The Samurai build surely is a class apart because it is not only the best for the newcomers of the game but also ensures that the veterans of the game stay hooked as well. The samurai is one of the most well-rounded characters in the game because it has a little bit of everything. Decent armor and mobility, good melee attack, and range and weapons that can prove to be very lethal if used correctly. What more can you ask for?
Key Takeaways
- If you are looking for an all-around performance in Elden Ring, Samurai Build is what you need. It is effective in both long-range and melee combats.
- Longbow should be preferred with this build due to greater range and damage. Arrows can be crafted using animal bones.
- Uchigatana’s special skill, the unsheathe, and a fabulous charging attack go well with this build.
- When selecting Armor, you can go with any set which is light and has damage negation. The Land of Reeds set is a good option.
- Arrow’s Reach increases your bow range. In addition, the Lord of Blood’s exultation should be used as it enhances attack power by 20% for 20 seconds.
- Attributes like Dexterity and Vigor should be preferred with this build.
By the end of this guide, you will be able to take care of bosses with the samurai like they are a piece of cake.
If you have just started playing Elden ring-we highly suggest going through our Elden Ring Starting Classes.
Samurai Build Stats
Below are the samurai’s starting attributes :
The starting attributes speak volumes on how you should build your character and forge your gameplay in the Elden ring samurai build. Your main focus should for sure be on strength and dexterity early on in the game. Some heed should also be paid to mind, vigor, and endurance later on in the game.
Starting weapons in Elden ring Samurai Build
The starting weapons in the samurai build include longbow, arrow, red thorn round shield, land of reeds armour, uchigatana, etc. You can choose any strength and dexterity-based weapons however longbow and the uchigatana are the most iconic with the samurai and that is why they will be the center of attention in this guide.
Related article: Elden Ring Best Weapons
Longbow
The longbow is one of the starting weapons in the Elden ring samurai build. Some players prefer short bow as it takes a little less time to shoot however according to my experience the longbow is a better choice overall because it has greater range and can cause more damage.
| Phy | Mag | Fire | Light | Holy | Crit | Rng | Boost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attack | 80 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 50 | - |
| Guard | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Str | Dex | |||||||
| Scaling | E | D | ||||||
| Requires | 9 | 14 | ||||||
| Bow | None | |||||||
| Mighty Shot | FP 6 | |||||||
| Wgt. 4.0 | Passive - |
The samurai starts the game with a few arrows therefore you can start assailing starting targets right off the bat. However, you will need to buy or craft arrows as soon as possible. We highly recommend crafting them because it is not a hard task. All you need is three bones from animals which you will then use to make ten arrows.
How to craft arrows?
First head to the Church Of Elleh where you will have to purchase the crafting book and the recipe for the bone arrows. In order to get the bones, you will need to go to limgrave where you pick up your map shard.
From there if you keep moving down on the left side, you will eventually reach a place with a cluster of trees and that is where you will find a bunch of sheep that you can farm repeatedly to get some arrows. The good news is that you only need to do this for the first few hours of the game after which you will have enough runes to buy arrows.
The longbow is surely a prime ranged weapon and kudos to longbow for samurai having good range. Having the ‘mighty shot’ skill with the longbow will go a long way. It will inflict a lot of damage on your enemies in exchange for a little bit of fp. This skill will facilitate you a lot in boss fights.
Uchigatana
Uchigatana is one of the most detrimental katanas in the game and you would know about its fantastic moveset if you have played dark souls. It is really swift, inflicts a lot of damage on your enemy and that is exactly why it is one of the best weapons to have your ‘two hands’ on when in melee range. This weapon has a fabulous charging attack and the deadly ‘unsheathe’ skill.
| Phy | Mag | Fire | Ligt | Holy | Crit | Boost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attack | 115 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 | |
| Guard | 45 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | - | 30 |
| Str | Dex | ||||||
| Scaling | D | D | |||||
| Requires | 11 | 15 | |||||
| Katana | Slash/Pierce | ||||||
| Unsheathe | FP - (10 15) | ||||||
| Wgt. 5.5 | Passive (45) |
The ‘unsheathe’ skill of the uchigatana, in which your samurai basically thrusts and slices towards the enemy, is a must-have. If you are able to master this skill, your gameplay will become impeccable. It is because you will be able to kill any boss. All you need to do is use ‘unsheathe’, roll away. You must two hand the uchigatana to make sure that you can use ‘unsheathe’.
Related article: Best Elden Ring Skills
In addition to that, the uchigatana also has an auxiliary effect or bleeding effect. This essentially means that it causes bleed buildup on the enemy. After continuous hits, you will be able to strike off a significant chunk of health from your enemy and hopefully their body.
Related article: Bleed Weapons In Elden Ring
Elden Ring Samurai Build Armor
Armor is surely a vital part of your build. It can even dictate the playstyle that one chooses to a certain extent. However, unlike many other builds, armor is not as important for samurai build as one imagines. Our main focus for this particular build is to keep our load at a bare minimum. Therefore you can choose any armor that is light, provides sufficient damage negation, and obviously makes your character look like a true samurai.
The Lands of Reeds armor, which is part of the starting equipment for starting class, is a good enough choice. However, I will reiterate that if you have godly dodging skills then going in without it is not a bad idea either. It definitely is a lot riskier but totally worth it at the end of the day. The Lands of Reeds set also includes Lands of Reeds Helm, gauntlets, and greaves. This helps you get the ‘samurai’ look that you are in search of.
Talking about armors, you should definitely head over and check our guide on Elden Ring: Best Armor for Samurai [Top 4].
Elden Ring Samurai Build Talismans
Talismans can be the cherry on the cake as they can give a slight edge you need against some bosses. There are a plethora of talismans that you can choose from but we will look at some that we think are the best. The first one is the Lord of blood’s exultation.
This talisman increases the attack power by twenty percent for twenty seconds if there is blood loss in the vicinity. This talisman is a great pick as there is going to be ample blood loss nearby because of the bleed effect of uchigatana and the fact that we will in close range with enemies a lot of the time. You can get this talisman on defeating Esgar, Priest of Blood in Leyndell Catacombs.
Our next pick is the arrow’s reach, which increases the range of your bow. You already have a long bow that has good range. With this equipped you will be able to take shots at the enemy from even further away and hence be able to take care of them before they even get a chance to lay hands on you. This talisman can be acquired from a chest in a tower north of Stormhill.
Our final suggestion is the Bull-goat’s talisman, which raises your stat of poise by thirty-three percent. Poise is the stat that determines how easily you get staggered by an enemy attack. This talisman can be obtained in the Dragonbarrow cave, which is just north of Caelid.
While on the subject of talismans, you should read our guide on Elden Ring Best Talismans & How To Get Them.
How to play the samurai
knowing how to play the samurai is what makes all the difference and most players eventually learn it after putting hours into the game, just like I did. But we are here to help you with our experience in this Elden ring samurai build guide.
Playing the samurai is all about knowing when to use the longbow and when to use the uchigatana. Remember that the uchigatana should be used when in melee range and the longbow should be used when there is a significant distance between you and the enemy.
For example, if you see a fair amount of foes from distance, rather than whipping out your uchigatana and advancing towards them, you should try to take out as many enemies as possible by using the ‘mighty shot’ ability of your bow. Once you have done that head towards the enemies with your uchigatana and show them what you are made of.
Use the same tactic in boss fights because even though you will not be able to kill the bosses with the ‘mighty shot’ but still you will bring their health down to two-thirds or even half before even starting melee combat.
Another tactic that you can adopt when dealing with a swarm of enemies is using the longbow to single out the foe so that you can take them on one on one with uchigatana. In this way, you will not be overpowered by them and will also be able to bring them to their knees certainly.
The samurai build in Elden Ring also works perfectly well on a horseback because of the deadly combination of the longbow and the uchigatana that comes with it. You can use the longbow from horseback on enemies that are harder to melee but the uchigatana hits like a ton of bricks from it as well. keeping that in mind, you should utilize this as much as possible.
One of the reasons why the samurai build is so enjoyable for players is because it has the advantage of not being only ranged or only melee, unlike other builds.
Samurai Attributes
We have mentioned earlier that it does not matter a lot where you put your points early on in the game. However as you proceed further and further into the game you will need to decide between the two. Dexterity is surely the superior choice here because it is better suited to uchigatana and the samurai’s moveset.
Another stat that you should pump some points into is vigor. You will be in the melee range a lot of the time and that even without a shield which means that you will be taking hits even if not frequently. Hence by pumping points into vigor, you will be able to live through the strikes that you take.
Final tips for Elden ring Samurai Build
- We highly suggest taking a golden seed because it will give you one extra healing and mana potion, giving you a little bit of a better start.
- Crafting bloodbone arrows can also prove to be quite useful (even though they inflict lesser damage) because they also have the ‘bleeding effect’ like the uchigatana. All you need is Nomadic Warrior’s Cookbook, 3 x thin beast bones, and a bloodrose.
- Make sure to upgrade your weapons at the smithing station because this will increase your damage. You can find these all over the map.
To end our Elden ring samurai build guide, we are going to put major emphasis on the ‘unsheathe’ skill of the uchigatana. It is such a cold move that it can prove to be the difference that will make your build elite.
That will be all for today, if you found this guide helpful at all, why not head over to our other guides on Elden ring and see what we have in store for you.
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