Elden Ring, the critically acclaimed action RPG developed by FromSoftware, continues to be a dominant force in the gaming world, thanks to Elden Ring Runes its rich world-building, challenging gameplay, and strategic combat mechanics. As players explore the vast Lands Between, one weapon that has gained attention for its simplicity and effectiveness is the Broad Sword. While not the flashiest or most complex weapon in the game, when paired with the right build and buffs, it can become one of the most overpowered tools to take on Elden Ring’s toughest bosses, including those in the base game and the newly released DLC.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through an optimized build for the Broad Sword in Elden Ring, including recommended equipment, talismans, buffs, and strategies to defeat major bosses without taking a single hit. If you’re looking to unleash devastating damage while maintaining maximum survivability, this build will be the key to your success.
The Power of the Broad Sword: A Simple but Deadly Weapon
The Broad Sword is a straight sword that, on the surface, might seem like an unremarkable choice for players who are used to weapons with higher scaling or flashier movesets. It has average scaling and a fairly basic design, making it look like a starter weapon. However, what sets the Broad Sword apart is its default skill—Square Off.
Square Off is a powerful stance-breaking ability that deals significant stance damage and can melt enemy HP bars under the right conditions. When used in combination with certain buffs and talismans, the Broad Sword becomes a weapon capable of dealing devastating damage in a matter of seconds. Moreover, it’s an infusible weapon, which means it can be modified with different affinities to suit your playstyle and needs.
The simplicity of the weapon is one of its greatest strengths. Its small size makes it agile, and its versatility in scaling with various affinities means it can adapt to different situations, whether you're focusing on fire, holy, or madness damage. This adaptability, when combined with Square Off, gives players a powerful tool that can challenge even the toughest foes in the game.
Building the Ultimate Broad Sword Build
The goal of this build is to maximize the damage output of the Broad Sword while maintaining high survivability and the ability to deal with Elden Ring’s most challenging encounters. The following equipment, talismans, and buffs will ensure that you can clear boss fights without taking any damage, even on New Game Plus or the DLC bosses.
Weapon and Affinity
Broad Sword +25: Upgrading the Broad Sword to its maximum level is essential for achieving optimal damage output. You’ll want to ensure it’s at +25 for maximum scaling.
Square Off (Ash of War): This is the key to your build. Square Off is one of the most overpowered Ashes of War in the game, capable of breaking stances and dealing massive damage in a short period. The more you focus on this ability, the more devastating your attacks will become.
Affinity: For this build, you’ll want to choose an affinity that boosts your damage even further. Flame or Sacred Affinity works well, as they provide additional damage scaling. The Flame M Affinity is particularly effective because it complements the fire-based buffs in your build.
Armor Set
For the armor, you need a combination of damage boosts and poise to withstand attacks while dealing with tough bosses.
Rasa's Armor Set: This set provides a 6% increase in damage output and is perfect for this build. It gives you the balance of damage and mobility needed to take on difficult enemies without compromising defense too much.
Black Dumpling: This is an optional armor set, but it provides an additional 10% damage boost if you’re looking to squeeze out every bit of damage from your Broad Sword.
Talismans
Talismans are crucial in optimizing your build, as they provide essential buffs that enhance your damage and survivability. Here’s a list of the best talismans for this build:
Radagon's Scarseal: Increases strength by 5, which will boost your damage output with the Broad Sword.
Shard of Alexander: This talisman boosts your Ash of War damage, making your Square Off ability even more powerful.
Fire Scorpion Charm: Increases fire damage by 12.5%, which is vital when using Flame affinities.
Exultation: Boosts your attack power when your target has madness applied, a must for this build, as you’ll be dealing madness damage.
You can also use the Sacred Scorpion Charm if you’re focusing on holy damage, or Spe Talisman for an additional damage boost to boss fights.
Flask of Wondrous Physick
For maximum damage output, you’ll want to optimize your Flask of Wondrous Physick. Here’s what you should use:
Blood Sucking Crack Tier: This item boosts health regeneration and is essential for keeping your HP topped off during intense boss fights.
Flame Shrouding Crack Tier: If you’re focusing on fire damage, this crack tier provides a 30% fire damage boost.
Holy Shrouding Crack Tier: If you’re focusing on holy damage, switch the Flame Shrouding Crack Tier with this to boost your holy damage.
For fire-based builds, the Hefty Oil Pots are great for increasing fire damage by 65% for the next fire attack. Be sure to stack these during boss fights for even more damage output.
The Build in Action: How to Defeat Elden Ring’s Toughest Bosses
Now that you have your optimized build, let’s break down the strategy for taking down some of Elden Ring’s most challenging bosses using the Broad Sword. With proper buffs, you’ll be able to avoid taking damage while dealing massive amounts of damage.
Golden Vow: This is your primary buff and should be cast before each fight. It provides a 15% increase in damage and defense, making it essential for tackling high-difficulty bosses.
Blessing of the Erdtree: This buff will help counter the HP drain effect from your Blood Sucking Crack Tier. It also provides some extra healing, which can be crucial for long boss fights.
Midir’s Frenzy Flame: This is a key tool for building Madness quickly. You’ll want to spam this to build Madness on your target, as it boosts your damage by causing the enemy to go mad.
Hal of Shabi: This spell is fantastic for dealing consistent Madness damage to enemies. When combined with the Radagon's Scarseal and Exultation, it boosts your attack power, making it one of the most effective offensive spells.
Once you’ve applied all your buffs, engage the boss with your Square Off ability. This ability will break their stance and melt their HP bar quickly. Keep dodging and rolling to avoid damage, and use your pickle turtle legs for stamina regeneration if you notice yourself running out of stamina too quickly.
Conclusion: The Power of the Broad Sword Build
In conclusion, the Broad Sword may not be the most glamorous weapon in Elden Ring, but when used with the right build, it becomes a force to be reckoned with. By focusing on infusing the weapon with the right affinities, buffing your character with key talismans and crack tiers, and using Square Off effectively, you can take on Elden Ring’s toughest challenges with ease. Whether you’re tackling the base game or the DLC, this build will make you a true powerhouse.
With its straightforward approach to Elden Ring Items for sale combat and powerful scaling, the Broad Sword in Elden Ring proves that sometimes simplicity is the key to success. Happy hunting, Tarnished!
