Elden Ring has no shortage of ways to deal with enemies, but few builds capture raw power and style like a Berserk-inspired Guts build. Wielding a sword so massive and heavy looks like it should be used for construction work rather than combat, this setup embodies the Black Swordsman himself, brutal, relentless, and a little unhinged.
Thankfully, FromSoftware handed fans the weapon on a silver platter. The Greatsword (or to say it, the Guts Greatsword) is a not-so-subtle connection to the famous manga author, Kentaro Miura’s masterpiece Berserk, and with the right stats, armor, and talismans, you can explore the entire Lands Between while defeating enemies and tough Elden Ring bosses with the best Guts build.
This Elden Ring guide tells everything you need to know about where to find the Guts Greatsword, best weapons, armor, and talismans for the Guts build.
Where to Find the Guts Greatsword in Elden Ring
Guts Greatsword (a Colossal Sword) can be found quite early in Elden Ring in Caelid, east of Limgrave. The Greatsword can be in Caelid, the land where everything looks diseased and wants you dead. To get there, head east from Limgrave into the Smoldering Wall area, then into Caelid.
The sword is in the chest in a big abandoned caravan near the Dragonbarrow, where troll corpses rest slumped beside the overturned carriage. The wagon is guarded by armored knights and giant dogs are lurking around it, so be prepared. Defeat them or go past away from them to pick the Guts Greatsword and leave the area before enemies rush on you. The requirements to wield this slab of steel are 31 Strength and 12 Dexterity. That’s the bare minimum, and to get the best advantage from this Elden Ring weapon, you’ll need a lot higher Strength.
Elden Ring Berserk Guts Build Stats
These are the main stats for this close resembling Guts’ original Dragonslayer sword in Elden Ring:
- Strength: Aim for 60+ Strength for serious power, best around 80. Every point makes this sword scale harder, and you’ll see the difference with each colossal strike.
- Vigor: Guts doesn’t die easily in anime series, and neither should you. Go for 50 Vigor by late game so you don’t get one-shot by Malenia sneezing in your direction.
- Endurance: The sword weighs high, so 30–40 Endurance is required to equip the load and have enough stamina for consecutive swings and dodges.
- Dexterity: Just enough to meet the requirement (12), anything more is wasted on this build.
- Mind and Faith/Intelligence: These are dump stats, as Guts doesn’t cast spells and relies on sheer power. Between 15 to 20 Mind stat is enough as it gives you enough strength spells like Lion’s Claw a few times.
Best Weapons for Guts Build
The heart of the Guts build is, of course, the Greatsword, Elden Ring’s love letter to Berserk. But just like Guts himself, you’re not limited to carry a single weapon the whole playthrough. No Elden Ring build can be great without a few backups and sidearms.
Greatsword (Colossal)
Infuse this main weapon with Heavy Affinity to scale it only with Strength. With upgrades, you can attack enemies with 900+ AR by endgame. These are the best Ash of War that fit into Guts’ build, aligning with his playstyle.
- Lion’s Claw – The most iconic introduced in-game inspired by Guts. The somersault slash looks straight out of the manga, and it smashes poise like nothing else but be mindful of the startup. You can obtain this Ash of War by defeating the Lion Guardian in Fort Gael.
- War Cry: Gives you the “Berserk rage” element, increases damage, and lets you chain into running heavies.
- Royal Knight’s Resolve: It’s a knight’s skill, the servants of the Elden Lord. Buffs your next hit by a huge amount, good to deal heavy strike.
Ranged Picks
Although the sword is your bread and butter, you’ll want something to deal with difficult enemies.
- Jar Cannon: A handheld cannon that fits perfectly with the “Guts has a prosthetic arm cannon” vibe.
- Pulley Crossbow or Arbalest: Fast, reliable ranged pressure offhand that works well when you need to poke from afar or pull enemies toward you.
- Throwing Daggers and Kukri: Not necessary, but useful for quick chip damage.
Shields (Optional)
If you want to lean into the Black Swordsman’s stubborn survival instinct, a Greatshield such as the Fingerprint Stone Shield can be valuable; it also scales with Strength so quite a match for this build. But it will rarely be a chance when your Guts hide behind a shield.
Best Armors for Guts Build
- Radahn’s Set: Radahn’s chestplate and gauntlets have the same bulky, scarred look that screams Guts. The cape adds a heroic, weathered flair matching the “lone wanderer” appeal. You can purchase it from Finger Reader Enia in Roundtable Hold once you have killed General Radahn.
- Blaidd’s Armor: If you want a slightly leaner look while still keeping the rugged edge, Blaidd’s armor set is the right pick. The wolf motif also ties back to Guts’ connection to his own inner beast, and further, the Black Wolf Mask has a close resemblance to Guts’ Berserker Armor helm. To get the set, you will have to kill Blaidd after Ranni’s questline.
- Bull-Goat Set: If Guts had access to Elden Ring’s smiths, he might wear this. It’s the heaviest armor in the game, with absurd poise and tankiness that turn you into an immovable juggernaut. But you’ll need massive Endurance to avoid fat-rolling, and it’s heavy armor. You can get this by defeating Great Horned Tragoth (Altus Plateau) during the Tanith and Patches questlines.
You can also choose to go hybrid for the best mix of fashion and function. The good usual combo is:
- Black Wolf Mask (for the Berserker style)
- Radahn’s Chest Armor (bulky and scarred)
- Night’s Cavalry Greaves and Gauntlets (sleek but heavy)
This look balances protection with pure “Guts energy.” Don’t be afraid to experiment as at the end of the day, Guts’ armor was practical but scarred by endless battle.
Best Talismans for Guts Build
Talismans are where you can turn a big sword into an actually big sword. They round out the build, fix stamina problems, increase damage, and give you the edge when you’re vulnerable.
- Erdtree’s Favor: This talisman is the bread and butter with HP increase, more stamina, and extra equip load, it buffs everything this build struggles with.
- Green Turtle Talisman: Colossal swords consume stamina like a starving dog eats scraps. This talisman helps you recover it fast, allowing you to swing, dodge, and block with no wait.
- Claw Talisman: They level up jump attacks damage by 15%. Considering jump heavies are your most reliable way to break posture and deal chunky damage, this talisman is borderline mandatory. Pair it with Lion’s Claw to send enemies flying.
- Radagon’s Soreseal/Scarseal: These talismans increase everything at once including Strength, Vigor, Endurance, and Dexterity but you take extra damage.
- Shard of Alexander: It increases the damage of weapon skills, which means Lion’s Claw hits hard, crucial to lean heavily into Ash of War.
- Bull-Goat’s Talisman: If you decide to stick with poise and want to trade blows without staggering, this is the best choice, mainly helpful when paired with Bull-Goat Armor.
Playstyle
The Guts build doesn’t ask to spam attacks; you need to have patience, good strategy, and the right timing. Two-hand the sword whenever possible, it reduces the Strength consumption and increases damage. Jumping heavy attacks are a good option for frequent use as they deal high damage and stagger most enemies.
Rolling/crouch attacks are faster than normal swings and can catch opponents off guard, and prefer consumables or crossbows as backup. The playstyle is high-risk, high-reward. Against hard bosses like Morgott or Malenia, it can be punishing to whiff swings, but a heavy attack and stagger are serious power.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths
- The Guts build has insane raw damage, you can chunk bosses for half their health bar in a few hits.
- Stagger potential is unmatched, most enemies crumble under heavy blows.
- Roleplaying factor is off the charts, you seem kinda like the Black Swordsman.
Weaknesses
- Greatsword swings are slow so if you miss, you’ll eat a counterattack.
- Mobility struggles in certain fights, and fast bosses punish sloppy timing.
- Requires patience.
The Guts build is even great to play with in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree and holds well against the DLC’s brutal bosses. Heavy attacks combined with buffs like War Cry or talisman stacks deliver heavy blows to even the tankiest foes. That said, the slower pace demands strategy; you can’t button-mash through the DLC, you have to learn attack windows and trust in your colossal swings.
