Elden Ring: Best Weapons For A Samurai Build, Ranked

Elden Ring is one of the most popular games of the last five years and has, arguably, catapulted FromSoftware to stardom even more so than the Dark Souls franchise already had. With some high quality weapons, formidable bosses, and a huge map to explore, there’s no shortage of fun for players to have in this title.

Builds have been in FromSoftware games since the first Dark Souls came out, allowing players to face the various challenges along the way however they please. While some builds are based on quality, others focus on dealing the most physical damage or building up passive effects like Bleed. Here are some of the best weapons for a Samurai build in Elden Ring.

7

Serpentbone Blade

A Handsome Reward For Completing A Sidequest

The Serpentbone Blade is far from being the best weapon of choice for those players who want to build a deadly Samurai build. Not because it’s bad, but because there are other alternatives that have better scaling with both Strength and Dexterity and better weapon skills overall. While this weapon scales decently with Dexterity, that’s not the case with Strength, and the requirements, while not absurdly high, aren’t early-game friendly either.

If players are determined to use the Serpentbone Blade, it would be a good idea to practice with another katana or a similar weapon first.

6

Meteoric Ore Blade

Scales With Dexterity And Intelligence For A Balanced Build

The Meteoric Ore Blade is the first katana on this list to combine Strength, Dexterity, and Intelligence scaling to allow players to build a more balanced Samurai. Granted, the scaling for these attributes isn’t great, as it stands at D, E and D respectively. However, as players increase their level and invest more in their character, they’ll notice a considerable upgrade in terms of damage.

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Finding this weapon isn’t simple, as it’s pretty well hidden, and to make matters worse, it’s in Caelid, an area that a lot of players hate due to its difficulty and the feeling of discomfort it provokes. As unpleasant as it sounds, after leaving Limgrave, going to Caelid is one of the things players should do first to discover new interesting things.

5

Dragonscale Blade

Flashy And Has A Powerful Weapon Skill

The Dragonscale Blade is one of those katanas that might not deal the most damage or hit like a truck, yet has a very impressive and effective weapon skill called Ice Lightning Sword. This powerful weapon skill calls down a bolt of ice lightning into the blade and brings it down upon a foe, leaving an effect that lasts for a while.

Players who want to use the Dragonscale Blade’s weapon skill should be aware that it can be parried, so it might be a bit predictable when it comes to PvP. That said, it can still be used to decimate enemies, and, with enough practice, might also be a great tool to have when facing the hardest bosses in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC.

4

Uchigatana

A Classic From The Dark Souls Universe

Like the Moonlight Greatsword, the Uchigatana is one of those weapons that has been present throughout the entire Dark Souls franchise and also makes an appearance in Elden Ring.

Players who choose the Samurai class to start their journey will already have this weapon, which is an amazing advantage, as it’s also possible to get a second Uchigatana in the Deathtouched Catacombs in Stormhill, allowing for a dual-wielding build rather early on in the game.

In the early stages, the Uchigatana is good, but if players level up as they’re supposed to and invest in their attributes wisely, they’ll quickly notice that they can take out some of the easiest bosses in Elden Ring with a few swings of their sword.

3

Moonveil

Perfect For Intelligence Builds

Although katanas in Elden Ring are typically meant to be used for melee builds with a focus on Bleed passive effect buildup, there are some variants, like Moonveil that also scale with Intelligence, allowing for a balanced Samurai build that can be quite overpowered.

In fact, as strange as it may sound, Moonveil scales better with Intelligence than it does with Dexterity, and a lot better than it does with Strength. This, along with its considerable speed and useful Weapon Skill, “Transient Moonlight”, make this katana a force to be reckoned with.

2

Rivers of Blood

A Powerhouse In Dealing Passive Bleed Effects

In its base form, the Rivers of Blood katana is probably the best Bleed build up weapon in the entirety of Elden Ring. Obtained in the late stages of the base game by defeating Bloody Finger Okina at the Church of Repose in the Mountaintops of the Giants, Rivers of Blood has decent Dexterity scaling and mediocre Strength scaling.

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However, its true power comes from its Arcane scaling, which, while not great, can buff the Bleed buildup effect of this weapon significantly if enough Runes are invested into this attribute. This, along with the useful “Corpse Piler” Weapon Skill, makes Rivers of Blood one of the best katanas in the game—ideal for dealing with some of the fastest enemies around.

1

Nagakiba

Extremely Long Range That Can Be Combined With Another Katana

Lastly, there’s Nagakiba, the longest katana in the entirety of Elden Ring. Similar to the Washing Pole from Dark Souls 3, Nagakiba has great range, so players can keep a distance while still being able to deal damage to their enemies. Combining this amazing katana with another one like the Uchigatana or Rivers of Blood can be a recipe for making the game feel very easy.

Add in a powerful Incantation like Vyke’s Dragonbolt to buff it, and most bosses’ Health bars will melt away in a matter of seconds—even those in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC.

Released

February 25, 2022

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