|
| Vigor | 50 |
| Mind | 25 |
| Endurance | 30 |
| Strength | 40 |
| Dexterity | 40 |
| Intelligence | 9 |
| Faith | 25 |
| Arcane | 9 |
| Total Points | 150 |
After you hit 40 in both Strength and Dexterity, the damage increase will be minimal which is why we recommend dumping more points into Vigor and taking it up to at least 60. Continue adding more points into Endurance as well because the bow and its skill will drain stamina fast. The build also requires 25 points in Faith, so we can cast a few buffs that make the build worthwhile.
Archer Build Recommended Seal and Incantations
For the Seal, we’re going with Clawmark Seal because of its low requirements. With this, you’ll be casting the following incantations.
- Golden Vow
- Flame, Grant Me Strength
Both of these tremendously boost damage and work well with a large variety of builds. Since we can take the damage of the Black Bow only so far, these become essential for high damage and defense.
Archer Build Recommended Talismans
The following Talismans pair best with this build.
- Arrow’s Sting Talisman: This raises the attack power of bows, so there’s no reason not to have it on
- Shard of Alexander: One of the best Talismans in the entire game, which boosts the damage of skills
- Green Turtle Talisman: Raises stamina recovery speed
- Ritual Sword Talisman: This raises attack power when your HP is at max
Archer Build Gear Weight Class
Make sure you’re wearing light armor. This is essential because you’ll be moving around a lot, and the fast rolls are very important. Apart from that, lower stamina consumption means you’ll be able to shoot more arrows.
Archer Build Recommended Arrows
You can experiment around with different types of arrows, but we recommend you farm or craft the following for maximum damage, and status effects:
- Stormwing Bone Arrow – Highest Physical Damage
- Serpent Arrow – Poison Build-Up
- Bloodbone Arrow – Bleed Build-Up
With this build, you’ll do tons of damage to regular enemies and take out most with a few shots. You absolutely want to abuse the Barrage skill, especially against bosses.
If bows aren’t your thing, check out the best build for Zweihander, and Eleonora’s Poleblade. For more on Elden Ring and its expansion, make sure to check out our dedicated section.
