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With so many new weapons to try out in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, coming up with new builds that utilize those weapons is a huge part of the fun. With eleven new weapon types, alongside new additions to almost every existing weapon type, there are tons of new build options.

This guide will show off two variants of my "Dryleaf Monk" build for Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. This build utilizes the Dryleaf Arts weapon to unleash combo attacks and trigger the effects of the Rotten Sword Insignia, breaking down the enemy with flurries of punches and kicks. The first variant of this build, "Dryleaf Monk", uses mainly Dexterity with a Keen Infusion to dish out great damage and throwing weaponry to provide extra reach as needed. The second build variant, "Dryleaf Sage", instead uses a Dexterity/Faith split with Flame Art or Sacred Infusion (depending on enemy resistances) and uses Incantations to buff itself and deal damage at a distance.

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How To Get Dryleaf Arts in Shadow of the Erdtree

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree introduces several new weapon types, including the incredible "Hand-To-Hand" Arts, so here's the first you can find.

Build 1: Dryleaf Monk (Dex)

ELDEN RING_ Shadow of the Erdtree - Dryleaf Dane Quest

This first build combines Hand-to-Hand combat and Smithscript throwing weapons to take down enemies at close-mid range. You'll mainly be utilizing the Dryleaf Arts weapon with a keen infusion to wring as much damage out of it as possible. Usually you'll be two-handing the Dryleaf Arts since they function as a paired weapon, but when dealing with foes who are dangerous to approach, you can swap to the Smithscript Dagger in your left hand. The Smithscript Dagger is a returning throwing knife weapon that also functions as a paired weapon, allowing you to two-hand it and throw twice as many knives at once.

Stats

Elden Ring Shadow fo the Erdtree_Dryleaf Monk Vs Rotten Avatar

This build was made using the Wretch Class for maximum stat flexibility, though you could also use the Bandit Class as your starting point and reach this endpoint without too much trouble. Assuming the Wretch Class is used, this build should have the following stats at level 150:

  • Vigor: 60 (50 Points Invested)
  • Mind: 22 (12 Points Invested)
  • Endurance: 25 (15 Points Invested)
  • Strength: 10 (0 Points Invested)
  • Dexterity: 80 (70 Points Invested)
  • Intelligence: 11 (1 Point Invested)
  • Faith: 11 (1 Point Invested)
  • Arcane: 10 (0 Points Invested)

The High Vigor aids with survivability, while the 80 Dexterity hits the final Dexterity Damage Softcap. Putting one point into Intelligence and 1 into Faith satisfies the requirements for the Smithscript weapons, most notably the throwing blade we'll be using. We've also invested a bit into Endurance, so we can use a decently large assortment of armor and equip any talismans we need. Mind wasn't completely crucial to this build, but we've invested a bit in it so that we can regularly utilize the Palm Blast Weapon Skill. Mind is also useful for utilizing weapon skills on the Smithscript Dagger, which can accept a wide range of different Ashes of War. (Including powerful movement options like Bloodhound Step or special attacks like the two throwing blade Ashes of War)

Weapons and Armor

This build is going to require the Dryleaf Arts, naturally. These can be obtained as part of Dryleaf Dane's Quest in Scadu Altus, which can be reached by either beating Rellana or looping around from the south using Spiritsprings. You should also pick up the Smithscript Dagger from the Ruined Forge Lava Intake in the Gravesite Plains. These two weapons pair well to provide you with reach and damage, with the Dryleaf Arts also staggering enemies very easily. The Palm Blast Ash of War that comes with the Dryleaf Arts is generally worth sticking with, since it can deal a colossal amount of damage and boosts your poise immensely while charging. Uncharged it's decent, but fully charged it can blow away entire groups of smaller enemies or take huge chunks out of a tougher foe's health. For the Smithscript Dagger, you can utilize Ash of War: Piercing Throw or the Scattershot Throw Ash of War to provide more damage options, or swap in Bloodhound Step to give you extra mobility.

bloody finger hunter yura elden ring_Bordered

For Armor, Dane's Hat is an obvious choice for style, though the Iron Kasa is also a solid choice here. On that note, the Ronin Set as a whole looks great for a martial artist build and is the option we'll be going with here. You could also use Dane's Set, though that is obtained a fair bit further into the DLC. It is a little weaker but considerably lighter than the Ronin Set, making it a good option if you want a lower equip load. The Black Knife Armor can also be a good choice, muffling your footsteps and allowing for a stealthier approach.

Talismans

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree_Dryleaf Monk 2

There are a few great Talisman Options for this build, so here are a few different Talisman Loadouts to help with different situations.

The Exploration Loadout uses the Taker's Cameo and Crusade Insignia to allow for smooth and rapid progression, gaining power and restoring health as you fight through packs of enemies. The Rotten Winged Sword Insignia builds your attack power as you continue to land hits and the Godfrey Icon allows your Charged Palm Blast to annihilate groups in a point-blank explosion of force.

The Boss Loadout trades the Taker's Cameo and Crusade Insignia for the Godskin Swaddling Cloth and the Blade of Mercy. The Blade of Mercy lets you increase your attack power after landing a critical hit, which should be pretty common with the stance damage from the Dryleaf Arts. The Godskin Swaddling Cloth provides healing as you land your combos, which helps you to last longer in a war of attrition against a tanky boss.

The Stealth Loadout keeps the Blade of Mercy and Rotten Winged Sword Insignia, but throws in the Assassins Dagger Talismans to restore your Health and FP as you land sneak attacks and critical hits. This can be excellent for preserving resources while taking out a camp of enemies and pairs well with the Black Knife Assassin Armor to muffle your footsteps.

Gameplay Footage of the Build in Action (At around Level 125)

Build 2: Dryleaf Sage (Dex/Faith)

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree_Dryleaf Sage Build

The Dryleaf Sage Build uses Dexterity and Faith,focusing mostly on Faith, to mix melee combat with powerful damaging and support spells. This gives it a lot of versatility, though it is somewhat squishy by necessity since it requires a wide stat spread. If you're fine with going past level 150, there should be no problem shoring up those weaknesses. One of the big tricks to this build is combining the Winged Sword Insignia with spells. By building up the attack buff with your martial arts attacks before firing a spell, you can increase the spell's damage by up to 13%. So, this playstyle encourages alternating between melee combat and spellcasting regularly.

Stats

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree_Dryleaf Sage Build_Ancient Dragon Lightning Strike

Once again, the Wretch Class was used for maximum stat flexibility on this build. You could also create this build fairly easily by using the Prophet or Confessor Class as a starting point. Here are the stats this build should have by level 150:

  • Vigor: 49 (39 Points Invested)
  • Mind: 30 (20 Points Invested)
  • Endurance: 10 (0 Points Invested)
  • Strength: 10 (0 Points Invested)
  • Dexterity: 40 (30 Points Invested)
  • Intelligence: 10 (0 Points Invested)
  • Faith: 60 (50 Points Invested)
  • Arcane: 10 (0 Points Invested)

The biggest issue here is the low Vigor, which will make combat much riskier and leave you open to a swift death against some bosses if you fail to dodge. Ideally, we'd want to invest another 11 Points there, but we need Dexterity at 40 to get maximum casting speed from the Radagon Icon Talisman. Faith is 20 points shy of the final Hard Cap, so our damage will be excellent, and 30 Mind means we have a decent pool of FP to cast with. You could, if you're worried about survivability, trade 10 or 11 points of Mind for more Vigor, though this naturally means carrying more Cerulean Flasks and playing more cautiously with any expensive spells. If you go past level 150 you should prioritize getting 60 Vitality and 80 Faith to optimize this build, then invest in more Mind to get more FP to play with.

Weapons, Armor, and Spells

ELDEN RING_ Shadow of the Erdtree - Dryleaf Dane Quest

Naturally, we'll be sticking to the Dryleaf Arts weapon with this build too, though we won't have a second weapon here. Instead, we'll be using a Sacred Seal in our offhand to cast Incantations. Depending on the type of Incantations you plan to use the most, you'll probably want to consider different Seals. From the Base Game, the Gravel Stone Seal can be a good choice for powering up Dragon Cult Incantations, while the Erdtree Seal is the best Scaling Seal for general use. If you want to make heavy use of DLC Incantations (like Spiral Incantations or Miquellan Incantations), you should consider the Spiraltree Seal or Dryleaf Seal instead. Thematically speaking, the Dryleaf Seal makes the most sense and boosts Miquellan Incantations, making it my personal choice here. You could also use the Fire Knight's Seal to boost Messmer Fire Incantations if desired.

For Armor, we recommend the Dryleaf Set, with its decent defenses and low overall weight, to help work around that low Endurance Stat. If you're fine with normal rolling instead of fast rolling, the Ronin set with Dane's Hat is also a great look here with slightly better defenses. Spellwise, you can make good use of Crucible Incantations to strike at close-mid range (Spells like Aspect of the Crucible: Horns can flip smaller enemies and leave them open to follow-up attacks) and use Multilayered Ring of Light and the Spiral Incantations to attack from afar. Naturally, this build can also use powerful buffs like Flame Grant Me Strength, Golden Vow, and even Howl of Shabriri. Another new spell that is very effective for damaging enemies at a distance is Golden Arcs, which can fire off three waves of light in quick succession. The Giant Golden Arc is similarly effective when dealing with groups.

Talismans

elden ring rivers of blood build

This build uses a few of the same talismans as the previous build, so this section will only explain the effects and utility of talismans new to this build here.

  • Exploration Loadout: Rotten Winged Sword Insignia, Radagon Icon, Godfrey Icon, Taker's Cameo.
  • Boss Loadout: Rotten Winged Sword Insignia, Radagon Icon, Godfrey Icon, Scorpion Charm for your preferred damage type OR Godskin Swaddling Cloth.

The Radagon Icon adds 30 "Virtual Dexterity" when determining spellcasting speed, which pairs with the 40 Dexterity the build already has to max out its Spellcasting Speed. Scorpion Charms are a risky option that can get 12% more damage out of a certain element at the cost of taking 10% more damage from all sources, making them useful for blitzing through a boss' health bar.

Gameplay Footage of the Build in Action (At Around Level 125)