In Elden Ring, weapon scaling often takes center stage when crafting powerful builds. Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Faith—these stats typically dictate the effectiveness of your weapons and spells. But what if you want to build around weapons that don’t rely on scaling at all? Whether you prefer a minimalist approach, want to challenge yourself, or simply enjoy the raw mechanics of the game, there are loadouts that completely ignore weapon scaling yet still pack a punch.

Here are 10 Elden Ring builds focused on no-scaling weapons—perfect for those who want to experiment beyond the conventional stat-heavy builds.

1. Pure Quality Build with Basic Weapons

Quality builds usually balance Strength and Dexterity to maximize scaling, but you can focus on weapons with innate base damage that don’t benefit from scaling, like the Broken Straight Sword. Pair with heavy armor and buffs for survivability.

2. Raw Infusion Focus

Raw-infused weapons have increased base damage but zero scaling. Equipping a raw-infused weapon lets you rely on your weapon’s innate power rather than stats, making this a strong no-scaling option early on. Combine it with high vigor for tankiness.

3. Bleed Build Using No-Scaling Katanas

Some katanas, such as the Uchigatana or the Nagakiba, benefit less from scaling and more from status effects like bleed. Building around these weapons with minimal investment in strength or dexterity focuses on proc’ing bleed rather than raw damage.

4. Quality Faith Hybrid With No Weapon Scaling

Using incantations for damage and buffs, you can wield a non-scaling weapon like the Dragon Slayer’s Cragblade or a simple club to tank hits and rely primarily on your faith-powered offensive spells.

5. Spellblade Without Scaling Weapons

Certain weapons designed for spellblade builds, like staves or simple daggers infused raw or with no scaling, work well when your primary damage comes from sorceries or incantations, turning the weapon into a backup tool rather than your main damage source.

6. Status Effect Melee Build

Weapons that inflict poison, frost, or scarlet rot often don’t need scaling to be effective. Focus on stacking status buildup through buffs and talismans, allowing you to bypass the need for high strength or dexterity.

7. Strength with Heavy Weapons Lacking Scaling

Some ultra greatswords or hammers have minimal or no scaling but compensate with massive base damage. These heavy hitters excel in stagger potential and burst damage without the need for stat investment.

8. Pure Tank Using Shields and Non-Scaling Weapons

Focus on heavy armor and a large shield, wielding a weapon like a club or great club with raw infusion. This build emphasizes survivability and steady damage without worrying about scaling.

9. Ashes of War + No-Scaling Weapon Combo

Using Ashes of War to add unique weapon arts and elemental effects allows a no-scaling weapon to shine. This approach is great for PvP or specific PvE challenges where versatility trumps raw stat scaling.

10. Fist Weapon Builds

Fist weapons generally have poor scaling but offer fast attacks and combos. Paired with buffs and talismans that increase attack speed or raw damage, they provide a unique, aggressive playstyle that ignores traditional scaling rules.

Final Thoughts

Playing with no weapon scaling might seem counterintuitive at first in Elden Ring, but it offers a fresh and rewarding way to experience combat. Whether you’re grinding cheap Elden Ring runes to test out different builds or browsing Elden Ring items for sale to find rare no-scaling weapons, these loadouts can keep the game exciting and challenging.

The key to success with these builds is focusing on strategy, positioning, and buffs rather than pure stat numbers. If you want to break the mold and experiment beyond meta builds, no-scaling weapons can be surprisingly effective and a lot of fun to master.