The Tarnished seeking katana mastery in the Lands Between face a delicious dilemma: which blade reigns supreme in Elden Ring’s arsenal? While the answer is, as always, nuanced and depends on your specific build and playstyle, the Uchigatana emerges as the best all-around Dexterity-focused katana, especially when considering accessibility, versatility, and overall effectiveness throughout the game. It balances damage, speed, bleed buildup, and availability like no other. The best part about it is, you can acquire it at the very start of the game and build your playstyle around it, making it extremely valuable as a Dex based weapon!
Why the Uchigatana? The Dexterity Katana Champion
Several factors contribute to the Uchigatana’s top spot for a pure Dex build:
Early Availability: This katana can be acquired incredibly early. Starting as a Samurai grants it immediately, or it can be looted from the Deathtouched Catacombs in Limgrave. This removes the need to rush for specific weapons and allows for immediate Dex-focused progression.
Dexterity Scaling: The Uchigatana boasts excellent Dex scaling, improving as you upgrade it. With the Keen infusion, it scales primarily with Dexterity, maximizing your damage output as you invest in the stat.
Bleed Buildup: Katanas are renowned for their bleed effect, and the Uchigatana is no exception. The passive bleed buildup allows you to inflict substantial burst damage on enemies once the bleed meter fills, making it effective against a wide range of foes, including bosses.
Versatile Moveset: Its moveset is straightforward and effective. Light attacks are quick and agile, while heavy attacks provide more range and stagger potential. Its weapon skill, Unsheathe, is a fantastic option to add to your arsenal. This versatile moveset is easy to learn, yet difficult to master!
Smithing Stone Upgrade: The Uchigatana upgrades with Smithing Stones, which are generally more common than Somber Smithing Stones required for unique weapons like Rivers of Blood or Moonveil. This allows for faster and more consistent upgrades throughout your playthrough.
Honorable Mentions: Other Strong Dex Katanas
While the Uchigatana shines as the top pick, other katanas deserve recognition for specific builds and scenarios:
Rivers of Blood: For players prioritizing bleed damage and a more aggressive playstyle, Rivers of Blood can be a formidable choice. However, its late-game availability and split damage type (physical and fire) make it less ideal for pure Dex builds.
Hand of Malenia: This katana is a late-game boss drop that is the perfect katana for players looking to make a bleed build. This katana is reserved only for the most dedicated dex builds.
Moonveil: A popular choice for Dex/Intelligence hybrid builds, Moonveil offers powerful weapon skills and magic damage. However, its reliance on Intelligence makes it less optimal for dedicated Dex builds.
Serpentbone Blade: While unique for its poison buildup, the Serpentbone Blade’s lower base damage and less impactful status effect make it less competitive compared to the Uchigatana.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Dex Katanas in Elden Ring
1. What is the best early-game Dex weapon besides the Uchigatana?
The Bloodhound’s Fang is a fantastic early-game Dex weapon. It’s a curved greatsword found in Limgrave, offering excellent damage and bleed buildup, but requires defeating Bloodhound Knight Darriwil.
2. Is Rivers of Blood still overpowered?
While it was nerfed in patches, Rivers of Blood remains a very strong katana, particularly for bleed-focused builds. Its weapon art, Corpse Piler, is still incredibly potent.
3. Is Moonveil worth using in a pure Dex build?
Not really. Moonveil scales better with Intelligence. For a pure Dex build, focus on katanas with better Dex scaling or other weapons entirely.
4. Where can I find the Uchigatana early in the game?
You can acquire the Uchigatana in the Deathtouched Catacombs in Limgrave. Be prepared for a few skeletons, and its a relatively straight forward drop to acquire once you get into the catacombs.
5. What’s the best weapon art to put on the Uchigatana?
Unsheathe is the default, and best, weapon art for the Uchigatana.
6. How important is Bleed in Elden Ring?
Bleed is an incredibly powerful status effect in Elden Ring, allowing you to deal substantial burst damage. Building around bleed can trivialize some encounters.
7. Does Arcane affect Bleed buildup?
Yes, Arcane increases your ability to inflict Bleed buildup. This makes Arcane a valuable stat for bleed-focused builds, especially when using weapons like Rivers of Blood.
8. What are the best talismans for a Dex katana build?
Some excellent talismans include the:
- Green Turtle Talisman (increases stamina recovery)
- Marika’s Soreseal/Scarseal (raises Mind, Intelligence, Faith, and Arcane but increases damage taken)
- Lord of Blood’s Exultation (increases attack power when blood loss occurs in the vicinity)
- Shard of Alexander (boosts the attack power of skills)
9. Should I dual-wield katanas?
Dual-wielding katanas (powerstancing) can significantly increase your damage output, especially when focusing on bleed. However, it consumes more stamina. Twinblades are also among the most satisfying weapons in Elden Ring due to their attack speed, and this effect is only doubled when dual-wielding.
10. Is the Serpentbone Blade worth upgrading?
The Serpentbone Blade is generally considered weaker than other katanas due to its focus on poison buildup, which is less effective than bleed. Upgrading it is typically not recommended unless you specifically want a poison-focused build.
11. What’s the best armor for a Dex Katana build?
Armor choice is largely personal preference. Focus on sets that offer a good balance of protection and equip load, allowing you to medium roll. The White Reed Set is a popular choice aesthetically and stat-wise.
12. Is the Honjo Masamune in Elden Ring?
No, the Honjo Masamune is a legendary katana from real-world Japanese history, not featured in Elden Ring.
Conclusion: Embrace the Blade, Tarnished!
Ultimately, the best Dex katana in Elden Ring depends on your individual preferences and playstyle. However, the Uchigatana’s early availability, excellent Dex scaling, bleed buildup, and versatile moveset make it a top-tier choice for a pure Dex build. Experiment with other katanas to find the one that truly resonates with you and your Tarnished. Remember to consult resources like GB Times and gbtimes.com for more gaming news. Now go forth, hone your skills, and become a master swordsman in the Lands Between!
