The Wretch in Elden Ring is the Deprived class from the Dark Souls series. If you have played that game then you know exactly what this class is about. As for others who don’t know, let me guide you through this class in extreme detail. This is not your typical class like we have covered previously so try and comprehend its true purpose.
The Wretch is the perfect building block of a class. It doesn’t lean towards any attribute and starts with only a weapon. This class needs to be built up to some playstyle. It is not for the weak-hearted players. Get ready to face many challenges and get extreme freedom to build craft as you please.
Is Wretch good for beginners?
Starter Equipment
| Weapons | Club |
| Armor | Nothing (Naked) |
Starting Stats
| Level | 1 |
| Vigor | 10 |
| Mind | 10 |
| Endurance | 10 |
| Strength | 10 |
| Dexterity | 10 |
| Intelligence | 10 |
| Faith | 10 |
| Arcane | 10 |
The Wretch is a blank slate of a class in Elden Ring. It has even distribution in all of the stats and has the lowest Rune level out of all the classes in the game. Not to mention, it has no armor on its back, wields a weak club to deal damage, and carries no shield to protect itself.
For all the reasons stated above, the Wretch is bar far the worst class to choose as a beginner.
On the other hand, the freedom to build however you like is very appealing for the class. You can allocate your levels to whichever stat you like and simply respec into another build without fearing an unoptimized build.
The exact control of building a character from the ground up is a plus here.
If you can accept the slow and dangerous start with the class and work your way to a very free-flowing character later on then there is nothing close to the Wretch.
The Wretch can be the perfect class if you want to start a new character after finishing Elden Ring the first time.
Best Build for Wretch
We could have covered a few builds for Wretch but this class can be crafted into anything with its even stat distribution. For this reason, we have chosen a single build that stays focused on the Wretch class and makes it OP enough to take on anything in Elden Ring.
Stat Sheet:
| Level | 130 |
| Vigor | 55 |
| Mind | 13 |
| Endurance | 31 |
| Strength | 70 |
| Dexterity | 10 |
| Intelligence | 10 |
| Faith | 10 |
| Arcane | 10 |
Equipment:
| Talismans | Spear Talisman Claw Talisman Rotten Winged Sword Insignia Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman |
| Weapons | Heavy Rusted Anchor+25 (w/ Wild Strikes Ashes of War) Heavy Pickaxe +25 (w/ Braggart’s Roar Ashes of War) |
| Mix of Wonderous Physick | Strenght-knot Crystal Tear Stonebarb Cracked Tear |
| Armor | Any armor that keeps you inside the medium load limit Raptor’s Black Feather chest piece for extra jump attack boost. |
How to play with the build:
This Wretch build is a brute. It relies on the Rusted Anchor’s heavy strikes and peculiar damage types to dish out insane damage numbers. This great axe has gotten many buffs over the years and is now a formidable yet underrated weapon. The Pickaxe, on the other hand, just ups the lethality of the build.
Pair this weapon with the Wild Strikes Ash of War, and you’ll be swinging this giant piece of metal like it’s nothing, all the while crushing enemies.
The good part is that you can use this skill while moving, turning you into a bulldozer and annihilating anything that stands in your way. The quick strikes will also take advantage of the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia to deal extra damage.
Surprisingly, unlike other great axes, this weapon deals pierce damage. Complimenting this is the Spear Talisman which boosts the damage output by a whopping 15% for attacking enemies while they are attacking.
Now every swing of the weapon that you use while the enemy is trying to attack you will hit like a truck.
The Claw Talisman is there to enhance the power of the jumping-heavy attack. The jumping heavy is so satisfying to pull off and can be spammed with relative ease.
This works even better when you have both of your weapons in each hand and then use the L1/LB power stance jump attack.
With both weapons in each hand, try to hit enemies by jumping and using the power stance attack while they are attacking. Done right and you’ll see how quickly you destroy the enemy or boss HP.
Pop the Wonderous Physick with the stated crystals before a perilous fight to see amazing results. Not only will your STR stat go up significantly but you will also be poise-breaking enemies almost instantly with all those heavy hits owing to the Stonebarb Cracked Tear.
Use the Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman to counter getting staggered while attacking enemies who are also attacking you. Now you can tank any hit while you swing your weapons wildly.
Does your class actually matter in Elden Ring?
It’s crucial to pick the right class at the start of the game as it can significantly impact your playstyle. Each class has its unique abilities, weaknesses, and tactics.
For instance, the Prophet class is ideal for casting Incantations, whereas others are tailored for specific roles.
However, as you progress through the game, the importance of the class you choose will diminish. You’ll have the flexibility to allocate your stats as you see fit.
Starting with a class that aligns with your preferred playstyle can provide a solid foundation for your future build, but it doesn’t restrict your choices in the long run.
The Wretch is the only class that has an evenly distributed starting point. You can essentially make any kind of build from it then respec and try another without fearing an unoptimized build.
Can you change your class in Elden Ring?
It is important to know that once you have chosen your starting class in Elden Ring, you cannot change it.
However, there is a way to make changes to your character. Once you defeat Rennala, the Queen of the Full Moon, you will unlock the respec mechanic, which allows you to shift the points you personally invested in your character.
It is worth noting that the respec mechanic only refunds points that you spent, not the ones that came with the class you chose. This means that your class’s original stats will remain the same even after a respec.
If you want to try a different class, you will have to start a new game from scratch. Even in New Game+, there are no shortcuts.
Wretch Tips and Tricks
Here are some tips you should keep in mind when starting out as the Wretch class in Elden Ring:
- The jumping-heavy attack of the Club is a good move to spam.
- The Club provides good poise which reduces the chances of getting staggered during enemy attacks while attacking.
- Quick attacks from the club can quickly poise-break enemies, opening them up for critical strikes.
- Dual-hand the club for more damage.
- The low starting level means your starting upgrades are relatively cheaper to allocate compared to other classes.
- This class is ideal for players who want to keep on respeccing and trying out new builds.
- Needless to say, get a better weapon as quickly as possible. The Uchigatana can be unlocked pretty early on.
- Get something to wear (armor up!).
The Wretch is either your favorite class or the worst class in Elden Ring. If you like experimenting with loads of builds later on then look no further. However, if you want to play a certain style then this class is unoptimized and you need to look away.