If you’re anything like me, the struggle is real when it comes to nailing down your starting class in Elden Ring. Your class pick totally molds your playstyle, so it’s no walk in the park. But fear not, we’ve cooked up this in-depth guide to the Prisoner class in Elden Ring to spill the beans on how it rolls.
The Prisoner class is a versatile spellblade class in Elden Ring. With high DEX and INT, you can easily cast most spells and wield the fastest weapons in the game, giving this class a myriad of offensive capabilities. However, this class lacks survivability and thus demands somewhat expert handling to get the most out of it.
Is Prisoner good for beginners?
Starter Equipment
| Weapons | Estoc Glintstone Staff |
| Sorcery | Magic Glintblade |
| Shield | Rift Shield |
| Armor | Prisoner Iron Mask Prisoner Clothing Prisoner Trousers |
Starting Stats
| Soul Level | 9 |
| Vigor | 11 |
| Mind | 12 |
| Endurance | 11 |
| Strength | 11 |
| Dexterity | 14 |
| Intelligence | 14 |
| Faith | 6 |
| Arcane | 9 |
The Prisoner is a jack of sorcery and melee with its even yet high distribution in both Dexterity and Intelligence stat. If you want to slice enemies up close while magic does your dirty work from afar then this class is for you. This class was my starting class and I loved every minute of it and built it up into a powerhouse.
Before we get to the pros, you need to know that this class lacks survivability. The relatively low Vigor stat, and the weak armor and shield it comes with don’t allow you to bear the brunt of enemy punishment. The shield is only there to parry. You have to perfect your dodging skills instead of relying on your gear to save your life.
Now to the good part. The Estoc has a fast delivery and an impressive range accompanied by the rapier thrusting moveset, you can easily poke enemies from some safety. The high Endurance will let you thrust your weapon for longer.
The Glintstone Staff is competent and stays relevant late into the game. The starting sorcery, Magic Glintblade, however, does take some time to get used to. It has a slight delay from when you cast it to when it actually shoots out. This can be confusing at the start but opens up strategic plays.
For example, you can cast multiple spells before engaging then move in with your rapier to poke the enemy, and suddenly the blades will fly into the unaware enemy to finish the job.
The Prisoner has an advanced playstyle thus less approachable for beginners. If you want to discover the sorcery side of Elden Ring then Astrologer is the right pick. However, if you are looking for a hybrid then this class shines through. You need to be aware of the game’s combat mechanics, especially this class for it to show its true colors.
What are the best Builds for Prisoner?
Here is the best build that goes perfectly with the Prisoner class and the one I went for:
Best Hybrid Build for Prisoner
Stat Sheet
| Level | 189 |
| Vigor | 58 |
| Mind | 34 |
| Endurance | 29 |
| Strength | 20 |
| Dexterity | 31 |
| Intelligence | 80 |
| Faith | 6 |
| Arcane | 10 |
Equipment
| Talismans | Graven-Mass Talisman Radagon Icon Shard of Alexander Carian Filigreed Crest |
| Weapons | Moonveil +10 Wing of Astel +10 (Optional) Death’s Poker (Optional) Dark Moon Greatsword |
| Staff | Carian Regal Scepter |
| Spells | Comet Rock Sling Cannon of Haima Terra Magica Comet Azur Ranni’s Dark Moon Stars of Ruin Glintstone Icecrag |
| Mix of Wonderous Physick | Cerulean Hidden Tear Magic-Shrouding Cracked Tear |
| Armor | Any heavy armor set under the 70% equip load for medium rolling. |
How to play with the build:
This is here is my personal build. Not going to lie, it shreds opponents like crazy. The great mix of spells that can hold their own is enough to bring down any foe. On top of that, the weapons I opted for give this build a diverse set of playstyles to keep things fresh.
The damage from this build comes mainly from INT stats hence the 80-level investment into the stat to reach its hard cap. The Dex stat is there to scale the weapons, reach the level requirements to wield the weapons and increase the casting speed of spells. You can utilize this blueprint of sorts at lower levels as well.
Since we’ll be using weapons in tandem with spells, these are the right assortment of talismans:
- Graven-Mass Talisman: This talisman enhances the attack power of all spells.
- Radagon Icon: Shorten the casting time of spells for quick firing, especially those long-winded spells.
- Shard of Alexander: Increases the damage output of all weapon skills.
- Carian Filigreed Crest: Lowers the FP consumption of weapon skills so that you can continue using them with the spells.
As for the weapons:
- Moonveil: This katana has been in the top tier since the game launched. The weapon scales incredibly with DEX and INT and the weapon skill Transient Moonlight comes out at breakneck speeds, deals insane damage, and acts as a short-range projectile for further reach. The weapon also has bleed build-up for that excellent proc potential.
- Wing of Astel: This fast curved sword is shorter but its weapon skill is literally explosive. The weapon skill Nebula spreads stars all around the player and explodes after some delay. There are multiple explosions at once so there is a high chance enemies get hit more than once with it.
- There are two optional weapons you can use with their own fantastic weapon skills:
- Death’s Poker: This one also has explosive properties and the flames after it lingers. These flames will build up Frostbite which when triggered, takes away a percentage health of the enemy and makes them vulnerable to all incoming attacks.
- Dark Moon Greatsword: The FromSoft’s legendary sword. This too has a projectile weapon skill and causes Frostbite. A nice sword to use but it is the weakest of the bunch.
Now the icing on the cake, the spells. The Carian Regal Sceptre has the best scaling of all the staves without any downsides and it boosts the damage Moon Spells. The spells are:
- Comet: This spell will be your primary mode of damage. It will quickly replace the Glintstone Pebble. The spell’s damage scales exceptionally. Furthermore, it can either be shot quickly with a tap or you can charge it up and unleash a deadlier comet.
- Rock Sling: This spell is great when you are facing enemies with magic resistance as it deals high physical damage. Additionally, it deals exceptional poise damage meaning you can stance-break most enemies in a few hits opening them up for a critical strike. Works great against bosses.
- Cannon of Haima: It is a good spell to quickly dispatch a cluster of enemies with its explosion. It can be charged for further damage and area of effect.
- Terra Magica: This support spell will conjure up a circle on the ground. When you are standing in it, it will increase sorcery damage.
- Glintstone Icecrag: This is another spell that fires quickly and deals Frostbite damage.
- The piece de resistance spells that acts like the opening salvo:
- Comet Azur: This beam of energy can go on until your FP completely drains and eviscerates enemy health if they take the full brunt of it. Goes well with the Cerulean Hidden Tear’s unlimited FP effect.
- Ranni’s Dark Moon: When this spell connects with the enemy it will deal a good amount of damage and proc Frostbite in an instant. The Frostbite will render enemies vulnerable to subsequent spells you lob at them. This spell gets a boost from the Carian Regal Sceptre and is the perfect opening attack when facing bosses.
- Stars of Ruin: This is not an opening spell but more for when the boss has a large window in between their attacks. The 12 stars fired from this spell will wreak havoc.
Moving on to the Mix of Wonderous Physick:
- Cerulean Hidden Tear: This will give you an unlimited amount of FP for a short period. You can use this time to quickly fire off your preferred spells or you can use this time like me and unleash an unstoppable beam of Comet Azur.
- Magic-Shrouding Cracked Tear: This simply boosts the damage magic damage of all your attacks. It not only compliments the sorceries but also aids the weapons skills of both Moonveil and Wing of Astel as they deal magic damage.
The way you set up the first attack, especially for bosses, goes like this:
- Cast Terra Magica and stand in the radius
- Drink the Mix of Wonderous Physick
- Charge up the Comet Azur to deal the most initial damage
- Consume a Cerulean flask if you run out of FP
- Move on to cast a Ranni’s Dark Moon to make the enemy weak
- Then either start firing off Comet or move in to unleash your weapon skill of choice
You can also add Flame, Grant me Strength and Golden Vow Incantation/Ash of War to further increase the damage but that requires investment in the Faith stat. If you play your cards right, most fights will be over before you know it. It is an incredibly potent build and speaking from experience, even the toughest of foes will drop to their knees begging for mercy.
Does your class actually matter in Elden Ring?
Your starting class sets the stage for your early game. Each class brings its own bag of strengths, weaknesses, and unique playstyles. In this case, the Prisoner is a hybrid class, able to switch between quick melee attacks and casting spells.
Nevertheless, as you venture into the late game, class choice takes a backseat. You’ve got the freedom to sprinkle your upgrade points wherever you fancy. Having a class with the right initial stats gives you a head start on certain builds, though.
For instance, if you’re looking for a Faith hybrid class then the Prisoner shouldn’t be considered, the Confessor is the right choice for you. Nonetheless, you can make the Prisoner into an INT/FAI/DEX hybrid if you start dumping points in Faith.
Can you change your class in Elden Ring?
Sadly, once you kickstart your adventure, there’s no turning back on your starting class choice. But don’t lose hope! There’s a way out of this jam with the respec mechanic after you give Rennala, the Queen of the Full Moon, a beating.
Here’s the catch though, if you decide to respec, you’ll only get back the points you personally invested, not the default class-given ones. Your class’s original stats? Yep, they’re stuck like glue, even after a respec.
So, if you’re dreaming of a whole new class, you’ll need to hit the restart button and go for a fresh game. Sorry, but there’s no shortcut, not even in New Game+.
Prisoner Tips and Tricks
Some tips you can employ when starting off with this class:
- It is best that you buy the Glintstone Pebble spell from Sorceress Sellen at the start to give yourself a more direct casting option instead of the delayed Magic Glintblade this class comes with. The Glinstone Pebble should be your primary spell for its low FP cost, quick casting, and high damage scaling.
- Start investing in Vigor and Endurance early on to make up for the lower starting stats.
- Support your melee with sorcery.
- With more points invested in END, you can equip better gear to give this class a better defensive edge.
- An even allocation between HP and FP flasks will allow you to cast spells and Ash of Wars without worry.
- You would want to chip away at the enemy’s health at range with magic and move in with your Estoc to finish the job. Embracing the hybrid nature of this class reaps the most benefits.
- The Estoc’s light attacks are very fast and you should use it in between the enemy’s attack animation to stop them in their tracks.
- Replace the shield in the left hand with the staff at all times to swiftly alternate between casting and swordplay.
- Dodging is the right choice of defense for this class. Do not rely on your shield for defense.
- In the case you run out of FP, equipping the shield in your offhand can come in handy till you get some FP back.
- While riding Torrent, make sure to have the staff in your right hand. The Estoc is not great at horseback combat.
- Magic is quite OP in Elden Ring so use it often. Try to invest more in INT and equip better spells like Comet to quickly annihilate enemies.
- Look for Memory Stones ASAP. You can buy one at the Roundtable Hold. These will increase your spell slots, allowing you to equip more spells.
- If you find a better shield with a low STR requirement then do equip it. The unique thing about the Estoc is that it can attack even when you are holding your shield up. This allows you to turtle up and still get some hits from the safety of the shield.
The Prisoner in Elden Ring is a menace in the right hands. This agile spell blade has the best of both worlds i.e. melee and sorceries. With quick feet and diverse playstyle, I’m sure nothing can stand in your way, and I should know since I rocked this outstanding class. Enemies wished they were prisoners than to face me!