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TheRivers of Bloodkatana is a powerful weapon inElden Ring, in no small part due to its ability to inflict Blood Loss and its Corpse Piler skill. While this sword can be quite potent without much support, players who want to maximize its effects should compliment it with a suitable build. This guide is here to assist with that endeavor, and recommendations for building around the Rivers of Blood inElden Ringcan be found below.
Thisguide to getting the Rivers of Blood katana inElden Ringwill prove useful to players who have yet to obtain this unique sword.
Elden Ring: Rivers of Blood Build Playsytle
There are two primary goals when using the Rivers of Blood katana, and the build detailed in this guide looks to facilitate both of them. The first goal is to frequently inflict Hemorrhage, a Blood Loss status effect that deals damage equal to a percentage of the afflicted foe’s maximum HP. The second is to execute Corpse Piler, the Rivers of Blood’s unique Skill, as much as possible.
Elden Ring: Rivers of Blood Build Stats
The Rivers of Blood’s damage scales with Dexterity and Arcane, and players should ultimately prioritize those two stats. Fans should supplement those damage-focused stats by raising their Mind, in order to expand the FP pool that can be used to perform theCorpse Piler Skill, and Vigor. Players can also put a handful of points toward Faith, to gain access to theFlame, Grant me StrengthIncantation, and Endurance.
While players should feel free to set those stats to their preferred numbers, here is a recommended allocation for a Level 150 Samurai:
40
18
12
45
9
15
50
Players who are not interested in incorporating the Flame, Grant Me Strength Incantation into their builds should feel free to ignore Faith and put those points toward Dexterity and Endurance.
Elden Ring: Rivers of Blood Build Equipment
Offhand Weapons & Ashes of War
There are a couple of ways that players can approach selecting the weapon that they equip alongside the Rivers of Blood. The first approach is simply to offhand theSacrificial Axe, a weapon that restores 4 FP when an enemy is killed. While this effect may not seem extremely significant, it can increase the frequency with which players can execute Corpse Piler, making the Sacrificial Axe quite potent when coupled with the Rivers of Blood.
The Sacrificial Axe is dropped by the Deathbird that appears to the north of Castle Morne (in the Weeping Penninsula) at night.
Alternatively, players can offhand theUchigatana, a katana that is found within Limgrave’s Deathtouched Catacombs. In fact, it is recommended that fans do exactly that when fighting bosses, as they will receive no benefit from the Sacrificial Axe in most of those battles. Fans are also advised to applyAsh of War: Seppukuto the secondary weapon, as the associated skill will further improve their ability to inflict Blood Loss.
Thisguide to getting the Uchigatana inElden Ringand thisguide to getting the Seppuku Ash of War inElden Ringwill help fans secure this equipment.
Finally, players who have opted to incorporate Flame, Grant Me Strength into their builds will need a Sacred Seal in order to cast it. Thisguide to getting the Finger Seal inElden Ringwill help fans procure such an item, though they should feel free to use any Sacred Seal for which they meet the stat requirements.
Armor
Players have some flexibility when selecting the armor to use when wielding the Rivers of Blood katana, though they are advised to equip one of two helmets. Specifically, it is recommended that fans equip theWhite Mask, a helmet that grants 10% attack power for 20 seconds after Blood Loss has been inflicted, or theOkina Mask, a helmet that raises Dexterity by three at a cost of 44 Focus.
Thisguide to getting the White Mask inElden Ringwill help players secure that item. The Okina Mask is obtained alongside the Rivers of Blood katana.
Players who like to use jump attacks could also consider equipping theRaptor’s Black Featherschest to strengthen those attacks by around 10%. That piece is not as important to the build as the aforementioned helmets, though, and fans primary goal when picking armor should be staying below a heavy Equip Load.
Thisguide to getting the Raptor’s Black Feathers inElden Ringwill help players secure that item.
Talismans
Talismans play an extremely important role when building around the Rivers of Blood, and it is recommended that players use these four:
Clicking on the name of a Talisman will take players to a guide that details how the item is obtained.
While players should find that these Talismans improve their Rivers of Blood builds considerably, there are some alternatives that they can try. Here are details on those altenrative Talismans, and, once again, fans who click on their names will be taken to guides that explain how they are obtained.
TheErdtree’s Favor +2Talisman raises maximum HP, Stamina, and Equip Load.
TheGodskin Swaddling ClothTalisman causes successive attacks to restore HP.
Marika’s Soreseal
TheMarika’s SoresealTalsiman raises Mind, Intelligence, Faith, and Arcane, but increases damage taken.
Radagon’s Soreseal
TheRadagon’s SoresealTalisman raises Vigor, Endurance, Strength, and Dexterity, but increases damage taken.
TheTaker’s CameoTalisman restores HP upon defeating foes.
Spells & Incantations
As previously noted, it is recommended that players increase their Faith to 15 so that they can use Flame, Grant Me Strength. For the uninitiated, that Incantation temporarily raises physical and fire-affinity attack power, making it very powerful in River of Blood builds. Fans could also consider taking their Faith to 25, in order to gain access toGolden Vow, though doing so should not be considered high priority.
Thisguide to getting Flame, Grant me Strength inElden Ringwill help players procure that Incantation.
