Quick Links
Among those he has seen fit to spare, the Fight Knight is rumored to be both a lonesome wanderer and a holy justiciar of righteousness, a brutal boxer and a master spellcaster, and as menacing in combat as he is chivalrous – though the strangely silent Tarnished never seems to say anything unless first prompted.
Some saynot even Sir Gideon Ofnirdares to learn more about this foe, fearing he could not fathom the Fight Knight’s flurry of fists, and his foolish frail form would fluster and fumble under the back-breaking barrage of the silent ascetic’s ceaseless strikes.
But before envisioning yourselfin that gleaming suit of armor, punching the living daylights out of anyone foolish enough to cross your path, you’ll need to prepare – by re-allocating your stats, finding the right gear, and learning strategies to play the build effectively.
TheShadow of the ErdtreeFight Knight build is a Dryleaf Arts build at its core, but underneath the slots of the metal warrior’s helmet, there’s a lot more going on.
Elden Ring DLC Fight Knight Build Overview
A Playstyle That Combines Dryleaf Arts, Heavy Armor, & Incantations
The Fight Knight build is one that focuses almost entirely on the use of its Dryleaf Arts with the support of various Incantations to help buff your power and survivability – not that that’s much of a problem, if you use the recommended armor set and Talismans. Because of the low weight of the build’s weapons, and the lack of a shield, you can equip extremely heavy armor like the Solitude set.
TheDryleaf Artsare incredibly effective atbreaking enemy Poise, especially with the jumping and normal Heavy attacks. Plus, its default Ash of War Palm Blast is able to knock down most enemies when fully charged, though this can be changed if you want to incorporate other Dryleaf Art skills.
UtilizingIncantationsturns this from a good build to a great one, giving youextra defenses, HP regeneration, and other buffsto help you stay engaged with combat.
But the core defensive feature of this build is its reliance on the Spontaneous Guard mechanic, unlocked with theDeflecting Hardtear, which allows us to only equip Dryleaf Arts and aSacred Sealwithout sacrificing survivability – plus, it boosts Guard Counters, making it even easier to break Poise.
When played effectively, the Fight Knight build is capable of staying in combat without missing a beat, constantly dishing out damage while hardly ever getting a scratch on its steel armor. It’s effective against normal enemies and bosses alike –including the final boss of the DLC, whose attacks can all be blocked and abused with the Deflecting Hardtear.
60
12
29
50
30
16
48
9
Fight Knight Build Talismans
Crystal Tears – Deflecting Hardtear and Poise Tear
TheDeflecting Hardtearis a core feature of this build, allowing the Fight Knight to walk into combat uninhibited by his heavy armor or the lack of a shield. Using this in your Flask of Wondrous Physick enablesa Perfect Block system, which almost completely negates Stamina damage andblocks 100% HP damage if timed correctly.
You don’t have to have a Shield to do this,you can perfect block with any weapon capable of blocking– including the Dryleaf Arts.
It also boosts your Guard Counters for a time, often knocking down enemies if it connects, though it can be tricky to avoid being hit if you don’t time your follow-up correctly. But once you figure out the correct timing for this mechanic, you can stay in close combat without taking damage and constantly Guard Counter, breaking all but the strongest enemies' and bosses' Poise.
TheStonebarb Cracked Tearis an excellent pair for the Deflecting Hardtear, as it increases your ability to break enemy Stance with all attacks. This multiplies with the Deflecting Hardtear’s Guard Counter boost, which already is usually enough to knock down most enemies.
With the Stonebarb Tear active too, though,Guard Counters become guaranteedways to instantly break Poise (and get a Critical Hit in) against practically everything but bosses. And even then, it usually only takes two Guard Counters in quick succession to break almost every Boss' Stance.
Best Fight Knight Build Spirit Summon: Another Fight Knight
If you are having trouble against a boss with this build, don’t worry – even the legendary Fight Knight himself faced trials he couldn’t surmount without help. But being a lone wanderer means making many enemies and few friends, which is why the only person you can trust to help, is yourself.
TheMimic Tear Ashesare arguablythe best Spirit Ashes inElden Ring, and when compared to the usefulness of other Spirit Ashes (even the new ones in the DLC), nothing really compares. For this build, having a second Fight Knight can help you break enemy Poise even more reliably than any other Spirit Summon.
Plus, because it has your Incantations, this summon can refresh your buffs in the middle of combat.
