Elden Ring loves showcasing its myriad of afflictions to players in the most unexpected of ways. As you progress, you can wield these afflictions to your advantage. Among these, one of the more severe afflictions is Scarlet Rot.
Here’s how to best use Scarlet Rot if you are plagued by it in Elden Ring.
Using Scarlet Rot in Elden Ring
Scarlet Rot is an affliction that burns away at the player’s maximum HP per second. For veteran Dark Souls players, this effect is similar to the old Toxic. Scarlet Rot’s duration lasts longer than any other affliction and will burn through several health consumables unless you have a cure or an appropriate Flask of Wondrous Physick.
The same effect can work for you against enemies, both in PvP and PvE, if you have the right armaments, Ashes of War, and Incantations. Since there are a few builds to choose, we’ll be showcasing the power of Scarlet Rot through two: One that works as an early to mid leveling build and one strong in the endgame.
Best Scarlet Rot leveling build
Early in the game, sources of Scarlet Rot can be quite rare. Most Elden Ring builds at this level are either Strength or Intelligence-based, making affliction-based builds not as common. However, this Scarlet Rot build can take you through all of Liurnia and both the underground rivers, all the way up to the land of Rot itself, Caelid.
| Build parameters | Requirements |
| Recommended level | 50 to 100 |
| Primary stats | Faith, Arcane |
| Secondary stats | Dexterity, Vigor |
| Weapons | Uchigatana, Dragon Communion Seal |
| Armor | Any Light-Medium Armor (must be able to medium roll) |
| Talismans | Erdtree’s Favor, Green Turtle Talisman, Marika’s Scarseal, Two Fingers Heirloom |
| Weapon skills | Any Weapon Art that increases affliction buildup |
| Additional spells | Rotten Breath |
Since Scarlet Rot is an affliction, you gain the best value by running an Arcane-based build. Throwing in Faith for their powerful Incantations necessitates the use of the Dragon Communion Seal, a Sacred Seal you can acquire early. This Sacred Seal also boosts Dragon Communion Incantations, making it perfect for some of the spells you possess.
Starting as the Samurai class is optimal because you start with the Uchigatana. This should be your source of early damage as you level up Dexterity and Arcane. Faith can be left alone until you get the Sacred Seal and some Incantations since most of your early combat will use your Uchigatana and its Blood Loss buildup through Arcane.
This is also where you start with your first Scarlet Rot Incantation: Rotten Breath. This spell is great for PvP and works for boss battles where you need to whittle their health down.
The Talismans listed above are mostly placeholders and give you decent HP, Stamina, and Equip Load increase for the early stages. Most of the better Talismans for this build will be acquired in higher-level areas later.
When it comes to the mid-game, you should be running rampant throughout Caelid. A few tweaks to the build after you get to level 100 should optimize it further.
| Build parameters | Requirements |
| Recommended level | 100 to 120 |
| Primary stats | Faith, Arcane |
| Secondary stats | Dexterity, Vigor |
| Weapons | Antspur Rapier/Scorpion’s Stinger, Dragon Communion Seal, Uchigatana |
| Armor | Any Light-Medium Armor (must be able to medium roll) |
| Talismans | Kindred of Rot’s Exultation, Flock’s Canvas Talisman, Carian Filigreed Crest, Warrior Jar Shard |
| Weapon skills | Bloodhound’s Step |
| Additional spells | Ekzykes’ Decay, Swarm of Flies, Scarlet Aeonia |
By now, you should be taking enemies out with your Incantations more than you use the Uchigatana. You can imbue the Bloodhound’s Step Ash of War on your weapon to keep it scaling until you acquire the Antspur Rapier, which is a definitive upgrade for any Scarlet Rot build. Its innate Scarlet Rot buildup with potential for Ash of War imbuement makes it essential.
If you wish to delve into the PvP side of things, equipping the Scorpion’s Stinger dagger would be more effective. Combining this with the Dagger Talisman will improve your critical strike damage along with quick Scarlet Rot buildup with the weapon’s attack speed.
Swap out Rotten Breath for Ekzykes’ Decay for faster Scarlet Rot buildup and more damage. Swarm of Flies might not inflict Scarlet Rot, but the bleed will grant bonus damage with your Arcane scaling. Finally, Malenia‘s Scarlet Aeonia causes rapid Scarlet Rot buildup, making it great for stationary enemies and bosses with high HP pools.
Warrior Jar Shard, Flock’s Canvas Talisman, and Carian Filigreed Crest work to boost your spellcasting while the Kindred of Rot’s Exultation increases your damage.
By this point in the game, your character should be at or around level 120. With all the new Incantations and equipment you’ll have picked up throughout your journey, it’s time to transition into the endgame build.
Best Scarlet Rot endgame build
You can either choose to expand upon the leveling build mentioned above or you can switch it up and make a new build from scratch with all of your new equipment. There are a few strong endgame builds to consider, but for the purpose of a smooth transition from the leveling build, this build is our choice.
| Build parameters | Requirements |
| Recommended level | 120 to 150 and above |
| Primary stats | Faith, Arcane |
| Secondary stats | Dexterity, Vigor |
| Weapons | Occult Antspur Rapier/Scorpion’s Stinger, Dragon Communion Seal |
| Armor | Mushroom Crown, Armor that allows you to medium roll |
| Talismans | Kindred of Rot’s Exultation, Marika’s Soreseal, Shard of Alexander, Carian Filigreed Crest |
| Weapon skills | Repeating Thrust |
| Additional spells | Ekzykes’ Decay, Scarlet Aeonia, Swarm of Flies, Bloodflame Blade |
Most of the build retains its value from the leveling build, with a few notable changes. Upgrading the Antspur Rapier to Occult will scale better with your Arcane stat. Similarly, adding the Mushroom Crown to your equipment will increase your damage upon inflicting Scarlet Rot. Imbuing the Antspur Rapier with Repeating Thrust will increase Scarlet Rot buildup even faster.
The Incantations largely remain the same, with the addition of Bloodflame Blade. While it doesn’t cause Scarlet Rot buildup, the additional fire damage and the chance of hemorrhage are well worth it. Additionally, these effects improve because the Incantations scale with Faith and Arcane, this build’s primary stats.
Ensure you increase your Dexterity alongside Faith and Arcane because your weapons’ effectiveness will be highly dependent on them. While the Scarlet Rot will deal most of the damage over time, you will still need to consistently hit and chip down most Elden Ring enemies, and that’s where the Dexterity scaling comes in.
Finally, with Marika’s Soreseal, your final endgame stats will be boosted even further, letting you add more damage and Scarlet Rot buildup to your attacks and spells.
