Elden Ring stats explained: All attributes, soft caps & how to reset

In Elden Ring, figuring out your stats isn't easy - sometimes the game can be as dense as it is challenging. You might not only need the stats explained but also how soft caps work, too.

While you're playing the game, you're going to find a huge variety of goodies, and some of them won't fit in with your build - but you will certainly want to try them. So, we will also explain how you can reset all of your stats in the game too.

Keep reading for everything you need to know about the stats in Elden Ring

• If you're wondering how to build the best Hero build in Elden Ring, our guide has you covered.

How many stats are there in Elden Ring?

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There are eight main attributes for players to consider when building a character in Elden Ring, each of which is listed below:

• Arcane
• Dexterity
• Endurance
• Faith
• Intelligence
• Mind
• Strength
• Vigor

With these in mind, you're going to need to balance out your rune spending and levelling up carefully, and as Shadows of the Erdtree, an expansion to Elden Ring, is on the horizon, now is the perfect time to try out FromSoftware's game for first the time - or perhaps even a new build focusing on a different selection of stats.

Elden Ring is a huge game, too, with plenty of different bosses for you to take on - all of which require a different approach depending on how you have assigned the different stats listed above.

• Check out the best order to tackle the legacy dungeons in Elden Ring.

Elden Ring stats explained

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Captured in Elden Ring

Here, we'll break down each attribute in Elden Ring, and what exactly the stat can do to benefit you in your builds.

Vigor

Simply put, Vigor in Elden Ring is your health. So the more Vigor you have the more damage you can take, it is particularly useful if you are going to go head-to-head with your opponent and trade blows. This attribute will also improve your resistance to status effects like fire, as well as your immunity. 

Mind 

Where Vigor governs your health, Mind does the same thing but for managing your magic - or FP as it is called in-game. Regardless of whether you’re focusing on Intelligence or Faith, they will both drain your FP, so if you’re going to be using this a lot, make sure this stat is regularly upgraded.

Another thing to keep in mind with Elden Ring is that certain weapons have weapon arts and skills that will also drain FP. So even if you aren’t using a Faith or Intelligence build, you might still need your Mind stat to be upgraded. 

Endurance

When playing Elden Ring, at the top of the screen, there are three bars: HP (red bar managed by Vigor), FP (blue bar managed by Mind) and lastly, there is the green bar - your Stamina. To upgrade Stamina you will need to level up Endurance, determining your overall Stamina but also dictating how much you can carry in your Equip Load. 

Strength 

If you want to run around The Lands Between with the biggest weapon possible, then you’re going to want to upgrade your Strength. Certain weapons in Elden Ring will scale with this stat and it will want to be upgraded if you’re going to play the game as a tank. High Strength and Endurance will allow you to sustain hits with your shield, whilst also dealing huge damage on the counter - although you may not be the most mobile. 

Dexterity 

If you’re going for more of a combat build in Elden Ring, but you don’t want to focus on the Strength stat, then Dexterity will be important. Smaller weapons like Katanas and Daggers will scale with this attribute, while the time it takes to cast spells will also be sped up by improving your Dexterity stat. What's more, fall damage is also lessened by having improved Dexterity. 

Intelligence 

If you’re going for a big Intelligence build (like an Astrologer build, for example) then you’re going to be focusing a lot on Sorceries, which will require a staff. Some of the high-level spells in Elden Ring are incredibly overpowered and can give you an edge against certain bosses - although you may find yourself coming unstuck against enemies that have a high resistance to Magic. 

• Here is how to get the Comet Azur spell in Elden Ring 

Faith 

A high Faith stat in Elden Ring allows players to perform some of the most powerful Incantations in the game, with these having much more variety than the Intelligence-based magic. Whether performing the dragon incantations, madness incantations or blood magic, you can become incredibly overpowered and make light work of various enemies. If you’re going to focus on Faith and Intelligence, make sure your Mind is also at a good level, as they will pair very well together. 

Arcane

Arcane can often be overlooked in Elden Ring, as while it is another magic-based stat, it is much more passive than Intelligence and Faith. Improving Arcane will improve things like item discovery, defence against the death status effect, as well as improved defence against Holy damage. What's more, it also helps with scaling for madness, poison, bleeding, and sleep. 

• If you want to get a head start on your levelling and gain power quickly, check out our Elden Ring Rune Farm guide.

How to reset stats in Elden Ring 

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As you progress through Elden Ring, you may find yourself regretting some of your levelling choices or your starting class. Or, you may even find a brand new weapon that you’re just short of being able to use. Fortunately, you can reset stats in Elden Ring, but much like everything in a FromSoftware title, it isn’t too simple.

While you will need to journey quite a way into the game, resetting your stats in Elden Ring will become a viable (and in some cases, essential) option for you. To do it, you will need to start collecting Larval Tears and have defeated the boss, Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon

• You can read our full guide on how to reset your stats in Elden Ring right here.

Are there soft caps in Elden Ring?

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In Elden Ring, a few stats do have soft-caps, which means that after you reach a certain level, the amount that stat increases by is reduced. The stats and their soft caps are listed below: 

• Vigor soft-cap: Levels 40 / 60
• Mind soft-cap: Levels 50 / 60 
• Endurance soft-cap: Levels 15 / 30 / 50

That's everything you need to know about stats in Elden Ring, with an explanation of what each means within FromSoftware's game. Be sure to check out our Elden Ring homepage for all of the latest news and guides.