There is a total of eight attributes, aka main stats, in Elden Ring: Vigor, Mind, Endurance, Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Faith, and Arcane. You need to choose which stat to favor in the game.
A jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none approach won’t get you far.
You need to understand what each attribute does and how it influences your current build. Bad choices will cost you a lot of precious Runes and get you killed frequently.
How do stats work in Elden Ring?
Elden Ring stats influence your character’s abilities, the weapons they can use and the spells they can cast. They affect your strength, speed, spell-casting abilities, armor, weapons, and more. Leveling up the wrong stats for your build can negatively impact your character.
| Stat | Role | Build | Soft cap |
| Vigor | Governs Health Points Increases physical defense Allows you to take more damage Increases fire and poison resistance |
Suitable for all builds | 40 |
| Mind | Governs Force Points Depletes when you use spells and items that require FP Level up Mind to cast more spells |
Magic builds | 40 |
| Endurance | Governs Stamina Makes you tougher You won’t get exhausted quickly Influences HP effectiveness Determines what items you can carry |
Suitable for all builds | 50 |
| Strength | Governs how much damage you can deal Determines what Strength based weapons you can carry |
Melee, and Strength-based builds | 50 |
| Dexterity | Helps you cast spells and handle weapons faster Enemies will have a hard time knocking you off your horse |
Melee, Strength or Magic-based builds | 50 |
| Intelligence | Governs offensive spells Lets you cast powerful spells Can compensate for low FP Increases magic damage resistance |
Magic builds | 20 or 50 |
| Faith | Governs defensive and support spells Level up Faith at any Site of Grace |
Magic builds | 20 or 50 |
| Arcane | Governs spells Influences item discovery Helps you resist the Death effect |
Magic builds | 20 or 50 |
Let’s explore how each stat affects your build in Elden Ring.
What does Vigor do in Elden Ring?
Vigor, or VIG, influences your Health Points, or HP. Low Vigor means you’re vulnerable to one-hit kills. Level up Vigor and Endurance if you’re building a character that can take lots of damage.
The higher your Vigor stats, the more damage you can take from enemy attacks. To further boost damage resistance, you can increase Damage Negation. For example, you can use spells that boost Damage Negation.
The more Vigor you have, the longer your red bar will be. This attribute increases fire and poison resistance.
Vigor has a soft cap of 40.
Overall, Vigor makes the game easier. You should focus on Vigor, irrespective of the build you’re using.
What does Mind do in Elden Ring?
Mind, or MND, influences your Force Points, or FP. Force Points are crucial for sorceries and incantations. Spells use FP as fuel, the main difference being that sorceries mainly use Intelligence, and incantations rely more on Faith.
Mind is represented by the blue bar beneath your HP. It depletes when you use spells and other items that require FP. Level up Mind if you want to be able to cast more spells.
Mind has a soft cap of 40.
Focus on Mind and FP if you’re using a Magic build.
What does Endurance do in Elden Ring?
Endurance, or END, is a stat that increases your Stamina bar. Leveling up Endurance will make you tougher. More Endurance means you can go for longer in battle before you need to regenerate.
It’s a life-saving attribute. Vigor governs your health, and endurance its effectiveness.
This attribute directly influences Stamina for attacks and dodges, and Equip Load or how many items you can carry.
The following actions require Stamina: attacks, sprinting on foot or horseback, and casting spells.
If your Equip Load stat is low and you’re carrying heavy weapons and armor, you won’t be able to retain full movement without a proper Endurance level.
Endurance has a soft cap of 50 points.
Higher Endurance means you won’t get exhausted quickly. It’s a stat you need to invest in, irrespective of the build you’re using.
By the way, if you want to increase Robustness, add more points to the Endurance stat.
What does Strength do in Elden Ring?
Strength, or STR, determines how much damage you can deal and what Strength based weapons you can carry. More Strength means that you can carry heavier armor and weapons. Use Strength to scale up damage. The higher your STR, the more damage you can deal.
If you don’t have enough Strength, and you’re carrying heavy armor and weapons, you won’t be able to dodge fast enough, and you’ll move slower.
Strength has a soft cap of 50 points.
Focus on Strength is you’re using a Melee or Strength-based build.
What does Dexterity do in Elden Ring?
Dexterity, or DEX, influences your character’s speed when casting spells. The higher your DEX, the faster you can cast spells.
It also makes it harder for enemies to knock you off your horse.
Dexterity has a soft cap of 50 points.
Focus on DEX if you’re planning to cast lots of spells.
Dexterity does not increase your attack speed in Elden Ring. It can only improve casting speed.
If you want to improve your attack speed, use a smaller weapon. Claw weapons are an excellent choice.
However, keep in mind that smaller weapons deal less damage.
What does Intelligence do in Elden Ring?
Intelligence, or INT, governs you magic powers. Sorceries or offensive spells require a minimum INT level to cast. Support-based incantations also require INT. You need INT to perform Glintstone spells. The more INT you have, the more powerful your spells are.
Intelligence can compensate for low FP, allowing you to cast spells more often. It also increases magic damage resistance.
Intelligence has two soft cap levels: the first is at 20 Points, and the second at 50 points.
Focus on Intelligence if you’re using a Magic-build and want to use spells offensively.
What does Faith do in Elden Ring?
Faith, or FTH, governs incantations, or defensive and support spells. Some spells require a minimum FTH level to use. Focus on Faith if you’re using a defense-oriented Magic build. You can level up Faith at any Site of Grace.
Flame of Frenzy and Dragon Claw are two of the most powerful Faith-based spells.
Faith has a soft cap of 50 points.
Some builds, such as the Prophet, are created around the Faith attribute. You can also focus on Faith if you’re using a Hybrid build.
⇒ Learn more: How to cast powerful Faith spells in Elden Ring
What about Arcane?
Arcane, or ARC, is a versatile attribute that governs spells (sorceries and incantations alike), as well as various items and weapons. It also influences item discovery.
Arcane can help you resist the Death effect. Some incantations scale with Arcane.
Arcane has a first soft cap of 20 points, but you can push it to 50.
Focus on Arcane if you’re using a Magic build.
And now you know.
What are the main attributes you’re focusing in your Elden Ring game? Let me know in the comments below.
⇒ Hungry for more Elden Ring stories? Check out our Elden Ring hub.