Faith can be built as a pure caster (60+ Faith, seal-focused) or a melee hybrid (Strength + Faith, weapon + incantation buffs). Both are viable but play very differently.
Pure Faith Caster
Ranged incantation variety and healing
Strengths
- Full incantation toolkit: lightning, fire, dragon, holy
- Self-healing reduces flask dependency
- Excellent range with Lightning Spear, Honed Bolt
- Multiple damage types for any resistance
- Can adapt to any situation with spell swaps
Weaknesses
- Lower physical damage
- More FP dependent
- Casting windows can be punished
- Less effective in melee range
- Glass cannon in PvP without poise
VS
Strength/Faith Hybrid
Melee combat with incantation buffs
Strengths
- Blasphemous Blade: best PvE weapon in the game
- Buff stacking (Golden Vow + FGMS) for massive melee damage
- Tanky with heavy armor + healing incantations
- Doesn't rely on FP for primary damage
- More forgiving playstyle
Weaknesses
- Fewer incantation slots used
- Pre-fight buff setup required
- Slower than pure caster at range
- Higher stat investment spread
- Less spell variety
Verdict
Pure Faith is more versatile and interesting; Strength/Faith is more powerful and forgiving. Blasphemous Blade makes Strength/Faith arguably the strongest overall build in the game. But Pure Faith is more fun if you enjoy spellcasting.