Elden Ring:has introduced a host of compelling new characters, bosses, and playstyles, but few have captured player attention like the Scholar. This formidable enemy-turned-ally in certain scenarios offers both a challenge and a template for a high-damage, versatile build. Understanding the Scholar's stats, abilities, and equipment is essential for both defeating them efficiently and creating a player character inspired by their mechanics. This guide breaks down the Scholar's core stats, abilities, relic, weapon options, Elden Ring Runes and how to structure a build around their strengths.

Scholar Stats Overview

The Scholar is not a standard enemy; their stat profile blends high intelligence and dexterity, making them capable of both magical devastation and swift melee strikes. Players encountering the Scholar in maps should be prepared for a combination of ranged spells, close-quarter agility, and devastating ultimate abilities.

Key Stats:

Health: 15,000 HP -relatively high for a caster archetype, allowing sustained combat.

Stamina: 650 -sufficient for multiple dodges, melee combos, and weapon skills.

Intelligence: 220 -the cornerstone for sorceries, scaling damage with spells like Glacial Lance and Arcane Bolt.

Dexterity: 180 -grants swift casting, faster weapon swings, and evasion speed.

Strength: 120 -moderate; mainly to support hybrid weapon scaling rather than heavy melee dominance.

Faith: 90 -minimal, limited mostly to defensive buffs rather than offensive miracles.

Resistance Defense: Balanced across physical and magical resistance, making elemental diversity crucial in attacks.

These stats make the Scholar an ideal blueprint for a hybrid build. Players who focus solely on one damage type may struggle against enemies with mixed resistances, while those who can exploit both intelligence and dexterity scaling will excel.

Abilities and Combat Style

The Scholar is defined by its dynamic spellcasting and melee interplay. Here are the primary abilities to expect:

Glacial Lance: The Scholar's signature spell, enhanced in patch updates, deals high frost damage and has a chilling effect that slows enemy movement. Properly timing this spell in PvP or boss fights can create zoning opportunities or interrupt enemy combos.

Arcane Bolt Barrage: Rapid-fire projectile attack that scales with intelligence. Excellent for finishing off weakened foes at a distance.

Frost Nova: Area-of-effect ability that freezes nearby enemies, giving the Scholar space to reposition or set up a combo attack.

Shadow Step: Quick teleportation over short distances, often used to dodge incoming attacks or close in for a melee strike.

Ethereal Blade Strike: Melee attack with dexterity scaling. While weaker than heavy weapons, the Ethereal Blade delivers fast follow-ups and combos with spells for massive hybrid damage output.

Players looking to emulate the Scholar in a build should focus on integrating both crowd control and high burst damage, using spells to weaken or slow enemies and following up with fast melee or weapon skill attacks.

Scholar Relic

The Scholar wields the Crown of Eternal Frost, a unique relic that enhances frost and intelligence-based damage while reducing stamina consumption for spellcasting. This relic also passively increases casting speed for all ice spells and reduces casting time interruptions, allowing for seamless combo integration.

For players replicating the Scholar's playstyle, equipping the Crown of Eternal Frost or any intelligence-boosting headgear can dramatically improve spellcasting efficiency and clear speed in both PvE and PvP encounters.

Weapon Options

The Scholar is most effective when combining ranged spellcasting with dexterous melee weapons. The two primary weapon options include:

Ethereal Blade: Lightweight curved sword that scales with dexterity and intelligence. Allows fast melee attacks that complement spell rotations. Best used when paired with frost or arcane infusion.

Staff of : A caster weapon that amplifies frost spells and offers moderate physical attack scaling. This weapon allows the player to maintain damage output while keeping safe distance from enemies.

Players can mix weapon types depending on their preferred combat rhythm. A dexterity-oriented player might favor dual-wielding Ethereal Blades for fast melee, while a caster-focused approach benefits from the Staff of with heavy reliance on frost spells.

Scholar Build Strategy

To recreate the Scholar as a player build, focus on a hybrid intelligence-dexterity framework. Below is a suggested approach:

Attributes:

Intelligence: 220 -primary for damage scaling

Dexterity: 180 -secondary, boosts weapon attacks and evasion

Stamina: 650 -ensures mobility and dodge frequency

Vitality: 200 -ensures survivability in close combat

Weapons: Ethereal Blade + Staff of for versatility.

Relics: Crown of Eternal Frost for enhanced frost damage and casting speed.

Spell Loadout:

Glacial Lance -main damage source

Frost Nova -crowd control

Arcane Bolt Barrage -ranged finishing or poking tool

Utility spells: Teleportation or defensive barriers for survivability

Tactics:

Open engagements with Glacial Lance or Arcane Bolt to weaken enemies.

Use Shadow Step or Frost Nova to control positioning and manage space.

Close with Ethereal Blade combos for burst damage when the enemy is slowed.

Rotate spells to maintain crowd control and exploit frost status effects.

This build thrives in both PvE and PvP, excelling in open areas where space allows full use of spell rotations and mobility options. Hybrid scaling ensures versatility across enemy types, making it one of the most dynamic and rewarding playstyles introduced in .

Conclusion

The Scholar offers a perfect mix of intelligence-driven spells, dexterity-based melee, and strategic utility, making it both a formidable opponent best place to buy elden ring items and a template for player builds. Understanding their stats, abilities, and relic usage is essential for mastering this archetype. Whether players seek to replicate the Scholar's hybrid efficiency or simply face them in zones, the combination of frost spells, quick melee, and crowd control ensures an engaging and powerful combat experience. By leveraging the Scholar's mechanics, players can dominate challenging encounters, clear maps efficiently, and enjoy a versatile build that remains strong across diverse scenarios in Elden Ring: .