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How Much Arcane Should I Get? A Comprehensive Guide to Elden Ring’s Enigmatic Stat

The question of how much Arcane to invest in for your Elden Ring character is a common one, and for good reason. Unlike more straightforward stats like Strength or Dexterity, Arcane’s benefits aren’t always immediately obvious. It’s a stat that sits on the sidelines, occasionally whispering promises of powerful builds, yet often leaving players scratching their heads. The short answer is: it depends on your build. However, a more comprehensive answer can guide you to the optimal level for your specific playstyle. Generally, aiming for 40 Arcane is a great starting point for most builds, with a soft cap at 60 for maximum benefits, and further diminishing returns past that point.

However, this isn’t a one-size-fits-all scenario. Let’s dive into the specifics.

The Purpose of Arcane

Arcane serves a few crucial purposes in Elden Ring. It primarily influences:

Item Discovery: Raising Arcane increases your chance of finding items when defeating enemies. This makes farming for equipment and rare drops significantly easier.
Bleed Buildup: Many powerful weapons and builds revolve around inflicting the Bleed status, and Arcane directly impacts the speed at which you apply this. A higher Arcane stat leads to faster and more frequent procs of Bleed, dealing massive burst damage.
Occult Scaling: Arcane is the primary scaling stat for weapons infused with the Occult affinity. This means weapons will deal increased damage based on your Arcane stat.
Weapon Scaling: Some specific, and often powerful, weapons scale directly with Arcane. Examples include Rivers of Blood, Mohgwyn’s Sacred Spear, and others. These weapons become significantly stronger as you increase your Arcane stat.
Status Effects: Arcane influences Poison, Sleep and Madness buildup. However, it doesn’t affect Scarlet Rot, Frostbite, or Death statuses.

Why 40 Arcane is a Good Start

A 40 Arcane stat hits a sweet spot for many builds. At this level:

You’ll notice a substantial boost to your Item Discovery, making it easier to acquire the gear you need.
If your build uses Bleed, you’ll be able to inflict it quickly, maximizing your damage output.
Many Arcane-scaling weapons will perform well without requiring an extreme investment.
You’ll have sufficient levels in Arcane to take advantage of its various benefits without sacrificing too many levels in other important stats.
This level also pairs well with other “soft cap” stats, making it a versatile option.

The Soft Cap at 60 and Beyond

While 40 Arcane is a strong starting point, the benefits don’t stop there. Pushing your Arcane up to 60 is generally considered the soft cap for many Arcane-related effects. At 60:

Bleed buildup is at a much higher rate, making Bleed weapons even more effective.
Your weapon damage with Occult-scaling and innate Arcane weapons will reach near-maximum potential.
Item Discovery becomes very efficient, maximizing your chances of getting that rare drop.
The Dragon Communion Seal, a powerful catalyst for Arcane builds, reaches its peak effectiveness.

However, after 60, the gains per level diminish significantly. While some benefits are still present up to 80, or even the 99 hard cap, the additional investment might not be worth it unless you’re building for absolutely maximum Arcane. For most builds, it’s often better to reallocate those levels to other attributes that provide a larger benefit.

Arcane Build Considerations

It is important to consider how Arcane interacts with different play styles and weapon types.

Bleed Builds: For dedicated Bleed builds using weapons like Rivers of Blood, Morgott’s Cursed Sword, or other weapons with innate bleed, Arcane is arguably your primary damage stat. Reaching 60 Arcane is highly recommended.
Occult Affinity Builds: If you’re using weapons infused with the Occult affinity, Arcane directly boosts their physical damage. In this scenario, aim for at least 40 and consider 60 for maximum output.
Dragon Communion Seal Casters: If your focus is on using the Dragon Communion Seal to cast incantations, aiming for 60 or even higher will substantially increase the damage you inflict and the speed at which status effects build up.

When Not to Invest Heavily in Arcane

If your build does not revolve around bleed, occult scaling, or weapons with direct arcane scaling, you likely do not need to invest heavily in Arcane. If you are focusing primarily on physical damage, strength, or dexterity, you should not spend points in arcane beyond what is necessary to equip a weapon that may scale with it.

Final Recommendation

The amount of Arcane you should get depends heavily on your character and build. For a vast majority of Arcane builds, 40 is a great starting point, with the goal being to reach 60 for peak performance. Beyond 60, the gains tend to diminish, making investments in other stats more impactful. If you’re focused on a specific weapon that scales with Arcane, such as Rivers of Blood, then getting Arcane to 60 and potentially beyond is almost always recommended. Consider your overall needs and make wise investments based on your build and goals for your character in Elden Ring.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Does Arcane increase Blood Loss?

Yes, Arcane increases blood loss buildup. Depending on the weapon, the blood loss buildup scales with Arcane. If the weapon doesn’t come with blood loss, you can add it with an Ash of War or weapon affinity.

2. Does Arcane affect Scarlet Rot?

No, Arcane does not scale the Scarlet Rot status. It affects Poison, Bleed, Sleep, and Madness buildup, but not Scarlet Rot, Frostbite, or Death.

3. Should I level Arcane for Bleed?

Yes, leveling Arcane for Bleed is generally a good idea for many builds. Arcane significantly increases the speed at which you inflict the Bleed status, making it a vital stat for any Bleed-focused character.

4. What weapon scales best with Arcane?

Some of the best weapons for Arcane builds include: Rivers of Blood, Varre’s Bouquet, Eleonora’s Poleblade, Bloody Helice, Mohgwyn’s Sacred Spear, Morgott’s Cursed Sword, Serpent Bow, and the Dragon Communion Seal.

5. Does Moonveil bleed scale with Arcane?

Yes, while Moonveil has a lower bleed stat, investing in Arcane increases your ability to deal Bleed buildup. This can help make Moonveil a more effective bleed weapon.

6. Does blood katana scale with Arcane?

Yes, the Rivers of Blood katana scales with Strength, Dexterity, and Arcane, making Arcane an important stat for this weapon.

7. What is the best talisman for blood loss?

The best talisman for blood loss is the Lord of Blood’s Exultation, which increases your attack power when blood loss occurs nearby.

8. What is the best bleed weapon in Elden Ring?

The Rivers of Blood katana is considered one of the best bleed weapons in Elden Ring, due to its high bleed damage and scaling with Arcane.

9. What is the best starting class for an Arcane build?

The Bandit class has the highest starting Arcane at 14, making it the best starting class for an Arcane build.

10. What is the hard cap for Arcane in Elden Ring?

The hard cap for Arcane is 99, which is the same hard cap as all other primary stats. However, after 60, the gains significantly diminish.

11. Does Arcane affect bloodflame blade?

No, the bloodflame blade debuff does not scale with Arcane, even when wearing the Dragon Communion Seal.

12. Does arcane scale blood damage?

Arcane will not affect blood damage or bleed buildup if a weapon does not have arcane scaling. If the weapon has Arcane scaling, the bleed buildup will be greatly enhanced.

13. Is Arcane worth it in Elden Ring?

Yes, Arcane is a valuable stat in Elden Ring for those looking to make use of bleed weapons, occult scaling, or use specific incantations that rely on the arcane stat. However, it is not a necessary stat for all builds.

14. Should I level Arcane for Ludwigs holy blade?

No, Ludwig’s Holy Blade is a weapon from Bloodborne, and does not scale with Arcane in Elden Ring. The version of this question in the original article was referring to the weapons scaling in Bloodborne.

15. When should I stop leveling arcane?

While there is not a hard limit, it’s advisable to stop leveling Arcane at around 60 points because the benefits for each additional point become significantly diminished.

How much arcane should I get?