Frostbite is back in the spotlight in Elden Ring, and with the DLC introducing new arenas, new threats, and an even more aggressive player base, having a build that can quickly stack status while dealing reliable burst damage has never been more valuable.
Whether you're dipping into the DLC for PvE or testing your skill in online invasions, this Frostbite build delivers speed, pressure, and massive damage spikes that can overwhelm even the tankiest opponents.
Why Frostbite Works So Well in the DLC Elden Ring Items
Frostbite buildup rewards fast weapons, multi-hit combos, and any move set that strings together consecutive light or heavy attacks. When the meter pops, the enemy takes a burst of damage and suffers a temporary debuff to damage negation-giving you an even bigger window to punish.
Frostbite becomes especially strong in crowded environments like dungeons or group invasions where you can repeatedly trigger the debuff on multiple targets. As long as your weapon swings quickly or combos naturally, it becomes a Frostbite machine.
This build takes that idea and amplifies it using multi-hit weapons, optimized Ashes of War, and smart stat scaling.
Top Frostbite Weapons for This Build
The full strength of the build comes from choosing weapons with natural combo paths or multi-hit strings. Here are the standouts:
- Godskin Peeler
One of the best weapons in the game for any status buildup. Its incredibly fast attack speed and multi-hit running heavy make it a Frostbite monster. The Peeler's light-to-running heavy chains allow you to trigger Frostbite almost instantly.
Whether you're dueling a single target or weaving through groups in invasions, this is one of the most consistent Frostbite weapons available.
- Any Colossal Sword with Braggart's Roar
Colossal swords may not seem like the obvious choice, but Braggart's Roar changes everything. The Heavy → Light attack combo delivers two powerful hits in rapid succession while the Cold infusion boosts the natural Frostbite buildup.
The result? Huge status chunks and burst damage that forces opponents to respect your pressure.
- Banished Knight Halberd
A deceptively strong option thanks to its Jump Heavy → Light two-hit combo. The halberd class gets strong stagger pressure and reach, making this weapon perfect for catching rolls and punishing panic escapes during invasions.
- Knight's Greatsword
A fan favorite, and for good reason. Its Jump Light → Light combo is incredibly smooth and builds Frostbite shockingly fast. Its sweeping heavies also do great work in invasions where spacing matters.
- Urumi, Great Katanas, and Other Multi-Hit Options
While not as explosive as the main five weapons, they still shine. The Urumi's flexible moveset allows for creative combos, and great katanas remain powerful simply because of their excellent attack speed and range.
As long as a weapon chain-hits or loops multiple attacks together, it works in a Frostbite build.
Best Ashes of War for Frostbite
Chilling Mist
The MVP for Frostbite builds. Coating your weapon in freezing vapor massively accelerates Frostbite buildup and gives you an easy way to apply pressure at mid-range. Any multi-hit weapon becomes deadly with this Ash.
Waves of Darkness
Another strong Cold-infused option that gives you area control and reliable Frostbite application. Works especially well with slower weapons that need space to begin their combos.
Braggart's Roar
Transforms colossals into combo machines with high Frostbite potential. If you're using a colossal, this is the Ash to use.
Stats Armor Setup
The exact stat spread depends on whether you lean Strength or Dexterity, but in this build, Dexterity takes the lead.
Stat Focus:
High Dexterity for Knight's Greatsword, Godskin Peeler, and other fast weapons
Enough Strength to support Cold-infused hybrids like Zweihander or colossals
Some Intelligence investment to boost Cold infusion scaling
Enough Vigor to survive trades-especially in invasions
Armor Choice
Armor is mostly preference, but the Circle of Light set offers:
+1 Intelligence
+1 Faith
+1 Arcane
These minor boosts help the Cold infusion scaling and any hybrid options you run.
Ideal Talisman Setup
Your talismans should reflect your main weapon, but this is a strong general-purpose lineup:
Shard of Alexander-boosts Ash of War damage
Erdtree's Favor-stamina, equip load, and HP
Bull-Goat's Talisman-poise for safe trading
Millicent's Prosthesis / Winged Sword Insignia-boosts multi-hit damage
Depending on your weapon:
Swap in Roar Medallion for Braggart's Roar setups
Swap to Multi-Hit Talismans for Godskin Peeler and Knight's GreatswordThis combination gives you survivability, poise for trading, and massive offensive output.
Frostbite in Action: Highlights From Invasions
One of the best parts of this build is watching it perform in real invasions. The multi-hit combos shine, the Frostbite pops hit hard, and players often panic once they realize their health is melting.
Here are some standout moments:
Wizards Beware
Casters love to play dishonestly, and this build punishes them. Against ranged sorcerers, the Godskin Peeler's running heavy closes gaps quickly, and the Knight's Greatsword horizontal sweeps catch them even through panic rolls.
Many fights ended with the classic "blender"-a rapid chain of hits during Frostbite that shreds through their low poise.
The Hero's Grave Ambush
Navigating a Hero's Grave during an invasion is pure chaos. Between chariots, narrow platforms, and ambush angles, the Frostbite build dominated with:
Roar-boosted colossal combos
Jump heavies knocking phantoms off ledges
Running heavies catching people trying to flee
The Frostbite bursts hit especially hard when enemies regroup and panic trade.
Dishonest Wizards, Arrows, and Gravity Shenanigans
Standing on ledges and shooting spells?
Not on this build's watch.
Arrows, boulders, and Frostbite projectiles combined with the bow allowed for long-range punish opportunities-sometimes ending fights before they even started.
Fighting Bernahl in Lag Hell
One of the funniest (and worst) moments involved fighting the NPC Bernahl with heavy latency. Hyper armor, delayed hits, and unpredictable trades made it feel harder than fighting an actual player.
Still, consistent Frostbite application eventually broke him down.
The Most Confusing Invasion Ever
Between honorable duels, random ganks, people refusing to fight, and surprise ambushes from Phantoms using Waves of Darkness, the build held strong through chaos.
The Knight's Greatsword's jump-into-light combo proved invaluable here, creating reliable Frostbite pops despite constant movement and unpredictable latency.
Final Thoughts: Why This Frostbite Build Works
This Frostbite setup is one of the most flexible builds you can run in the Elden Ring DLC. With so many viable weapons-katanas, halberds, colossals, twinblades-you can tailor it entirely to your preferred playstyle without losing Frostbite efficiency.
Top Benefits:
Massive Frostbite bursts best site to buy elden ring items
Wide weapon variety
Excellent chase-down tools
Strong poise trading
Great for both invasions and PvE
But the real magic lies in the multi-hit combos. Anything with a running heavy into light, jump attack into light, or heavy into light chain becomes a Frostbite machine.
While every weapon has its perks, the Knight's Greatsword and Godskin Peeler stand out as the best all-around options-they're fast, fluid, and offer incredible combo potential.
