.jpg?q=50&fit=contain&w=1140&h=&dpr=1.5)
Elden Ring players have various builds to choose from in both PvP and PvE. They can decide to use slower weapons that deal massive damage, katanas that inflict bleed status, or magic spells to hit opponents from afar. While some tactics are more effective than others, the latest Elden Ring patch focused on balance changes to make underutilized strategies more feasible.
Like the Dark Souls games, Elden Ring comes with robust multiplayer options for co-op and competitive gameplay. PvP in Elden Ring allows players to fight each and see how their builds perform against other users. Players interested in PvP can choose to invade or initiate a duel, requiring users to possess a Bloody Finger or a Duelist's Furled Finger, respectively. Competitive multiplayer in Elden Ring is an entirely different game compared to PvE, as mages can be extremely overpowered in PvP.
A Redditor named lagfx9 shows how one-sided dueling against mages can be in Elden Ring. The clip shows lagfx9 trying to fight with a sword in each hand, but they stand no chance against their opponent’s magic attacks. The other player appears to start the fight with the Ranni's Dark Moon spell before spamming the Stars of Ruin sorcery in Elden Ring. Lagfx9 tries to dodge the oncoming barrage and manages to survive with little health left. However, lagfx9 has had enough and surrenders by jumping from the platform.
It’s hilarious to see the seemingly never-ending barrage of attacks and the player frantically rolling around to dodge them, only to give up a few seconds later. However, lagfx9 played right into their opponent’s hands by dodging sideways. Many users mention that players need to close the distance by rolling into the magic attack and towards the caster. Mages in Elden Ring typically do not have much health or damage resistance, so it’s possible to deal a significant amount of damage in a few hits.
Many players claim that they learned to dodge magic attacks while fighting Rennala in Elden Ring, and this tactic helped them deal with the other mages. Several players also share different strategies for tackling mages, with some recommending lagfx9 to equip the Erdtree Greatshield. Its unique skill, called Golden Retaliation, reflects magic attacks onto the caster. Additionally, it provides 100% damage negation against physical attacks, and players get it as a reward for defeating a duo of Tree Sentinels. However, running straight toward a mage and not letting them cast spells seems like the popular choice among Elden Ring players.
Elden Ring is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.