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Elden Ring: how to level up, attributes and weapon scaling

We help you to get the best build in Elden Ring to survive in the game. Learn how to level up correctly and how attributes and weapon scaling work.

Update: Feb 28th, 2022 20:25 CET

As part of our Elden Ring guide, in this article you will find all the information related to leveling up, the different stats and attributes you can develop to get a powerful build and how weapon scaling works. Make good use of your runes and become a very powerful fighter.

How to level up in Elden Ring

Each time you kill enemies you will get a number of runes (equivalent to Dark Souls' souls or Bloodborne's blood echoes).It is also possible to find runes in the form of objects, which are divided into different categories and can be consumed to materialize runes in the counter. To use them to level up, you just have to rest in a Site of Grace and select that option in the menu.

Attributes: how to get the best build

Leveling up is something very important in Elden Ring, so you should know all the details before making any changes lightly. What's the point of investing points in intelligence if your goal is to use a sword for melee? Since we don't want you to waste your valuable runes, here's how all the attributes work.

Vigor: determines the amount of health you have. It is important to raise it every now and then. About 40 points of vigor in the long term would be useful. It influences your resistance to poison and fire.
Mind: determines the amount of FP, the magic bar you consume when casting spells and performing skills, among other actions.
Endurance: is an important attribute, since it depends on your stamina to run, block attacks and throw punches. In addition, it also influences the weight of the equipment you can carry. We recommend increasing it every now and then.
Strength: the name says it all. If you use weapons that scale in strength such as swords, axes and hammers, don't hesitate to raise it often.
Dexterity: light weapons are much more powerful thanks to dexterity. It also affects the damage you inflict with the bow.
Faith: indispensable if your gameplay is based on incantations.
Intelligence: if your plans are to become a powerful mage capable of casting the best spells, this attribute is for you.
Arcane: this is a statistic equivalent to luck in Dark Souls. If your level is high you will get more items or drops from enemies. In addition, it also increases resistance to some diseases and altered states. If this is your first game, we recommend you not to spend points on this attribute, since it is much better to focus on improving other more important attributes when fighting.

Weapon scaling, how does it work?

This mechanic is a From Software classic, as it has been present since Demon's Souls. When we say that a weapon scales based on a certain attribute, we mean that the hit of that weapon will be more powerful if you have that stat at a higher level. This is one of the keys to developing a really powerful build. Pay attention to the following information.

Look at the letters: if you inspect a weapon in the menu, in the lower area of its tab you will find a series of letters next to an icon. If a sword has a letter next to the strength icon, it means the more damage you will inflict with that particular sword.
Order of the letters: the scaling is divided into the letters S, A, B, C and D. It is important to be clear that S is the best, while D is the worst. Also, keep in mind that the letters can improve if you upgrade your weapon; it is possible that an axe that scales strength with D, becomes C when you reach a certain level of improvement.
Preview the level up: when you are going to level up an attribute, look at the menu, because it will give you a preview of the damage that the weapon you are currently equipped with will do. There are weapons that once they have scaled up sufficiently thanks to strength, they do better based on dexterity or intelligence. Always take a good look at the preview before confirming your decision.