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Elden Ring Patch 1.17 improves several weapons, shields, spells, incantations, and parry skills. This guide covers the most important buffs and PvP changes, helping players optimize existing builds, explore overlooked equipment, and adapt their playstyle after the latest update. For those looking to upgrade equipment or fine-tune a new build, you can also buy Elden Ring Runes to support faster character progression.
What Changed in Elden Ring Patch 1.17?
Released alongside the Elden Ring Tarnished Edition, Patch 1.17 introduces balance adjustments across the base game and Shadow of the Erdtree. The update does more than add new content, giving several overlooked weapons and spells a reason to return to your build.
The most important changes include:
· Higher critical damage for Smithscript Dagger and Rellana’s Twin Blades
· Stronger and more stamina-efficient throwing attacks
· Improved Intelligence scaling for the Carian Sorcery Sword
· Increased Perfume Bottle attack power
· Better guard boost and reduced weight for multiple shields
· Improved parry performance
· Faster Meteorite and Meteorite of Astel casting
· Buffs to several underused sorceries and incantations
· Several PvP-specific balance adjustments
These changes make Patch 1.17 a good opportunity to revisit older Elden Ring builds rather than automatically using the same meta equipment.
Best Weapon Buffs to Test
Carian Sorcery Sword
The Carian Sorcery Sword is arguably one of the most interesting weapons in Patch 1.17. Its Intelligence scaling now increases the attack power of all damage types, significantly improving its performance for Intelligence-focused characters.
Its heavy attack can also cast sorceries, allowing players to combine melee attacks and magic without constantly switching equipment.
For a hybrid Intelligence build, this makes the sword much more attractive as a primary weapon. Players who previously ignored it should test its damage against other magic-oriented thrusting swords.
Smithscript Weapons
The Smithscript Axe, Smithscript Spear, and Spear of the Impaler all received improvements to their weapon-throwing attacks.
Their heavy attacks now:
· Consume less stamina
· Deal more damage
· Provide more practical ranged pressure
These attacks still do not compete with traditional charged heavy attacks for stance damage, but they are considerably more useful for dealing damage safely from range.
The Smithscript Greathammer also received a throwing-attack damage increase, making the Smithscript weapon family more appealing for players who enjoy unusual movesets.
Rellana’s Twin Blades
Rellana’s Twin Blades now have increased critical hit power. This makes them more rewarding when you can consistently create critical attack opportunities through parries or stance breaks.
If your build already focuses on aggressive melee combat, the change is worth testing before investing heavily in a completely different weapon.
Stronger Shields Make Tank Builds Better
Patch 1.17 also improves many shields by increasing guard boost and, in several cases, reducing weight.
This is particularly useful for players running greatshield or tank builds. Higher guard boost means blocking consumes less stamina, while reduced weight makes it easier to maintain a desirable equipment load.
The Erdtree Greatshield is one example worth revisiting. With improved guard boost and reduced weight, it becomes a more competitive alternative to the traditional heavy defensive choices.
Instead of automatically selecting the highest guard-boost shield, compare weight, skill, guard properties, and your total equipment load.
Parrying Is More Viable
One of the biggest gameplay changes in Patch 1.17 is improved parry performance.
The standard Parry skill has been improved, while Daggers, Curved Swords, and Small Shields now have shorter recovery times after activation. Storm Wall and Thops’s Barrier also received parry improvements, and Storm Wall no longer consumes FP.
If you want to create a dedicated parry build, start by practicing against smaller enemies. Parrying is still matchup-dependent because many bosses cannot be parried, but the improved recovery makes the mechanic more attractive for regular PvE encounters and certain PvP situations.
Best Sorcery and Incantation Changes
Magic-focused players also have several new options to test.
Meteorite and Meteorite of Astel now have shorter casting times. This is particularly useful against enemies that move frequently because you have less time to remain vulnerable during the casting animation.
Founding Rain of Stars and Carian Retaliation also received power increases.
Faith builds can experiment with:
· Feather of the Divine Bird for higher damage
· O, Flame! for a wider attack range
· Rain of Fire for increased damage
These spells may not immediately replace the strongest established options, but the buffs make them more viable for specialized Elden Ring PvE builds.
Important PvP Balance Changes
PvP players should also adjust their expectations after the update.
Rakshasa’s Great Katana now increases the vulnerability of its user while attacking against other players. Rugalea’s Roar has reduced power in PvP, while Rotten Breath and Ekzykes’s Decay provide shorter hit-reaction lockdown.
These changes reduce the effectiveness of some pressure-heavy strategies and encourage players to rely more heavily on spacing, timing, and matchup knowledge.
How to Prepare Your Elden Ring Build
You do not need to completely rebuild your character after Patch 1.17. Instead, test the newly improved equipment alongside your existing setup.
A practical approach is:
1. Test the Carian Sorcery Sword for Intelligence builds.
2. Experiment with the improved Smithscript throwing attacks.
3. Compare newly buffed greatshields with your current shield.
4. Practice the improved Parry, Storm Wall, or Thops’s Barrier.
5. Reevaluate Meteorite, Meteorite of Astel, and other buffed spells.
6. Test the changes in both regular PvE encounters and PvP before committing to a respec.
Players looking to optimize their character should also make sure they have enough resources for upgrading weapons, changing attributes, and testing different equipment combinations.
Final Thoughts
Elden Ring Patch 1.17 does not completely redefine the meta, but it successfully gives several overlooked weapons, shields, spells, and defensive mechanics more room to shine. The Carian Sorcery Sword, improved throwing attacks, stronger greatshields, and enhanced parries are particularly worth testing. If you want to experiment with these options and optimize a new build, having enough resources for upgrades and respecs can be helpful, making cheap Elden Ring Runes a convenient option for speeding up progression.
Rather than following the same established Elden Ring build, use this update as an opportunity to experiment with equipment that previously struggled to compete. Combined with the new Tarnished Edition content, Patch 1.17 gives returning players a strong reason to revisit the Lands Between and discover new ways to build their Tarnished.
