Elden Ring Bleed guide: Best weapons, Ash of War, and more

Elden Ring recently got updated to version 1.06. The update greatly nerfed Rivers of Blood and its weapon art, Corpse Piler, which was the go-to for players who preferred the Blood Loss status effect. In Elden Ring, Bleed or Blood Loss is one of the most powerful status effects that you can use. It can be used to decimate even the strongest of late-game bosses effectively.

With Rivers of Blood getting nerfed, players are bound to take a look at other options that will allow them to benefit from the Blood Loss status ailment. Fortunately, Elden Ring offers a variety of options in terms of weapons and Ash of War. These options can help players craft a potentially powerful Bleed build that is viable for most of the PvE content in the game.

Blood Loss is triggered when players build up the Bleed meter on their target, which causes it to lose a good chunk of its health when the meter fills. The meter goes up with every successful hit that players make with a Bleed-infused weapon.

For this reason, a faster and more agile weapon should be considered for Bleed-oriented builds, along with talismans that amplify the status effect.

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Weapon of choice for Bleed build in Elden Ring

Weapons like katanas and curved swords are the best choices for builds that are focused on Blood Loss. Most of the katanas in Elden Ring come with Bleed build-up by default. Players can further enhance their katana by imbuing it with an Ash of War that allows the weapon to scale with Arcane.

Although not necessary to inflict Bleed, dual-wielding or power-stancing is a major contributing factor to the effectiveness of the build, as it allows players to fill the bleed meter relatively quicker. However, getting two of the same weapons will require players to go into NG+. Katanas like Uchigatana and Nagakiba are the best picks for Bleed-oriented builds.

Uchigatana is available as a starting weapon for the Samurai class. Alternatively, players can obtain the katana from the Catacombs in Limgrave. Nagakiba, on the other hand, is available after progressing Yura's questline.

Another alternative weapon for the build is the Scavenger's Curved Sword, which can be obtained at Mt. Gelmir. The weapon is an excellent choice for Blood Loss builds due to its superb arcane scaling and low requirements.

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Best Ash of War to use for Bleed build

Elden Ring boasts a ton of great Ashes of War that grant some unique and interesting weapon skills. However, only a few of them are useful for a Bleed-focused build.

Seppuku and Bloody Slash are two of the most powerful Ashes of War that allow players to imbue Blood Loss status on their weapons.

Seppuku can be found on the frozen river bank in Mountaintops of the Giants. Bloody Slash, on the other hand, can be found pretty early in the game at Fort Haight in Limgrave.

Seppuku does not have an attack of its own. Instead, it buffs a weapon's Bleed damage capabilities at the cost of a small amount of health damage. Seppuku is preferred for builds that are purely focused on Blood Loss since it allows players to easily fill the bleed meter on enemies with very few hits.

Bloody Slash, on the other hand, allows players to launch a bloody projectile that consumes FP and deals slight health damage. The projectile fired from the weapon is capable of dealing massive damage to bosses and potentially one-shot small enemies.

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Talisman to enhance Bleed damage

There are quite a few useful talismans that Elden Ring players can use in their build to increase the Bleed damage. However, the most important one is Lord of Blood's Exultation, which increases attack power with Blood Loss in the vicinity.

Using Lord of Blood's Exultation in conjunction with Seppuku is the best way to maximize Bleed damage against bosses in the game. Players can also go with Rotten Winged Sword Insignia, which raises attack power with successive attacks, or Millicent's Prosthesis, which does the same but also raises dexterity.

Another talisman that players can use is Claw Talisman, which enhances jump attacks if players prefer that play style. Players can also use the Godfrey Icon, which enhances charged spells and skills. Godskin Swaddling Cloth, which allows players to restore health with successive attacks, is another great option.

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Best armor pieces to go with Bleed build

Choice armor does not play a major role in the build's efficiency. However, there are a few armor pieces in Elden Ring that can somewhat enhance the Blood Loss affinity in a build.

White Mask Varre's armor set, in particular, is geared towards enhancing Blood Loss. The White Mask helm increases attack power by 10% for around 20 seconds once Blood Loss is triggered on an enemy.

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Blood Loss is one of the most sought-after build types in Elden Ring. However, it is one of the most nerfed status effects since launch, be it Seppuku's health damage or the recent nerf on Rivers of Blood.

However, with the right combination of weapons, talismans, and Ash of War, players can easily create some impressive builds that are viable against most of the bosses in the game.