Magic Build Int/Mind – Elden Ring

Elden Ring’s many builds offer variety and personality to the game. Some players like to max out strength, while others want to live out an anime fantasy. There are also those who prefer the magical side of the game — and this build is for them. Mage builds are tons of fun, offering a unique experience in the High Fantasy setting of Elden Ring. In this guide, we’ll help you channel your inner wizard and create a top-tier magic build.

Starting Class

As this build focuses on high Intelligence and Mind, we based it off of the Astrologer.

How This Build Works

As a mage, gameplay focuses on keeping distance. That being said, to remedy this, we have added some mid-range and close-range spells, like Rock Sling and Shattering Crystal. The addition of a shield will also add some extra defensive capabilities; enemies will hit back. This build is heavy on Intelligence and Mind, so those stats are a priority. This build is tailored to Level 100.

Best Staff + Items

• Crystal Staff
  • This staff can be found in the Academy Crystal Cave Dungeon in Liurnia of the Lakes. The best early game staff and scales pretty high in later levels.
• Carian Knight’s Shield
  • The shield is found in the Academy of Raya Lucaria. It drops from Moongrum, Carian Knight, who is waiting just outside of the elevator where you fight Rennala. It’s a lightweight shield that doesn’t require a lot of points in Strength or Dexterity, making it a perfect addition for a mage. Plus, it scales with Intelligence and pairs nicely with the Scholar’s Shield spell you’ll be using below.
• Carian Knight’s Sword
  • This sword can be found in a chest you can loot from a caravan north of the Four Belfries in Liurnia. It’s useful as a backup to your spells and also scales with Intelligence.

Talismans

To maximize the effectiveness of this build, here are the best Talismans to use:

• Ritual Sword Talisman
  • Raises attack power when HP is at maximum

• Godfrey Icon
  • Enhances charged spells and skills

• Magic Scorpion Charm
  • Raises magic attacks, but lowers damage negation

• Cerulean Amber Medallion +2
  • Vastly raises maximum FP

Spells

As stated, the spells in a mage build are essential. As a magic user, you only have a limited amount of FP and flasks to burn through. Thus, these spells are best for this build:

• Crystal Torrent is an absolute boss melter, dealing massive damage when held long enough at a target. This is a spell we’ll be using against bosses a lot.

• Great Glintstone Shard is the “Primary fire” of this build. Much more potent than the Glintstone Pebble, this spell deals some long-range damage while firing quickly. Cast this as your primary spell when not casting others, as it will be the most consistent source for damage.

• Shattering Crystal acts as a close-ranged spell, shooting multiple pebbles in a direction. This spell is best used for crowd control.

• Rock Sling is a spell best used against magic-resistant enemies. Thus, getting in some extra staggering damage is key to stunning big enemies and bosses.

• Scholar’s Shield synergizes with our Carian Knight’s Shield, adding extra defense for difficult bosses.

Using This build

In the right-handed weapons: Equip the Crystal Staff for our magic and the Carian Knight’s Sword for some extra variety. The primary use of this sword is to ensure you can do damage if you run out of FP.

In the left-handed weapons: Equip the Carian Knight’s Shield to block incoming damage.

Rotations + Strategy for Groups of Enemies

1. Start picking off enemies with Great Glinstone Shard at a distance. This will ensure that clumps of enemies are thinned out before reaching you.
2. After the enemies have gotten in range, cast Shattering Crystal to deal some Area of Effect damage.
3. If some beefy enemies are left, i.e., lots of HP, cast Crystal Torrent to melt away their health.

Rotations + Strategy for Bosses

1. Start by casting Scholar’s Shield, reinforcing our shield for the fight to come. This way, you can get in closer to the boss with less headache.
2. Cast Rock Sling to start getting in some damage. This especially works on bosses like Godfrey, who are weak to physical damage.
3. Dodge attacks and cast Great Glintstone Shard until a proper opening presents itself. It’s best to keep doing damage even if the boss is still attacking.
4. When in range, cast and hold Crystal Torrent to melt away the boss’s health. This particular spell will always come in handy. It is FP costly, so drink a flask and refill FP before casting.

We hope this guide was helpful! Please feel free to check out our other guides or comment your thoughts below.