In the Shadow of the Erdtree Carian Sorcery Sword Build, I'll be showcasing my Carian Knight build. This build centers around the Carian Sorcery Sword, which received a buff in patch 1.12.3. Previously, this weapon wasn't very viable due to its Intelligence scaling, which still remains significantly worse compared to the Carian Regal Scepter. On average, it deals about 30% less damage per spell cast than the Carian Regal Scepter.

However, the advantage of this weapon is that you can cast spells without swapping back and forth between your casting implement and your sword. This allows you to use a shield in your offhand, which can be particularly beneficial for players who may not be as nimble with their fingers. Personally, I find it challenging to switch between my casting implement and my sword when facing intense pressure from bosses, a common occurrence in the DLC. Therefore, I believe there's a solid case for using this weapon, and in this guide, I will demonstrate how I effectively utilize it.

Elden Ring Carian Sorcery Sword Build - Carian Knight

In this Elden Ring Build Guide, I’ll be showing you my Carian Sorcery Sword build. This is a Shadow of the Erdtree build that takes place after level 150. If you’ve been looking for a thrusting sword build that deals great stance damage and deals even greater magic damage with Rellana's Twin Moons, then you might want to check this build-out.

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Elden Ring Carian Sorcery Sword Build - Equipment and Spells

The Carian Sorcery Sword is a thrusting sword that primarily deals about one-third physical damage and two-thirds magic damage. It boasts S scaling in Intelligence, has some Dexterity and Intelligence requirements, and minimal Strength requirements. Notably, this weapon features a 110 critical rating, meaning your backstabs and critical attacks will deal more damage than most other weapons in Elden Ring.

The Carian Sorcery Sword scales primarily with Strength, Dexterity and Intelligence and is a good Weapon for players looking for a Magic Thrusting Sword

The Ash of War on this weapon is Impaling Thrust, which cannot be changed. This skill is effective at dealing stance damage and breaking through enemy shields. While I don't use it extensively in this build, it can be very helpful against shielded enemies like Black Knights.

Given its decent critical rating, I decided to focus on a stance break build to take full advantage of the increased damage from critical attacks. I've included spells that prioritize stance damage rather than raw damage. This is crucial because, while your spells will deal less damage compared to a dedicated caster build, the stance damage will allow for more frequent stance breaks.

Elden Ring Carian Sorcery Sword Build Carian Knight (Shadow of The Erdtree)

One of the significant advantages of this build is the ability to cast spells without swapping weapons. This flexibility lets you use spells as if they were Ashes of War. For instance, Greatblade Phalanx deals substantial stance damage and can be used alongside block counters or regular attacks to build up stance damage before going in for stance breaks. Glintblade Phalanx is another good option for this, providing decent stance damage and helping secure stance breaks throughout fights.

The Wolf Crest Shield is a Shield that scales primarily with Strength. Medium Shields feature a good balance between defense and weight, which is great for most situations in combat.

I've paired this weapon with the Wolf Crest Shield, which has low Strength requirements and an excellent guard boost of 66. I've added Carian Retaliation to this shield, allowing for effective block counters to further build stance damage or parry attacks for critical hits. This combination works well depending on the enemy you face, offering flexibility in both offensive and defensive scenarios.

Spells included in this build, aside from Greatblade Phalanx and Glimpblade Phalanx for stance breaks, are Scholar's Shield and Rellana's Twin Moons. Scholar's Shield enhances your shield's protection and guard boost, a benefit of having your catalyst in your right hand and shield in your left. Rellana's Twin Moons is a new spell from the DLC, offering significant damage potential when timed correctly, especially during enemy staggers.

Carian Knight Helm is a Helm in Elden Ring. It is a piece in the Carian Knight Set
Rellana's Armor is part of the Rellana's Set, and can be bough from Enia in the Roundtable Hold after you defeat Rellana Twin Moon Knight
Rellana's Greaves protect both of the player's legs and feet by applying various defensive properties
Beast Champion Gauntlets is an armor piece that protect both of the player's arms by applying various defensive properties

For armor, I'm using the Carian Knight Helm for its iconic look, combined with Rellana's Armor and Greaves for a cohesive knightly appearance. The Beast Champion Gauntlets help achieve the necessary 51 poise breakpoint without needing the Bull-Goat's Talisman, preserving valuable talisman slots.

Elden Ring Carian Sorcery Sword Build - Talismans

Magic Scorpion Charm increases Magic Damage by 12%, but increases Physical Damage taken by 10%

For Talismans in this build, I use the Magic Scorpion Charm because it enhances our magic damage, which complements both our weapon and the spells we use. While it increases the damage we take, the trade-off is worth it for this build.

Assassin's Cerulean Dagger causes critical attacks to restore 15 FP

I also use the Assassin's Cerulean Dagger since it boosts attack power for a significant amount of time after performing a critical strike. Given our focus on stance breaks and parries, we get plenty of critical strikes, thereby maintaining a consistent damage boost.

Ritual Sword Talisman raises attack power by 10% when HP is at maximum

When exploring, I equip the Ritual Sword Talisman, which increases attack power when at full health. This pairs nicely with the Assassin's Cerulean Dagger, stacking to provide even more attack power, which enhances both our weapon attacks and spells. Despite having lower sorcery scaling than the Carian Regal Scepter, these buffs help maintain decent spell damage.

Two Fingers Heirloom raises Faith by 5

For stamina recovery, the Two-Finger Heirloom is essential, especially for a build that relies on block counters, casting spells, and frequent rolling. If you lean more towards parrying, you might consider dropping this, but it's crucial for block counter strategies.

Graven-Mass Talisman raises the potency of Sorceries by 8%

Other useful talismans include swapping out the Ritual Sword Talisman for the Graven-Mass Talisman during boss fights to boost sorcery damage.

Dagger Talisman increases Critical Damage by 17%

The Dagger Talisman can also increase critical strike damage, fitting the critical strike theme of this build. This is particularly useful for boss fights or general exploration.

Curved Sword Talisman increases guard counter damage by 20%
Greatshield Talisman reduces the stamina damage taken while blocking by 20%

The Curved Sword Talisman is another option, enhancing block counter damage, while the Greatshield Talisman can provide more guard protection, reducing stamina loss when blocking. These options allow you to customize your setup based on your preferred playstyle and the challenges you face.

Elden Ring Carian Sorcery Sword Build - Attributes Distribution

For attributes in this build, at level 154, I have 50 Vigor, 31 Mind, 25 Endurance, 12 Strength, 19 Dexterity, 8 Intelligence, 7 Faith, and 9 Arcane.

Elden Ring Carian Sorcery Sword Build Carian Knight (Shadow of The Erdtree)
  • Vigor is set to 50, though I plan to increase it to 55 or 60 eventually. This is the bare minimum needed for survivability, as other stats are prioritized for the build.
  • Mind is at 31 to support regular spellcasting. I aim to raise this to 40 to allow for more spell casts without needing to use flasks, making boss fights and certain game stretches easier.
  • Endurance is at 25 to maintain a medium roll and to perform block counters with our setup. While this is adequate, you might want to increase it to 30 for extra stamina or higher equip load for heavier armor.
  • Strength and Dexterity are at their minimum required levels, 12 and 19 respectively, to wield the shield and the Carian Sorcery Sword.
  • Intelligence is maxed out at 80 to take full advantage of the S scaling on the Carian Sorcery Sword and to maximize spell damage.

Faith and Arcane are not needed for this build. These attribute distributions allow the build to function effectively while leaving room for further optimization as levels increase.

Elden Ring Carian Sorcery Sword Build - Final Tips

For the Flask of Wondrous Physick, I use the Magic-Shrouding Cracked Tear to significantly boost melee damage. While you won't get full value due to some physical damage, the majority of it being magic makes this a worthwhile addition. This tear will also enhance any magic-damaging spells used, which is beneficial for this build.

Elden Ring Carian Sorcery Sword Build Carian Knight (Shadow of The Erdtree)

Additionally, I use the Opaline Hardtear for increased damage negation, providing extra protection in fights. Other options include the Greenburst Crystal Tear or the Thorny Cracked Tear for increased damage with rapid hits. During boss fights, you often get many R1 pokes in with this weapon, so taking advantage of that can be beneficial.

Elden Ring Carian Sorcery Sword Build Carian Knight (Shadow of The Erdtree)
Elden Ring Carian Sorcery Sword Build Carian Knight (Shadow of The Erdtree)
Elden Ring Carian Sorcery Sword Build Carian Knight (Shadow of The Erdtree)

A unique aspect of this weapon is that since R2 is used for spell casting, you don't have a heavy or charged heavy attack. To perform a block counter, you need to press both R1 and R2 simultaneously, which can be tricky if you're not used to it and takes some practice to master.

Elden Ring Carian Sorcery Sword Build Carian Knight (Shadow of The Erdtree)

For Great Runes, Radahn's Great Rune is the best choice. It provides extra health, stamina for block countering, and FP for spell casting, making it ideal for this build. That wraps up my guide. As always, let us know if you have questions or other tips in the comments below. We have a ton more builds coming for Elden Ring and Shadow of the Erdtree so stay tuned for those. If you need help finding the spells, items, or equipment in this build, and securing some personal objectives, make sure to check the Elden Ring Map.