Elden Ring's expansive DLC has brought countless new ways to tackle both PvE and PvP, but few builds capture the raw thrill of invasions like a strength-focused Rusted Anchor setup. Whether you're crashing through narrow corridors Elden Ring Items, trading blows with heavily armored foes, or punishing overzealous wizards, this build has proven itself as both versatile and devastatingly fun.

In this guide, we'll break down the weapon, talisman, stat, and armor choices, as well as offer practical insights from live invasions to show exactly how this setup dominates the battlefield.

Weapon Choice: Rusted Anchor

The cornerstone of this build is the Rusted Anchor, a massive two-handed weapon that combines staggering poise damage with heavy attack potential. Its slow speed is balanced by enormous burst damage, making it perfect for punishing aggressive opponents.

Why the Rusted Anchor Works:

 High Strength Scaling: Ideal for strength-focused builds; no need to invest heavily in dexterity.

 Poise Damage: Two-handing the anchor maximizes poise damage, allowing you to trade with multiple enemies confidently.

 Heavy Attack Potential: Buffed heavy attacks can easily one-shot squishy targets, especially when combined with key talismans.

This weapon excels in situations where enemies are grouped or trying to pressure you, letting you turn aggressive plays into instant punishments.

Talisman Loadout

A strong talisman setup can make or break the Rusted Anchor build, especially in PvP. Here's the recommended configuration:

1.Roar Medallion-Buffs roar-based moves, including your anchor's heavy attack when charged.

2.Highland Ax Talisman-Further enhances roar moves for devastating trade potential.

3.Two-Handing Sword Talisman-Grants 10% extra PvP damage, synergizing perfectly with the Rusted Anchor's two-handed setup.

4.Spear Talisman-Increases pierce damage, which is excellent when trading attacks with enemies.

5.Bullgo or Axe Talisman-Optional swap depending on playstyle. Bullgo offers poise and defensive advantages, while the Axe talisman maximizes fully charged heavy attack damage.

This combination ensures maximum damage output while maintaining durability in trades, a key factor in invasions and duels.

Stats: Strength and Endurance

The build prioritizes strength above all else, with enough endurance and health to survive aggressive trading.

 Strength: Core stat, maxed to optimize weapon scaling and heavy attack damage.

 Dexterity: Minimal investment, only enough for flexibility if you plan to use hybrid weapons.

 Endurance: Sufficient to maintain poise while wearing heavy armor and executing swings without running out of stamina.

 Vigor/Health: High enough to survive multiple hits while your buffs are active.

This stat distribution ensures that the Rusted Anchor can deal massive damage while staying in the fight, a critical balance for PvP encounters.

Armor Selection

Armor choice for the Rusted Anchor build should emphasize poise and defense over fashion, though style is always a bonus.

 High Poise Sets: Heavy armor allows you to trade with aggressive enemies without being staggered.

 Flexibility in Fashion: While poise and defense are priorities, the build remains adaptable to player aesthetics.

 Buffs: Using items like Uplifting Aromatic and Exalted Flesh amplifies one-shot potential by enhancing damage output during critical trades.

A balanced combination of poise, defense, and offensive buffs allows you to survive long enough to execute heavy attacks effectively, even against groups or high-level hosts.

Combat Strategy

PvP in Elden Ring requires more than just raw damage; it's about timing, positioning, and understanding enemy behavior.

Core Tactics:

1.Two-Hand Your Anchor-Maximizes poise and damage for trades.

2.Buff Before Engagement-Apply roar buffs and consumables to ensure your heavy attacks are lethal.

3.Trade Aggressively-The Rusted Anchor shines when you trade blows rather than avoiding them.

4.Punish Wizards and Squishy Builds-Wizards may retreat or spam ranged attacks, but well-timed heavy attacks can obliterate them in one hit.

5.Use Narrow Pathways to Advantage-Tight corridors allow you to control enemy movement, making the Rusted Anchor's slow attacks more reliable.

During invasions, this setup has repeatedly demonstrated the ability to one-shot or heavily damage multiple targets, especially when enemies miscalculate trades or underestimate poise damage.Invasion Highlights

Through various invasions across Elden Ring's DLC areas, the Rusted Anchor build consistently proves its dominance. Some key observations include:

 Single and Multi-Target Combos: Engaging multiple enemies at once is highly effective if you position correctly and execute buffs prior to trading.

 Wizard Counters: Aggressive mages often retreat or use AoE attacks; however, the anchor's range and knockback can close gaps quickly.

 Environmental Advantages: Narrow pathways, staircases, and choke points amplify the build's effectiveness by limiting enemy mobility.

 Face Trades: Directly trading blows with other melee builds often favors the Rusted Anchor due to superior poise damage.

In real-world invasions, heavy R2 attacks, combined with buffs, have produced damage values exceeding 1,100 per hit, with fully charged attacks capable of one-shotting squishy targets.

Practical Examples from DLC Invasions

 Bellerat Action: Utilizing narrow corridors, the Rusted Anchor demolished overextended enemies while punishing ranged harassment from wizards.

 Ool Palace Ruins: Trades with shielded enemies were manageable thanks to poise and careful stamina management.

 Stormfoot Catacombs: The build excelled in environments where spacing and choke points mattered most.

 Prospect Town: Multi-target scenarios allowed for R1 and R2 combo efficiency, punishing split enemy groups.

In each case, strategic positioning, heavy attack timing, and talisman synergy were the determining factors between success and failure.

Buff Management

Maximizing the Rusted Anchor's potential relies on correctly timing buffs:

1.Roar Buffs: Activate before engaging to ensure heavy attacks gain bonus damage.

2.Consumables: Uplifting Aromatic and Exalted Flesh amplify one-shot potential and overall combat effectiveness.

3.Timing with Trades: Hitting enemies during their attacks ensures the pierce damage bonus and heavy attack multipliers are applied correctly.

Proper buff management can transform a standard encounter into a game-ending blow, particularly in PvP scenarios with multiple opponents.

Strength Build Philosophy

The Rusted Anchor PvP setup emphasizes a pure strength approach, with the philosophy of "trade first, punish hardest":

 Focus on One Core Weapon: No need to juggle multiple weapons; the anchor covers poise, damage, and control.

 Maximize Poise: Heavy armor plus two-handed attacks ensures you can withstand enemy aggression.

 Capitalize on Enemy Mistakes: Squishy builds, spellcasters, and split teams are easy prey when you position correctly.

Unlike dexterity or hybrid builds that rely on speed or finesse, this setup leverages sheer power and calculated aggression, making it perfect for invasions and chaotic PvP environments.

Strength in Numbers

This build also shines against teams of three, often regarded as a nightmare scenario for solo invaders. The Rusted Anchor's poise, range, and heavy attack damage allow for punishing over-aggressive teams. Key strategies include:

 Targeting Overextension: Focus on enemies who separate from the group or commit to attacks.

 Applying Pressure: Constantly trade attacks to prevent healing and punish poor spacing.

 Controlling Choke Points: Narrow pathways allow you to limit enemy movement while maximizing your anchor's damage potential.

Even against coordinated teams, the combination of buffs, poise, and environment awareness ensures you remain a formidable threat.

Build Summary

Here's a concise recap of the Rusted Anchor PvP build:

 Weapon: Rusted Anchor, two-handed for poise and heavy attack scaling.

 Talismans: Roar Medallion, Highland Ax Talisman, Two-Handed Sword Talisman, Spear Talisman, Bullgo/Axe Talisman.

 Stats: Primarily Strength, with adequate Endurance and Health. Minimal Dexterity.

 Armor: High Poise, balanced defense, fashion optional.

 Buffs: Uplifting Aromatic and Exalted Flesh for one-shot potential.

This combination of weapon, talismans, stats, and buffs makes the Rusted Anchor build exceptionally versatile, capable of dominating invasions, duels, and chaotic team encounters.

Conclusion

The Rusted Anchor PvP build is a strength-focused powerhouse in Elden Ring's DLC, excelling in invasions, one-on-one duels, and team encounters. Its strength lies in poise-based trading, heavy attack damage, and environmental control, making it a perfect equalizer against teams, mages, or aggressive solo hosts.

By focusing on strength, correct talisman synergy, and strategic positioning, this build proves that raw power, when used intelligently Elden Ring Runes buy, can outmatch finesse or speed-based setups. Whether you're navigating narrow corridors, punishing split teams, or testing your skills in the chaos of invasions, the Rusted Anchor remains one of the most fun and effective builds available in Elden Ring's latest DLC.