The Best RPGs For Strength Builds

RPGs are known for their gameplay variety. How that variety manifests through mechanical differences in combat or in unique dialogue options changes from game to game, but the appeal of the strength build is everlasting. While some games allow players to take on a more nimble role to dodge attacks or don the wizard’s cap, the simple power and presence of a strong hand is satisfying in its own right.

In the right circumstances, a high strength stat turns the player into both an immovable object and an unstoppable force, capable of trading blows with bosses and breaking the guard of the most disciplined foes. Whether you’re swinging giant hammers in a punishing Soulslike or using your physique to unlock new paths in a CRPG, these games carry the title for the best strength-based gameplay.

Pathfinder: Wrath Of The Righteous

Cut Through Demons Like Butter

While CRPGs like Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous often have many viable strategies and approaches to both combat and roleplaying, few come close to the joy of making your player character gigantic and attacking across the battlefield using melee attacks with your reach weapons. Strength’s utility is so great that even traditional casting classes, such as the Sorcerer, have absurdly powerful options for Strength-based builds.

Focusing on Strength is particularly useful for martial classes, however, as they won’t need to spend a feat on getting proficiency or to gain a full bonus on attack and damage from Strength. Wrath of the Righteous is an excellent and massive game, with many ways to boost your Strength to greater heights, while other stat boosts are more limited. When using the Legendary Proportions spell, weapons like glaives and polearms become far-reaching death dealers, and your character gains additional armor and damage resistance. It’s nice to be able to smash your way through world-ending problems, isn’t it?

Dark Souls 2: Scholar Of The First Sin

Use Power Stance To Crush Your Foes

Dark Souls games are always a great time for Strength builds. Classic weapons like the Dragon Tooth in Dark Souls and the Dragonslayer Greataxe in Dark Souls 3 are fun to smack your foes with, and pancaking enemies with Smough’s Hammer is equally satisfying. That said, few builds can match the sheer bliss of dual-wielding Smelter Hammers or Fume Ultra Greatswords.

Dark Souls 2 introduced the Power Stance mechanic, allowing players to hold two of the same weapon type for a more powerful and unique moveset. This mechanic is often misunderstood, but it is a powerful tool in the right circumstances. The combinations of armors and weapons you can use for a Strength-based build are quite extensive, so your options aren’t strictly limited to the “Great” class weapons, either. That said, the big weapons give higher poise, allowing players to tank hits when attacking. If you want to feel like an unstoppable force, Strength builds are the way to go.

Cyberpunk 2077

Go, Go, Gorilla

Cyberpunk 2077’s options for strength are a bit limited on the combat side, with the “Body” stat being truly useful for only a small pool of weapons. Of these, the Gorilla Arms are the most interesting and notable. These cybernetic arms allow players to punch their way through any problem, jumping on and smashing everything along the way. They’re just as useful for strength-based checks outside of combat, as well, adding a bonus to door opening or other tasks that would normally require a higher Body score.

In dialogue, Body is mainly used for intimidation or solo-based choices, letting players take on the role of a certified tough guy in conversations. Body also increases health levels and regeneration, damage mitigation, stamina usage with weapons, and more through available perks. It’s an all-around great attribute to focus on if you’re looking to take charge and be the undying beast you’ve always dreamed of.

Nioh 3

Break The Yokai’s Ki With Your Heaviest Attacks

In Nioh 3, Strength is a required stat for many of the game’s heavier equipment, and increasing it also confers benefits to life and ki damage dealt. Given Nioh 3’s large variety of weapon types, Strength has many options for players to take advantage of the attribute scaling for damage. Tonfas, axes, odachi, and more all benefit from Strength.

Axes in particular fulfill the strong samurai fantasy, allowing players to take big, heavy swings to squash their foes. For equipment, pieces like the Kintaro Set offer additional Strength damage scaling and allow players to stay in the fight through life drain and reducing damage taken. Nioh 3 rewards aggression in its exciting combat, and Strength is the perfect path if you want to annihilate the offending yokai.

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