Elden Ring: Top 3 Katana Builds

FromSoftware Inc. sure knows how to properly serve the loyal gamer community. Elden Ring is a perfectly calculated game that takes only the beloved components from its previous franchises and adds tons of new content as well. So, you will never run out of options for your creativity and fantasies.

For instance, you can build your character while focusing on one or multiple components. In this regard, Katana builds in Elden Ring are very famous among both newcomers and Souls veterans. Furthermore, players who enjoyed playing Sekiro and Bloodborne will surely fall in love with these builds.

Katanas are some of the most powerful swords that you can find in the Lands Between. These long, curved weapons are very strong on their own and become even more deadly with the addition of magic. Furthermore, most Katanas inflict bleeding build-up on your opponents.

So, they will die a slow death, even when you are dodging their attacks. However, creating a well-organized Katana build requires calculation and planning on your end. Therefore, this Elden Ring Katana Build article explains the top 3 most powerful Katana builds in Elden Ring and how to achieve them.

What are Katana Builds

Most Souls veterans are familiar with the Katana mechanics in Elden Ring. However, newcomers will find them quite different from other games. Firstly, Katanas are based on Dexterity rather than Strength, like in other titles. Similarly, Katanas cause bleeding build up and provide a critical strike bonus of up to +130.

However, you must understand the defense mechanics before getting your hands on a Katana, as the sword and movement are your only options. Lastly, most Katana builds require high stats in specific categories, an element often overlooked. Therefore, you must make up your mind right from the First Steps Site of Grace if you are interested in a powerful Katana build.

Top 3 Katana Builds

There are eight unique Katanas in Elden Ring, and you can build your character on any of them. Moreover, all of them are powerful enough for appealing enough to change your mind. The problem is that all builds have unique requirements and items, making it quite difficult to change midway. Similarly, your starting Class plays an important role in your character build.

For instance, you must start as a Samurai to enjoy all benefits of your Katana build. Therefore, it is important to focus on only one of these build options right from the very beginning. Here are the top 3 most powerful Katana builds that you can create to withstand even the Elden Beast:

1. Keen Uchigatana Katana Build

• Primary Weapon: Keen Uchigatana
• Secondary Weapon: Moonveil Katana
• Armor: Radahn’s Set
• Talismans: Erdtree’s Favor, Claw Talisman, Winged Sword Insignia, and Ritual Sword Talisman
• Special Items: Bloody Grease and Fire or Magic Grease
• Flasks: 2 FP, 2 HP Flasks
• Stats Strategy: Dexterity (Primary), Intelligence (Primary), Vigor (Secondary), Endurance (Secondary)

Recommended Stats:

The Keen Uchigatana Build is the perfect combination of the two best weapons in Elden Ring. Both weapons specialize in inflicting bleeding effects but at different levels. Moreover, the sword couple is so made for each other that they cover up for the flaws, making it a flawless build. For instance, the Keen Uchigatana offers serious physical damage but only 30 points in bleeding.

On the contrary, the Moonveil Katana deals 50 bleeding damage but is very low in physical damage. So, you can use the two swords simultaneously to maximize your damage output. This powerful Elden Ring Katana build can make you unstoppable if you perfect your defense.

2. Rivers of Blood Katana Build

• Primary Weapon: Keen Uchigatana
• Secondary Weapon: Blasphemous Blade
• Armor: White Mask, Raptor’s Black Feathers
• Talismans: Taker’s Cameo, Millicent’s Prosthesis, and Godskin Swaddling Cloth.
• Special Items: Bloody Grease, Fire or Magic Grease, Stonebar Cracked Tear.
• Flasks: 2 FP, 2 HP Flasks
• Stats Strategy: Dexterity (Primary), Intelligence (Primary), Vigor (Secondary), Arcane (Secondary)

Recommended Stats:

The Rivers of Blood Katana is the leader of all Katanas in Elden Ring. Moreover, it scales with Dexterity and Arcane for added magical damage. Focusing a build around such a mystical weapon can be fruitful and fun at the same time. However, you will need some extra help in the defensive stance, as this sword isn’t great for blocking.

Therefore, this Katana build uses the Blasphemous Blade as the secondary weapon. This colossal sword is great for parrying attacks and healing your character. The basic strategy for this build is to use the Rivers of Blood Katana for all attacks and shift to the secondary sword when you are low on HP. Overall, this Katana build is suitable for new players still learning to move around the Lands Between.

3. Moonveil Katana Build

• Primary Weapon: Moonveil Katana
• Secondary Weapon: Cold Nagakiba katana
• Armor: Black Knife Armor
• Talismans: Shard of Alexander, Ritual Sword Talisman, Erdtree’s Favor
• Special Items: Bloody Grease, Fire or Magic Grease, Magic-Shrouding Cracked Tear
• Flasks: 2 FP, 2 HP Flasks
• Stats Strategy: Dexterity (Primary), Intelligence (Primary), Vigor (Secondary)

Recommended Stats:

The Moonveil Katana is a beautiful yet deadly weapon in the Lands Between. This sword is said to have been the masterpiece of the great Sellian swordsmith. The Moonveil Katana mainly specializes in magic attacks. However, its physical damage is also better than most non-Katana swords. The only problems are its shorter length and lower physical attack damage.

So, you need a good yet easy-to-get weapon to cover these flaws. Fortunately, the Cold Nagakiba Katana is the best weapon to second the Moonveil. Unlike the Uchigatana build, this build focuses on the Moonveil Katana.

So, you should always start your attacks with the primary weapon and use the second one for combos and hard-to-reach opponents. Together, these two Katanas will make you the best Samurai in the Lands Between.

Special Items for all Elden Ring Katana Builds

Any Elden Ring Katana Build is incomplete without a bunch of supporting items, especially talismans and consumables. This condition becomes even more important when creating a build that relies on your abilities. In other words, all Katana builds focus on fast-paced attacks, long combos, and deadly bleed effects.

However, these attacks are comparatively weak compared to the slow Strength builds. So, you must bring all the help you can get to maximize your damage output and minimize resource consumption. Here are some of the most important items that work well with any Katana build:

• Shard of Alexander: All Katanas in Elden Ring come with a default skill or Weapon Art. The Shard of Alexander boosts the damage output of these skills by 15%. You can acquire the Shard of Alexander after completing the Iron Fist Alexander questline.

• Ritual Sword Talisman: The Ritual Sword Talisman is a unique item that utilizes your confidence. This talisman boosts the damage output of all attacks when you have 100% HP. So, it is an important talisman to get a head start in all battles. You can get the Ritual Sword Talisman from the chest after Demi-Human Queen Gilika in Lux Ruins.

• Erdtree’s Favor: Erdtree’s Favor is a special talisman that boosts all your important attributes. For instance, when you equip this talisman, it raises your max HP, Stamina, and equip load. You can get the Erdtree’s Favor Talisman from Fringefolk Hero’s Grave after using Stonesword Keys.

• Taker’s Cameo: The Taker’s Cameo Talisman heals your HP by 3% of the maximum whenever you kill an enemy. Furthermore, you can raise further boost the restoration by killing enemies with the Blasphemous Blood sword. You can acquire the Taker’s Cameo Talisman by completing the Third Letter quest for Tanith at the Volcano Manor.

• Millicent’s Prosthesis: The Millicent’s Prosthesis Talisman is very important for kickstarting your Katana Build. This item grants you +5 points in Dexterity and also boosts the damage output of all successive attacks (combos). You can find Millicent’s Prosthesis Talisman by killing Millicent at the Windmill Heights Site of Grace.

• Bloody Grease: Bloody Grease is a consumable item, like the special oils from the Witcher. This grease increases the bleeding buildup, equivalent to 15% of your opponent’s maximum HP. You can either craft this grease from Nomadic Warrior’s Cookbook [6] or loot it from the corpse near the cart with the Jellyfish Shield in Liurnia of the Lakes.

Conclusion

Katanas Builds are perfect for all enemies in the Lands Between. Most of these builds utilize the deadly bleeding effect to quickly down any opponent. However, the right combination of weapons and items is extremely important when you can’t rely on sheer force. Therefore, this Elden Ring Katana Build article provides the top 3 best Katana builds in Elden Ring to help you defeat everyone, including the Elden Beast.