The Fire Knights Greatsword in Elden Ring: A Faith and Strength Build Guide
Why the Fire Knights Greatsword Stands Out
At its core, the Fire Knights Greatsword is a colossal weapon designed to dominate both PvE and PvP engagements. What sets it apart from other colossal swords is its combination of speed and reach. Unlike many heavy-hitting weapons that trade raw power for sluggish swings, the Fire Knights Greatsword features a faster light attack chain. This makes it extremely effective in trading blows against other colossals or faster weapons. Its heavy attack is particularly noteworthy as it combines long-range thrusting with high damage, allowing players to punish distant foes and counter aggressive trading strategies.
One of the highlights of this weapon is its elemental scaling. When paired with a faith build, the sword's fire damage output becomes truly terrifying. Utilizing buffs like Flame Grant Me Strength and Flame Shrouding Crack Tier, the sword's AR can skyrocket to 1,204, which is a significant increase over a typical strength-based build that reaches around 1,084 AR with standard buffs. This makes the Fire Knights Greatsword one of the most lethal options for faith-oriented players seeking both burst damage and sustained trades.
Choosing Your Build: Faith vs Strength
The Fire Knights Greatsword is versatile and works well with both faith and strength builds, each bringing its own advantages.
Faith Build:
AR Potential: The faith build benefits the most from the sword's fire scaling. With buffs active, AR can exceed 1,200, making every swing devastating in PvP encounters.
Buff Synergy: Flame-based incantations like Flame Grant Me Strength enhance both damage and survivability by supplementing strength buffs and allowing for aggressive trades.
Elemental Advantage: Fire damage helps in breaking through poise-heavy foes and colossals that rely purely on physical defense.
Strength Build:
Weapon Flexibility: A strength build allows the use of Ashes of War like Grease, which introduces mix-ups into your combat strategy. This can make your attacks less predictable in PvP, forcing opponents to react cautiously.
Consistent AR: While slightly lower than the faith variant, a strength-focused build still achieves impressive AR (around 1,084) and benefits from raw physical damage for straight-up duels.
Tank Potential: Heavy armor and strength synergy improve poise and survivability, allowing you to take multiple hits while dishing out punishment.
Armor Selection and Fashion
While stats and buffs are crucial, armor choice cannot be overlooked. With colossal swords, mobility is often a concern, but the Fire Knights Greatsword allows for flexibility. Players can opt for tankier fashion sets that maximize poise and physical defense, making it easier to survive aggressive trades. Personally, I favor sets that not only offer protection but also maintain a distinctive aesthetic, giving me the confidence to play aggressively without sacrificing style.
Talismans for Maximum Impact
Talismans in Elden Ring can make or break a build, and with the Fire Knights Greatsword, the right combination can amplify both damage output and survivability:
Shard of Alexander: Essential when using a damage-type Ash of War, increasing physical attack power for devastating swings.
Two-Handed Sword Talisman: A must-have for colossal swords with high AR, offering a 10% bonus that can turn trades in your favor.
Urgent Sphere +2 & Bulgo Talisman: Personal staples that provide additional HP and boost overall combat efficiency.
Crimson Aragon +3: Offers extra health, useful when planning aggressive trades in PvP or invading difficult areas.
The flexibility of talisman choice allows the player to adapt to both faith and strength setups, ensuring optimal performance regardless of the opponent or PvE scenario.
PvP Performance: Invasions and Duels
One of the most exciting aspects of the Fire Knights Greatsword is its PvP potential, particularly during invasions and duels. The combination of fast light attacks and long-reaching heavy attacks makes it ideal for controlling space and punishing overcommitted opponents.During invasions, positioning is key. Small maps and tight corridors favor the sword's sweeping attacks, allowing players to dominate choke points. In one engagement at Sainted Hero's Grave, I encountered multiple phantoms using bleed and poison katanas. By leveraging R2 heavy attacks and buffing with Flame Grant Me Strength and Flame Shrouding, I could outpace the bleed spam and secure critical trades. Proper use of buffs like the uplifting aromatic ensured that each hit maximized damage output, often securing kills in a single swing.
Interestingly, trading with other colossals or high-damage weapons requires timing and precision. Using the V-hander heavy attack, a unique feature of this sword, allows players to punish aggressive opponents effectively while minimizing risk. Even when outnumbered, strategic use of buffs, positioning, and follow-up attacks ensures that you can survive and maintain pressure.
Strategy Tips and Combat Mechanics
1.Follow-Up Attacks: The sword's heavy attack has excellent follow-up potential. Players can chain R2 attacks into crouches or quick steps to maximize damage and maintain pressure.
2.Bubble Buffs: Deploying buffs like flame bubbles around teammates or during invasions provides both offensive and defensive utility. This can sway trades and discourage enemy aggression.
3.Environmental Awareness: Fighting in areas like water, tight corridors, or near cliffs introduces challenges. The Fire Knights Greatsword's range and sweep attacks help mitigate these hazards, but careful positioning remains crucial.
4.Trading Tactics: With high-damage builds, trading effectively is a skill. Faith-based setups allow you to deal significant elemental damage, while strength builds provide raw power for straight physical trades. Understanding when to engage and when to retreat is key to maintaining an advantage.
5.Reaction Rolls and Prediction: Against skilled players using rolling or dodging mechanics, timing your follow-ups and predicting movements can make the difference between a kill and a missed opportunity.
Common Scenarios and Lessons Learned
During my invasions and duels, several scenarios showcased the sword's versatility:
Phantom vs. Phantom: In crowded fights, trading attacks with multiple phantoms demonstrated the weapon's AOE potential through sweep attacks and heavy swings. Strategic bubble placement and careful positioning allowed me to avoid unnecessary damage while dishing out punishment.
Wizard Encounters: Against spellcasters, predicting roll patterns and using Flame Spear for reactionary damage proved invaluable. This highlights the need to combine both melee prowess and ranged options to cover weaknesses in a faith-based setup.
Water and Terrain Challenges: Certain encounters in water or uneven terrain demonstrated the need for careful approach, but the sword's reach and follow-up attacks allowed for effective trading and control of space.
Solo Duels: One-on-one encounters emphasized the importance of knowing your attack chains and maximizing buff synergy. Faith builds excelled in burst damage, while strength builds relied on consistent AR and poise trades.
Final Thoughts on the Fire Knights Greatsword
The Fire Knights Greatsword is an exceptional weapon that shines in both PvE and PvP. Its combination of speed, reach, and elemental scaling makes it a top-tier choice for faith builds, while strength builds maintain viability through raw power and versatile Ashes of War.
Armor choice, talismans, and buff management all play a critical role in maximizing performance. Whether facing single opponents, groups of phantoms, or challenging bosses, this sword offers flexibility, power, and an enjoyable playstyle. Its V-hander heavy attack is especially fun, allowing for aggressive and creative combat options rarely seen in other colossals.
For players looking to dominate Elden Ring invasions or experiment with faith-heavy colossal sword builds, the Fire Knights Greatsword is a must-try. Its damage potential, range, and versatility ensure that every engagement is thrilling, and its unique attack chains reward practice, timing, and strategic thinking.
Ultimately, Elden Ring is a game about choice, creativity, and mastery, and the Fire Knights Greatsword exemplifies all three. Whether you're a seasoned invader, a PvP enthusiast, or someone looking to experiment with faith and fire damage, this build provides a fun, powerful, and rewarding experience.
If you're looking for an exciting weapon to carry into the Lands Between, the Fire Knights Greatsword is a top-tier pick. Pair it with the right buffs, armor, Elden Ring Runes and talismans, and you'll have a colossal weapon that dominates trades, outpaces opponents, and makes a statement every time you enter battle.