Elden Ring has been the most fun I've ever had. (PvP Chat & GLOG)

GLOG #3 - Howdy, y'all!
Here's an update on where I've been, what characters and builds I've been making, and, as a bonus, let's add to the discourse on Elden Ring and its PvP. This is not a formal video by any means, but I did want to throw some thought-spaghetti onto the walls to see what sticks. Expect more content from me after this month is up! Until then, if you want to see more of me, I try to stream regularly on the weekends on over on my Twitch ( / dangitjm ). Take care of yourselves and each other!
Chapters:
00:00 Life Update + Current Builds
32:40 My Half-Measured Response to "Elden Ring Burn Out"
01:01:00 TL;DW - I've had so much fun. I'm hopeful.
--
My Socials //
/ dangitjm
/ dangitjm

[@aweinspyerd2112]

it's refreshing to see your builds that are actually RPG builds in an RPG.

[@Quarterspine143]

It's tough doin' RPG builds in a PVP setting, you gotta have some serious skill to pull it off without breaking character, in a sense. Jim definitely has the skill, I'm workin' up to it.

[@mykingbadguy]

This is one of the most cathartic videos I've ever watched. Everything to the long winded rants about people being unhappy to the '40' hour work week. I used to work a lot of regular overtime. I think people are asking more for a Fromsoft fighting game at this point. I just deleted like 4 paragraphs of text over and over because I don't think this is the place for a page of text that ultimately says "make your own fun instead of waiting for it". I love your videos Jim. I hope you are well to yourself. You deserve it.

[@iota-09]

indeed no matter whether we may agree or disagree on something, jm always brings meat to the table with vids like this, not a single time i've watched a video of his and felt disappointed. good shit.

[@Gankstomper]

I do feel like a lot of people who like the pvp (specifically duels) in this game but get irritated over OP no skill builds would enjoy fighting games. They're just pure 1v1 tests of skill and knowledge. Sure there can be OP characters, but if you learn the MU it's always possible to win, and unlike the things in ER that play the game for you, the people using OP characters still have to put in effort.

[@reynauldwhistles2338]

I like your style, keep it simple.

[@La0bouchere]

Honesty, that's kinda how it's always been since DeS. The dueling community wants to see some improvements to make the game better for competitive players, and From ignores it since that's not what they want to do. Been happening since 2010. The combat does have good potential to be a serious, deep, competitive dueling system, and It'd be cool to see that realized. But From isn't going to be the developer to do that and people should just accept it and move on.

[@Stryfe52]

Dueling is cool, but I’ve personally always preferred invasions. I just want the games do have a fun online mechanic for when I’m tired of throwing myself at bosses.

[@joelando9485]

Merrica, I feel you bro. Back when I work in a big 4 company they expect you to work a lot of extra hours and also on holidays 🙃. Love your content, hope you find time to make more build/weapons analysis 😊.

[@Rehvion]

My only issue is that 1.04 brought an overnight drop in activity, we're speaking of a 90% drop for me, and I had other content creators and discord guys contacting me asking if it was the same, it definitely feels something more than only the playerbase dwindling. I'm perfectly fine with all the bullshit, this is not my first rodeo and I actually feel they're being relatively fast with patches this time around, but having 10-15 minutes of actual gameplay every hour is soul crushing

[@ghost_hardware_]

100% hard agree. Honestly i’m not worried about balance and all that other shit. It’ll work itself out in the long run one way or another. The thing that actually hurts right now is the waiting between invasions that only became a thing after 1.04. I know people have suggested that what’s different is the game now prioritizes Taunters Tongued worlds for invaders to the point that it’ll cue invaders for that world even if all the slots are full. so you end up just waiting in line instead of matching up with co-op groups. i have no way of knowing if it’s true but it does *feel* like that might be what’s up

[@1996Dagger]

Yeah, I used get hours of back-to-back invasions at Farum Azula at rl150, but after the 1.04 I get maybe 5 or 6 max an hour

[@matuese1285]

cant wait for a wex dust type mod for elden ring. especially since the game is so large

[@junoglrr9119]

he wants us to suffer before we can enjoy again. it will pass!

[@1996Dagger]

@@junoglrr9119 hidetaka miyazaki is the dark souls of game developers 😭

[@JoviLevi]

You and Saint offer an alternate, positive perspective that I really appreciate. Feels like the community has been (partially) whipped up into a sort of frenzy. Reminds me of World of Warcraft discourse around patches and updates, and the longing for how the game was X amount of years ago, spearheaded by "outrage merchants". Also, yes, much more important; everyone must play Disco Elysium.

[@saimaurice3652]

you, pinco, and saint have been my favorite people to watch play this game. Love your attitudes so much, such a breath of fresh air!

[@tomen151]

My true mentors.. srsly every time you get frustrated with the game just look up what those are doing..

[@leftovernoise]

Same. I had to stop watching a few souls people because of the constant whining and complaining. saint, JM, pinc, have been my guiding moonlight

[@bbluva20]

I dunno, I used to love Saint, he got weird a few months before Elden Ring came out. Haven’t watched him since.

[@leftovernoise]

@@bbluva20 He "got" weird? Dude has been making unhinged videos for like 5 years now.

[@staxmcgee9760]

🎯💯

[@l1teralcanc3r78]

Level 50-90 invasions are amazing and I'm shocked more people aren't playing in that bracket.

[@staxmcgee9760]

In the process of finishing my build to join this bracket. So should I stay stopped at lvl 70 with +13/+5 weapons or what?

[@Megugugu]

@@staxmcgee9760 I think +15 could be a good in between or at least +14 if you are planning to invade in lvl 70

[@d33dr0]

"Who uses bows?" Asmosgold. 'Bows rule!' -DangitJim

[@kimashitawa8113]

Finally someone who is positive about not only the PVE, but also the PVP.

[@zedwords]

There are dozens of us!

[@kielbasamage]

Other than lightning peg leg boomer, I haven’t had much to say negatively about the overall, ‘s gud.

[@alastor8091]

If it took you this long to find someone who likes the garbage pvp, that should tell you something.

[@Gankstomper]

@@alastor8091 "hurr hurr it garbage my opinion the only one that matters hurr hurr" It's subjective dude. Did you not learn what that word means in school?

[@alastor8091]

@@Gankstomper "w-well some people like the taste of shit!" Lmfao seethe.

[@Audiophillie]

Man I'm glad I watched this whole thing through. I'll be honest, I've also been really negative about the PvP since elden ring came out too, but hearing and reliving some of those war stories from the older souls games... Wow. Thanks for helping me pull my head out of my ass a bit! I was already looking forward to the coming patches and I've already been enjoying the base game, now I'm just even more excited for what's to come. ER really is everything I hoped for and I'm still having a blast playing it. The fact I can say that now means it's only going to get better.

[@monsieurdorgat6864]

I've had this same opinion for a while. I'm exactly where Jim is - like who the fresh hell are these "Pontiff lovers"? Why is 6 people where you draw the line? I seriously think these people are gankers who miss how gank-friendly DS3 was, and they have to pretend that they're not gankers just to get listened to.

[@Raj-dv8bb]

27:00 For my fellow war cry and troll enjoyers, use off-hand highland axe and you can use troll's roar on thrusting greatswords like the stitcher, the weapon with the best range in the game. Have fun.

[@UnpronounceabIeName]

I was planning on watching this video in parts or having it in the background while I'm doing something. But man that hour just flew by! Great video as always!

[@Mischief350]

Ah, glad I'm not the only one who thought to rock scaled armor fashion on a gravity mage. 😌

[@jonathans8]

the "burnt out" subject comes up right with the black flame build. nice.

[@puppyhat2275]

You and Saint Riot are by far my new favorite souls content creators. Actually make me want to play the game and ive been having so much fun making RPG builds each with a different purpose. Yes broken stuff still gets annoying and frustrating but I just can't stop playing and my attitude towards it is so much better.

[@aaaaa-ks4we]

I love how pleasant and casual your videos are, keep slaying king and hoping your work can get less exhausting maybe 🙏

[@Summon_Aery]

It's a good day when I see you upload, hope you get some more time to yourself and some rnr. I've also been trying to collect everything on one character for other crafted builds, but just enjoying the journey for now. Maybe I'll have to give the bows some love, looks like you're quite fond of them.

[@gobsauce84]

I love the insane pvp. Invading with the ruins great sword and launching people into the air has been a blast!

[@draxxilion5957]

(Haven’t watched the video yet, just read title) I’ve got to agree tbh, the combat just clicks for me a lot more then the other games and it feels fun to be able to use such a wide variety of things. Elden ring in terms of PvE has felt the best as well, mainly due to the longevity. Unlike the other games Elden ring really feels like a massive journey, and my growth feels a lot smoother compared to the other games where I often end up getting way stronger in a very short timeframe.

[@Yeetomato]

Poison moth flight and rot kin exultation both add so much depth to poison builds. I love having to work for the burst damage, it almost reminds me of how hard you had to work for bleed in ds3. I also think its nice thatthere's sort of an incentive to keep using your poison weapon after you proc poison because of the exultation. in the other games, once you already proc poison theres no reason to not swap off

[@Yeetomato]

Did you know that briars of punishment can also just teleport across a gap?

[@dangitjm]

@@Yeetomato I did! Learned that from a certain fruit...

[@Yeetomato]

@@dangitjm 🍅 hmmmm

[@foofootoo]

Loved the duel from 52:14, the poison build looks awesome, and the enemy was doing really well with their Curved Greatsword too. Such a satisfying invasion!

[@mainlyjm]

Jesus christ pontiff was hell, the area I avoided most in invasions

[@Gankstomper]

Aldrich followers were consistently idiots for some reason.

[@loloel3539]

That gave me hope, I needed it, thank you

[@pascalerkens9754]

Glad to have you Back. Thank you for this Video. Was a very good comment that really captured the current mood. I for one love Elden Ring and enjoy PvP more since i started creating unique Builds. Saint kinda inspired me and so did you now.

[@jonaswest6993]

That out played into disconnected true combo was very nice to see, great video

[@Keys_209]

Hey Jim, I just wanted to say thanks for this video. Listening to you talk through the video, all the fun builds you've made, it's such a breath of fresh air amidst other content creators who have been constantly complaining about the game's current status. Loved your rant at the end too, especially about the Pontiff area lol. I'm gonna go make a gravity build, and probably a beast build too. Thanks again man!

[@JetStream0509]

53:40 Disco Elysium is on all platforms! And it works surprisingly well on controller! Definitely top 2 games I’ve ever played. (The other is Outer Wilds)

[@Felicificity]

You’re getting VERY consistent with those headshots in those first fights - honestly kind of cool that jumps add that new, more reliable strategy to bows (that isn’t just endless backdashing Simon’s Bowblade). Still nightmarish in a gank, but looks fun for fooling around in duels

[@eldenstinker5310]

I'm glad you're having a lot of fun with elden ring, thank you for the optimistic outlook.

[@Dimas451]

I think we would all appreciate videos about builds made by you

[@tonybaker1268]

Already nearing 600hrs and many many builds. Just as I was slowing down, hearing you talk about this game... I think I'm ready for 600hrs more 😂

[@PerennialSash]

Mmm, yes, new game bad, old game good. Heckin fantastic builds ya got there, great way to keep things fun and entertaining :D

[@enderborn9209]

you're a joy to watch man, i wish you the best

[@patoverton2199]

Jm could make videos about anything. I just like the way he talks. so soothing.

[@childofanu7215]

Low level invasions are my favorite just for the overleveled phantoms. Nothing like a nice 200k+ drop that you can put towards consumables/mats.

[@joshfromxbox]

YOOOO CHILD OF ANU. that's a name i haven't seen in forever hope you're well

[@SomeUnkindledAsh]

Its been A MINUTE since ive heard somebody talk abt Vit Gouge builds. You love to see it

[@xan7292]

Regarding the whole "meta homogenization" thing you touched on, it reminds me of a quote I saw somewhere (lord knows I can't remember where though). *"Given the opportunity, players will optimize the fun out of a game."* This is a very real thing that happens to a lot of people; they find something that's head and shoulders above other options and go as hard as they can in on it, and it results in this kind of thing. This is why I try not to worry about what is the "best", and instead try and hone in on the things I find the most fun to use. (For Elden Ring, that seems to be Godslayer incantations paired with various melee options, because I'm an unapologetic edgelord) In conclusion, good video; I appreciate the fact that you're as positive about this topic as you are, as a number of other people seem to be more pessimistic and I don't think it's quite warranted.

[@xuanathan]

I feel you on the godslayer stuff, I feel cool using them not only because its edgy as fuck and thats awesome, but because I don't feel like I've optimised, I feel more like I'm playing a character to fight other characters, and thats fun. It feels so special finding another player that uses godslayers, or a weird build I'd never thought of. I just wish I matched against more players like this instead of the usual Tragoth/Niall's Set who play just for another win. I can tell when another player is playing specifically to have fun dueling, you can just tell in the way they play, the way they emote, and how they've made their build.

[@chippler5822]

I had to swap builds cause they just were too strong and victories didn't feel earned i went into elden ring to play it like my other souls games Strength, int chad, but as you might've guessed spells took up my entire repetoir and using solely moonveil so i said i gotta change

[@kielbasamage]

Wasn’t that quote from a Game Makers Toolkit video?

[@andrew-ls]

​@@kielbasamage The quote is usually associated with the Civilization series, attributed I think to either Sid Meier or Soren Johnson.

[@captain_rodrick1551]

Doing a build because it's fun or because of a fun thing you found or even saw is so rewarding The "honest rivers" build that Saint did was really appealing to me, and I've always neglected katanas in these games So imagine the first time i equipped the things, and Bloodflame talon comboed into double slash with the Nagakiba for the first time, i was officially in love My whole character became a weeb, it just felt right Optimizing is fun, but you gotta optimize for things that appeal or are fun to you, or else you're just digging a trap for your own self

[@shira_yone]

Been wanting to do poison build, looking forward to the in-depth build vid!

[@eriksteen84]

very nice video to watch! All the best to you, Jim!

[@The_Kid_Kaylen]

Seeing a positive take like this makes me so happy. Oddly enough I'm a Souls noob but I like to make my own builds, the more off meta the better. The total freedom to play at different levels and experience all parts of pve, pvp, co-op, solo, exploration, etc. keeps me playing. I have literally over 1000 hours on 7 chars between lvl 1 and 428. Thank you for this, let's not lose sight of all the things that make this game so incredible!!! ✌️

[@ernestogabrielhorus7608]

I was lucky enough to play this games since Demon's Souls, and even so I'm not a PvPer or a Creative, I have always enjoyed the content and discourse of the community, however, everytime a new game comes out, the exact same arguments get made in regards to PvP, word to word, is insane, and funny too not gonna lie, everytime the last game was 10 times better than the new one, and the same is going to happen when Elden Ring 2 The Ringenning comes out. My point is, I love hearing the voices of players like you Jim, who are just enjoying them selfs, love you man, take care

[@WhenRayneWithers]

Oh Jm, always the voice of reason in a chaos filled sea.

[@oldmanwinter0066]

Love it. Also, hoping 2v2 gets more attention. I've had some great times in ER trying different styles/challenges as well. Grab a brew, throw on some Holy Grail in the background, and goof around for awhile. Sounds like a good time to me 👍

[@1996Dagger]

Just what I need to listen to 3 times while I invade in Farum Azula. Thanks jim

[@radladprime]

Poison moth flight is my favorite ash of war. What a cool idea for a move.

[@iRedJr]

Glad you're enjoying the game Jim! I was hoping if you had some place where we could view all your builds? I am very curious to see what creative builds you've made!

[@thrustybagladeur8984]

Dude I feel you with the commute times, I take two busses to my work, counting from when I leave the house it takes me about an hour or more to get there (since i have to arrive early esp since I open). Then another hour or more to get home, my work is only 4 km away lmao

[@omnibot5848]

I don't know if it's a viable option where you live, but walking or cycling would be faster if it takes an hour by bus to go 4km. While walking would only be a bit faster, you could make that trip in 15-20 min by bike assuming you don't need to deal with too many traffic stops.

[@forthedream3027]

i havent even gotten through the game yet because my 2nd character is stuck in stormveil doing low lvl invasion stuff. its way too much fun! love your videos

[@shelikesmyds]

what the hell i had the same idea for a poison build lore character from the land of reeds named mikoto, the pupa who should after getter her wings(a poison uchigatana and the serpentbone blade) would become true moth mikoto,,, Also good to see an upload from you again love the vids :D !

[@dangitjm]

If you want to use poison, by all means, do so! I've been having a great time using it, you might too. And thank you for your support! :D

[@KingThor128]

Good to see you back man, you and Saint Riot seem to be some of the only content creators being positive about the PvP in this game. Along with Chasethebro, possibly. Since I've gotten far enough in the video to see what builds you have I highly recommend you try out a spellcaster using the wing of astel, it's a fun curved sword that compliments casting playstyle very well.

[@mrsucculence]

Fantastic video! I agree with basically everything you said, it's been saddening to read about all the cases of people who're having no fun because they're are too afraid to move beyond the established 'best ways to play' (though I'll admit that I'm sometimes a little guilty of that too). It's refreshing to see someone in the community really having fun with all the tools the game gives you rather than simply using the 'one-shot build of the day'. It's also something I never understood about PVP speculators in these games. It's been something I've thought about since before Elden Ring's release. Remember when people were super worried about backstabs not being as viable? And how that could 'take away a large skill factor?' No one talks about backstabs anymore, cause there's so many other parts of the combat to think about (and in my opinion, backstabs are in the best state of balance right now. It feels like they're more of a situational response to really bad commits rather than a punishment for missing an ultra r1 and not immediately rolling out the way). The way I always thought about it was 'think about how DS3 pvp is. How on earth would ANYONE have predicted what that would have been like pre-release? How will it be any different for Elden ring? Besides, what's the point if the new game's PVP is gonna be the exact same as the old ones?

[@mrsucculence]

After watching the second half of the video, god I agree with you so hard. I definitely think that the souls community is generally one of the better ones out there, but my god does it have some weird thing about finding literally any small reason to completely hate a game in the series. The amount of times I'd see 'X game is trash because this mechanic isn't as fleshed out, or Y game is terrible because it has a weaker story/progression'. Also 'fun to load into like pontiff' LMAOOOO. MY GUY REALLY SAW THE OPEN WORLD AND WAS LIKE 'Yep, gank city was better'

[@taylorreid5347]

Hi. I don't do the PVP, but I share your attitude towards builds and playthroughs. I'm a challenge runner guy, or perhaps a "personal hurdle" guy. I have a different attitude concerning the "broken" stuff in the game, because I have to decide how I'm going to engage with it concerning the PVE. I appreciate your candor and demeanor. Thank you!

[@shmoe360]

For the beast boy build, I like the dumb naked version. Blue dancer is nice in that it also scales the physical damage of your spells, not just weapons. Going naked means you can get more damage and ignore building for heavy armour which ALSO means you can play it at lower levels effectively. Str/Faith physik, blue dancer, the charged spells icon can get some pretty nice results for output and one or two defensive talismans to try and shore up the gaping holes in your defense should do!

[@zomboni1312]

Just started coming back to your channel and I vividly remember being very dissatisfied with ds3 near launch but then coming back like years later and having a blast. Patience pays off and all that. Also who the hell remembers post-Pontiff with fondness that shit taught people how horrifying 5v1s were

[@scumbad7953]

20:52 That Briar build looks so fun

[@mainlyjm]

I'm excited for the dlc, great video

[@andrewagredano9968]

NOw that poison build sounds badass.

[@pawnshop_ghost]

Your thorn sorcery build is probably my favorite, which makes me extremely sad that it's gone bc I was having the most fun using that out of any other build of my own

[@pawnshop_ghost]

A sidenote: I hope they add some form of pvp that allows for 6 or more people, bc I miss team fights. Being a one man army versus 3 guys gets lonely and just blah, I want more cool interactions w more players instead of just "there's the host, time to go killing again"

[@Spearced]

Thanks so much for this video Jim. I haven't even completed ER yet or got into much PvP since I've been wanting to pace out the experience alongside general life stuff of my own, but I was already feeling a bit worn down by the state of the discourse online. Elden Ring has plenty of problems, I don't think anyone can deny that. But is it still a masterpiece and one of the most enjoyable gaming experiences I've ever had? Hell yes. I get that people are saying it's important to 'hold the devs feet to the fire' to effect change and get more regular patches and transparent communication with the playerbase, and yes in an ideal world this would be the case. But as you've demonstrated here, there's still vast depths to be plumbed from the PvP and build variety that the sweat-lords just aren't interested in experimenting with because it isn't completely meta. And it's a damn shame.

[@corluusilmat2083]

I view Elden Ring a lot like I do Bloodborne. a very cool, neat experience when it wants to be. when it works, it works. it just doesn't work the way a lot of people probably want, a lot of the time. I've had a lot of cool moments invading, dueling, etc. and found my fun where I can, but it definitely does have its problems (most glaringly, looking at you Bloodhound Step). just will those problems "kill the PvP"? no, not at all. also cheers to the bow builds, bows have always had a very cheeky playstyle and I feel like it's only enhanced in Elden Ring.

[@dangitjm]

This same argument can be--and has been--applied to all the Souls games, by and large. "They just don't work the way a lot of people probably want, a lot of the time." We had the same noxious back-and-forth during the heyday of DS3 and the same folks were calling for a return back to DS2, and to DS1. No game in the SoulsBorne series has been immune to this constant stream of online negativity, and it's simply Elden Ring's turn in the barrel.

[@corluusilmat2083]

@@dangitjm yeah, I definitely can see the argument being applied to the other games as well. and I believe I actually have done that before talking about it to other people, the whole "every game is broken, the one you like just broke in a way you enjoy" sentiment. I see it as the community will adapt and things will progress as they always have. also unrelated to the whole discussion but you got the particulars on that briar sorcerer you showed in the video on hand? I was considering making a sorcerer and it looked really fun.

[@dangitjm]

​@@corluusilmat2083 Sure thing. The build is at lvl 55, but I'm sure you can raise it higher if you wanted. Vigor: 40* Mind: 20 End: 19* Str: 16* Dex: 16* Int: 14 Faith: 24** Arc: 10 Prophet Starting Class Talismans: Radagon's Soreseal*, Two Fingers Heirloom**, Radagon Icon, (4th slot is your preference/free slot/concealing veil/bull-goat's/etc).

[@corluusilmat2083]

@@dangitjm cheers. I've done a few builds but they were all melee oriented so I've been wanting to do a caster because as you mentioned in the video the sheer variety Elden Ring has for it is amazing. time to stab people with blood plants

[@princerahorakty5088]

@@dangitjm Honestly I miss rally potential and I wish everyone could use runes. I also wanted Fromsoft to make the game open world like red dead 2 online. They could have just made a maiden host a server for people to PvP in and even have other game modes. Imagine a open world where in certain areas you do not have to invade for invasions or put down a sign for pvp you can just run up on someone 🤣 I wanted Elden Ring to feel more like a open world game. Wild life is perfect and so is the crafting but the lack of villages with none hostile npc's bothers me. Games like Minecraft oblivion and Skyrim give me that euphoria. The online just does not play as nice and that's why I love Fromsoft games.

[@Yeetomato]

oh boy oh boy an hour long jimothy video

[@RofoTheGyrm]

I hear ya JM. Like yes, there's tons of issues with this game but if you can't carve out your own little niche of enjoyment, it's in your own best interest / mental health to just move on for a little bit. The shear amount of streams that I go into that are just a 3-4 hour stream of negativity really makes me question WHY people are still playing this game THIS much if they really hate it. Also those last 2 comments you pulled up SENT me into the stratosphere. It's totally bizarre how Pontiff quickly went from a meme, to sweatgrounds, back to a meme again, and now people are somehow nostalgic about it??

[@pain2k446]

Great video! Love the builds, and bloodborne was my first souls game, but I have to agree with the points you made! Ppl have to try out new fun stuff and get out of this meta mindset. They suck the fun out themselves!

[@HalozillaEX]

I'm glad you made this video. I feel very much the same about ER; its a fantastic game that I've already sunk hundreds of hours into, even though I personally feel its not a 10/10 game due to a number of issues I have for both pve and pvp. To be blunt, the only thing I'm getting burnt out on is the constant whining and negativity. If your invasion experience is that bad, I would suggest trying to avoid, say, meta level liurnia (aka the new gank city) and try out non-meta invasions at different levels. Some of the most fun I've had so far is with my LV50 +8 banished knight cosplay invader, who uses nothing but the banished halberd (w/ storm assault) and shield (w/ carian retalian). Do I still run into shitheads every now and then? Yes. Do I still die to overleveled phantoms every now and then? Yes. But I still have fun, and when I do win, it feels great. Despite literally only using a halberd and shield, I dont feel as if these invasions are impossible to win. I dont feel the need to respec into a oneshot build. I'm perfectly happy with my banished knight invader doing what he does.

[@Crit-Multiplier]

Going to town. I respect it

[@dessertfox5995]

I love seeing your rl1 stuff. I'm currently at morgott with the run and would love to see you destroy him.

[@MikeDep]

I've not done any PvP in elden ring because I don't like leveling vigor, and just play FromSoft games for the single player PvE. But I enjoyed all the interesting builds you showcased, especially the faith/lightning stuff looked really cool. Plus the rant at the end about post Pontiff invasions had me rolling

[@dankmoonblade1653]

I needed that

[@ojcorp]

hey jim! i was wondering if you could share the stats (if you still remember them) of the low-level bow and poison builds shown early in this video. i'm trying to make a low-level (20-25 maybe?) invasion "hunter" build using primarily serpent and bloodbone arrows, and i'm not sure if i should be pouring the wretched few levels i get into arc for quicker procs, or vit/end for survivability. i'm assuming dex is largely useless at low levels as bows have such poor scaling anyway...

[@LocalFunnyMan]

i like that frog guy he looks funny

[@FoulUnderworldCreature]

The combo at 21:20 is insane... how did you even find that?

[@Peradam_]

47:13 - Still the best, unironically >.> Also, DkS1 pre-1.06 was a ton of fun. Good video though, I agree that players ought to have a bit more patience when it comes to balance patches.

[@Stryfe52]

The gravity mage definitely looks super fun The Disco Elysian recommendation!

[@TheDrunkardHu]

I like your style Jim.

[@robina.806]

Absolutely looove this thorn sorcerer build! Can you share the stats investment / and how much do you upgrade weapons on this one?

[@dangitjm]

Sure thing. The build is at lvl 55, but I'm sure you can raise it higher if you wanted. My weapons are upgraded to +10 regular / +4 somber. Vigor: 40* Mind: 20 End: 19* Str: 16* Dex: 16* Int: 14 Faith: 24** Arc: 10 Prophet Starting Class Talismans: Radagon's Soreseal*, Two Fingers Heirloom**, Radagon Icon, (4th slot is your preference/free slot/concealing veil/bull-goat's/etc).

[@FKAsocks]

ive been chaining briars of punishment into briars of sin purely for the big ol blood aesthetic but i had no idea you could chain like a pebble into bop. im trying not to just copy that idea wholesale and ive been using it for an arcane focused character but man instant popping briars of punishment sounds so fun

[@gusp8672]

what rune level was that beastial incant build at? I have tried to make a rl 90 and a few other lower level invasion builds but I can never find hosts, in your experience what weapon level and rl brackets are good for organic pvp activity, particularly in the legacy dungeons like raya lucaria, volcano manor, and leyndell?

[@Cosmic-Sorceress-17]

Yes! This is exactly what I wanted to see more of in Elden Ring: I've been making characters left and right to experiment with different types of magic and I've really been hoping for expansions on Death or Gravity or Lava sorceries, as well as more offensive options for Erdtree and Fundimentalist incantations. Magic has never been more fun in any Souls game: The most fun I've had is in Dark Souls 2, with the massive spell variety there. Some of my favorite characters I've done are a Godskin Noble cosplay, a full Dragon mage with both Lightning and Communion spells, and a gravity mage who is also using the Onyx Lord's Greatsword and limiting myself to gravity spells only. The weapons arts and the gravity stone consumables fill the gaps left by the few spells we have nicely, but I really like playing with these subsections of magic pure so I can think on what would be nice to expand them. I can ramble on all day about how much I love this game and my own ideas for what could come to expand what we have. I was kind of hollowing myself due to my own run ins with nonsense in duels and invasions, but this video brought me back and helped me remember my goal: style before stats, above all else. Limit myself and overcome with those limits in play. Back to my gravity mage, I am hoping to make the meteor spells more useful in PvP: timing the normal meteor and going accuracy by volume of fire with Astel's Meteor. Just so much to do and so much fun to be had: and this is just the start. I honestly feel sorry for meta slaves, who will never see the true beauty of the game. Edit: Good lord, I remember trying pure mage builds and going into DS2's arena... That whole fiasco is why I have bitterness in my heart towards PvP in the Souls games to this day. It's something I'm working on fixing in myself in Elden Ring, despite all the nonsense going on. It will get better, just needs time: I meanwhile, will be constantly learning my spells and favorite weapons.

[@snae227]

Love this video.

[@BringerofDoomTheOne]

Honestly happy you talked about this, there has been way too much negativity about the pvp from these metamancer-duellists, intentionally going to places with lots of gankers and such. Almost intentionally making self-fulfilling prophecies for themselves. And the argument that the PVP is on life support 4 months after release, in a game that just on steam sold 12 million copies couple of months ago, pfft. Get out of that meta bubble, and maybe you can have some fun too.

[@theotherhiveking]

1h vid? Today will be a good day

[@jeddfthornton5782]

40 hour work weeks suck but they are very standard in the UK. 2 hours total commute on top is also normal. Wish we were like Germany, 4 day work week more common over there.

[@Razruer]

A long shot, but could I (or we) have the build specs of that chain-spelling battlemage? That one seemed the coolest out of all of them and gives me what I've really wanted-a quick 'get off me' option.

[@Skullivon]

Barbaric Roar on fist weapons is spicy

[@Dorian-Yates-Hair-1991]

What are your stats on the low level build? Never know how high/low I should go in the starting areas for fast invasions

[@gingervald8601]

PC activity seems kinda dead rn, thinks its a matchmaking that'll get fixed later. For now I guess i'll take this time to actually finish a second/third playthrough since I get caught up invading instead of making progress. Also I'm so glad someone else appreciates trolls roar! Phenomenal invasion tool. Co-opers don't expect the hyper armor, if you have PvE support its range and area coverage lets you get a lot of hard hits in. In a smaller space? Do the r2 follow up, its hitbox is MASSIVE, way bigger than it looks. Also with highland axe + roar talisman the damage is solid. I've won so many invasions using pretty much just Trolls Roar. Might just be my favorite ash of war at the moment.

[@bbluva20]

The only thing I’m burned out on are invasions and that’s from the Dark Souls trilogy. People saying that Elden Ring is starting to die out for PVP are nuts. This game isn’t even a year old yet.

[@Uchoobdood]

i am loving using horah loux on different weapons. along side the trolls roar

[@gabrielevignati6530]

It's time someone started the discourse!!

[@Fedorchik1536]

Guys. He did Glaivemaster Hodir build. The legend lives on xD

[@xander3340]

i love your takes on this stuff because i feel the same way. i never got why everyone aims for meta level when every different level set offers different play styles and encounters. i never get people just going for what wins the most, because i would rather roleplay as a character in the world and grow. I feel like people get so easily lost in PVP in the souls games they forget that first and foremost its a roleplaying game that lets you experience the world it puts you in. id rather make a build i find fun and get excited about, even if it means losing. they put all these spells and weapons and items into the game and i feel like a lot of people dont appreciate them at all. thats why your underrated/ dont use videos are so great in my book. great video, keep it up, stay safe

[@AGOGOATHOTH]

My main build has been Fire + Ice themed, powerstancing two spears with one being Cold Affinity + Ice Spear, and the other being Flame Art + Flaming Strike, along with some cold sorceries for good measure. The powerstanced attacks mean that both the fire + ice hit almost simultaneously, so once frostbite procs it should be instantly reset most of the time, and even if not, you just need to land one poke to reset it and immediately begin building up the frost again. You can do this with naginatas too to get the benefits of both frost + bleed but afaik that requires having a friend drop a 2nd nagi for you

[@AGOGOATHOTH]

ofc you do miss out on the actual status effect, but imo if you're using both bleed + frostbite the damage when they proc shortly after the other repeatedly more than makes up for it

[@nikvett]

I'm doing the same themed build, but with powerstanced greatswords and other powerstanced weapons or dual wieldieng light fire weapon + heavy cold weapon.

[@kielbasamage]

I ran the same when I was helping people fight radahn, two noble estocs with frost and fire each, but I switched because I thought fire would constantly reset the frostbite counter before it procs.

[@ShaoKombo]

I appreciate your input personally I haven't had that much fun with PvE but I do enjoy making new builds. Like my zamor pyromancer build ©️. Pvp I am a bit concerned that I'll turn into the meta hunters you've described. So I got Tekken and apex to scratch that itch, Until I finally pvp.

[@Garl_Vinland]

Arena was pretty fun because it let my mages participate in PvP. Pontiff's was cancer comparatively. It was a ganker's paradise and goodluck if you weren't a vigor bro with a big sword

[@zanehaythorn4140]

So far I've been planning a build for levels 150, 120, and 90, any other fun suggested ranges? I've heard 200 is active for dueling so i may make any golden order build i build at that point.

[@Darkrocmon]

Thank you Jim

[@ramu783]

I literally can't sit in any souls orientated discord anymore because of the sheer doomer level of talk that's going on. It's just so boring to be around. Also 133 gets you invasions in all end game zones and people pick to invade in the liurnia lakes for seemingly masochistic reasons.

[@KiwiStarrXD]

What lvl and weapon upgrades do you invade at?

[@athurstyman2139]

Glad to see you back. I really can’t get enough of build making in Elden Ring right now. I’ve seen the great Shane Ryder espouse some great wisdom that if we don’t want the game to be a slog then simply don’t adhere to the meta. Legit two days ago got invaded by a Moonveil main and beat them with dark moon gs and cold offstoc in a 1v1. Elden Ring’s greatest strength is the same as it’s always been in these games: you can make anything useful if you put enough effort in and I just happen to be on a crusade to prove greatswords in their current state are not only usable but can shine. Granted, there will always be the un-fun, uncreative meta ganks that will use only the most bleeding edge meta setups but there’s no reason to adhere to that simply because it’s there. Now I have to go make a purposefully bad build to make a joke only I will laugh at.

[@AnarchyIsLove]

The onyx repulsion should have wider range, but closer to the edge it should just throw people off balance like the Gurranq stone instead of a full throw

[@KidHellacious]

I kinda needed to hear and see this. My life as an invader has been hard since ER 🙈

[@Felicificity]

Mood

[@iamerror45]

can i tell you about my build? strongest in the land