Elden Ring DLC Build Guide: The Ultimate Lance Strength PvP Build

If you’re looking for a weapon that rewards smart aggression, mind games, and brutal trading potential, the Lance might just be one of the most underrated picks in Elden Ring. While it doesn’t top the charts in raw Attack Rating (AR) like a Claymore or Great Katana, what it lacks in damage, it makes up for with range, mix-ups, and hyper armor dominance. If you want to optimize your build quickly without endless farming, you can buy Elden Ring Runes to level up and gear faster. This guide breaks down everything you need to dominate invasions and duels with a Strength-based Lance build.

Why Use the Lance?

The Lance excels in situations where:

· You want to control spacing 

· You rely on roll catches and mind games 

· You thrive on trading hits with hyper armor 

Key Strengths:

· Incredible range – especially on running and jumping attacks

· Top-tier roll catch potential via crouch attacks

· Hyper armor-heavy R2 (heavy attacks) for winning trades

· Flexible Ash of War options 

Weakness:

· Lower AR compared to meta weapons like Claymore or Great Katana

· Requires timing and matchup knowledge to shine

Core Playstyle: Mixups & Mind Games

The Lance is not a “spam-to-win” weapon — it’s a conditioning tool.

Essential Mixups:

· Crouch → Light Attack

Baits panic rolls and catches them clean

· Crouch → Delay → Heavy Attack

Punishes players expecting the crouch poke

· Guard Cancel into Attack

Fake crouch setups to throw off timing

· Jumping Light Attack

Amazing for chase-downs and finishing low HP enemies

Build Setup (Strength-Focused)

Since you’ll be two-handing, Strength scaling becomes extremely efficient.

Recommended Stats:

· Strength: High (primary damage scaling)

· Endurance: Enough for armor + stamina for trades

· Vigor: High (mandatory for PvP survivability)

Armor (Fashion + Function)

This build leans into a classic knight aesthetic while maintaining solid poise:

· Great Helm 

· Banished Knight Armor 

· Scaled Gauntlets 

· Bull-Goat Greaves 

Prioritize:

· Poise (to avoid stagger during trades)

· Equip Load (to maintain medium roll)

Talismans (Trade Optimization)

This setup is built entirely around winning trades and maximizing damage output:

Core Talismans:

· Spear Talisman → Boosts counterattack damage

· Two-Handed Sword Talisman → Enhances 2H damage

· Erdtree’s Favor +2 → HP, stamina, equip load boost

· Bull-Goat’s Talisman → Increased poise

Optional Swap:

· Ritual Dagger Talisman (Retaliatory Cross Tree)

→ Boosts critical hits (great if you land backstabs/ripostes often)

Best Ashes of War

The Lance is extremely flexible, but your choice depends on playstyle:

Top Picks:

· Flaming Strike

→ Reliable, fast, adds pressure

· Piercing Fang

→ Excellent for shield users

· Giant Hunt

→ High burst and vertical hitbox

Note:

If you're focusing on Spear Talisman counter damage, Ashes of War become less important than your timing and spacing.

Combat Strategy

1. Abuse Hyper Armor Trades

Your charged R2 is your best friend:

· Trade into aggressive players

· Punish panic aggression

· Out-damage lighter weapons

2. Master Roll Catching

The Lance is a roll-catching machine:

· Crouch poke → forces panic

· Delay follow-ups → catches second roll

3. Control Space in 1vX

In invasions:

· Use range to isolate targets 

· Punish over-aggression with trades

· Let enemies make mistakes

4. Adapt to Chaos

From tight corridors like Subterranean Shunning Grounds to open areas like Mountaintops:

· Use terrain to your advantage

· Funnel enemies into your range

· Punish heal attempts with running pokes

PvP Tips from Real Fights

· Against mages: Close distance quickly — your range still competes

· Against bleed builds: Stay unpredictable; don’t trade blindly

· Against shield users: Consider Piercing Fang or guard breaks

· Against aggressive players: Let them hit first — then trade

Final Thoughts

The Lance is one of the most skill-expressive weapons in Elden Ring. It rewards:

· Patience

· Timing

· Mechanical awareness

While it may not have the flashy burst of meta weapons, it offers something better: Complete control over the fight. Once you master its mix-ups and trading potential, you’ll find yourself winning fights not through raw damage—but through outplaying your opponent at every step. To fully optimize your Lance build without hours of grinding, you can find quality Elden Ring Items for sale at MMOEXP, a reliable platform trusted by many players for fast and secure transactions.