The Ultimate Guide to Lightning Faith Builds: Choosing the Best Seal in Elden Ring
The best seal for a faith lightning build in Elden Ring depends largely on your level and stat allocation, but generally, the Gravel Stone Seal is the go-to choice for specializing in lightning incantations. It offers a passive boost to all lightning incantations, making it a powerhouse early to mid-game. However, as your Faith stat reaches higher levels (60+), the Erdtree Seal’s superior Faith scaling can surpass the Gravel Stone Seal’s bonus, ultimately resulting in higher overall damage output for all incantations, including lightning. Ultimately, experimentation and comparing incantation scaling values at your specific stats are key to optimizing your damage.
Diving Deeper: Optimizing Your Lightning Faith Build
Elden Ring offers a multitude of paths for creating a formidable character, and a faith-based build specializing in lightning is undeniably electrifying (pun intended!). However, simply knowing the best seal is not enough; understanding the nuances of scaling, talismans, and optimal playstyles is crucial for unleashing the build’s full potential.
Early Game Lightning Domination with the Gravel Stone Seal
The Gravel Stone Seal, found in Leyndell, Royal Capital, is a must-have for any aspiring lightning caster. Its passive bonus to lightning incantations is significant, especially early on when your Faith stat is lower. This allows you to deal substantial damage even with minimal stat investment. Key lightning incantations to acquire early include Lightning Spear, Honed Bolt, and Electrify Armament (for buffing your weapon). Remember to upgrade your Gravel Stone Seal as much as possible to maximize its incantation scaling.
Transitioning to the Erdtree Seal for Late-Game Power
As you progress through the game and invest heavily in Faith (aiming for 60-80), the Erdtree Seal becomes increasingly appealing. While it lacks the Gravel Stone Seal’s passive lightning boost, its exceptional Faith scaling provides a higher overall incantation scaling value, which translates to more damage across all your incantations. This means that your lightning spells, along with your healing and other utility incantations, will benefit from a substantial power increase. The Erdtree Seal is particularly effective for builds that plan to use a variety of incantations alongside lightning.
Essential Talismans for a Shocking Build
- Lightning Scorpion Charm: This talisman directly increases your lightning damage dealt, making it a core component of any lightning build. It’s found in the Windmill Village on the Altus Plateau.
- Faith-knot Crystal Tear (Flask of Wondrous Physick): Provides a temporary boost to your Faith stat, increasing your incantation scaling and enabling you to meet the requirements for higher-level incantations.
- Radagon Icon: Shortens the cast time of your incantations, allowing you to unleash your lightning spells more quickly. Found in Raya Lucarian Academy.
- Godfrey Icon: Boosts the damage of charged spells and skills, making it beneficial if you frequently use the charged versions of your lightning incantations.
- Marika’s Soreseal/Scarseal: Increases Faith, Mind, Intelligence, and Arcane. Helpful if you need to meet stat requirements.
Armor and Weapon Choices: Complementing Your Lightning Spells
While armor choices are often subjective, consider the Malformed Dragon Set for its high lightning resistance, particularly in late-game areas with lightning-based enemies. For weapons, consider options that scale with Faith and deal physical damage, allowing you to supplement your spellcasting with melee attacks. Some good options include:
- Golden Halberd: A powerful early-game weapon that scales with Strength, Dexterity, and Faith.
- Godslayer’s Greatsword: Requires both Faith and Strength and deals fire damage, providing versatility against lightning-resistant enemies.
- Bolt of Gransax: Deals lightning damage and scales with Strength and Dexterity.
Mastering the Art of Lightning Combat
A successful lightning faith build requires more than just powerful spells; it demands strategic play. Utilizing the environment to your advantage, understanding enemy weaknesses, and mastering the timing of your incantations are crucial. Consider using stealth to approach enemies undetected and unleash a devastating lightning strike. Experiment with different incantation combinations to find what works best for your playstyle. The Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org has great resources for mastering different playstyles and strategies in Elden Ring and other video games.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Does lightning scale with Faith in Elden Ring?
Yes, lightning damage from incantations and weapons buffed with incantations like Electrify Armament scales with your Faith stat.
2. Is the Gravel Stone Seal the best seal for lightning throughout the entire game?
No, the Gravel Stone Seal is excellent early to mid-game due to its passive lightning boost. However, the Erdtree Seal’s superior Faith scaling becomes more effective at higher Faith levels (60+).
3. Where can I find the Gravel Stone Seal?
The Gravel Stone Seal is found in Leyndell, Royal Capital. Explore the city thoroughly to locate it.
4. What talismans are essential for a lightning faith build?
The Lightning Scorpion Charm is crucial for boosting lightning damage. Other useful talismans include the Radagon Icon for faster casting, the Godfrey Icon for charged spells, and the Faith-knot Crystal Tear for a temporary Faith boost.
5. Does upgrading my seal increase the damage of my incantations?
Yes, upgrading your seal increases its Incantation Scaling, which directly affects the damage and potency of your incantations.
6. What are the best lightning incantations to use?
Some of the best lightning incantations include Lightning Spear, Honed Bolt, Ancient Dragons’ Lightning Strike, and Lansseax’s Glaive. Experiment with different incantations to find those that suit your playstyle.
7. What stats should I prioritize for a lightning faith build?
Prioritize Faith to maximize your incantation scaling and damage. Also invest in Vigor for health, Mind for FP (mana), and Endurance for stamina and equip load.
8. How does Dexterity affect lightning damage?
Dexterity primarily affects the cast speed of your incantations and the scaling of weapons with innate lightning damage. Incantations themselves scale primarily with Faith.
9. What armor is best for a lightning faith build?
The Malformed Dragon Set offers excellent protection against lightning damage, which is particularly useful in the late game.
10. Are there any weapons that scale well with Faith and deal lightning damage?
The Bolt of Gransax is a powerful weapon that scales with Strength and Dexterity and deals lightning damage. Buffing weapons with the Electrify Armament incantation is also viable.
11. Does the Dragon Communion Seal benefit a lightning faith build?
The Dragon Communion Seal scales with Faith and Arcane and boosts Dragon Communion incantations. While it’s powerful for dragon-themed builds, it doesn’t directly benefit lightning incantations.
12. What are some weaknesses of lightning damage in Elden Ring?
Some enemies, particularly those with high lightning resistance or heavy armor, may be resistant to lightning damage. Consider having alternative damage types available, such as fire or physical.
13. What does the Lightning Scorpion Charm do?
The Lightning Scorpion Charm increases the damage of all your lightning attacks, making it a staple for a lightning build.
14. Can I use the Erdtree Seal effectively even if I’m primarily using lightning incantations?
Yes, the Erdtree Seal’s high Faith scaling will boost the damage of all your incantations, including lightning, even if you don’t use many other types of spells.
15. How important is weapon upgrading in Elden Ring?
Weapon upgrading is crucial for maximizing your damage output. Ensure that you are consistently upgrading your chosen weapon to keep pace with the increasing difficulty of the game.
By understanding these concepts and frequently asked questions, you’ll be well on your way to mastering a devastating lightning faith build in Elden Ring. Remember to experiment, adapt, and have fun unleashing the power of lightning upon your foes!