The Samurai class in Elden Ring offers a unique blend of agility, precision, and power that appeals to many players who enjoy a versatile and stylish combat approach. With its origins rooted in swift melee attacks and keen archery skills, the Samurai build can be adapted in multiple ways to suit various challenges throughout the Lands Between. Building an effective Samurai character isn’t just about picking the right class it’s about shaping your stats, gear, and combat style into a lethal combination. If you’re looking to create a deadly yet graceful warrior, mastering how to build Samurai in Elden Ring is essential.
Choosing the Samurai Class
The Samurai starts with a well-balanced loadout and stat distribution that makes it ideal for both beginners and veterans. With high Dexterity, decent Endurance, and a solid weapon loadout, you’re given a strong foundation to specialize further.
Starting Stats Overview
- Vigor: 12
- Mind: 11
- Endurance: 13
- Strength: 12
- Dexterity: 15
- Intelligence: 9
- Faith: 8
- Arcane: 8
As you can see, the Samurai starts with a clear advantage in Dexterity, which pairs perfectly with katanas and bows. This makes the class ideal for a build focused on fast weapon scaling, bleed effects, and agile movement.
Weapon Choices for Samurai Builds
Weapon selection is central to building your Samurai effectively. Katanas are the obvious choice, but depending on your playstyle, there are other excellent options to consider for a well-rounded Samurai build in Elden Ring.
Best Katanas for Samurai
- Uchigatana: Your starting weapon as a Samurai. It scales well with Dexterity and causes bleed build-up.
- Moonveil: Ideal for hybrid Dexterity/Intelligence builds. Great for magic-infused attacks.
- Rivers of Blood: This katana has one of the best bleed-based Weapon Skills in the game. Suits aggressive builds.
- Nagakiba: Has an extremely long reach, perfect for spacing and precision slashing.
Katanas deal both physical and bleed damage. Bleed is highly effective against many bosses and enemies, making these weapons particularly strong when paired with Dexterity-focused builds.
Secondary Weapons
- Longbow: The starting bow has decent range and works well for pulling enemies or weakening groups from a distance.
- Cross-Naginata: Great for thrust attacks if you want variety in melee combat.
- Parrying Dagger: For players who enjoy risky but rewarding parry playstyles.
Samurai excel when able to control the pace of combat, and mixing ranged with melee options helps achieve this balance.
Stat Allocation Strategy
To build an optimized Samurai, you’ll need to level up the right attributes to support your weapon choices and playstyle. The priority stats differ slightly based on your weapon and whether you lean into melee or hybrid builds.
Dexterity-Focused Build
- Dexterity: Prioritize to increase katana damage output and reduce fall damage. Aim for 40-50.
- Vigor: Boost your health to survive close-range combat. 40 is a strong late-game target.
- Endurance: Needed for stamina and equip load. Level to at least 2530.
Hybrid Intelligence Build (Moonveil users)
- Intelligence: Level to 4060 to scale Moonveil’s magic damage effectively.
- Mind: Helps with FP management if using frequent Weapon Skills or spells.
Keep Strength at base requirement unless you plan to use heavier weapons. Faith and Arcane are optional unless you want to explore bleed scaling or incantations.
Armor and Equipment
Samurai armor should balance protection with mobility. You want to maintain fast roll speed while offering enough defense to survive a few hits in melee range.
Recommended Armor Sets
- Land of Reeds Set: The Samurai’s default armor. Lightweight and stylish, good for dodging.
- White Reed Set: Offers slightly better resistance with a similar aesthetic.
- Ronin’s Set: A fashionable option with balanced stats and a lore-friendly feel.
Try to stay within medium load to keep your movement responsive. Equip load is determined by your total gear weight and Endurance stat, so adjust your items accordingly.
Ashes of War and Weapon Skills
Ashes of War can greatly enhance your Samurai’s weapons, adding custom Weapon Skills and scaling effects. Choosing the right Ash depends on your katana and combat preference.
Best Ashes of War for Samurai
- Seppuku: Adds significant bleed buildup to your weapon. Extremely strong on dual katanas.
- Unsheathe: Default Ash of War on Uchigatana. Quick, powerful slashing skill.
- Bloody Slash: Deals high damage with a health trade-off. Great for aggressive play.
- Sword Dance: Rapid slashes that deal heavy stagger. Useful against mobs or pressure situations.
Always match your Ashes of War to your build’s scaling type. Using Dexterity-based scaling will get the most out of your katana weapons.
Combat Tips for Samurai Builds
Knowing how to build Samurai in Elden Ring is one thing, but executing it in combat is another. You’ll need quick reflexes, smart spacing, and awareness of enemy patterns to truly excel as a Samurai.
Effective Samurai Playstyle
- Stay aggressive but calculated: Don’t overcommit strike with precision and back away.
- Use dodge rolls over blocking: Your build favors agility, not tanking damage.
- Capitalize on bleed effects: Let bleed build-up work in your favor during longer fights.
- Switch weapons when needed: Don’t rely on only your katana bows and ranged options add versatility.
Boss fights especially reward players who understand timing. Samurai builds are perfect for punishing recovery windows and chaining light, fast hits without overexposing themselves.
Dual Katana Setup
For more advanced players, dual-wielding katanas is a powerful way to maximize damage and bleed potential. Equip two compatible katanas and use the power-stance to unlock unique dual attacks.
Suggested Pairings
- Uchigatana + Nagakiba: Balanced reach and bleed with quick strikes.
- Seppuku Uchigatana + Rivers of Blood: Focused on maximum bleed burst and pressure.
This setup is excellent for PvP and late-game PvE content, but it requires good stamina management and positioning. Avoid being surrounded or taking too many hits during dual attacks.
Creating the perfect Samurai build in Elden Ring requires a deep understanding of your stats, equipment, and combat rhythm. Whether you prefer a pure Dexterity-based melee fighter or a hybrid spellblade using Moonveil, the Samurai offers plenty of flexibility and deadly potential. By investing wisely in your attributes, mastering your weapon skills, and maintaining mobility, you can carve your path through the Lands Between with style and precision. Embrace the blade, sharpen your reflexes, and let your katana lead the way to victory.