The Dark Souls franchise is no stranger to build variety. Every game has hundreds of weapons and spells to use that can suit virtually any playstyle. Each game might be soul-crushing in their difficulty, which is why having a strong build is so important.
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Many consider faith one of the worst stats in Dark Souls 3 due to its lacking miracles in PvP and lackluster progression in PvE, but this archetype is heavily slept on. The amount of healing, buffs, and damage miracles can provide makes them top-tier in PvE and a great shift away from the PvP meta. Here are 5 great PvE builds in Dark Souls 3 alongside 5 great PvP alternatives.
10 PVE: Bleed Caster
Strangely, the Dorhy’s Gnawing and Gnaw spells count as miracles that scale with faith. These two miracles are incredibly strong in PvE, building up bleed on enemy targets at an unprecedented rate. Both miracles scale with faith and intelligence, but players can solely focus on faith if they wish as long as they use Yorshka’s Chime. Obtain some sort of cast speed with either dexterity or the Sage Ring, then watch as enemies lose entire chunks of their HP with every other cast. Combine this with a bleed weapon for even stronger results.
9 PVP: Support
Part of what makes faith builds so strong in Dark Souls 3 is the plethora of buffs and healing options they provide. While it’s true that these buffs are rather difficult to use and maintain during PvP duels, that doesn’t mean players can’t create a fantastic support build for group duels.
Heal, Sacred Oath, Wrath of the Gods, and Lightning Arrow are a few fantastic options for a support-focused character. Let teammates take the brunt of the attention and stay far back, using Lightning Arrow to taunt targets or use Emit Force to push enemies off their feet. It’s by no means a fantastic dueling build, but the chaos that can ensue with the plethora of miracles at a player’s disposal makes this one of the most fun PvP playstyles in group fights.
8 PVE: Lightning Caster
This build doubles down on using miracles offensively in PvE to take down targets. Most Estus Flasks are going to be replaced by Ashen Flasks for this to work, but the playstyle makes it a fun alternative from the main light-attack spamming builds most are used to.
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Run at least 60 faith alongside the Ring of the Sun’s First Born to boost the damage of Lightning Stake, Sunlight Spear, and Lightning Arrow as much as possible. Since Estus Flasks are in lower supply, running higher attunement to equip Heal is also a fantastic idea since players will have so much FP to work with. Make sure to invest in either dexterity or use the Sage Ring to make cast times as short as possible.
7 PVP: Lightning Caster
Mentioned previously, players can take advantage of the multitude of lightning miracles to become a devastating combatant. It’s rather strong in PvE, but it becomes even better in PvP for zoning targets in 1v1s or group fights.
Cast speed is critical for this to work, so make sure a Sage Ring and a reasonable investment into dexterity are present. Using a faith infused weapon such as a faith Estoc or Lothric Straight Sword works great for when players get close. At range, use Lightning Spears to force the opponent to roll. When they get greedy, use Lightning Stake to slam the ground to force a retreat. Lightning Storm can work in group engagements, and this caster setup can be combined with either Lightning Blade for more damage on melee swings or Blessed Weapon for passive HP regeneration.
6 PVE: Dark Blade
Hexes have been moved from their own school in Dark Souls 2 into miracles instead in Dark Souls 3. They still scale based on both intelligence and faith, but those that heavily invest in faith can still get some benefit from various dark buffs.
Miracles such as Deep Protection, Dark Blade, and Dead Again are staples for a dark melee hybrid. Since players will split their stats between intelligence and faith to get the most out of dark, the Onyx Blade is a fantastic choice for this build as it has great Attack Rating scaling with both stats. Buff before a fight with Deep Protection and use the Onyx Blade’s weapon art to unleash the fury of flame and dark on any foe. It’s one of the most fun playstyles a faith-based character can try for PvE.
5 PVP: Reaper
Morphing the dark blade build to better suit PvP, this build allows players to reap the life of their foes using Lifehunt Scythe and buff themselves using dark miracles. Players should obtain 45 in both faith and intelligence for this to work best and should use the Sunless Chime for its Unfaltering Prayer weapon art.
During combat, use the Unfaltering Prayer weapon art to make the enemy push. Once they get close, use the added poise to case Lifehunt Scythe without fear or interruption, granting over 200 HP a swing provided the player has an upgraded Sunless Chime. This pairs nicely with the Crucifix of the Mad King halberd. Tears of Denial is also a great buff choice if the player is hyper-aggressive.
4 PVE: Paladin
When players talk about how incredible faith is for PvE, this is what they’re referring to. Typically known as a paladin build, players invest moderately into faith and a damage stat of choice, typically strength or dexterity. Miracles are used on paladins as a means of buffing their characters or weapons. Lightning Blade, Sacred Oath, Tears of Denial, and all the Heal miracles are staples for this playstyle.
It does require some sort of FP recovery either from a ring or sacrificing Estus Flasks for Ashen variants, but this is well worth it as high faith makes Heal and Great Heal provide significantly more health than a +10 Estus Flask could ever grant. Combine this with one offensive miracle such as Lightning Arrow and now players can draw enemy aggro from long range.
3 PVP: Magic Blade
Versatility is the bread and butter of this build. With high faith, players can take advantage of Lightning Blade, Dark Blade, Blessed Blade, and Moonlight Blade to become the most versatile melee character in the game. Players can’t use all of these buffs at once, but the ability to swap elemental damage on the fly makes this build so strong for PvE and PvP.
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For PvP, this character should be built like a hybrid, obtaining 30 or 45 faith with other stats invested into strength or dexterity. HIgh endurance is a must for any melee character. Use any buffable weapon of choice, use any damage buff and maybe a self-buff such as Sacred Oath or Tears of Denial, then charge into the fray as an elemental whirlwind of death.
2 PVE: Magic Blade
That same build also works wonders in PvE. Obtain 30 faith then invest in strength or dexterity. Any weapon will do for this type of build, but typical favorites amongst the Souls community are the Saint Bident, Winged Knight Twinblades, and even the Long Sword do great when buffed. Swap buffs to what suits the weaknesses of each foe to trivialize boss fights and most content.
1 PVP: Faith Juggernaut
For melee characters that want to three-shot players with faith, this is the build for them. Players want to invest heavily in faith, at least 60 points. From there, obtain the Crucifix of the Mad King halberd and obtain the Dark Blade miracle. Invest into strength, vigor, and endurance until the desired Soul Level (typically 120 for PvP) and laugh as this weapon three-shots most players. Its weapon art is great for zoning opponents or granting poise for a short time. With heavy armor and a means of healing such as the Lifehunt Scythe, this build is hard to kill.
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