Celebrate Halloween with Elden Ring: Three Terrifying Builds for Spooky Season
It’s that time of the year again—when the air turns chilly, the pumpkins come out, and we all seek something spooky to get into the Halloween spirit. If you’re like me, there’s no better way to embrace the season than by revisiting Elden Ring, a game that perfectly embodies themes of horror, mysticism, and the supernatural. With Shadow of the Erdtree DLC having been out for six months, now’s the perfect time to dive back into the Lands Between. But this time, we’ll do it in style—by crafting some Halloween-themed builds.
In Elden Ring, everything feels ripe for Halloween inspiration—from the melancholic tales of fallen knights to cosmic entities that break minds and bodies. But to make things extra festive, we’re setting some rules. These builds will need to be terrifying or mysterious, and they must involve magic or supernatural elements. Standard knights or dex builds won’t cut it—our goal is to create something either gory, spooky, or otherworldly.
That said, these rules are more like suggestions. After all, what’s Halloween without breaking a few guidelines? To keep things practical, I’ll be using my level 713 character with maxed-out stats, allowing me to experiment with every weapon and spell available. Whether you’re playing at lower levels or maxed out like me, these builds are meant to spark your creativity—and send shivers down your enemies’ spines.
Let It Be a Bloody Feast – The Lord of Blood Build
If there’s one thing synonymous with Halloween, it’s blood—lots of it. And who better to embody this theme than Mogh, Lord of Blood, the crimson-soaked demigod whose incantations and gear drip with menace? This build taps into the raw power of bleed-based combat while wrapping it in a stylish, grim reaper aesthetic. With a scythe in hand and blood magic at your disposal, you’ll become a force of elegant destruction, leaving a trail of lifeless corpses in your wake.
This build isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s also incredibly effective. Bleed remains one of the most powerful mechanics in the game, allowing you to tear through both enemies and bosses with brutal efficiency. The goal here is to lean into both style and substance, creating a character that’s as terrifying to look at as they are deadly in battle.
Key Components:
– Armor: Lord of Blood’s Robe (Altered) paired with dark, sleek greaves like Night’s Cavalry Greaves. Optional: Bull-Goat Gauntlets for extra poise or lighter gloves to maintain the drip.
– Left-handed Weapon: Dragon Communion Seal to enhance arcane scaling, or the Golden Order Seal if you’re running max stats for better faith scaling.
– Right-handed Weapon: Sir Ansbach’s Obsidian Lamina—a sleek, terrifying weapon to match the soul-reaping theme.
– Spells: Swarm of Flies, Bloodflame Talons, Bloodboon, and the Furious Blade of Ansbach. Add a healing or protective incantation for utility.
Playstyle:
This build thrives on high-risk, high-reward combat. Use Swarm of Flies to apply bleed pressure from a distance, then close in with Bloodflame Talons for devastating melee attacks. The scythe’s long reach ensures you maintain control over the battlefield, while your incantations make you feel like an unstoppable force of blood-soaked vengeance.
Whether you’re fighting bosses or invaders, you’ll exude the kind of menace only a Halloween-themed build can offer—because nothing says spooky like a graceful angel of death.
What Is Dead May Never Die – The Death Sorcerer Build
This build draws inspiration from the Ironborn’s drowned god in Game of Thrones and combines it with the haunting legacy of Godwyn the Golden, the Prince of Death. In the world of Elden Ring, death is not a final rest—it’s an ever-present force that corrupts and lingers. With this build, you’ll harness that grim power, using spells and weapons that channel the undead and cold, lifeless energy.
The Death Sorcerer build celebrates Godwyn’s transformation—a symbol of decay and rebirth, forever cursed to walk the line between life and death. This build is all about playing as a grim necromancer, using both death sorceries and agile weapons to strike fear into the hearts of your enemies.
Key Components:
– Armor: Death Knight Armor with Oathseeker Knight Gauntlets and Greaves. I also recommend pairing it with the Shadow Militiaman Helm for added creepiness, though the Death Knight Helm offers a cohesive look.
– Left-handed Weapon: Prince of Death’s Staff—one of the coolest and most powerful staves for dark sorcery.
– Right-handed Weapon: Physical weapons aren’t the focus here, but I recommend Misericorde or Main-gauche for quick strikes. Grave Scythe is also a solid thematic choice if you want to lean into the death aesthetic.
– Spells: Night Comet, Night Maiden’s Mist, Ancient Death Rancor, Explosive Ghostflame, and Impenetrable Thorns.
Playstyle:
This build focuses on ranged death sorceries to cripple enemies from afar, while using weapons like the Misericorde for quick, opportunistic strikes. With spells like Night Comet and Explosive Ghostflame, you’ll feel like an ancient sorcerer wielding forbidden powers. Use Bloodhound’s Step Ash of War to stay mobile, evading enemies and unleashing spells with deadly precision.
It’s an eerie, slow-burn playstyle that rewards patience and careful positioning, making it perfect for Halloween-themed gameplay.
Beyond the Known and Unknown – The Cosmic Horror Build
FromSoftware has always had a penchant for cosmic horror, and the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC expands on this with more hints about the Greater Will, Queen Marika, and other unknowable gods. This build taps into the game’s Lovecraftian influence, embracing the idea of forces beyond human comprehension that drive people mad.
In Bloodborne, Insight allowed players to see the terrifying truth of the world. While Elden Ring lacks an equivalent mechanic, the theme of insanity and cosmic knowledge is still present. Characters like Hyetta and Vyke are consumed by their visions, and Count Ymir‘s obsession with replacing Metyr reflects the destructive influence of divine knowledge. This build embodies those themes, offering a way to play as a cosmic scholar whose mind has slipped beyond reason.
Key Components:
– Armor: High Priest Robe with matching gloves and greaves. I recommend the Oathseeker Knight Helm for a serious, scholarly look or the Divine Bird Helm for a more surreal, eldritch vibe.
– Left-handed Weapon: Staff of the Great Beyond or Maternal Staff—each offers strong scaling, but the Staff of the Great Beyond aligns more closely with the cosmic theme.
– Right-handed Weapon: Wing of Astel or Bastard’s Stars, thanks to their Nebula Ash of War, which mimics the mysterious power of the cosmos.
– Spells: Comet Azur, Ranni’s Dark Moon, Meteorite of Astel, and Stars of Ruin—these spells reflect the vast, unknowable horrors of the universe.
Playstyle:
This build focuses on gravity magic and celestial sorcery, overwhelming enemies with powerful ranged attacks. With Wing of Astel’s Nebula Ash of War, you can summon cosmic energy that devastates opponents, reflecting the otherworldly power your character has unlocked—at great personal cost.
It’s a build designed for those who want to immerse themselves in the eldritch themes of Elden Ring, playing as a scholar-turned-prophet lost in the depths of cosmic madness.
Conclusion: Unleash the Horror and Conquer the Lands Between
Halloween is the perfect excuse to dive back into Elden Ring and explore its eerie, supernatural elements. Whether you choose the Lord of Blood with its stylish carnage, the Death Sorcerer with its chilling necromancy, or the Cosmic Horror build with its eldritch insanity, these builds offer a unique way to experience the game through a spooky, seasonal lens.
Beyond just aesthetics, each of these builds brings its own playstyle, allowing you to experiment with different strategies while embracing the darker side of the game’s lore. So, light up the bonfires, don your cursed armor, and make the Lands Between tremble before your terrifying presence. Halloween only comes once a year—so make it count!
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