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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesThere isn’t one best Elden Ring Strength/Intelligence build for every character: the right choice depends on which stat you want to power your weapon. Choose the Starscourge Greatsword for a Strength-led build that treats Intelligence mainly as a weapon requirement, or the Dark Moon Greatsword for an Intelligence-led melee hybrid. Neither weapon’s scaling supports splitting points evenly between Strength and Intelligence by default.
Choose the build around your weapon
Weapon scaling is the key to making a Strength/Intelligence character efficient. Strength is the primary damage stat for the Starscourge Greatsword, while Intelligence is the Dark Moon Greatsword’s strongest scaling stat. Decide which weapon and damage style you want first; then spend levels on the stats that support it, rather than assuming both damage stats need equal investment.
| Weapon | Primary damage stat | What Intelligence does | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starscourge Greatsword | Strength; its weapon reference says it scales best with Strength up to 54. | It has little effect on this weapon’s damage. Treat Intelligence primarily as a requirement unless you are also investing to cast sorceries. | A Strength-led gravity/colossal-weapon approach. |
| Dark Moon Greatsword | Intelligence is its strongest scaling stat. | It improves the projectile damage from the weapon skill’s charged heavy attacks, as well as contributing to the weapon’s damage scaling. | An Intelligence-led melee hybrid that wants weapon combat alongside sorcery. |
The scaling and weapon details in this comparison come from community-maintained Elden Ring wiki references. Check the weapon’s attributes and scaling in your installed game if an exact value matters, since the references may not reflect every later balance change.
Build around the Starscourge Greatsword
Keep Strength in the lead
For a Starscourge-focused character, prioritize meeting the weapon’s requirements and building Strength. Its weapon reference identifies 54 Strength as the point up to which it scales best with that stat; this is a weapon-specific scaling reference, not a universal target for every Strength build. Intelligence does little for the weapon’s damage, so avoid adding Intelligence just to make the character look evenly split between the two stats.
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Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →If you want sorceries as part of the character, Intelligence has a separate purpose: it supports that spellcasting plan, not the Starscourge Greatsword’s core damage. That creates a genuine trade-off in a limited level budget. Decide how much you want spells to contribute before distributing points across both damage stats.
Consider two-handing
Bandai Namco Entertainment America’s advanced stats guide describes a 1.5× Strength modifier when two-handing a weapon. That can make a two-handed approach relevant to how you allocate Strength, but it is not a replacement for checking the weapon’s requirements or a promise of a particular damage result. The guide does not provide a complete Starscourge build template.
Get the weapon
The Starscourge Greatsword is obtained by trading Starscourge Radahn’s Remembrance with Finger Reader Enia. If you have not yet defeated Radahn, the weapon is a later acquisition rather than a starting-build option.
Build around the Dark Moon Greatsword
Make Intelligence the investment stat
For the Dark Moon Greatsword, Intelligence is not merely a requirement: its weapon reference identifies Intelligence as the weapon’s strongest scaling stat. It also improves the projectile portion of the skill-enhanced heavy attacks. If you want the weapon’s melee-and-projectile attacks to be central to the build, prioritize Intelligence rather than treating Strength and Intelligence as interchangeable damage investments.
Choose how much sorcery to include
The Dark Moon route suits a character that wants melee combat and sorcery to draw on Intelligence. How much to invest in other attributes depends on whether you want to emphasize casting, weapon use, or survivability. The available official stat guidance gives general Vigor advice, but it does not establish a complete Dark Moon Greatsword stat spread or level target.
Set survivability and level priorities
Bandai Namco Entertainment America’s general character-build guidance recommends aiming for at least 40 Vigor and says 60 Vigor may be worthwhile once the other stats meet their needs. These are general recommendations, not mandatory thresholds or a finished Strength/Intelligence build. Apply them in context: first cover your weapon’s requirements and chosen damage stat, then decide how much Vigor and any spellcasting investment your character needs.
Because no level, starting class, or preferred balance between spells and weapon attacks is specified here, a precise stat-by-stat template would imply a certainty the available guidance does not support. Use this priority order instead:
- Choose either the Strength-led Starscourge route or the Intelligence-led Dark Moon route.
- Meet the chosen weapon’s requirements and invest in its primary scaling stat.
- Decide whether sorceries are a meaningful part of the build before investing in the other damage stat.
- Allocate Vigor and any remaining attributes to suit your character’s needs, using Bandai Namco’s general 40-to-60 Vigor guidance as a reference rather than a prescription.
What the patch record can—and cannot—tell you
Bandai Namco’s official patch notes for versions 1.04, 1.09, and 1.12 document adjustments to weapon classes and sorceries. They are historical records, not evidence of the latest live balance or proof that either build is patch-proof. For an exact current damage comparison, inspect the weapon and its damage in your installed game; the community-maintained weapon references cited above may not account for every later change.
Quick Recap
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