Elden Ring: Best United Combat Builds

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  • United Combat Rules And Tips
  • Ancient Lightning God
  • Fire Sorcerer
  • Moonlit Frost Witch/Wizard
  • Erdtree Maiden
  • Honorable Mentions

With the Colosseum now in full swing and a meta slowly developing, developing a solid strategy for Elden Ring's United Combat PvP arena is more important than ever. As many as six combatants are on the field at any given time in – usually – evenly split teams, and as anyone could imagine, managing combat gets a bit tricky.

Although any build can be a great one in the arena when in the right hands, certain builds perform better overall in the grand scheme of things. These builds prioritize the AOE destruction and FP management necessary in an arena of many enemies but few supplies.

United Combat Rules And Tips

United Combat boasts teams of 1v1, 2v2, and 3v3 respectively. As many as 6 individuals can be in the arena at any given time, and each team is given five minutes to kill as many opponents as they can for a victory.

The style of United Combat is generally fast-paced and relies heavily on teamwork. Those who are randomly queuing up in United Combat are at an inherent disadvantage against those who come in pre-made teams (and have some means of communication). Therefore, flexibility in combat style is a must for those randomly joining to fill any necessary role on a team.

No matter what build you're going for – those down below or otherwise – there are important tips and tricks you should keep in mind:

  • Prioritize builds that you're comfortable with rather than what is generally accepted for the meta. Yes, you might want to imitate a build that looks cool, but just because a build looks good in numbers doesn't mean it will perform well with your playstyle. Keep in mind the kind of combat you're most comfortable with or perform the best with. It is unlikely that someone who prefers fast-paced combat like that found in Bloodborne will perform well immediately when switching to a shield-tank build or a mage build with spells that have long casting animations and vice-versa.
  • Try not to split up. Splitting up is generally a death sentence in United Combat due to the likelihood of your enemies ganging up on you and putting a wedge between you and your teammates. If you see a teammate accidentally split off from you, make it your priority to close the gap and rescue your teammate. If they – or you – die, that's another point for your opponent you don't want.

  • Invest in Stamina or Light builds. You'll be doing a lot of rolling and dodging in the United Combat arena, so having ample Stamina is a must. Prioritizing Light Armor builds can be to your benefit, cutting down on the amount of Stamina you consume and your movement speed.
  • Don't fall for the assassin talisman trap. Although there is only one HP and FP flask available to you and the urge to choose a talisman to replenish some of that is strong, ignore it. Although they can certainly help in a pinch, the chances of backstabbing players in the arena are usually low and too inconsistent to rely on. It's better to prioritize damage to replenish a flask or increase your survivability than it is to hinge on uncertainty.

As ever, you'll want to remember your PvP manners. Attacking or crossing the space immediately after entering the arena is generally considered rude and in poor taste. Remember to give a few seconds for both teams to equip buffs or gesture across the arena before starting the fight. The penance for not following unwritten rules is Miyazaki's disapproving smile. No one wants Miyazaki's disapproving smile.

Ancient Lightning God

Lightning builds are especially dangerous in United Combat thanks to their wide access to AOE spells and exceptional ranged abilities. Added to their substantial damage output and the difficulty opponents face when countering, any Lightning-oriented build in the Colosseum is one to be feared.

The Ancient Lightning God is a Dexterity/Faith build with Vigor and Mind as secondary investments. Naturally, a healthy amount of Stamina is necessary for the United Combat arena.

While there is no recommendation for clothing that benefits this build beyond what works best and is most comfortable for you, you'll want to prioritize lighter medium armor (like Maliketh's set) to counteract the weight of two weapons without needing to waste a talisman slot on increasing your carry weight.

For weapons, you'll want the following:

  • Bolt of Gransax
  • Dragonking's Crag Blade
  • Gravel Stone Seal

You'll wish to start with the Bolt of Gransax in any encounter. Its Ancient Lightning Spear weapon art can cross the entirety of the arena and deals a massive amount of damage. It's an excellent starting spell and can also be used to aid struggling allies that have been cut off from you. Afterward, switching to the Dragonking's Crag Blade for melee combat AND the Gravel Stone Seal. The Dragonking's Crag Blade unique skill, Thundercloud, with the 1.07 patch, is a fast weapon art that works similarly to the Winged Scythe's Angel Wings and boasts added maneuverability. In exchange for dealing small-to-mediocre damage, you can float above the ground toward a target and ignore ground hazards or sweeps for a short time. Although the art itself doesn't deal a lot of damage, it's indispensable in setting up attacks and closing distances. Likewise, the Gravel Stone Seal will increase all of your Dragon Cult incantations by 15 percent.

For spells, you'll want to equip:

  • Fortisax's Lightning Spear
  • Lansseax's Glaive
  • Ancient Dragon's Lightning Strike
  • Honed Bolt

The chief component in this build is the Ancient Dragon's Lightning Strike thanks to its ability to strike multiple opponents across the arena. Regardless of whether it makes contact, the area effect can cause disruptions in enemy movements that create openings to either attack or retreat for your allies. Fortisax's Lightning Spear will be your melee workhorse, used following a Thundercloud weapon art. It deals the most amount of damage compared to your other spells and should be prioritized when not using the Ancient Dragon's Lightning Strike to disrupt the field or deal with multiple enemies. Lansseax's Glaive is a nice sweeping spell to deal with multiple opponents closing into melee but shouldn't be used too often due to it leaving an opening for forward-rolling enemies. Honed Bolt is a necessity to pick off enemies that may be retreating and not worth the FP of a large spell. Your final slot should be used as you see fit, but primarily a defensive spell, if you don't have a teammate you know, will fill the role.

For your talismans, the recommended options are:

  • Godfrey's Icon
  • Flock's Canvas Talisman
  • Shard of Alexander
  • Carian Filigreed Crest

Fire Sorcerer

The Fire Sorcerer is a tanky sorcerer build that balances defense with wide-area fire spells for crowd control. The optimal usage of this build is to be a medium-range sorcerer protecting any squishier backup casters but also providing support for the front melee fighters. Although lackluster in PvE and not always particularly good at 1v1 dueling, the Fire Sorcerer's versatility and flexibility as a supporter and tank make it stand out in United Combat.

This build strongly favors Strength and Faith with Vigor as a secondary investment. Having enough stats in Mind and Stamina is necessary as well for success in the arena.

Weapons-wise, you'll want to choose between either of these options:

  • Blasphemous Blade
  • Magma Wyrm's Scalesword

Blasphemous Blade is a strong contender due to its ranged and high damage output weapon art, Taker's Flame. Its drawback is that it's easily dodged due to it only being in a straight line, meaning you'll need to be conservative with how often you use it. Using it correctly will mean waiting for opportune times when either a hit is guaranteed or splitting an enemy from an ally is needed. Otherwise, the Magma Wyrm's Scalesword is a strong choice due to its excellent scaling and the ability of its weapon art, Magma Guillotine, which excels at zoning. It counts as a jump attack, ignoring hazards on the ground, and it leaves a pool of lava in its wake temporarily that can deal damage to those who step within its boundaries.

Your choice in weapon should dictate your armor. If you prefer to be more on the defensive side and use the Blasphemous Blade, using heavy armor such as the Fire Prelate's set is wise. If you prefer a more aggressive style of play, combining the Magma Wyrm's Scalesword with the Raptor's set for increased jumping damage will be to your benefit.

For spells, you'll want to equip:

  • Burn O'Flame!
  • Giantsflame Take Thee
  • Fire Sling
  • Flame, Fall Upon Them
  • Flame, Grant Me Strength

Burn O'Flame! is a necessary part of this build in United Combat, useful for creating necessary space around one central location. It can be used to protect allies who need a moment to regenerate Stamina or use a flask as well as make aggressive enemies temporarily retreat. Giantsflame Take Thee and Fire Sling are both ranged fireball spells, with the former being larger, more damaging, and farther reaching and the latter being a cheaper version that fulfills a similar role. Flame, Fall Upon Them is an AOE spell that comes in handy against groups of enemies. Flame, Grant Me Strength ties all of this together by greatly boosting all fire-based attacks.

Talisman recommendations include:

  • Godfrey's Icon
  • Shard of Alexander
  • Flock's Canvas Talisman
  • Claw Talisman (for Magma Scalesword builds)
  • Spelldrake Talisman (+2)

Moonlit Frost Witch/Wizard

A popular choice in the PvP arena, the Moonlit Frost Witch (or Wizard) has several variations, but the general trend of a glintstone-sorcerer glass cannon prevails. In exchange for defense and health, they prioritize dealing massive amounts of damage from afar. They're perfect for United Combat when you have a solid team with at least one melee attacker to run interference and keep others from getting into your personal space.

They are primarily an Intelligence build with a secondary focus on Mind and Stamina. As your team should be running defense for you, your only concern should be running away from those who manage to get around your guards and keeping spells going as long as possible.

There are two possible weapons to use with a Carian Regal Scepter in your left hand:

  • Moonveil Katana
  • Dark Moon Greatsword

Both weapons are superb for this build but primarily are separated by their Passive Effect and weighing damage versus speed. The Moonveil Katana is faster than the Dark Moon Greatsword at the expense of not dealing as much damage per hit, but the Dark Moon Greatsword's passive stacks with the effects of your spells by adding Frostbite buildup. Meanwhile, the Moonveil Katana trades that for Bleed buildup instead. Both of their weapon arts are melee-to-ranged attacks that do sweeping damage in an arc. It boils down to preference whether you want to be more supportive and add Frostbite status effects faster or take risks by having another damage option for melee.

For clothing, you'll want to wear Ranni's Snow Witch hat to increase the damage of Cold-school sorceries as well as any Medium armor to bring your poise up to the minimum threshold of 51.

Spells are truly where it's at with this build, and a good load out looks as follows:

  • Carian's Phalanx
  • Adula's Moonblade
  • Glintstone Icecrag
  • Crystal Barrage
  • Swift Glintstone Shard
  • Loretta's Greatbow

Carian's Phalanx is a must for providing you with defense for those who manage to slip past your protectors. By casting smaller glintstone swords, you'll be able to have a spell on hand and ready to help you with a quick getaway and put distance between you and an aggressor. Adula's Moonblade will be the bulk of your damage, able to hit enemies up close and afar and add more Frostbite buildup. Glintstone Icecrag doesn't necessarily have much range, but its ability to be cast quickly and without much FP cost means that it's perfect for casting while backing away from an enemy. Swift Glinstone Shard is also like Glinstone Icecrag but has more range at the cost of not having the bonuses that the spell has. Crystal Barrage is perfect for dealing with groups of enemies, and Loretta's Greatbow does very high amounts of damage at a great distance.

You may be tempted to use Ranni's Dark Moon with this build, but it's not recommended for United Combat due to its easy-to-dodge movement, slow charge, and its small area of effect.

For this build, the following Talismans are recommended:

  • Radagon Icon
  • Godfrey Icon
  • Graven School Talisman
  • Graven-Mass Talisman

Erdtree Maiden

Few are willing to take on the mantle of a support class in PvP, and fewer still know how to perform as one. Of all possible support builds, the Erdtree Maiden shines brightest. With golden Faith magic to issue reliable support and a range of buffing incantations to protect you and your teammates, this build is the backbone of any functional team. As expected, this build is primarily a Faith and Dexterity setup. Vigor is your secondary investment with ample enough points placed into Mind and Stamina to get by.

For weapons, your primary should be the Sacred Relic Sword with the Erdtree Seal in your left hand. Although you'll mostly be using incantations for buffs and healing, the AOE weapon art, Wave of Gold, is already a staple in the United Combat meta. Forcing enemies to juggle dodging through the wave and the attacks of your allies or be struck, does considerable damage and disruption in equal measure. However, in the eventual case that someone manages to break through your teammates and attacks you, you'll want to switch to either:

  • Winged Scythe
  • Halo Scythe

This is in order to have a weapon to make up for the Sacred Relic Sword's abysmal range and speed in melee combat. The Winged Scythe should be used for those who like mobility, and the Halo Scythe should be used for those who like casting from a distance. Their weapon arts make them prime candidates compared to other Faith weapons, and there's just something appealing about being a maiden who can bring either life or death in the arena.

For clothing, you'll want as little as possible. Fia's Deathbed Dress is nice to have, but its effects aren't necessarily useful when you're meant to be some distance away from the combat. Nevertheless, wearing it any amount of clothing you can put on without exceeding the Light Armor threshold is key, as you'll want to be as light as possible to reach allies quickly.

As a support build, you'll need an ample selection of spells. Recommendations for those include:

  • Erdtree Heal
  • Lord's Divine Fortification
  • Golden Lightning Fortification
  • Golden Vow
  • Blessing of the Erdtree

Erdtree Heal will be the most expensive but important spell in your lineup. You should be using it semi-frequently, running up within range to your teammates once they reach about half health. With ample enough investment in Faith, a leveled Erdtree Seal, and the right talismans, you should be healing yourself to full and your teammates by at least half with one cast. Given the costly nature of it, you'll need to ensure you place yourself just out of range of enemies but close enough for the spell to reach your ally. As for the Lord's Divine Fortification and Golden Lightning Fortification, both are important incantations to use as needed when encountering builds such as this one or dangerous Lightning builds like the one above. Golden Vow is to be used as often as the FP can be spared, granting you and your allies both ample defense and offense boons. Lastly, Blessing of the Erdtree is your least-important spell but should be used to provide slow healing to nearby allies when either you can't spare the FP for Erdtree Heal or their health hasn't reached half.

For the Erdtree Maiden, you'll want to use any combination of these Talismans:

  • Flock's Canvas Talisman
  • Faithful's Canvas Talisman
  • Godfrey's Icon
  • Shard of Alexander (damage)
  • Old Lord's Talisman

Honorable Mentions

Lesser Melania

For those who have reached New Game+ and are brave enough (or stupid enough) to defeat Melania a second time, you'll be able to dual-wield her weapon: the Hand of Melania. Doing so allows you access to Waterfowl Dance which can be an incredibly terrifying thing to face in United Combat. The "Lesser Melania" build centers around using this weapon art to overwhelm groups of opponents and deal massive amounts of damage in a short amount of time.

It centers around Dexterity, but its weakness is that it tends to be a one-trick pony that, for those who have spent hours facing Melania, is entirely too predictable. It's both interruptible and parryable, so it's not entirely suited for United Combat when you're meant to be in the heat of melee combat with several enemies. Furthermore, controlling the direction of Waterfowl Dance takes a certain amount of skill and practice that, if unsuccessful, could land you exactly where you don't want to be.

The Scarlet Bleed Dragon

This build is a frightfully scary build at first glance. With dual weapons combining both Eleanora's Polearm and Rivers of Blood, the Scarlet Bleed Dragon centers around both dealing high amounts of Bleed buildup over a short period of time (and with ample range) and casting the Rotten Breath incantation to deal AOE damage that may inflict Scarlet Rot to several enemies at once. Combined with the Mushroom Crown hat and the Kindred of Rot's Exultation Talisman, this build is meant for high-stakes melee.

The downfall of this build is the Rotten Breath incantation itself. Easy to counter by jump attacking during the initial windup animation, casting a spell, or rolling right under the caster's feet, it leaves the caster too vulnerable for too long in United Combat. Given its over-usage in the meta as well, you're better off focusing on the aspects of the bleed build than the Scarlet Rot.

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