Elden Ring Tarnished Edition is going to launch for Nintendo Switch 2 on August 28, 2026. This complete bundle includes the base game, Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, and multiple platform-exclusive contents, such as two brand-new starting classes: Heavy Knight and Idus Knight. The Heavy Knight stands out as a pure melee strength-focused origin, built around high endurance, heavy armor, and a unique curved greatsword unavailable to standard game classes. This guide breaks down all official confirmed details about Elden Ring Heavy Knight, including starting stats, equipment, build paths, and a direct comparison with the Idus Knight to help players choose the best starting class for their playstyle.

Updated on September 1, 2026

Elden Ring Heavy Knight Build Guide

The Heavy Knight is a new playable starting class in Elden Ring, added via Patch 1.17 alongside the Tarnished Pack DLC. It is included by default in the Elden Ring Tarnished Edition for Nintendo Switch 2 and is available on all platforms, not exclusive to Switch 2 only. This class was first showcased at Nintendo’s 2025 Gamescom booth with hands-on demo gameplay. As one of the two new Tarnished Edition knight classes (paired with the Idus Knight), the Heavy Knight joins the original 12 base game starting classes. Like all Elden Ring classes, it only defines early-game starting stats and equipment. Players can fully respec and rework character builds at any stage, with no permanent build restrictions.

Elden Ring Heavy Knight Starting Base Stats (RL 10)

The Heavy Knight’s stat spread is optimized exclusively for pure strength tank builds, boasting the highest starting Endurance among all playable classes, with minimal magic attribute investment. All base stats are official and confirmed:

Stat Advantages

• Max Starting Endurance (17): Grants superior equip load and baseline poise, allowing full heavy armor wear early without overburden or slow rolling restrictions that plague other starting classes.

• High Vigor & Strength: Provides solid early HP and physical damage, forming a perfect foundation for pure strength melee builds.

• Negligible Magic Stats: Low Mind, Intelligence, and Faith make sorcery/incantation hybrid builds unviable at start; low Arcane rules out blood loss and item discovery playstyles.

• Meta Efficiency: Reaches the standard melee meta cap (Vigor 58, Strength 60, Endurance 38) at RL 120, with 5 leftover stat points for extra Strength damage, outperforming the Vagabond class in min-max potential.

Elden Ring Heavy Knight Starting Weapon: Hefty Scimitar

The exclusive signature weapon of the Heavy Knight, classified as a unique heavy curved greatsword, obtainable instantly at game start (one of the best early-game weapons in Limgrave).

• Scaling & Upgrades: Base D/D scaling in Strength and Dexterity; fully upgradable to +25 via standard Smithing Stones. With Heavy infusion, Strength scaling improves to B.

• Default Ash of War: Spinning Slash, customizable with all compatible Ashes of War.

• Combat Traits: Slow but high-weight attacks excel at breaking enemy stance and crowd clearing. It delivers mediocre quality hybrid damage, so pure Strength investment is optimal over balanced Dex/Strength builds.

• Lore: A oversized curved blade whose sharp edge is amplified by its immense weight. It demands solid Strength and Dexterity from wielders, unleashing sweeping slashes capable of mowing down multiple foes at once.

• Tier Performance: Ranks second or third among all curved greatswords, inferior to the Freyja's Greatsword.

Elden Ring Heavy Knight Starting Armor: Steel Armor Set

The Heavy Knight spawns with a full exclusive Steel Armor Set, including Steel Helm, Steel Armor, Steel Gauntlets, and Steel Greaves. The complete set can also be purchased from a merchant deep in the Weeping Peninsula.

• Attributes: Mid-to-high tier early-game defense, with 36 slash defense and 77 baseline poise. Overall defensive stats are mediocre compared to late-game armor sets, but perfectly suited for early tank builds.

• Lore: Thick steel gear with a black luster, built for damage negation and self-reliant battlefield combat. All armor pieces share the same lore theme: prioritizing survival and sustained melee combat for tank playstyles.

• Visuals & Glitch: Features a premium black-silver tanky appearance, with a known visual animation glitch. Triggered by pressing R1 while holding L1 continuously, creating a broken "Mario resurrection" animation unique to this class.

No official starting consumables or crafting kits are confirmed for the class.

Elden Ring Heavy Knight Build Progression Guide

The Heavy Knight is tailored for PvE-focused pure strength tank builds. Tarnished Pack DLC gear excels in early-game progression but is outperformed by base game and Shadow of the Erdtree equipment in late-game PvP and high-end content.

1. Early Game (RL 10–60)

• Stat Priority: Max Endurance first to eliminate equip burden, then Vigor for survivability, then Strength to boost Hefty Scimitar damage.

• Playstyle: Aggressive stance-breaking charged R2 attacks. High base poise allows trading blows with common enemies and minor bosses without frequent staggering, reducing reliance on constant dodging.

• Key Optimizations: Obtain Great-Jar’s Arsenal Talisman to mitigate slow "fat roll"; equip Axe Talisman and Spiked Cracked Tear to amplify charged attack damage; upgrade Hefty Scimitar to +12 for early boss clearing.

2. Mid Game (RL 60–120)

• Meta Stat Target (RL 120): Vigor 58, Endurance 38, Strength 60. Leftover points go to extra Strength for bonus physical damage.

• Equipment Updates: Fully upgrade Hefty Scimitar to +25 with Heavy infusion; retain heavy armor sets for consistent poise. Avoid investing runes in magic attributes entirely.

• Talisman Setup: Swap situational talismans (Curved Sword Talisman, Dragoncrest Shield Talisman) for boss-specific resistance talismans as needed.

3. Late Game & Endgame (RL 120–150)

• Final RL 150 Stat Build: Vigor 60, Endurance 45, Strength 70, Dexterity 22. This setup supports all in-game heavy weapons and top-tier heavy armor sets, maximizing tankiness and physical damage.

• Core Strengths: Ultra-high poise and HP pool, unrivaled early-game equip load freedom, dominant charged attack stagger potential, and stable tank performance against all PvE bosses.

• Key Weaknesses: Zero spell support, no viable ranged options, persistent slow heavy roll speed, and inferior late-game gear compared to base game/DLC top-tier equipment.

Elden Ring Heavy Knight vs Idus Knight Comparison

The two new Tarnished Edition classes feature opposite core designs, catering to completely different playstyles:

Choose Heavy Knight if:

• You want a low-effort, high-reward pure strength tank build for PvE progression

• You prefer aggressive melee combat with no spellcasting or hybrid mechanics

• You want full heavy armor access from the very start with no early equip load issues

• You prioritize early-game dominance and streamlined endgame stat min-maxing

Choose Idus Knight if:

• You enjoy flexible dexterity-magic hybrid builds

• You prefer fast rolling, hit-and-run PvP invasion gameplay

• You want a lore-rich class with unique regional background

The Heavy Knight is an excellent beginner and PvE-focused class. Its unmatched starting Endurance, tanky stat spread, and powerful early-game weapon make early Elden Ring progression far smoother than all base game classes. However, its gear falls off in late-game high-level content and competitive PvP, where base game and Shadow of the Erdtree equipment remain superior. It is not a meta PvP class but dominates casual and new-player PvE playthroughs.

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