In Elden Ring, building a character that effectively blends both magic and melee combat can give players an edge in nearly every situation, from clearing mobs to facing the most challenging bosses. The game’s expansive world and complex mechanics allow for numerous combinations of stats, abilities, and Elden Ring Items that cater to these hybrid builds.

If you’re looking to create a hybrid character that excels in both magic and melee combat, here are eight solid build paths that can help you adapt to any situation, all while enjoying the versatility of combining spellcasting with weapon strikes.

  1. Strength & Intelligence: The Battle Mage

For those who love the power of heavy melee weapons but also want to unleash destructive sorceries, the Strength & Intelligence build is a great choice. By focusing on physical stats like Strength, you’ll be able to wield some of the game’s heaviest weapons with ease. Meanwhile, a solid Intelligence investment opens up the ability to cast powerful spells like Glintstone Pebble and Carian Slicer.

Key Elden Ring Items:

Lusat's Glintstone Staff for maximizing sorcery damage.


Radahn's Greatsword to combine heavy hits with powerful magic.

This build works best when you can maintain a balance of strength for melee and Intelligence for sorcery, ensuring you're deadly up close and from a distance.

  1. Dexterity & Faith: The Holy Assassin

A versatile and stealthy build, the Dexterity & Faith hybrid allows you to be quick on your feet while delivering high burst damage. Dexterity lets you wield lighter, faster weapons like katanas, while Faith allows for powerful buffs and healing spells. You can use weapons such as the Uchigatana for fast melee attacks and combine them with incantations like Flame, Grant Me Strength to boost your damage output.

Key Elden Ring Items:

Golden Vow incantation to improve both offense and defense.


Radagon's Scarseal to boost Faith and Dexterity.

This build is perfect for players who want to combine the precision of quick strikes with the utility of holy magic.

  1. Faith & Arcane: The Cursed Knight

A build centered on inflicting status effects, the Faith & Arcane hybrid allows players to poison, rot, and bleed their enemies with powerful incantations and melee weapons. Faith provides access to healing and defensive buffs, while Arcane focuses on enhancing the effects of your status-inducing attacks. This build shines in PvP where causing debuffs is a key strategy.

Key Elden Ring Items:

Rotten Breath for poison and Scarlet Rot damage.


Sword of Night and Flame for versatile attacks that combine fire and magic.

The Cursed Knight builds a dynamic, unpredictable playstyle where your enemies are constantly under threat of debuffs.

  1. Strength & Faith: The Holy Warrior

For players who prefer to tank through damage while supporting their team, the Strength & Faith hybrid is perfect. By focusing on Strength, you can wield large shields and greatswords, while Faith allows you to heal and buff yourself and others with potent incantations. This build can tank hits while simultaneously providing support with healing spells like Blessed Touch and Heal.

Key Elden Ring Items:

Zweihander for raw melee power.


Blessed Dew Talisman to gradually regenerate HP.

The Holy Warrior build is perfect for those who want to be the backbone of any group, absorbing damage while supporting allies.

  1. Intelligence & Arcane: The Sorcerer’s Spellblade

This hybrid build is a bit more niche but extremely fun to play if you enjoy using magic to enhance your weapon attacks. Combining Intelligence and Arcane, this build allows you to cast powerful sorceries and enchant your weapon for elemental damage. You can use spells like Comet Azur to deal large bursts of magic damage or Unseen Form to become invisible while sneaking up on enemies.

Key Elden Ring Items:

Azur's Glintstone Staff for high sorcery scaling.


Hand of Malenia for applying bleed effects on your enemies.

This build excels at adapting to different combat scenarios, especially when you need to switch between melee and magic on the fly.

  1. Dexterity & Intelligence: The Arcane Gunslinger

For those who prefer a fast-paced, ranged hybrid, the Dexterity & Intelligence build is perfect. This build allows players to wield magic-enhanced ranged weapons like bows and crossbows while also casting sorceries. You can increase your ranged damage with spells like Homing Crystal and Night Comet, while maintaining the ability to quickly dodge and deal damage with dexterity-based weapons.

Key Elden Ring Items:

Crossbow of the Night for ranged combat.


Staff of Loss for stealthy sorceries.

It’s ideal for players who want a blend of tactical positioning and quick hit-and-run strategies.

  1. Strength & Arcane: The Berserker

This build is all about raw power and overwhelming force. The Strength & Arcane hybrid allows players to wield heavy weapons with massive physical damage while also benefiting from the status effects in Arcane. Weapons like Great Club and Dragon Slayer can be paired with Bloodflame or Rotten Breath to enhance the power of your strikes.

Key Elden Ring Items:

Fire Scorpion Charm to boost fire damage.


Barbed Straight Sword to apply bleeding effects with each hit.

The Berserker build is perfect for players who enjoy smashing through enemies while dealing with status effects and massive damage.

  1. Dexterity & Intelligence: The Blade Sorcerer

This build combines the quick, fluid combat of Dexterity weapons with powerful sorceries. Ideal for players who want to keep their enemies at bay with swift swordplay and high damage sorcery, it allows for a fast-paced, adaptable playstyle. Use the Estoc or Rapier for quick, precise strikes while casting spells like Glintstone Icecrag to control the battlefield.

Key Elden Ring Items:

Red-Feathered Branchsword for boosting Dexterity scaling.


Moonveil for combining dexterity with high magic scaling.

The Blade Sorcerer is perfect for players who love being agile and versatile, quickly switching between spells and swift weapon strikes to outmaneuver opponents.

Elden Ring offers players a deep and expansive system of magic and melee combat, with the hybrid builds combining both styles at the core of the experience. Whether you're looking to be a tanky holy warrior or a fast-moving spellblade, there are endless possibilities for customizing your playstyle. As you progress, be sure to keep an eye on how Elden Ring Runes and Items can enhance your hybrid build and allow you to maximize both magic and melee potential. Happy hunting, Tarnished!