Welcome back, fellow Tarnished! Today, we’re diving into an incredible build focused on dealing devastating critical damage using the Executioner’s Great Axe, highlighted in our latest playthrough. This build is especially powerful for players who love clever positioning, parries, and backstabs. If you're looking to enhance your gameplay further and want to make leveling up easier, you might consider ways to buy Elden Ring Runes, which can help you acquire the necessary gear and upgrades faster. Let’s break down everything you need to know to run this setup successfully.

Build Overview

Weapon: Executioner’s Great Axe

The Executioner’s Great Axe is our primary weapon, renowned for its high critical damage modifier. Using this weapon opens up fierce opportunities for critical hits, especially when combined with skills like parrying and backstabbing.

Key Benefits:

· High critical damage output.

· Strong base moveset with good hyper armor.

· A horizontal swing for crowd control.

Infusion: Fire Infusion

For this build, we are using a Fire Infusion on the axe. Elemental damage, particularly fire, scales well with strength, making it preferable for our setup. The infusion helps avoid damage penalties in specific scenarios—like when standing on water—which we will generally want to avoid!

Armor: Solitude Set

When going for a critical attack playstyle, armor choice is crucial:

· Solitude Set increases your poise and defense, allowing you to tank hits while fishing for those precious backstabs. With the nature of this build, high poise is essential for reducing the chances of being staggered.

Talisman Setup

Equipping the right talismans will significantly enhance the effectiveness of your build. Here’s the ideal setup:

1. Dagger Talisman: Absolutely necessary for enhancing critical attack damage.

2. Two-Handed Sword Talisman: Works well since the primary strategy involves two-handing the axe for backstabs and regular damage increases.

3. Great-Jar’s Arsenal: Required to offset the heavy equip load from the armor and weapon. This will keep you nimble without worrying about fat rolling.

4. Bulgo Talisman: Boosts poise and ensures you can land backstabs more easily since you won’t be interrupted as frequently.

Stat Allocation

Investing wisely in your stats will maximize your build's potential:

· Focus primarily on Strength for dealing immense damage with the Executioner’s Great Axe.

· Allocate points into Endurance for stamina management—helpful in dodging and keeping up aggression during fights.

· Don’t neglect Health; resilience is key, especially when entering combat scenarios with multiple enemies.

Recommended Stats Distribution:

· Strength: Primary stat; aim for 60+

· Endurance: Around 30 for decent stamina and equip load balance

· Vigor: Approximately 40 to ensure survivability

Playstyle Tips

1. Positioning is Crucial: Always be aware of your surroundings. Aim to flank opponents and line up for backstabs whenever possible.

2. Utilize Quickstep: This ash of war allows for dynamic movement. It’s exceptionally useful for dodging attacks while closing the gap to secure critical hits.

3. Parries and Backstabs: Timing is essential. Practicing your parry timing leads to devastating counterattacks. When you parry, follow up with the Executioner’s Great Axe for maximum critical damage.

4. Watch for Opening: Whether it’s through enemy aggression or a poorly timed swing, find opportunities to quickly jump back and dish out punishing critical hits.

5. Crowd Control: Use your heavy attack’s horizontal swing when outnumbered to keep enemies at bay and deal significant damage to multiple foes.

Concluding Thoughts

This Strength Build centered around the Executioner’s Great Axe is all about landing those juicy critical attacks. Whether you’re combined with friends or tackling invasions solo, this setup offers a rewarding playstyle that can turn the tide of battle in your favor. If you're looking to enhance your build even further, consider options to buy cheap Elden Ring Items from trusted sources like MMOEXP, which can help you gear up quickly. Happy hunting in the Lands Between. Until next time, keep slaying those bosses and invasions. Goodbye!