Choosing your starting class in Elden Ring can be a challenging decision. The class you select significantly shapes your playstyle, making it a crucial decision. Fortunately, we’ve compiled a comprehensive guide specifically for the Hero class in Elden Ring. This guide aims to shed light on the intricacies of the Hero’s playstyle, helping you make a more informed decision.
The Hero is the STR-based melee-only class in Elden Ring. It lacks defensive options but more than makes up for it with its raw attack power. Not the most difficult class to comprehend, but you will have a hard time if you are not aware of this playstyle.
Is Hero good for beginners?
Starter Equipment
| Weapons | Battle Axe |
| Shield | Large Leather Shield |
| Armor | Champion Headband Champion Pauldron Champion Bracers Champion Gaiters |
Starting Stats
| Soul Level | 7 |
| Vigor | 14 |
| Mind | 9 |
| Endurance | 12 |
| Strength | 16 |
| Dexterity | 9 |
| Intelligence | 7 |
| Faith | 8 |
| Arcane | 11 |
The Hero is a straightforward melee-focused class that begins the game with high Strength, Endurance, and Vigor stats. Accompanied by a one-handed axe and a medium-sized shield for some extra protection in a pinch. This no-frills class should make Dark Souls melee fans feel right at home.
This class starts with the highest Strength stat out of all the classes and thus is the best foundation for any STR build. Two-handing the axe will increase the damage of this weapon, but you will lose defense with the shield gone.
The Battle Axe is a hard-hitting weapon and has good speed, although the Wild Strikes weapon skill isn’t as effective as it looks. The Large Leather Shield is not a good shield for defense since it doesn’t have 100% damage blocking stats; however, it allows you to parry attacks but other shields can be easily substituted.
The Hero is not a very beginner-friendly class. It lacks defensive capabilities with its weak shield and subpar armor, although you can change them as you find better gear. The class demands a good grasp of melee playstyle, which can be hard for new players. It also doesn’t have any long-range options like spells and/or bows.
What are the best Builds for Hero?
Here are some builds that go perfectly with the Hero class in Elden Ring:
Best Melee Build for Hero
Stat Sheet
| Level | 150 |
| Vigor | 60 |
| Mind | 20 |
| Endurance | 29 |
| Strength | 80 |
| Dexterity | 14 |
| Intelligence | 7 |
| Faith | 8 |
| Arcane | 11 |
Equipment
| Talismans | Roar Medallion Greatshield Talisman Curved Sword Talisman Shard of Alexander |
| Weapons | Heavy Highland Axe +25 with War Cry Ash of War Heavy Zweihander +25 with Ash of War: Lion’s Claw Longbow +25 with Ash of War: Rain of Arrows |
| Shield | Round Shield with Barricade Shield Ash of War |
| Mix of Wonderous Physick | Opaline Hardtear And any other Tear that you like |
| Armor | Kaiden Helm Rest is the Elden Lord Set OR Any heavy armor set under the 70% equip load for med rolling. |
How to play with the build:
This is a Viking cosplay build that still manages to be extremely viable and hard-hitting. The gear we opted for this build in line with the Viking theme are:
- The Highland Axe is not only a very Viking weapon but also has a passive effect that boosts the damage of all Roar attacks. Equip the weapon with the Ash of War: War Cry and it will benefit from the passive effect all the while adding physical damage and even more STR scaling. It even changes the heavy attack to a more devastating charge attack. The Ash of War will apply the Heavy affinity to the weapon granting it even better scaling with STR.
- To take it a step further, having the Roar Medallion will add another 15% damage to the Ash of War and by extension the weapon too. Simply activate the Ash of War and start swinging your weapon. Quick Heavy Attacks are the preferred choice of offense for this build.
- The wooden look of the Round Shield fits perfectly with the Viking theme. The shield itself is pretty weak but you can increase its effectiveness and negate any incoming damage with the Ash of War: Barricade Shield. Not only will you lose lesser stamina when blocking attacks but most enemies’ attacks will bounce off it.
- The Greatshield Talisman further reduces the stamina exhausted when blocking attacks by 20%. With this on, you can turtle behind your shield and won’t be bothered by any punishment coming your way.
- Since you’ll be using the shield to block a lot, it is best to use the block counter-attack. To make it even better, equipping the Curved Sword Talisman will add 20% more damage to the guard counters.
- The secondary weapon for this build is a Zweihander with Heavy affinity. This is the lightest colossal sword in the game and has a great reach not to mention it hits hard AF. Heavy Attacks of this weapon should be your go-to attack. Even light attacks will stun-lock most weaker enemies.
- Equipping the Ash of War: Lion’s Claw to the Zweihander will make this weapon hit like a truck. Not only does it deal high amounts of physical damage but also deals significant stance damage that can open enemies up for a devastating critical strike especially when facing bosses. You can easily spam this attack. Couple this attack with the Shard of Alexander talisman and the damage you output will be through the roof.
- For a ranged option, the Longbow fits the bill for its easy-to-equip stats and its Viking aesthetics. Using the Ash of War: Rain of Arrows will literally rain lethal arrows on the enemy. You can even make use of arrows with various status effects like Bloodbone Arrows and Spiritflame Arrows to exploit the weaknesses of most bosses. Just stay out of range and lob as many Rains of Arrows before moving in to finish the job.
- The Opaline Hardtear gives additional damage negation for 3 minutes. Consume it before a boss fight.
Best Hybrid Build for Hero
Stat Sheet
| Level | 150 |
| Vigor | 60 |
| Mind | 14 |
| Endurance | 23 |
| Strength | 54 |
| Dexterity | 9 |
| Intelligence | 7 |
| Faith | 15 |
| Arcane | 47 |
Equipment
| Talismans | Millicent’s Prosthesis Rotten Winged Sword Insignia Shard of Alexander Godfrey Icon |
| Weapons | Marais Executioner’s Sword +10 |
| Seal | Dragon Communion Seal |
| Incantation | Golden Vow Flame. Grant Me Strength Dragonice Rotten Breath OR Any Dragon incantation |
| Mix of Wonderous Physick | Thorny Cracked Tear Faith-knot Crystal Tear |
| Armor | Mask of Confidence Briar Armor Briar Gauntlets Briar Greaves |
How to play with the build:
This build is all about taking advantage of the Marais Executioner’s Sword’s insane weapon skill Eochaid’s Dancing Blade using both STR and ARC stats. This one attack can quickly melt away any boss’s health and the whole build is there to synergize with this skill. Mix in a few Dragon Incantations and you got yourself one of the most deadly builds ever.
- Marais Executioner’s Sword has recently been buffed quite a lot with the patches giving it better speed, range, and recovery time. The weapon comes with the pièce de résistance Eochaid’s Dancing Blade weapon skill. This one attack unleashes a flurry of attacks that shreds opponents. It has a good range too. Keep spamming this attack
- The Millicent’s Prosthesis and Rotten Winged Sword Insignia talisman both increase the damage of successive hits. Since the weapon skill hits multiple times, it will quickly activate both these talismans pushing the damage output even farther. Millicent’s Prosthesis also adds +5 DEX to the build.
- No weapon skill-based build is complete without the Shard of Alexander talisman. With this on, your weapon skill will get an additional 15% attack power.
- Godfrey Icon increases the damage of charged weapon skills which complements our skill of choice really well.
- The Dragon Communion Seal is there for Dragon and other Incantations to provide support and for dealing with mobs.
- Golden Vow and Flame, Grant Me Strength incantation will boost damage output while also lowering damage received.
- You can use Dragonice to proc Frostbite on enemies before aggroing them. The same goes for Rotten Breath which will inflict Scarlet Rot onto enemies. You can use any other Dragon incantation that rocks your boat however the ones that inflict a status effect are preferred.
- The Mask of Confidence grants additional Arcane stats.
- For the Mix of Wonderous Physick, we went with:
- Thorny Cracked Tear: It has the same effect as Millicent’s Prosthesis and Rotten Winged Sword Insignia.
- Faith-knot Crystal Tear: This tear is there to boost the Faith stat to the point where we can use the Golden Vow incantation.
The way you play this build is by chugging the Mix of Wonderous Physick before the boss fight then buff yourself with Golden Vow and Flame, Grant Me Strength. If you have enough time, fire off a Dragon incantation to inflict the boss.
From here on out, your primary goal is to spam the Eochaid’s Dancing Blade weapon skill and watch as the boss fades away into obscurity. If the full brunt of the weapon skill lands on the boss you’ll be surprised how quickly they die. Nonetheless, it is a simple build with straightforward preparation and the results will speak for themselves.
Does your class actually matter in Elden Ring?
Your initial choice of class significantly influences your play style in the early stages of the game. Each class comes with distinct strengths, weaknesses, and tactical choices. Classes, like the Hero, specialize exclusively in melee combat.
As you progress, however, the importance of class selection diminishes. In the late game, you gain the flexibility to allocate points according to your preferences. While certain classes may provide a more solid foundation for specific builds, the freedom to customize becomes more pronounced as you advance.
For instance, if your goal is to create an Arcane/Bleed build, opting for the Bandit class with its high Arcane level is advisable. Conversely, the Hero, designed for melee combat, may not be the ideal choice. Nonetheless, with a modest investment in Arcane, the Hero can be adapted into a hybrid Arcane/Strength build. This flexibility allows for a tailored gaming experience suited to your preferred style of play.
Can you change your class in Elden Ring?
Regrettably, altering your starting class isn’t possible once you commence your game. A respec feature becomes available only after defeating Rennala, the Queen of the Full Moon. Yet, it’s crucial to note that this feature exclusively refunds the points you personally invested and doesn’t affect the innate class attributes.
Even with a respec, the foundational stats tied to your initial class choice remain unchanged. If you desire a different class, the sole option is to initiate a new game. The New Game+ option doesn’t offer the possibility to switch classes either. Therefore, selecting the right class from the start is a strategic decision, as it significantly influences your character’s trajectory throughout the game.
Hero Tips and Tricks
Some tips you can employ when starting off with the Hero class in Elden Ring:
- If you are confident in your dodging skills then ditching the shield is a viable option. If you do so then I recommend you to two-hand the Battle Axe to get the most out of this weapon.
- Replace the shield with a better more defensive option as soon as you get your hands on one.
- Counterattacks after the shield block are a nice offensive maneuver you can add to your repertoire.
- The champion armor set is feeble and must be substituted with something better. Keep your equip load under 70%, and you will enjoy better defense while still medium rolling.
- Prioritize STR stat to wield the heaviest of weapons in Elden Ring. This is the perfect class if you want to wield big meaty weapons and deal massive damage with a single hit.
- END is another stat to dump some points in so that you have enough stamina to block attacks, swing your weapons for longer chains, and wear better gear for protection without dropping to the heavy load threshold.
- VIG should be your next priority to complement the close-quarter combat style of this class.
- You should only invest points in DEX if a particular weapon requires it.
- Slot in a more useful Ash of War to the Battle Axe. Or equip a weapon with a better one already in it.
- Allocate all or the majority of your flasks to Crimson/HP since you won’t be using much of the FP. Keep 1 or 2 Cerulean Flasks if you want to use Ashes of War.
If you are a fan of the melee playstyle from previous Souls entries then the Hero class fits your type pretty well in Elden Ring. The class is all about pummeling foes with large weapons and asking for names later. The Hero is simple to understand but hard to master.