Elden Ring builds have been getting crazier, flashier, and far more optimized as players dive back into the Lands Between-but few builds nail theme, power, and style as perfectly as the Golden Strength Build. Inspired by the shimmering power of the Erdtree and loaded with gold-themed weapons, Ashes of War, and armor, this setup blends overwhelming damage with some of the most fun and visually spectacular invasions you can ask for.

In this article, we'll break down the full build, its weapon choices Elden Ring Items, the synergy behind its talismans and stat spread, and highlight some of the wildest moments from the invasion gameplay.

A Build Forged in Gold: Strength Meets Faith

At its core, the Golden Strength Build is a hybrid STR/FAI setup that leans heavily into weapons and Ashes of War infused with sacred damage. The stat requirements are high-this is a stat-hungry build-but the payoff is massive:

 Huge physical damage

 Massive sacred scaling

 High poise

 Access to strong Faith incantations

 Excellent mix-ups through speedy Ashes of War

Even the armor fits the theme. The bulk of the set is Tree Sentinel armor, one of the best-looking golden sets in the game. The helm, however, is swapped for the Divine Bird Helm, which grants +3 Strength and +4 Dexterity, making the build more flexible with weapon requirements.

When this character rolls up on your world glowing like a supernova, you know you're in for a fight.

Weapons: A Surprisingly Deep Golden Arsenal

One of the biggest strengths of this build is how many different golden weapons it can swap between to fit the matchup. Each weapon brings a unique type of pressure, mobility, or burst damage.

1. Ordovis's Greatsword

This is the poster child of the build. Its Ash of War is:

 Extremely fast

 Excellent for roll-catches

 Surprisingly strong when charged

 Capable of pancaking aggressive teams

Ordovis's Ash of War is perfect against gank squads. If invaders had a "panic button," this would be it.

2. Death Knight Twin Axes

A rare weapon in PvP, but incredibly slept on.

Its Ash of War features a teleporting chase-down strike, which becomes absolutely nasty if you delay the follow-up heavy.

3. "Sunveil" (Sacred Great Katana)

This is the standard Great Katana infused with Sacred Blade, but in this build, it essentially becomes the holy counterpart to the community-famous Moonveil. The Sacred Blade projectile:

 Hits harder than you'd expect

 Reaches far

 Catches players even on spotty connections

4. Greatsword of Damnation

This weapon unlocks a different style: critical hits. When Chase switches to this weapon, he changes his talismans to maximize critical damage.

The grab attack is brutal and very satisfying when it lands. It also plays well into opponents who parry too predictively.

5. Euphoria

This golden hammer brings big anime energy. After fully charging it, you get access to a massive Ash of War with cinematic range. It's not easy to land-but when it hits, the screen erupts.

In one invasion, Chase tries charging it mid-fight, but the anticipation alone pressures the enemy into bad positioning.

Talisman Strategy: Swap Depending on Your Weapon

Unlike a static endgame build, this golden setup requires active talisman swapping depending on the weapon being used.

Here's the core rotation:

For critical/grab weapons:

 Dagger Talisman (boosts critical hits)

 Shard of Alexander (boosts Ash of War damage)

For strength/trading weapons:

 Two-Handed Sword Talisman (increases two-handed damage)

 For charged Ashes like Ordovis or Euphoria:

 Godfrey Icon (boosts charged spells and skills)

This flexibility keeps the build unpredictable-something especially important when invading groups instead of dueling.

Faith Utility: Regen and Comfort

The build also takes advantage of one of Faith's most underrated strengths: regeneration.

Having a regen incantation running during invasions:

 Helps you win chip-damage wars

 Lets you stay in combat longer

 Punishes passive opponents

 Fits the theme (everything is golden!)

When you're glowing bright gold, the aesthetic is almost too perfect.Playstyle Breakdown: How the Golden Build Works

This build shines because it has tools for every situation:

Against Aggressive Duelists

 Use Ordovis or the Great Katana

 Punish with fast Ashes

 Maintain spacing and chip regen

Against Gank Squads

 Use Greatsword of Damnation or Euphoria

 Abuse AoE knockdowns

 Rely on burst Ashes to break formations

Against Wizards and Casters

 Use Death Knight Axes

 Teleport to punish spell windups

 Mix in jump attacks to avoid ground AoE

Against Passive Rollers

 Use Sacred Blade

 Use Tornado for delayed pressure

 Corner opponents to force mistakes

This flexibility is what separates this from simple strength builds.

The mix of sacred damage, delays, grab attacks, and ranged pressure makes it a toolbox of pain for unsuspecting hosts.

Final Thoughts: A Thematic Build With Real Bite

The Golden Strength Build isn't just a flashy fashion build. It's:

 Competitive

 Flexible

 High damage

 Visually stunning

 Fun to swap weapons with

Whether you're invading, dueling, or running themed characters for DLC content, this setup offers a perfect mix of power and entertainment.

Strong weapons, insane Ashes of War, great regen, and talisman synergy all combine to create one of the most enjoyable PvP builds of the DLC cycle so far.