When it comes to getting good at Elden Ring, picking the right class and making the perfect build can make a big difference. For players who love being able to adapt, fight up close, and stay reliable, Wylder is one of the best picks.
Known for being flexible and lasting in all kinds of situations, Wylder is an all-around class that does great in close combat while also being able to use a bow for long-range help when needed.
This article will explain what makes Wylder special, how to build it for quick wins, and tips to get the most out of it on your trip through the Lands Between.
Why Choose Wylder?
Wylder is the perfect jack-of-all-trades class in Elden Ring. It’s best at fighting up close, controlling crowds, and staying alive, making it a great choice for solo players and team players alike.
With its forgiving skills and passive abilities, Wylder is flexible enough to fill almost any role while being really good at gameplay that focuses on staggering enemies.
Key Strengths:
- High Strength and Dexterity Scaling: Wylder scales really well with Strength (A rating) and Dexterity (B rating), making it good for quality weapons that focus on physical damage.
- Lots of Weapon Choices: Wylder works with a wide range of weapons, including greatswords, fist weapons, great spears, halberds, and axes. This flexibility means players always have powerful gear to choose from.
- Cheat Death Passive: This powerful passive basically gives players a free revive, which can be restored at any grace. It’s a lifesaver during tough fights.
- Reliable Survivability: Thanks to its starting stats, the class naturally leans towards more health and stamina, setting up for reliable close combat and toughness.
However, Wylder’s weaknesses are important too. It struggles with casting spells because of a low FP pool and poor scaling for Intellect and Faith.
This means you’ll almost only focus on buffs and utility spells instead of damage-dealing incantations or sorceries.
The Best Wylder Build for Fast Wins
The best Wylder build aims to make the most of its versatility in close combat while boosting survivability and sustain.
Here’s how you can turn Wylder into the ultimate combo of power and toughness.
1. Main Weapon Choices:
Picking the right weapon is key for success. Wylder is best suited for quality weapons with strong Strength and Dexterity scaling (B in Strength, C in Dexterity at minimum).
These weapons work perfectly with Wylder’s natural stats. Here’s a breakdown of the top weapon choices:
Greatswords
- Why use them: Wylder has a unique relic interaction with greatswords that unlocks extra follow-up attacks, making these weapons the top choice.
- Notable Feature: The Slate Wetstone relic adds fire damage and stagger buildup to strong attacks, which is amazing for DPS and controlling enemies in gameplay that focuses on staggering.
Axes and Halberds
- Why use them: Both these options offer reliable B Strength and C Dexterity scaling, putting out consistent damage while keeping decent range.
- Strengths: Great for controlling crowds and dealing with aggressive enemies in tighter spaces.
Fist Weapons
- Why use them: Packs great strength scaling and shines in close-range, fast attack gameplay. It’s a top choice for players who enjoy high-speed close combat.
Colossal Weapons (Swords, Hammers, Great Axes):
- Why use them: Though slower and slightly less flexible, colossal weapons work for playstyles that focus on staggering due to incredible Strength scaling (A in Strength, C in Dexterity).
- Drawback: Managing stamina can become challenging.
Spears and Twinblades (Secondary Options):
- If you find B Dexterity, C Strength scaling spears or twinblades, they are strong alternatives. These are slightly less optimal but can still serve situational purposes.
2. Build Stats Priority:
To boost Wylder’s natural strengths and work around its weaknesses, focus on the following stats:
- Strength: Make this your top priority stat.
- Dexterity: Raise Dexterity to complement Strength, balancing your weapon scaling.
- Vigor: For survivability, pump Vigor to withstand hard-hitting enemies.
- Endurance: Essential for stamina management, especially to keep up Wylder’s melee-heavy playstyle.
- Mind: Keep Mind at a modest level. This helps when using weapons with high Ashes of War costs but doesn’t need too much investment.
Avoid investing heavily in Intelligence or Faith, as spells are not Wylder’s focus.
3. Ashes of War and FP Management:
Using powerful Ashes of War is key to unlocking Wylder’s full potential, but managing FP can be tricky with this class. Here’s how to handle it:
- Choose Weapons with Great Ashes of War: Look for weapons that provide crowd control or abilities that focus on staggering. These can be spammed mid-combat to dominate enemies quickly.
- Equip FP Restoring Relics: Equip the relic Old Pocket Watch, which restores FP upon landing hits in a row. This ensures you can keep using Ashes of War throughout fights without relying on consumable flasks.
- Coordinate FP Recovery with Teammates: If playing with others, coordinate with classes like Recluse, who can mark targets, letting Wylder recover FP when hitting those marked enemies.
4. Relics for the Ideal Setup:
Relics can heavily influence your Wylder’s performance. Here’s how you can optimize your relic setup:
Start With the Chalice
Unlocking the Chalice Relic Set through the Remembrance storyline allows for the most versatile relic setup with one red, one yellow, and one white socket (universal). This flexibility is vital for mid- to late-game builds.
Recommended Green Relics:
- Knight of the Beast: Restores stamina on landing hits in a row, perfect for spamming melee.
- Old Pocket Watch: Recovers FP with consecutive attacks, ensuring continuous Ashes of War usage.
- Partial HP Restoration on Damage Taken (Bloodborne Rally Effect): This rare relic restores health upon landing hits after taking damage, providing insane sustain.
If these are unavailable, other situational green relics or damage boosts can fill the slots for now.
Recommended Yellow Relics:
For yellow sockets, focus on damage mitigation:
- Magic or Elemental Damage Negation (depending on the type of foes you’re fighting).
- Character Skill Cooldown Reduction to maximize uptime on skills.
5. Early Power Progression Tips:
Your initial Wylder progression will hinge on completing the Remembrance storyline, which unlocks critical relics and power-ups for fast wins:
- First Remembrance: Defeat the Gladius Night Lord, then retrieve and deliver the items required to unlock the Slate Wetstone, which boosts your greatsword usage.
- Second Remembrance: Follow the next chapter’s objectives to unlock the Chalice — the most versatile relic configuration in the game.
Prioritize these quests to fast-track Wylder’s power spike.
Playing Wylder for Fast Wins
Mastering combat tactics with Wylder can drastically shorten fights without sacrificing survivability. Here are some pro tips for using the class effectively:
1. Stagger Combos for Burst Damage
Wylder’s ability to stagger enemies makes it ideal for high-damage combos. Start fights with heavy/jump attacks to posture break enemies. Once you’ve landed critical hits, chain into charged ultimates like Onslaught Stake for massive DPS and additional staggers.
2. Utilize Claw Shot for Versatility
Claw Shot isn’t just a mobility tool — it can stun shielded foes, close gaps, and even dodge boss mechanics thanks to its stamina-free movement. Add these tactics to your repertoire for gameplay efficiency.
3. Exploit Immunity Frames with Onslaught Stake
During the long animation of Onslaught Stake, Wylder is completely immune to damage. Use this to safely stagger agile bosses or avoid getting punished during tough situations.
Final Thoughts
Wylder is one of the most reliable and flexible classes in Elden Ring, capable of dominating combat through its staggering melee moves and unrivaled survivability.
By carefully selecting the right weapons, relics, and Ashes of War, you can transform this allrounder into a powerhouse capable of fast wins and consistent performance.
While Wylder may lack the specialized strengths of casters or finesse-focused builds, its reliability more than makes up for it.
So, start trekking through the Lands Between with Wylder today — equipped with this guide, you’ll smash your way to glory in no time!
Now it’s your turn — what’s your best Wylder setup? Drop your tips and builds in the comments below!
