When Elden Ring first launched, Vykes War Spear pretty much ruled the Lands Between. Anyone who hopped into PvP back then knows exactly what I’m talking about. But as new patches rolled in and players shifted to trendier setups, the spear slowly faded from the spotlight. Funny thing is, it never actually got weak. It just got forgotten.
After revisiting this weapon during the DLC period—especially after watching how effectively it’s used in the latest invasion footage—I’m convinced that Vykes still holds its ground. This article breaks down everything shown in the video, from the spear’s strengths to practical PvP habits worth stealing, plus a few loadout notes and matchup insights to help you get more mileage out of this old favorite.
Core Strengths of Vykes War Spear
The first thing to remember is that Vykes is built for a hybrid Dexterity/Faith playstyle. Its damage scaling leans toward Dex, but the Faith requirement isn’t just for show. It opens access to healing tools, resist buffs, and clutch survivability options that shape your duels in subtle but important ways.
The spear’s moveset remains one of the most reliable in the game. The thrust-heavy great spear toolkit gives you long reach, excellent control over spacing, and strong chase-down potential. Even something as simple as a running light attack becomes a real threat because you win trades more often than you think.
And, of course, the signature feature: madness buildup. Properly landed, it tilts fights in your favor fast. A single panic roll from your opponent can be all you need to finish the fight.
Mastering the Ash of War
Most players who used Vykes fell into a habit of spamming its Ash of War. That was the classic mistake. The animation is long, predictable, and extremely backstab-bait if you don’t mix things up.
The smarter approach is free-aiming the early part of the cast, then turning your back to your opponent right before the final explosion. This forces a directional read and breaks the usual punish timing. When the madness shockwave lands, the buildup stacks quickly—and once the meter pops, you’re practically guaranteed a follow-up.
In practice, I found this works best when you force opponents to reposition. Corners, ledges, and narrow walkways make the explosion far harder to avoid. You see this constantly in the footage: rooftops, cliffs, and tight corridors all become perfect zones to pressure someone into eating the blast.
Talisman Choices That Make a Difference
The talismans highlighted in the video aren’t flashy, but they’re surgical in terms of efficiency.
Shard of Alexander keeps the Ash of War threatening enough to force constant respect.
Two-Handed Sword Talisman is surprisingly good on great spears since you’ll be two-handing anyway.
Urge Tree’s Favor +2 smooths out both stamina and equip load, which is huge for mobility builds.
And the last slot switches between Flock’s Exaltation for madness synergy or Retaliatory Cross-tree for crouch attack pressure.
This kind of flexibility is exactly why the spear can fit so many situations. If you need to handle shield users, fast weapons, or parry spammers, the build adapts quickly.
Practical PvP Takeaways from the Video
One of the things that stands out in the invasions is how often environment awareness wins fights. Vykes isn’t just about trading hits—it thrives on forcing bad decisions. Rooftops, ladders, cramped tunnels, giant boss arenas, even slopes—every one of those environments becomes a weapon if you position correctly.
Some patterns worth copying:
Forcing fall damage kills
Gravity does half the work when you know when to roll-catch around ledges.
Punishing parry spammers
Mix jump attacks, backstep lights, and changing attack tempos. Anyone relying solely on a parry dagger is going to suffer.
Dealing with group fights
Madness shockwaves, wide thrust arcs, and stamina management let you fight outnumbered without panicking.
Trading into heavy weapons
Big weapons often have predictable commitment animations. When your bubble buff is active, you can afford to challenge them and still come out ahead.
These small habits, repeated over the course of many invasions, are what actually let a Vykes user dominate—not just raw damage or flashy clips.
When to Supplement Your Progress
Long-time players know farming runes isn’t always the fun part. If you’re the type who wants to jump straight into hybrid builds like Dex/Faith without replaying the leveling grind, there are times you might look for ways to buy elden ring runes from third-party marketplaces. It’s something some players do when experimenting with unconventional builds, especially if they’re trying to recreate setups shown in PvP videos. Just be smart and keep your game experience clean.
Gear Swaps, Matchups, and Utility Spells
The side incantations used—regen, elemental resistance, and basic support spells—are lightweight but impactful. Faith hybrids don’t need to dedicate half their build to miracles to get value. Small heals and resist buffs can turn rough trades into winning ones.
Weapon swaps also matter. Keeping something like Kick or Endure on hand makes shield turtles and pressure situations far easier to manage. Plenty of fights in the video shift the moment the player swaps to one of these utility ashes.
Even against strong hyperarmor builds, like heavy axe users, smart jumping attack timing and spacing eventually break through poise. It’s not about rushing damage—it’s about watching their stamina habits and knowing when their hyperarmor ends.
Notes on Progression and Experimenting with Builds
Some players prefer experimenting on a leveled save, especially when testing multiple spear or hybrid layouts. If that’s your style, there are communities and shops—such as U4GM—that players often mention when talking about convenient build testing. Just make sure any outside resources you rely on don’t interfere with your game files or your online experience.
For New Players or Returning Veterans
If you’re coming back to Elden Ring after a long break or jumping into the DLC fresh, Vykes War Spear is honestly a great entry-point into PvP. It teaches spacing, timing, resource management, and crowd control all at once. That’s a lot of value from a single weapon.
The build shown in the video is aggressive but not reckless. It rewards creative positioning and punishes predictable patterns. Whether you’re a returning veteran or someone trying out PvP for the first time, this spear gives you a durable, flexible, easy-to-learn kit with plenty of depth once you get comfortable.
A Note on Gear Progress for Experimenters
If you prefer testing multiple variations of this Faith/Dex setup, or want to try out several hybrid builds without endless rune farming, some players look for ways to Buy elden ring runes online cheap before diving deep into build crafting. It’s not required by any means, but it’s something a portion of the community does to fast-track experimentation.
Vykes War Spear hasn’t changed much over the life of Elden Ring, but the meta around it definitely has. Despite that, the weapon still feels strong, flexible, and surprisingly fun in the DLC environment. If you take the time to practice its Ash of War, use smart positioning, and keep your talisman swaps flexible, Vykes can absolutely carry you through invasions—just like it used to in the early days.
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