Of all the playstyles that Elden Ring’s rich combat system affords, few are as versatile, stylish, and potent as the Dexterity/Faith hybrid. This build, often called the “Sacred Duelist” or “Lightning Evangelist,” masterfully blends the swift, precise strikes of Dexterity armaments with the incantations that buff, heal, and smite foes from a distance. The true power of this archetype isn't just in mixing melee and magic, but in finding weapons that inherently benefit from both stats, unlocking devastating potential. This guide will walk you through the best weapons for a Dex/Faith build, from early-game treasures to end-game powerhouses.
The Philosophy of the Dex/Faith Build
Before diving into the armaments, it's crucial to understand the synergy. A pure Dexterity build focuses on physical damage and critical hits, while a pure Faith build excels in elemental damage and utility. A hybrid aims for the best of both worlds:
- Buffing: You can apply powerful weapon enchantments like Electrify Armament or Black Flame Blade to a fast-hitting Dex weapon, dealing immense damage per second.
- Hybrid Scaling: Many unique somber weapons scale with both Dex and Fai, meaning their attack power increases significantly as you level both stats.
- Versatility: You are never locked into one strategy. Against magic-resistant enemies, your sharp blade shines. Against heavily armored foes, your holy or lightning incantations will break their guard.
Your ideal stat spread prioritizes Dexterity and Faith (aim for 50-80 in your primary damage stat by end-game), with enough Mind for spellcasting and Vigor to survive. Endurance is needed for equipment load and stamina.
Top Tier: The S-Rank Weapons
These weapons are the crown jewels of the Dex/Faith build, offering unparalleled synergy and power.
1. Blasphemous Blade
- Location: Remembrance of the Demigod Rykard, exchanged at Enia in Roundtable Hold.
- Why It’s Top Tier: While it leans slightly more towards Faith, its unique skill, Taker's Flames, is arguably the best PvE tool in the game. It unleashes a wave of fire that steals HP from enemies it hits, even if they block. The passive effect also restores HP on every enemy death. It scales beautifully with Faith and decently with Dexterity, making it a powerhouse that trivializes many encounters.
2. Godslayer's Greatsword
- Location: Divine Tower of Caelid (chest behind a Stonesword Key fog wall).
- Why It’s Top Tier: This colossal sword surprisingly requires high Dexterity (20) and Faith (20). Its unique skill, The Queen's Black Flame, is a multi-hit whirlwind that deals damage over time based on the enemy's max HP—perfect for chunking down bosses. It's faster than most colossal swords and scales primarily with Dex and Fai, making it a perfect fit for the build's stat distribution.
3. Bolt of Gransax
- Location: Leyndell, Royal Capital (must be acquired before burning the Erdtree).
- Why It’s Top Tier: This legendary spear is the definitive lightning weapon. It scales primarily with Dexterity but requires 20 Faith. Its unique skill, Ancient Lightning Spear, allows you to throw a massive, devastating bolt of red lightning from a safe distance. It has incredible range and deals massive damage, making it an excellent tool for initiating fights or finishing off fleeing enemies.
4. Sacred Relic Sword
- Location: Remembrance of the Elden Beast.
- Why It’s Top Tier: This is the ultimate "mob sweeper" and a fantastic end-game choice. Its skill, Wave of Gold, fires a wide, golden wave that clears out groups of common enemies from an enormous distance. It’s invaluable for farming runes in Mohgwyn Palace. Its scaling is balanced between Dex and Fai, making it a competent greatsword even outside its legendary skill.
Excellent Choices: The A-Rank Workhorses
These weapons are incredibly powerful and often more versatile, serving as reliable companions throughout your entire journey.
1. Treespear
- Location: Carriage in Liurnia of the Lakes, east of the Writheblood Ruins.
- Why It’s Excellent: This is one of the few somber weapons that can be buffed with Greases or spells like Electrify Armament. It has innate Holy damage and scales with Strength, Dexterity, and Faith, but its primary damage comes from Dex and Fai. It’s a fantastic early-to-mid-game option that remains relevant due to its buffability.
2. Vyke's War Spear
- Location: Dropped by Festering Fingerprint Vyke near the Church of Inhibition.
- Why It’s Excellent: The spear of a tragic champion, this weapon builds up Madness on foes (and unfortunately, on you in PvP). Its skill, Frenzyflame Thrust, creates an explosion of madness around you. It’s a powerful and aggressive weapon with pure Dex/Fai scaling, perfect for players who favor an in-your-face style.
3. Black Knife
- Location: Dropped by the Black Knife Assassin near the Sainted Hero's Grave in Altus Plateau.
- Why It’s Excellent: This dagger is a boss-killer. Its unique skill, Blade of Death, fires a projectile that deals immediate damage and, more importantly, reduces the target's maximum HP and drains their health over time. This effect is brutal against bosses with large health pools. It’s fast, scales with Dex and Fai, and offers a unique utility that no other weapon does.
The Infusable Champions: Keen and Sacred
The true hidden strength of the Dex/Faith build lies in standard weapons that can be infused with Ashes of War.
- Strategy: Take any weapon with naturally good Dexterity scaling (e.g., Uchigatana, Guardian's Swordspear, Scavenger's Curved Sword) and give it a Keen affinity. This maximizes its physical Dexterity scaling. Then, you can buff it with powerful incantations like Electrify Armament, Bloodflame Blade (for bleed builds), or Black Flame Blade for incredible burst damage.
- Alternative: For a more passive approach, infuse a weapon with the Sacred or Lightning affinity. This changes its scaling to primarily Faith or Dexterity respectively, and adds Holy or Lightning damage. This is better for times when you don't want to constantly reapply buffs. Ashes of War like Sacred Blade or Thunderbolt are perfect for this setup.
Best Standard Weapons for Infusion:
- Uchigatana: A classic, with innate bleed and great Keen scaling.
- Guardian's Swordspear: Arguably has the best Keen scaling in the game.
- Godskin Peeler: A fantastic twinblade with a great moveset.
- Cross-Naginata: A brilliant spear with innate bleed.
Final Build and Playstyle Tips
Your arsenal is only part of the equation. To master the Sacred Duelist:
- Seals: Use the Frenzied Flame Seal if you're leveling both Dex and Fai equally, as it scales with both. The Erdtree Seal is best for pure high-Faith casting, while the Grave Scythe Seal boosts fundamentalist incantations.
- Incantations: Your toolkit is vast. Use Electrify Armament for damage, Golden Vow for an all-around buff, Flame, Grant Me Strength for a physical/fire boost, and Lightning Spear for reliable ranged damage.
- Talismans: Shard of Alexander (boosts skill damage), Godfrey Icon (boosts charged skills and spells), Faithful's Canvas (boosts incantations), and Prosthesis-Wearer Heirloom (for Dexterity) are all excellent choices.
The Dex/Faith build is a journey of mastering both the blade and the incantation, choosing the right tool for every challenge. Whether you're calling down lightning from a distance, unleashing the black flame of the Godskins, or buffing a keen katana to unbelievable levels, you will experience some of the most dynamic and powerful combat The Lands Between has to offer.
