“Elden Ring” is FromSoftware’s action role-playing game presented through a third-person perspective where players can freely roam its interactive open world. These players also control a customizable character who is on a quest to repair the Elden Ring – a mysterious concept representing the world’s law – and become the new Elden Lord.
However, you should also know that various vital player stats control “Elden Ring’s” gameplay. The game’s main stats are known as Attributes, which govern all the player character’s secondary stats. By spending the Runes you earned at a Site of Grace to level up these primary attributes, you can then create the different builds available in-game. This piece will explore the soft caps for every stat and Attribute.
But First, What Are Soft Caps In ‘Elden Ring’?
In “Elden Ring,” a soft cap is a point where the player reaches diminishing returns should they choose to continue investing in a particular primary attribute. In other words, the more they spend their Runes in an Attribute after it has already reached the soft cap, the less value each point will provide.
Having said that, these soft caps prevent players from becoming too dominant in a particular Attribute and incentivize spreading more points to other Attributes. They somewhat enable the game to be still realistic whenever possible.
Now, let’s get to the meat of the discussion, beginning with Vigor.
Stats And Attributes With Their Soft Caps
Vigor (Soft Cap: 40/60)
Vigor is touted as the most important stat in “Elden Ring.” Vigor represents your total health points, physical defense, and immunity stat.
One Vigor point gives you an additional 25 HP to your maximum pool as you level. This extra HP you gain for each level increases by 1 to 2 points until this stat reaches level 40. At this level, the first soft cap works.
Further Vigor points gradually decrease the amount of HP you gain per level, from +26 HP to +13 HP at level 60. Once you reach beyond level 60, it is recommended that you stop investing in Runes.
Level 60 is the next soft cap. Your character will only gain +5 to +6 HP after this level. Beyond level 90, the low +3 to +4 HP makes point allocation already worthless since late-game items offer better stats.
Mind (Soft Cap: 50/60)
Perfect if you are building a spell caster, Mind will let you cast more spells. This represents your total FP – or mana – and Focus stat.
With this Attribute, the player gains 3 to 4 FP for each level until level 20. They also gain 8 to 9 FP per level until the 50th level. The first soft cap begins at 55, with FP gained in each level dipping until the number gets to 4.
Endurance (Soft Cap: 15/35/50 And 25/60)
The name says it all. Endurance governs all your total stamina for running, blocking successfully, evading, and performing actions.
Some points toward Endurance will be needed for most builds. Plus, even if you invest in a few levels, this can considerably impact Stat requirements.
Stamina in the game, which controls most actions from attacking to running, receives incremental returns that also gradually diminish as with the other Attributes.
With Endurance, the gradual decrease happens after the soft cap levels of 15, 35, and 50 until it offers practically nothing as you level up further.
Meanwhile, Equip Load, or how much the player can carry, only decreases following the soft cap levels 25 and 60.
Strength (Soft Cap: 18/55/80)
Especially if you are a heavy melee user, Strength will stand as your primary damage stat. This Attribute is the foundation of tanky strongmen who use physical defense and slow yet hard-hitting weapons as playstyle.
Weapons scaling with Strength stat are frequently bulky and two-handed. Its soft caps are at 18/55/80.
Dexterity (Soft Cap: 18/55/80)
For those who use magic-melee weapons, especially players who wield dual swords, Dexterity comes second to Strength when talking about damage.
This Attribute does not increase magic, however, but it increases casting speed, reduces fall damage, and allows for more stability while riding horses.
Soft caps for weapon damage are at 18/55/80.
Intelligence (Soft Cap: 20/50/80 And 60/80)
Meanwhile, the Intelligence Attribute enhances your spell damage and magic resistance. As you upgrade to Intelligence, your spells are more powerful, and you are more immune to spells from your enemies.
Spending Runes for this Attribute also increases Fire Defense. Soft caps for weapon damage are 20/50/80, while sorcery rating soft caps are at 60/80.
Faith (Soft Cap: 20/50/80 And 60/80)
Faith, on the other hand, enhances damage from your incantations, as well as allows you to learn advanced incantations.
This is the ideal stat for weapon and damage buffs. Its soft caps are similar to those of Intelligence.
Arcane (Soft Cap: 20/50/80 And 30/45)
The last Attribute is Arcane. This is a unique attribute that increases item drop chances, as well as holy defense.
The soft caps for weapon damage are at 20/50/80), while the soft caps for incantation scaling are at 30/45.
Should You Avoid Soft Caps?
At this point, you should better understand how soft caps work in “Elden Ring” so you can play the game better. However, that question may pop up in your mind right now.
Well, you should know that putting points into any Attribute after it has reached beyond 90 just makes your character weaker. Stop putting points here, mate! By now, you should have gotten the memo.
But that does not mean you should avoid soft caps in the game. Instead, you should be informed where they are and distribute points wisely.
