How to Make a Pure, Zero Weapons Spellcaster in Elden Ring

[@meta8586]

"we got a lot of spells, like: Carian Slicer ranged Carian Slicer big Carian Slicer frostbite Carian Slicer Carian Slicer if it was a hammer"

[@ScottJund]

Hell yeah

[@Brunty1234]

nothing wrong with casting Knife

[@notgabriel8624]

@@meta8586 “man I really want to try a different playstyle, get away from the swords and colossal hammers” “Perfect”

[@belliebun4529]

The power of the Glintstone lightsaber

[@bakaAL07]

In fact it looks like a usual weapon but u have to swap every hit 😂

[@m.s6832]

The meteorite staff has the scaling of a +18 Academy glintstone staff for anyone wondering

[@Rain1]

Good info, appreciate it

[@KidCypherTV]

just goes to show how good S int scaling is

[@ThelordHayden34]

So Is a +6 carina regal staff at 69 int better or worse?

[@m.s6832]

@@ThelordHayden34 If you have the means for a plus 18 Academy staff then yes it would be better against the septer even if you upped it to plus 7 but plus 8 onward is better for general use

[@secrecy2744]

A small tip for "Mad Pumpkin Head". Glintstone Arc can easily be free-aimed slightly downwards, and it'll hit him bellow the helmet. Makes him easy to kill from range, even from the front. Another tip is to get the Sacrifical Axe from the Deathbird at Weeping Penninsula after getting the Meteoric Staff. Even if you don't reach the requirement, if you keep the axe in your other hand (or even on your hip) you still get the FP per kill passive effect. I think it's around 3 to 4 FP per kill, so every Slicer OHK basically refunds itself.

[@GiggaGMikeE]

As a prisoner load up on magic glintblades and then run past him to turn him around and magically shishkabob his ass.

[@notgabriel8624]

@@secrecy2744 can’t believe I never thought of this, having it with ancestral horn would let you even profit

[@simonappel2599]

​@@GiggaGMikeE was going to say this but I never could've said it this well

[@VinnyB77]

you can make killing that deathbird stupid simple too by making a holy pot. will almost 1 shot it

[@luckydev3911]

you can also use Torrent in the Mad Pumpkin Head fight by Selen, makes the fight trivial

[@Xarxes_]

Miyazaki robbed me of the chance summon light weapons with incantations like Morgott and I'll forever cry about it

[@nickboon1235]

It would’ve been the easiest remembrance power. No one uses the omen bairn😭

[@peezieforestem5078]

How about installing some mods instead of crying about it?

[@Xarxes_]

@@peezieforestem5078 nah, cringe

[@peezieforestem5078]

@@Xarxes_ This shows that you don't really want it, what you actually want is to complain. Nothing new here, it's a typical human behavior.

[@Xarxes_]

@@peezieforestem5078 lmao, edgelord

[@bernardolange8739]

I love "build" videos like this. Straight to the point and without unecessary bloat. Would love to see more thematic builds from you

[@lowiq5823]

One of the most fun and useful spells you can obtain very early is the Night Maiden's Mist. It deals a whopping 1500 damage per cast and covers a huge area when fully charged. It goes through walls and is great for blocking chokepoints in PvP or mass enemy destruction in PvE. It was the bread and butter of my mage playthrough all the way up to Leyndell. All you need to do to is kill the O'Neil boss in Aeonia Swamp and you'll unlock it for purchase from Gowry. The boss is very easy on horseback even at SL1 as none of his attacks can hit you.

[@soraneptune4178]

Not sure about fun but yes it is good to cheese certain enemies.

[@lunatik4291]

If you have the equip load to spare, you can carry a sacrificial axe(dropped by the deathbird in weeping peninsula at the cube ruins past the wall near the night's cavalry location) on your back/offhand during exploration. It has a similar affect to the ancestral budding horn talisman acquired from the rememberance of moose, restoring some FP for every enemy killed. Useful if you want to have more fp before needing to refill at a grace!

[@sylvanaspilot]

I love being pure caster the pvp is so fun with it having 10 weapons to use and combo with is the most fun i had in any souls game Edit: sellen is hot indeed

[@M333STA]

sellen is hot indeed

[@juanegidio]

Sellen is hot indeed

[@mushroomy9899]

i don’t mind fighting spellcasters in pvp as long as they aren’t spamming death rancor and stars of ruin

[@binhvan4893]

​@@mushroomy9899 Now they spam pebble and running away instead.

[@benmoran4]

@@mushroomy9899it’s worse now with that bullshit huge bomb spell they can free aim at the ground and hit 1/3 of the arena

[@temporaltomato3021]

I've been using the new Gravitational Missile spell from the DLC, and it is actually a great addition to this type of build, especially for PvP. It's just a short range orb that lingers and explodes 4 times. You can cast it as an opener and walk into it, making you dangerous to approach for several seconds and also somewhat masking your subsequent spells. If you cast it at the ground, it will do its final large explosion immediately instead, which means you can quickly aim your camera down if you just want an instant AoE in case you've been rushed down.

[@ScottJund]

this is mostly a PVE guide. I agree gravitational missile is actually a good zoning tool for PVP

[@temporaltomato3021]

@@ScottJund Nice! Looking forward to new red-man clips and guides with all the new toys 👺

[@andrewvazquez9557]

​@@ScottJundIf you ever update this guide I recommend You add two side weapons for this Build "just in case" 1.- A Dagger with the Golden Bow Ash of War (This is for additional defense and attack in case of needed) or the Endure Ash of War(It works with Casting too, so You can Poise-cast some of your spells more easily). 2.- Glintstone Kris: You already are doing the Selene Questline so You already get it from free by the end of it too. - It is a Dagger so it's not heavy and has low requirements plus as a somber weapon is far more easy to upgrade. - The Ash of War is busted: basically the Comet spell but way more fast to cast and way less FP with this You can get rid of an occupied spellslot depending on your Build.

[@sna1466]

thank you Scott, I have never even considered carrian piercer. You are a revolutionary. editing to specify that obviously this is a joke, fellas. no need to explain to me in the comments how amazing carian slicer and piercer are

[@BigLadle99]

Carian piercer is the best spell I use in invasions. People get so cocky with a 3v1 but after 1 carian slicer they eat a 1k damage piercer and die

[@twoshu8940]

Everyone uses it bruh

[@IntrusiveThot420]

Try doing an empty jump into carian piercer sometime as a mixup. People will instinctually roll away from the jump (which they assume is a jump attack) and then Piercer catches their roll.

[@sna1466]

Guys I was trolling

[@ShadowProject01]

Carian piercer is extremely handy on so many enemies

[@bakaslayer]

i like that you showed all the spells on the fire knights cause those guy are actual cancer

[@2HandHangerDunksOnly]

Hornsent warriors are worse. At least you can stunlock the fire knights lol

[@averyharley2197]

@@2HandHangerDunksOnly Their FTL shoulder charge is the bane of my existance personally.

[@IliumGaming]

They can be parried and backstabbed and their main attack combo is extremely telegraphed. Honestly after farming their armor set they are incredibly easy to predict now. Dodge the fireballs and parry the lunge, ezpz

[@ChristopherWaddelow]

I love your constant search of proper spell builds since DS3. The dedication is duely noted

[@snusle4126]

Thank you Scott 😭 I've abandoned my sorcerer playthrough cause I still ended up needing a sword half the time. Now I've gotten the spells you recommended and I'm having a blast.

[@stevenbills2600]

8:46 another niche thing specifically for pve about magic glintblade is the fact its probably the easiest spell to use on torrent, since you don't need to bother with r1 or l1, you just do whatever one you like and not have to worry about awkward angles

[@kallekehveli]

scott please do more build videos like this. this is amazing

[@Kizen.]

There are at least three spells I recommend from the DLC even for a pure caster. Glintblade Trio, Miriam's Vanishing, and Gravitational Missile. The first is just Magic Glintblade but x3 but doesnt have as long of a delay. However, it does do similar damage to the Magic Glintblade, Shard Spiral, and Collapsing Stars combo while being far faster and more FP efficient. Gravitational Missile is useful for several reasons. Firstly, standing inside of the aoe allows you to have a zone of safety, and it has a super cheap fp cost while also being a large amount of damage if it detonates or is cast directly into the ground for trading scenarios/damage through walls. It allows for combos during the pull, deals chip damage if someone is in the field, and isnt too slow to cast which allows you to have a large zoning tool. Something that is actually lacking for mages since they don't have access to things like Fire Serpent, Greyoll's, Placi, or any of the other dragon incants or Ancient Dragon's Lightning/Death Lightning/Burn o Flame type spells. Miriam's vanishing breaks lock and allows you to skip some startup frames on spells after the duration. This allows for both defense or aggression if using defensive spells or offensive spells respectively.

[@AzureShrike]

I would actually also like to point out that what makes me use the Regal Scepter over the Lusats besides just the chepaer fp cost is the Regal Scepters unique weapon spin ash of war. Does AMAZING stagger and stunlock potential it basically adds an 11th spell to your lineup. Though I suppose if you're trying to run ONLY casting you arent rly casting a spell. But the ash should not be underestimated if you wanna break that rule a little bit.

[@ScottJund]

THAT STAFF SPINNING SEEMS AN AWFUL LOT LIKE HITTING SOMEONE WITH A WEAPON TO ME BUD

[@scytheviper2748]

​@ScottJund do you think anyone other than a spellcaster would use that? Fair play

[@AzureShrike]

@ScottJund listen i DID specify that it breaks the rule a lil bit okay but yes it's technically not a spell lol.

[@ClubbingSealCub]

@@ScottJund IT GLOWS BLUE SO IT'S MAGIC

[@IliumGaming]

​@ScottJund how does the staff spin

[@notgabriel8624]

Been meaning to do a caster only run. Currently the closest build I have is my Morgott Cosplay build, which is an Arcane focused build using the albinuric staff for carian slicer, piercer, and gavel of haima to simulate his summoned weapons! The high dex you need for the cursed blade compliments the casting speed of the already fast casting melee spells

[@DTPandemonium]

That spear he summons is full on the treespear and it even comes with the holy buff weapon art to be gold. Honestly that weapon was goated with the charge attacks when I was doing my morgott run.

[@notgabriel8624]

@@DTPandemonium I actually was using the tree spear in my build too! I was running Spectral Lance on it to replicate the yeet attack! I’m so looking forward to reaching the DLC in my run to get the smithscript dagger and spear, literally perfect to replicate his throwing attacks

[@Legendary_Honey]

If you can't comfortably claw grip, but still want to be efficient, consider getting back buttons for your controller. If you are modding the controller yourself, there are very solid, cheap options out there. This is something that has made my experience better in virtually every soulslike, since running is almost always attached to a face button.

[@Wizzyhatg]

1:08 You can also spam Stone of Guranq, Madness Burst, and Lightning bolt instead if you want. Alternatively, a dragon arc/faith (mostly arc) pure spell build is the easiest build in the game, spamming dragonclaw/dragonmaw with the above faith spells for range cast off of communion seal's magadjust

[@lapusso3704]

not for dlc, you will trade with bosses and normally they chunk you like 80% of your hp while you are casting long ass spells

[@ScottJund]

True once you get a Dragon Communion Seal and some decent stats you can Dragonmaw shit to death but before that its pretty mind numbingly boring. Honestly, spamming Dragonmaw is also pretty boring, if not super chad.

[@XonixDerps]

@@lapusso3704 Maw can hurt most of em but this is true for faster or smaller bosses. Final boss made me give up on dragon lmao

[@AlexanderMartinez-kd7cz]

there are 3 rules in fromsoft games: parry is OP, greatshields are OP, and the giant beam spell is garbage.

[@mikusiae]

About comet azur, while I was playing my INT build, it did actually come in handy on romina saint of the bud. half of her hp can be melted by comet azur as she takes very long to approach at first. not 100% cheese, but maybe worth a shot if any of my fellow mages are struggling out there!

[@yungmythologist]

skipping to phase 2 is a neat way to die faster if you haven't learned the boss, but if you have already learned phase 2, it is convenient in closing out your last attempt

[@mikusiae]

@@yungmythologist idk if phase 2 is that much of a problem, didn't take me too long personally

[@SkarrGaming]

One thing I'd add is that you'd want to have Magic Scorpion Charm on 100% of the time. It's a talisman from a questline and it is missable, so follow a guide to make sure you don't mess it up. It also makes you take 10% more damage though so watch out for that.

[@thecrakp0t]

Playing with claw grip also opens you up to having easier access to the Y+Dpad shortcuts. Meaning you can have access to your flasks at all times so you can safely cycle through items without having to worry about it

[@saokatedo8570]

I don't know if I should consider myself a pure caster because I use the wing of Aztel as second weapon on my right hand. But I use it just for the ability. I play as a "assassin mage" who kills without being noticed and that skill is really useful to kill mobs behind the walls or that sheep rolling non stop on the DLC!. Nice guide! I love it!

[@cptlatham6126]

HOLY SHIT that "hold D up to revert to first spell" is a game changer. I never knew that!

[@fritothedemon6647]

God I love me a Scott Jund souls video, always so high quality

[@shaku4713]

I know you mentioned that you wouldn't do faith due to how limited it is, but I would still love to see a guide on it regardless! I enjoy faith, but as you've said, it's quite limited, so I would like to see how you make it work!

[@LungaFermata]

I actually started a pure spellcaster a few hours before you released this because I was trying to think of a build I wanted to play that was fun and remembered you talking about how it is your favourite.

[@csquared4538]

I recommend swapping your keybind for changing spells with either block/left cast or with Ashes of War keybind. I just started my first magic playthrough a few days ago and this was a huge QoL change.

[@jakestavinsky3480]

16:00 Lusat doesnt have significantly higher scaling than carian regal- its effectively around 5%- how multihit spells interact with defense makes it more/less. However its FIFTY PERCENT more FP. Yes more damage=less hits= more fp efficency but in most situations the 5% more damage doesnt actually change break points and you just waste 50% more fp, which i think is terrible for a build that cant attack without it

[@LordRegal94]

I agree. It's worth the FP cost for PvP because ER PvP is a DPS race, but unless you already know what you're doing the resource drain isn't worth the mana cost in PvE I've done a pure sorc run through the basegame, will be bringing it to DLC soon, and the extra FP feels super nice especially in long stretches between graces in a legacy dungeon where flasks don't come back.

[@rpgidiot]

It’s ~11% more spellbuff at 80 int.

[@DTPandemonium]

It's 413 vs 373 at 80 int. More than 10% and that is base scaling that gets exponentially amplified by talismans and other buffs.

[@SwagapagosTurtle]

To add onto the Carian Piercer, as it's one of my favorites as well - it can stagger Crucible Knights, trivializing them as well.

[@ChaoticNox]

Highly recommend this build it has been one of my favorite for a long time and is very rewarding to master. It gives a sort of feeling like when you learn to parry a boss so well it looks like you're bullying your opponent.

[@theimmortanjoe]

I really miss weaving in different spells the mixups felt so good

[@DCAMM720]

When ER first came out, I went into pure caster since there were so many cool spells. And it was, by far, the most difficult playthrough I did. Bleed/Strength/Faith/etc were all vastly easier. Outside of the comet setups, INT builds just die if they get breathed on and there are so many gap closers it's nuts. The DLC cranked it up even more.

[@Dylan-dh9gr]

17:00

[@DCAMM720]

@@Dylan-dh9gr Yes I watched the video. However in other builds at level 90/100/120 you typically have higher damage reduction through armor and/or talismans. Which you could still do I guess but then you're sacrificing damage. At 150+ then yeah it doesn't matter since you have so many points to do whatever you want but my playthrough I completed the game at level 85 with mainly mind/int stats so it was a bit different.

[@alexnewsome24]

​@@DCAMM720you are not sacrificing any damage when you are that low level, Vigor should always be neck and neck with your damage stat till you get to its first soft cap

[@DCAMM720]

@@alexnewsome24 You aren't sacrificing enough to be ineffective, but you are quite literally sacrificing some if you are prioritizing vigor over int/mind. I'm not saying you deal no damage as you clearly do but INT builds(which are my main PvP characters at levels 50/90/125/150) benefit far more at higher levels and are spread more thin at lower levels when it comes to damage reduction/survivability. A strength/vigor/endurance build at level 50(depending on some gear of course) will do comparable damage as a pure caster at 50 and be able to survive more than the caster will.

[@Ry-pn2hy]

I had the opposite experience. Pure caster is the easiest way to fight the boss, and most of the melee range spells have the same misfalls of using an actual weapon, so spamming a boss down from range is just easier than being in danger, constantly. That being said, most casters forget that they need vigor as much as any other class. Which isn’t what any caster normally wants to devote their early levels. In the DLC, casting only is impossible. One playstyle will make some fights next to impossible and force you to be a battle caster and use different strategies to win and survive.

[@wombi2634]

Dude this video is exactly what I have been looking for BIG thanks

[@AzureShrike]

Been running this build for years and its so fun! Glad more people will pick it up and try it.

[@thechosenflutterbox]

Scott I just wanna say it's so odd hearing your voice so often these days, I was so used to seeing a bunch of other new content creators cover this game these last two years that it's been quite jarring actually hearing about it from somebody I recognize. Keep it up, it's great to have you back 👍

[@gregtheegg7030]

3:41 is there a equivalent to this for keyboard?

[@Lessen0]

Yes? It’s whatever your spell switch key is. Hold the key down. (idk what the default key is cuz I re-binded most of my keyboard binds because the defaults feel super clunky imo.)

[@johntomaro7202]

People like Scott are the last ones I wanna see in pvp. He’s basically a real-life Harry Potter.

[@AaronBalcombe]

This game is amazing. So much build variety. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to dark souls. Thanks for the guide!

[@tallspartan117]

I have a dual sense edge controller which allows me to have my back button as my spell switching button which helps so much with spell combos

[@thebimaker5814]

If you ever get around to it I’d love an in depth video on invasion tactics mages can make use of. What spells to use in situations, how to make use of the environment, combos etc

[@yungmythologist]

THOPS, MY MAN BEST 10 RUNES I EVER SPENT

[@eb1900]

thanks for saying how hard it is to be a pure caster because now I know I’m not crazy 😂 I was really struggling but once I got the wing of astel I finally was able to do things like gaol bosses alone and the beefy red knight that you showed in your video too

[@empty5013]

17:00 if you want to play the most powerful kind of caster (casting power, not combat effectiveness) in fromsoft games you will want to invest lots into mind and dex as well as int to maximise your cast speed, max casts and damage. you're also sacrificing healing flasks for FP. You're also using lots of offensive talismans to boost cast speed or damage, and if you're dual wielding no shield. So you kinda have to be less tanky to be the 'best' mage, talisman opportunity cost is real and investing heavily into int/mind/dex has to come from somewhere, even if you take 60 vig you might be losing out on endurance which means your armor is lighter. The trope doesn't apply as heavily to souls games but there's definitely truth to it, ESPECIALLY early on when you desperately need int just to access your staves/spells.

[@empty5013]

great guide btw!!!! thanks!

[@ankurpandya3912]

Little late to the party but... Once you have decent cast speed, a fully charged Magic Glintblade immediately followed by a fully charged Loretta's Greatbow times out perfectly such that both projectiles will hit at the same time. With Terra Magica this is one of the most powerful openers until you get access to things like the Full Moon stuff. If you can manage the 18 Arcane, don't sleep on Great Oracular Bubble. Works as an opener but also has really good tracking. Probably the best FP-damage ratio of the hard hitter spells

[@JF-vz1ju]

I've been thinking of doing a sort of "melee caster" build just using all the Carian melee spells and a shield, since I want to try a pure Int build but I'm not a huge fan of ranged combat in these games. Makes me wish there were spell equivalents of Carian Grandeur and Carian Sovereignty.

[@saturn580]

Stars of Ruin is super useful for shredding agile bosses and aggressive enemies that are nearly impossible to stagger like the horned warriors in Shadow of the Erdtree. Gavel of Haima is a lifesaver for dealing with curseblades. I also found Ranni's Dark Moon and Glintstone Icecrag to be a very effective magic/frost damage combo against several bosses.

[@frido7939]

thank you for the wonderful guide will follow your guidance after finishing my large club run

[@JonathanCholette]

Damnnohtml, i'm so glad to see you back playing that game!

[@sentientsickness]

Hey Scott, great guide One thing I want to point out, is pure faith can be a lot of fun, if you use dragon cult incants, lightning builds have a great amount of tools, and if I can reasonably kill the final dlc Boss with it on max new game, I'm surr might find it pretty enjoyable

[@ScottJund]

i know, i specifically said leveling a pure faith caster character feels bad, which it does.

[@sentientsickness]

@@ScottJund yeah I can agree, but I feel like lightning actually feels pretty good Unlike something like fire Just because lightning spear and now it's upgrades sorta have the same vibe as variant slicer or similar fast, cheap, good damage spells

[@Sephiga]

Good stuff! This is exactly the kind of build i was looking to try

[@OleandrWhite]

Pure faith casting is far from spamming catch flame, there's a lot you can do with it. I also did int+fai pure caster and it can also be pretty fun, even if it's not good at meta levels.

[@ScottJund]

Oh I just mean for the start of the game, obviously at higher levels it starts becoming really fun

[@dubbymazlo]

If you side with Sellen at the end of her questline, you get the Glintstone Kris, a dagger with an ash of war called Glintstone Dart. It is a short range version of the comet which hits just as hard, if not harder, and travels fast as f*ck. Sure it is a dagger but use it as another staff... Plus it won't hurt to have a backup melee weapon... Also, the Carian Regal Scepter also has an ash of war, spinny weapon. Does good damage so keep that in mind...

[@benjustice5297]

amazing video, good level of “production value” for a video like this

[@spiritwolf963]

There's one detail I recall. I'm not sure if this is still true, after a fair few patches since last I played. But if it is, then holding the Staff of loss in your off-hand makes Night Shard (an other night sorcery) the single most efficient fp-to-damage spell in the game

[@vyllenor6928]

weaponless caster build look inside summons weapons

[@dannyc0304]

While it's true almost all spells from the DLC are kinda useless, there are two which I found to be a bit situational but have been pretty good in those said situations: Glintstone Nails works well as annoyance since it hones in on targets and travels pretty far, think of it like an int Pest Threads. Gravitational Missile can work as a knockdown/keep away if aimed at your feet or cast at a wall a target is hiding behind. Never use it locked on. Another use for Swift Glintstone Shard is the ability to pull enemies away from groups. *Also Night Maiden's/Freezing Mist can work to drive out a gank camping a room and is often the cause of death due to its chipping damage. *Oh yeah and the Blessed Blue Dew Talisman is pretty good for exploration, not so much for a boss or pvp unless you find yourself on the run from a gank.

[@DTPandemonium]

There are 3 types of spells in Elden Ring: 1. Bread and butter effective damage spells single target/AoE. 2. Utility spells and spells that buff your damage somehow by either debuffing enemies like frostbite or moon spells or buffing your own damage like Terra magica. 3. Roleplay tier spells like bubbles, ghostflame explosion, aspects of the crucible, mining spells, magma spells, tibia summons etc. Roleplay tier spells are definitely the most fun to play with and have a themed setup with but sometimes they are either so bad or straight up don't have enough spells in the archetype to not get stale.

[@robd.2169]

SCOOOOOOOTTTTT!!!!! I needed this, I spent the last 24 hours scouring for an updated full caster for Int. Separately can you cover int/faith caster hybrids for pve and pvp in the expansion? Thank you, sir!!!!!!

[@dzzplayz9276]

I know it’s not important but I would’ve like to see a section on armor in the vid. Choosing good armor on a character with a low equip load can be hard to decide, and giving some pointers would have been cool. Also important to note that some armor has bonus effects, like the glintstone crowns increasing Int or the snow witch hat boosting moonblade

[@johncarveti8375]

One good things about playing a low level caster is that you only need to upgrade 1 or 2 catalysts to enjoy a wide range of attacks (spells).

[@omnibot5848]

I'd like to add the off-meta recommendation of crystal release, at least for pve. It works as an alternative to critical attacks when you stagger a boss, doing absolute gangbusters damage if the boss is big and you position well. It's also super satisfying if you can find a window to sneak it into a blindspot in a bosses move set.

[@N07NA]

Staying at a lower int and using melee spells for bosses while making up for the lower damage with hitting the boss with ranged spells for when the boss cannot be approached in a way that melee builds can't sounds like a really fun way to play and makes me want to try out a caster build.

[@rue_pardox]

The dlc's Blue dew drop talisman has been my Fundamentalists BFF since drop

[@Vertheh]

Quick guide on best staffs: Demi-human or Carian Sorcery Sword at 40 INT Academy at 60 INT Carian Regal at 69+ INT (nice) Gelmir if running equal INT/FTH until you reach 50FTH and 50INT in which case Prince of Death becomes better. Bonus tip: Great glintstone shard is a good alternative to swift glintstone for mages that prefer to keep a distance, it's as fast as glintstone pebble and almost as FP efficient while doing about 50% more damage and reaching a bit further, Carian Phalanx is also a great spell on PVP because if you turn away from the enemy you can choose when to fire them, forcing rolls and making you harder to approach

[@MCS_Sunset]

Gravitational missile is definitely the best dlc sorcery. There's a trick with it where when you aim it at the ground or a nearby wall it will instantly explode. Basically prevents enemies from approaching you carelessly. It's also a great area denial tool. Casting it in front of a doorway basically prevents most enemies from chasing you down. Edit: Another really solid spell is collapsing stars. It basically tracks an enemy down and pulls them closer to the player doing decent damage and sets up for melee combos like gavel of haima, carian piercer, etc. It's a really versatile spell for a lot of different builds.

[@FoulUnderworldCreature]

Awesome guide. Just a quick note: the Academy Glintstone Staff is actually better than the Carian Regal Scepter at 60 INT and below. Azur's staff has deceptively high scaling with high amounts of INT as well.

[@ScottJund]

yep that's why i said you shouldnt switch til you're approaching that 60 INT amount

[@meeker810]

Youre my go to for awesome knowlege information. Cheers Scott !

[@Roxxigaro]

for the pumpkin fight, dont lock on to him and cast glintstone arc. It makes the fight super easy and looks cool killing him this way.

[@sixft_under]

I usually always do a spell sword with my spells as various utilities, but this vid is a good reminder thay ive never tried a pure caster

[@ActiasECHO]

Hey scott Can you please do a pvp guide as thorough as this too (Im in love with the pure int sorcerer and if i know how to utilize it better in pvp would be awesome too)

[@ScottJund]

i already did two years ago! but, ill work on an updated one with the new spells

[@ActiasECHO]

@@ScottJund I know you did, and I've seen it too The issue is too many things changed via patches since then plus the addition of the dlc But yeah it would be great to see again, thank you :]

[@severinevans346]

I have been using the carian sorcery sword. It's both a weapon and a catalyst at the same time. I won't lie and say it's the best for sorcery scaling because it's not but I have a thrusting sword that can cast scholar's shield and it's S scaling with int after the buff. In PVP it's a mixup god weapon they never know what's coming next. I have a shield and some decent armor and spells at my disposal for both damage and utility so it's been very fun and versatile so far. If you haven't tried it I suggest giving it a shot.

[@123698lol]

Idk if this works anymore but you used to be able to dual wield the staff of loss (the one that boosts night spells) and it gives double the boost. Actually broken damage

[@StupidAnon-gn8ih]

10:14 What about Impenetrable Thorns? If you can hit a boss with the entire spell, it will do like 30,000 damage.

[@sebastianestrada3697]

True, but it requires faith to use and it might get nerfed in the future, hopefully not too much however since it also uses hp as a resource so it should at least warrant high damage.

[@lharsay]

On my first character I did "sorcery only" on NG+4, it was probably the most fun run I've ever done.

[@lharsay]

0:56 I did a run at some point with the "Pest Threads" incantation, it was pretty viable for basically any enemy (except parry god Radagon, he got Aonia-ed instead ), it just needs 200-250 incant scaling before it starts to deal damage due to hogy defense works in this game.

[@TheAznBeaner]

Very good to the point practical guide

[@1danysane]

Wait, Azur's staff passive works in your off hand? I thought because it was listed differently from other passive effects on other staves that it wouldn't apply unless you used it as the primary casting tool? is it the same for Lusat's as well?

[@foxglov3s]

I'd like to say Magma Shot is a really good spell to have in your pocket for enemies weak to fire, as its something Int builds dont typically get access to

[@Haf-A-Devon]

Can't recommend this build enough, I put many hours into pvp back when the spell combo bug was still in the game. Sad that got patched, but still super fun, I've been taking it through the dlc having a blast, until I hit the final boss on ng+ and had to level to 200 for more mind and shit lmao

[@Morgan.Farkind]

The new gravity bomb spell will explode immediately if freeaimed at a wall or the ground. Its like a faster cannon of haima on yourself. Probably not great for pve (you dont want to cast without hyper armor when enemies are near you) but for pvp it is top tier

[@rogerclemens157]

Mage builds are the best. No idea why ppl say they are easy mode, but they are definitely the most fun 🤩

[@FriedrichTheGreatest]

Its a little complicated to do a mage only build but here's a step by step guide 1.) Use glintstone pebble

[@EinSilverRose]

All you need is a staff of loss in the offhand and Night Comet. That's all you need for pve.

[@skullkrusher-dx4kg]

Whenever i played sorcerors in DS1 i always used great combustion on the build to have an option for bosses that dodged soul spear.

[@GoonManGuy]

The only other sorcery I’d recommend is Ambush Shard. In combination with the Arrows Reach talisman, it’s one of the longest reach spells in the entire game at a third of the cost of Loretta’s Mastery. Additionally, if an enemy has a shield, or is obscured by something in front of them, you can just hit them in the back and it’s another night sorcery, so the enemy won’t react to it.

[@trashcangoblin420]

Incantation offensive casting is actually pretty rad. Yeah catch fire spam a but you’re advocating the same here with carian slicer. Plus Pest threads. The flame of frenzy spell for staggers, sniping with the eye beam, discuss throw for like 3fp is so wildly efficient and then you’ve got the big flame nukes and the black flame spells. So eh. Yeah.

[@Tobykanobi1]

Get to the point

[@ScottJund]

my point is you get none of that early game. leveling as pure incantation is pretty bad until mid to late game

[@Tobykanobi1]

@@ScottJundnot your point the Guy babbling up top

[@GiggaGMikeE]

Prisoner doesnt get enough love. I started a Carian Knight build(all Carian sorceries+Carian AoW and DMGS) and Magic Glintblade is stupid useful. Not to mention i only needed to level str to 16 to have access to a bunch of magic attunement friendly weapons and DMGS. Plus the Estoc's Impaling Thrust is useful as well until Carian Grandeur

[@Luckie_7]

I didn’t end up playing claw grip on my caster build back in my early playthru, I have a very particular unorthodox controll scheme to allow me to cycle spells quickly and still roll run and cast

[@danielmontilla1197]

Don't sleep on Scholar's Shield if you want to add blocking(+parrying) for close quarters combat. It can make your average low-req medium shield almost as good as a greatshield with a bit of END, plus a huge magic resistance boost.

[@normalguycap]

Scott is the best at what he does

[@raidenstokes1026]

I’ve actually done this run with only spellcasting and was surprised by how fun and versatile it was, though I did try to avoid comet Azur and Terra magica. The only reason I wouldn’t do it again is that I hate finding all of the things for getting more slots idk why I despise doing it so much I just do id rather it just be tied to a stat

[@darkphoenix2]

I try to rely mostly on incantations, but I also stick to a theme, which is something like "barbaric sorcerer", which means I'm throwing Stone of Gurranq, Beast Claw, Greyoll's Roar, and Crucible spells out instead of the best spells in the game. It's a struggle. Stone of Gurranq is my best attack and I've loved it since I got it 2 years ago, but it's still slower than a Greatsword swing even with max cast speed. Melee builds have so many ways to put out insane damage. Anyone who says magic is "easy mode" is insane.

[@CitanulsPumpkin]

It should be noted that picking up any bleed weapon, a gold pickled fowl foot, and killing the big dragon in caelid, then putting all those souls into vigor, should always be the first steps in every run.

[@Anti-impala]

Zamor ice storm is also pretty useful in pvp as a “get of me” tool so you can heal or restore fp.

[@jacobpratt5568]

thanks for not blinding us with dimmed down google screen

[@TheodoricFriede]

Anyone who says a pure caster build is easy clearly has never done it. And also probably uses heavy armor, 60+ vigor, 50+ endurance, and a great shield. By the by, i would LOVE to hear how you handled the final boss as a pure caster with no summons. Or Gaius.

[@Maphyren]

Gaius get shredded by Shard Spiral, the difficulty is finding times to cast a charged version

[@ScottJund]

final boss was just literally 90 carian slicers. i dont think i had time to cast anything else. even in phase transition i have to run away from the explosion.

[@alansherrill6082]

Haven't beaten the final boss yet, but I have beaten all the other bosses with a pure int/fai caster. All dlc bosses I beat using discus of light except for lion and the avatar which I beat using magma sorceries. Gaius was impossible until I equipped the crucible talisman that improves your dodge roll to avoid getting hit by the charge attack. Level 150 with 50/50 int/fai. Goldmask helmet to boost fundamentalist spell damage and all talismans are defensive. Crimson flask +1, dragon greatshield, and whatever drake talismans to reduce damage from the bosses. If I had a free slot I would throw on the two headed turtle talisman.

[@maudjito]

@@ScottJund As a melee build I had time to charge R2 a Two-Handed Great Axe between his attacks. Is there really no better spell than Carian Slicer? Dang

[@savic1984]

​@@maudjito For dps slicer is best. So yea he does like 4 in that time you do one heavy

[@mehra6712]

What spells would you most recommend for a spellblade in pve? I want to use both star-lined sword and also intelligence spells

[@ludwigvanbeethoven8164]

I played a bleed build when the game came out and just made a sorcerer for the dlc. The game really is on easy mode with sorcerers, even considering the horrendous nerfs to the bosses they made.