Although classes in Elden Ring don’t really matter as much as in other games. As no item is locked to any particular class. And you can level any statistic up at any point. We still came up with great suggestions for weapon swaps and upgrades that feel like natural upgrades of Vagabond’s starting gear. So if you like quality builds that can use every non-special weapon and would like to have a great shield from the get-go. Then this Elden Ring “Best Vagabond Build” is definitely for you.
The Vagabond is a great class for beginners to the Elden Ring and newcomers to all the Soulsborne games. The protection of his armor and a great shield make this class a very safe pick. As he can withstand way more punishment than the other starting classes. Vagabond has equal parts strength and dexterity. You can continue to level up in these proportions to achieve a nice “quality build”.
Builds of this type can wield most of the armaments they find in the game world with no problem. Allowing you to experiment with weapons, and find the equipment you really like. Best of all Vagabond starts out with a 100% physical protection shield. It should be noted that this class is a poor choice if you want to use magic in the game. You can build towards it for sure. But if you want a full-blown magic or incantation character, then start with a class that already can cast spells from the beginning of the game. Let’s now look at the Elden Ring’s best Vagabond builds.
Best Vagabond Build in Elden Ring
- Weapons
- Sacrificial Axe – A great, great, great axe that can be picked up in Weeping Peninsula. So relatively early into the game. Requires 16 Str and 10 Dex. And scales great with both of those stats. Starts out with the amazing “Wild Strikes” Ash of War. It can be swapped out for anything you like, but I recommend keeping that one.
- Grafted Blade Greatsword – This is something for those who prefer Str over Dex. It’s a really cool, and powerful colossal sword. It can be once again picked up sensibly early into your Elden Ring adventure. But it requires whopping 40 Str to be wielded properly.
- Morgott’s Cursed Sword – A weapon obtained from the “soul” of Morgott the Omen King. Scales with Dex and Arcane. On that note, you do need 17 Arc to wield it. So some “magic-related” levels are required for this awesome colossal curved sword. But it is so worth it!
- Axe of Godrick – Greataxe that you can naturally obtain via slaying Godrick the Grafted. Axes and great axes are great for quality builds, as they often require both Str and Dex. While also scaling with both of these stats. It also features unique ash of war, which is badass. And since you get this weapon after defeating one of the “main” bosses, you get it fairly early. Thoroughly recommend this weapon for any quality build!
- Golden Halberd – A great option for anyone who wants to go primarily Str and then Fai as a backup. As it requires whopping 30 Str! But it can be obtained right after starting the game. From the infamous Tree Sentinel boss in the overworld.
- Golem Greatbow – This is a nice option if you are into archery, and invested in a lot of Str. It scales with both Str and Dex. It can also be picked up fairly early into your adventure.
- Shields
- Your starting shield is plenty powerful already. Blocking 100% of physical damage. Which is the most important type of damage to block with your shield. The only thing to worry after that, is to swap your shield out for something lighter that still blocks 100% physical, so you can equip heavier armor.
- Armor Sets
- The Vagabond playstyle of swinging heavy weapons comes hand in hand with running around in heavy full plate armor. After all, you don’t want the boss to one-shot you after you whiff a swing and enter a prolonged recovery animation! That being said. Here are some great heavy armor sets in the game! So if you must wear something, be sure it is one of those:
- Beast Champion Set (combined weight is 40.1) – This requires you to sadly slay the Warmaster. But his mighty set of armor is thoroughly worth it! Not only is it absolutely styling, but it has such great defense parameters.
- General Radahn Set (combined weight is 39.2) – A late-game armor that is equal parts physical resistant and equal part magic resistant. Making it a jack of all trades but master of none, type of deal. To me, its versatility is well worth it!
To get the most out of playing as a Vagabond it is best to use Quality (Dex + Str) scaling weapons. The choice of weapon type is up to you. Axes usually are great with quality builds. But you can always slot some preferred stat-based ash of war into any fightstick you like! You will also have PLENTY of weapons to try out and experiment with if you go quality.
- Most Important Attributes To Level Up
- Endurance
- Vigor
- Strength and Dexterity, both preferably!
The many armaments available to you as soon as you pick them up is a great asset of any Vagabond build. Bundled with the extremely high equipment load that pumping endurance will give you. Turns you into a walking arsenal with specific weapons for every kind of situational need. And you should never underestimate just how much versatility that offers! You can also always mix in some raged combat for much-needed utility.
That’s it for this Elden Ring Vagabond Build. Check out our Elden Ring section for more content, here are some examples:
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- Elden Ring Ranni The Witch Questline Guide – How To Unlock Age Of Stars Ending
- Elden Ring Royal Knight Loretta Boss Guide – Fear The Magic Horse Woman
- Elden Ring Starscourge Radahn Boss Guide – How To Beat Radahn In 2 Minutes Flat
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