BEST Elden Ring Madness Build

Madness, like bleed, is a stat which does flat damage when fully stacked. In this guide I will tell you the best Madness Build.

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My hours in Elden Ring have far exceeded 800+ hours. As a gamer, I am fond of uncovering the secrets of every game, including Elden Ring. Thus, you can trust my information as I bring first-hand experience to the table!

What is the Madness Build Elden Ring for? Mainly PvP, but it can be used for PvE too. This build aims to stack up the madness effect on your opponent using Vyke’s War Spear and the Frenzied Flame Incantations. The way to play this build is you will primarily use the spear to slowly stack madness, and when the opportunity arises, you can parry them and cast multiple incantations to speed up the madness build-up. The armor is more so for thematic purposes; however, it does provide a useful boosted resistance against frost and bleed. The Best talismans themselves are present to facilitate the rest of the build.

This is a nice change of pace for anyone who is tired of using bleed builds or weapon skill spam builds as this does require skill to execute but once perfected it can win you 80% of all duels.

Key Takeaways

  • The Madness Build in Elden Ring is primarily for PvP but can be used in PvE as well. It focuses on stacking madness on opponents using Vyke’s War Spear and Frenzied Flame Incantations. Here’s a summary:Weapons:
    • Vyke’s War Spear (A Tier weapon with Frenzyflame Thrust skill)
    • Parrying Dagger (Frame-dependent for building madness)

    Armor:

    • Fingerprint Set (Offers frost and bleed resistance)

    Incantations:

    • Frenzied Burst (Mid-range, armor penetration, 22 Faith points)
    • Inescapable Frenzy (Close-range, induces madness, 21 Faith points)
    • Unendurable Frenzy (Powerful, area coverage, Faith points requirement unknown)

    Talismans:

    • Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman (Reduces damage taken by 20%, essential)
    • Radagon Icon Talisman (Boosts casting speed, advantageous in PvP)
    • Spear Talisman (Increases thrusting weapon damage by 13%, crucial for dueling)

Madness Build

Here is a summary table for the items included in the Madness Build for Elden Ring:

BuildWeaponArmorSpellsTaslisman
Madness Build-Vyke’s War Spear
-Parrying Dagger
-Fingerprint Set-Frenzied Burst
-Inescapable Frenzy
-Unendurable Frenzy
-Dragoncrest Greathield
-Radagon Icon
-Spear Talisman

Weapons for Madness Build

Vyke’s War Spear

best madness build Elden ring
Vyke’s War Spear

A legendary weapon belonging to an equally legendary warrior. The spear of a man who lost it all to battle and still continued to fight on in the name of principles. Even in madness, he was unflinching in his convictions and that spirit was ingrained in his weapon, the war spear.

PhyMagFireLightHolyCritBoost
Attack10306600100
Guard5233453333-42
StrDexFai
ScalingECD
Requires162018
Great SpearPierce
Frenzyflame ThrustFP 22
Wgt. 8Passive (65)

Enough of the lore, let’s talk about gameplay. Vyke’s War Spear is an A Tier weapon if you choose to go for faith and strength build. The spear is excellent for combat, especially PvP due to the insane tracking it has with the running attacks. With the weapon skill called Frenzyflame Thrust, the user jumps into the air and then slams down slightly in front of them spreading madness-inducing flame in a cone shape in front.

To earn the right to wield this legendary artifact you must first best in combat its wielder, the legendary Festering Fingerprint Vyke. You can find him at Liurnia of the Lakes, near the path of the Church of Inhibition.

Vyke’s War Spear Location | Courtesy: Fextralife

Parrying Dagger

Elden ring madness build
Parrying Dagger

A skillful weapon that holds use only in the hands of a master of dodge timings and party frames. A weapon for those who have spent countless hours honing their skills in the art of attack pattern recognition. Those who wield the Parrying Dagger shouldn’t be messed with, as it might end badly for any who dare try to face them in combat.

PhyMagFireLightHolyCritBoost
Attack750000110
Guard3520202020-15
StrDex
ScalingEC
Requires514
DaggerSlash / Pierce
ParryFP -
Wgt. 1.5Passive -

On a more gameplay-focused level, the Parrying Dagger is a very execution-heavy and literally frame-dependent weapon. It can create great opportunities for building up madness in your opponent but only if your timing is perfect. That’s why I included this into the madness build In Elden Ring because if you can use this weapon then you will have a much easier time building up madness in your enemies.

To get your hands on the Parrying Dagger visit Patches at Murkwater Cave in Limgrave after he finishes setting up his shop.

Parrying Dagger Location | Courtesy: Fextralife

Armor

Fingerprint Set

best madness build Elden ring
Fingerprint Set 

The armor of a man scorched by fate and derailed from his destiny. Vyke was closest to getting the title of Elden Lord but was scarred after journeying into the depths of the capital, where he encountered the Three Fingers. They marked him and with this event, he was overtaken with madness by the power of the frenzied flame as it seems that both madness and the frenzied flame have some sort of deeper connection to one another.

PhyStrikeSlashPierceMagicFireLightHoly
Dmg Negation26.523.6 23.6 23.619.124.913.719.1
ImmunityRobustnessFocusVitalityPoise
Resistance77143 27 55 51
Armor Set25.3 Weight

Aside from cool lore/thematic reasons the armor set is overall very good as a defensive type armor set with special resistances to frostbite seeing as how it was scorched by the frenzied flame. The reason I chose the Fingerprint Set for the Madness Build is that it has the most lore relation with madness and it fits quite thematically to use Vyke’s own armor set and weapon to take up his mantle and continue his journey.

To wields the Fingerprint Set you must once again defeat its wearer. This time, however, things are different. You must climb the Mountaintops of the Giants and go past the Giant Ice Lobster to finally reach the Lord Contender’s Evergaol. Here you will face Roundtable Knight Vyke, a stronger version of the previously weak NPC invader Vyke.

Fingerprint Set Location | Courtesy: Fextralife

Spells for Madness Build

Frenzied Burst

Elden ring madness build
Frenzied Burst 

Lazer Eyes, do I even have to say anymore? All jokes aside though this is a good incantation to use from mid-range. The incantation is chargeable and the longer you charge it the more armor penetration the beam will have overall. It requires 22 Faith points so not too many but still a good amount when trying to run this in conjunction with another build.

NameFrenzied Burst
Spell TypeFrenzied Flame Incantations
FP Cost 24Slots Used 1
EffectEmits a concentrated blast of the yellow flame of frenzy from the eyes.
Requires
Intelligence0
Faith22
Arcane0

Obtained by killing a Tearstone Scarab in Liurnia of the Lakes, the area where you fought invader Vyke. Look south of the Church of Inhibition around some rats infected by the rats corrupted by the frenzied flame.

Frenzied Burst Location | Courtesy: Fextralife

Inescapable Frenzy

best madness build Elden ring
Inescapable Frenzy

A close-range incantation that unleashes flames of frenzy from the eyes of the caster. Anyone in close range of this spell will be grabbed by the flames as if they have a mind of their own. The flames will attach themselves to the other person and start to induce madness in them. Corrupting them and burning their soul with the mark of the frenzied flame forever. It requires 21 Faith to be able to use but is excellent at building up madness when used.

NameInscapable Frenzy
Spell TypeFrenzied Flame Incantations
FP Cost 24Slots Used 1
EffectLatches onto foes to spread madness.
Requires
Intelligence0
Faith21
Arcane0

The inescapable frenzy can be collected by defeating Mohg, The Omen in the Shunning Grounds. By attacking the altar in the arena you will reveal a secret area for you to explore. Keep going lower into the chamber and at the end, you should find a corpse that has this spell on its person.

Inescapable Frenzy Location | Courtesy: Fextralife

Unendurable Frenzy

Elden ring madness build
Unendurable

The ultimate and final form of corruption by the frenzied flame. The caster spews forth the true form of the frenzied flame by peering into the abyss and having their eyes become the gateway to true madness. A powerful incantation that requires ?? Faith and has amazing area coverage and damage especially since you can use this while moving around, although the speed is at a snail’s pace. Definitely one of the best incantations for the best Madness Build.

NameUnendurable Frenzy
Spell TypeFrenzied Flame Incantations
FP Cost 22 (6)Slots Used 1
EffectEmits violent bursts of the yellow flame of frenzy from its eyes.
Requires
Intelligence0
Faith31
Arcane0

Unendurable Frenzy is found inside a chest in the Anix Ruins, located in the underground treasure room.

Unendurable Frenzy Location | Courtesy: Fextralife

Talismans for Madness Build

Dragoncrest Greathield Talisman

best madness build Elden ring
Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman 
NameDragoncrest Greatshield Talisman
Weight0.8
EffectGreatly reduces physical damage taken by 20%.

Since I have gone for a PvP build, I’ll need resistance and physical damage negation, as the armor I’ve used for the build is not very attack-proof. The talisman reduces the damage taken by 20% and is a necessity for the Madness Build.

Radagon Icon

Elden ring madness build
Radagon Icon
NameRadgon Icon
Weight0.7
EffectShortens the casting time of spells

PvP combat required split-second decisions. This is not a fight against lines of code but rather another player such as yourself, searching and yearning for victory. In this case, each moment is crucial and the time it takes to cast spells is an important factor for a build such as this. Use the Radagon Icon Talisman to boost your casting speed and get the upper hand on your opponent.

Spear Talisman

best madness build Elden ring
Spear Talisman 
NameSpear Talisman
Weight0.5
EffectIncreases thrusting weapon counterattack damage by 15%.

Facing off against NPCs is easy, counter-attacking them is child’s play. The real tricky part is getting the opportunity to counterattack a real player much like yourself. That’s where this talisman comes to help. It grants 13% more damage to thrusting weapons like spears. This could be the deciding factor between winning or losing the duel, which is why I included this in the Madness Build.

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