The Death Knights are new optional bosses in Elden Ring's DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, that present a daunting challenge for even the most experienced Tarnished. These death-corrupted warriors are loyal to their lord, Godwyn the Golden, even in his death. These knights are not to be taken lightly as they wield the powers of Dragon Cult incantations along with their life-sapping grabs.
In Shadow of the Erdtree, you can challenge two Death Knights, each offering a unique weapon for their defeat. The Death Knights are one of the coolest-looking enemies in the game. Many players would like to replicate their cool move set, and the following build honors that wish by allowing you to embody the relentless spirit of these dark knights in all their grim glory.
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How To Get Death Knight Armor Set & Overview
The 
Death Knight Set can be picked up from a Death Knight corpse in the Darklight Catacombs. These catacombs can be reached by riding south from the Castle Watering Hole Site of Grace, and parkouring over the tombstones jutting out from the rocks.
The Death Knight Armor, with all of its pieces combined, provides moderate damage negation and a medium equipment load but offers a disappointing 47 poise. However, you can increase this poise to 63 by equipping the 
Bull-Goat's Talisman.
How To Get Death Knight's Twin Axes & Overview
The Death Knight's Twin Axes can be obtained upon defeating the Death Knight at the end of the Fog Rift Catacombs. The Death Knight inhabiting this dungeon is among the weakest of the two you can find in the expansion. In addition to obtaining the 
Death Knight's Twin Axes, you'll also receive the 
Crimson Amber Medallion +3 for your efforts in taking down this formidable enemy. The Crimson Amber Medallion +3 raises your maximum HP by 10%.
The Death Knight's Twin Axes are dual-wielding axes, designed for players who specifically enjoy power-stancing in Elden Ring. You can upgrade these twin axes to +10 using Somber Smithing Stones and a 
Somber Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone. Listed below are the attributes required to wield the weapon effectively and its respective scaling:
|
Attribute |
Level |
Scaling |
|---|---|---|
|
Strength |
14 |
C |
|
Dexterity |
12 |
D |
|
Faith |
16 |
C |
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How To Get Death Knight's Longhaft Axe & Overview
The 
Death Knight's Longhaft Axe is a Greataxe that is obtained upon defeating the second Death Knight at the end of the Scorpion River Catacombs. This Death Knight has more HP than the one found in the Fog Rift Catacombs. In addition to the Longhaft Axe, you also acquire the 
Cerulean Amber Medallion +3 upon defeating this enemy. The Cerulean Amber Medallion +3 increases your maximum FP by 12.5%.
The Death Knight's Longhaft Axe scales primarily with strength and excels when two-handing the weapon. Just like Death Knight's Twin Axe, you can also upgrade the Longhaft Axe to +10 using Somber Smithing Stones and a Somber Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone. Listed below are the required attributes and scaling for this Greataxe:
|
Attribute |
Level |
Scaling |
|---|---|---|
|
Strength |
23 |
B |
|
Dexterity |
10 |
E |
|
Faith |
18 |
D |
Best Character Attribute Distribution For Death Knight Build
Since both Death Knight's axes scale with strength and faith, it's recommended to take advantage of this scaling and put together a build that also allows you to incorporate a few incantations into the mix. The following character attributes have been thoughtfully chosen to ensure that you can rely on both Death Knight axes and switch between them seamlessly. Moreover, the high investment in faith also offers you the ability to cast some of the powerful faith-based incantations:
This attribute distribution is designed for a character at level 190 and can be used as a reference by players at similar levels.
|
Attribute |
Level |
|---|---|
|
Vigor |
60 |
|
Mind |
26 |
|
Endurance |
30 |
|
Strength |
66 |
|
Dexterity |
20 |
|
Intelligence |
9 |
|
Faith |
50 |
|
Arcane |
8 |
You gain +50% strength buff when two-handing Death Knight's Longhaft Axe, which further boosts its physical damage.
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Best Talismans For Death Knight Build
In Elden Ring, talismans play a major role in tailoring a build to your specific playstyle. Talismans provide unique buffs that allow you to deal additional damage, boost poise, and even negate physical damage. The following talismans are carefully chosen to support the Death Knight build and compensate for the lack of poise when donning the Death Knight set:
-
Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman: You can find the Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman in Miquella's Haligtree, and equipping this talisman boosts your damage negation by 20%.
-
Two-Handed Sword Talisman: The Two-Handed Sword Talisman can be picked up from a treasure chest in the Temple Town Ruins. This talisman increases your attack power by 15% when wielding the same weapon with both hands. However, this buff is not applicable when dual wielding weapons in each hand.
-
Shard of Alexander: The Shard of Alexander talisman is rewarded upon completing Iron Fist Alexander's quest line. Equipping this talisman increases the power of your weapon skills by 15%.
-
Bull-Goat's Talisman
The Bull-Goat's Talisman can be found in the Dragonburrow Cave in Caelid. This talisman is guarded by Runebear. Equipping the Bull-Goat's Talisman increases your overall poise by 33%.
Best Buffs, Spells & Consumables For Death Knight Build
If you wish to take this Death Knight build to the next level, you can consider incorporating certain spells and consumables that increase your overall damage while negating damage to yourself. The game offers a variety of support spells that bestow certain buffs upon the Tarnished. The following three incantations are excellent choices if your primary priority is to deal as much damage as possible and engage enemies at range:
-
Golden Vow: The Golden Vow incantation can be found in the Corpse-Stench Shack on Mt. Gelmir. This spell requires 25 Faith to cast and grants a 15% increase in damage dealt while reducing damage received by 10%, with the buff lasting 80 seconds.
-
Flame, Grant me Strength: You can find the Flame, Grant Me Strength behind Fort Gael in Caelid. You'll need 15 faith to cast this incantation, and it offers a 20% damage buff to your physical and fire attacks, with the effect lasting 30 seconds.
-
Knight's Lightning Spear: The Knight's Lightning Spear is a new incantation introduced in Shadow of the Erdtree. This spell can be found in the Scorpion River Catacombs and is an excellent choice for ranged combat.
You can stack Golden Vow and Flame, Grant Me Strength to dish out massive damage numbers!
In addition to these three spells, you could also consider incorporating the Wondrous Flask of Physick into this setup to fine-tune your build further and boost your weapons' elemental damage. The Lightning-Shrouding Cracked Tear and Stonebarb Cracked Tear are excellent choices to stance-break enemies quicker and complement the lightning Ash of War on both axes:
-
Lightning-Shrouding Cracked Tear: You can obtain the Lightning-Shrouding Tear upon defeating the Erdtree Avatar in northeastern Liurnia. This tear increases your lightning attacks by 20% and the effect lasts for 3 minutes.
-
Stonebarb Cracked Tear: The Stonebarb Cracked Tear is obtained upon defeating the Putrid Avatar in northeastern Caelid. This tear increases your stance damage by 30% and the effect lasts for 30 seconds. Given the shorter buff window, you should consider adopting an aggressive playstyle in the first 30 seconds of confronting the boss.
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Death Knight Build Playstyle Recommendation
This Death Knight build is designed to fully harness the power of both Death Knight axes without being limited by your character's stats. At 30 Endurance, you can comfortably wear the full Death Knight set and equip both Death Knight axes while still remaining at medium equipment load. In fact, this setup even allows you to carry a torch, an additional dagger, or a parrying small shield without being weighed down.
The flexibility of this build allows you to seamlessly switch between the Longhaft Axe and Twin Axes depending on the situation. The Twin Axes are great for quick strikes and power-stancing that can overwhelm enemies, while the Longhaft Axe excels at stance-breaking and for its powerful Blinkbolt Ash of War.
Since you cannot remove the Ash of War on either of two axes, you could consider the 
Black Steel Twinblade as an alternative. This twinblade can be found in Shadow of the Erdtree, and it deals innate holy damage and can be infused with a variety of Ashes of War.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
- Released
- June 21, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Base Game
- Elden Ring
- Developer(s)
- FromSoftware
- Publisher(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment, FromSoftware
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
