The Rivers of Blood katana is an extremely powerful weapon in Elden Ring, in no small part due to its ability to inflict blood loss and its Corpse Piler skill. Indeed, this weapon can be absolutely devastating, especially when it is supported by a complimentary build.

This guide is here to provide recommendations on how to build around the Rivers of Blood in Elden Ring, and it will help players get the most out of this unique katana.

Updated June 29, 2023 by Erik Petrovich: In Elden Ring Rivers of Blood is still considered to be a top-tier weapon, even though it has been changed significantly since the game launched. Rivers of Blood Elden Ring players are a unique sort, and thanks in part to the weapon's over-use in PvP, it's a bit weaker against other players than it used to be. It's still strong, and well worth picking up two of. But to get Rivers of Blood in the first place (or to get a second one), players must venture nearly to the end of the game, well past the point of having discovered the entirety of the main continent of the Lands Between. To make things worse, the NPC players must kill is a familiar friend, now turned to Mohg, who appears as an invader in the Mountaintops of Giants.

How To Get Rivers of Blood

Rivers of Blood is a weapon that players can see earlier than they can acquire – during the fight against General Radahn, players can summon a phantom named Okina. Okina wields Rivers of Blood during this boss battle, but to get it, players will have to defeat him much further in the game.

In the Mountaintops of Giants, at the Church of Repose found on the cliffs just a short ride from the entrance to the Fire Giant fight, Okina will invade the Tarnished. This time, though, he is named Bloody Finger Okina. Whether or not he has always served Mohg is a question for the lore-versed, but his service ends when players slay him and pick up his iconic weapon. Just like when fighting players who wield Rivers of Blood, watch out for the long-ranged Bleed attacks from this katana in the Okina boss fight.

Rivers of Blood is not an easy weapon to acquire, and like other uniquely named weapons, only one can be earned in a single playthrough. That said, players who delve into New Game Plus in Elden Ring or who can find others willing to trade online can get two of these for one of the best dual-wield setups in the game, let alone just for PvP play.

Rivers of Blood Stat Requirements

Rivers of Blood has relatively demanding stat requirements, that is unless your build has delved into Arcane. Most builds stay away from Arcane because it is only useful for Item Discovery and certain spells, but Rivers of Blood scales with Arcane. Because of this relationship, Rivers of Blood is one of the very few Arcane-scaling Bleed weapons in Elden Ring.

Best Stats for Rivers of Blood

Arcane and Dexterity are the most important stats for getting damage out of Elden Ring's Rivers of Blood katana, and they should be prioritized. Players should also make sure that they have enough Vigor to withstand some of the game's hardest-hitting enemies, and then pump their Mind and Endurance stats to be able to use the resource-heavy Corpse Piler Ash of War that comes with the Rivers of Blood.

Above is an example of the proper stat allocation for a Level 125 Samurai using twin Rivers of Blood, for maximum efficiency. If you don't have a second Rivers of Blood yet, either continue into NG+ to get one naturally or trade with another player, but use an alternative in the meantime, like an Uchigatana or Wakizashi. The dual-wielding moveset is incredibly powerful with katanas, and players will proc bleed much more often.

This is only a suggestion, as part of Elden Ring's appeal is the ability to experiment as they see fit. If you find yourself hurting for more FP, Health, Stamina, or want to pair Rivers of Blood with Sorceries or Incantations, there's nothing wrong with a little reallocation. Just keep Arcane and Dexterity high and keep Strength high enough to powerstance the weapon effectively.

Rivers of Blood Offhand Armament and Ash of War

It is recommended that players dual wield the Rivers of Blood katana alongside either the Uchigatana or Nagakiba, with the second of these two options requiring some additional points be put into Strength.

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Furthermore, fans are advised to apply the Seppuku skill to their secondary weapon regardless of the sword that they ultimately select for that slot. Indeed, this setup makes characters extremely effective at inflicting blood loss upon a foe, which is a primary focus of this build.

• Uchigatana: Found in the Deathtouched Catacombs in Limgrave.
• Nagakiba: Obtained through Yura's questline in Elden Ring.
• Seppuku Ash of War: Earned upon killing an invisible scarab just east of the Freezing Lake Site of Grace in the Mountaintops of the Giants.

Rivers of Blood Armor Sets and Talismans

The one armor piece that players using the Rivers of Blood katana should absolutely equip is the White Mask, as that helmet grants a 10% attack power increase for 20 seconds after blood loss has been inflicted. Fans that like to use jump attacks may also want to consider equipping the Raptor's Black Feathers chest to strengthen those attacks by around 10%. The other two armor slots can be filled to the player's preference, so long as they take care to avoid hitting a heavy equip load.

• White Mask: Dropped by an invader in the blood lake area of Elden Ring's Mohgwyn Palace. Cannot be obtained if Mohg, Lord of Blood has been killed.
• Raptor's Black Feathers: In a chest past an illusory wall in Altus Plateau's Sage's Cave.

When it comes to Rivers of Blood talismans, there are three that work perfectly with the build, and a free slot to do with as you will. The Lord of Blood's Exultation is the only critical Talisman for this build, as it grants a 20% attack boost when blood loss is inflicted nearby and stacks with the White Mask. Players should consider equipping the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia for bonus attack power with successive hits, and the Carian Filigreed Crest to lower the FP cost of skills (a.k.a. Corpse Piler) by 25%.

For the fourth Talisman slot, there are many suitable options. Both Erdtree's Favor +2 or either Soreseal are worth considering if a player wants a more-general boost to their character, while the Claw Talisman may be better for those that like jump attacks and stacks with the Raptor's Black Feathers. Fans may also want to think about the Godskin Swaddling Cloth or Taker's Cameo, as those will bring a bit of healing to the build.

• Lord of Blood's Exultation: Dropped by Esgar, Priest of Blood in Leyndell Catacombs beneath Elden Ring's Leyndell, Royal Capital.
• Rotten Winged Sword Insignia: Earned during Millicent's questline in Elden Ring.
• Carian Filigreed Crest: Sold by War Counselor Iji during Blaidd's questline in Elden Ring.
• Erdtree's Favor +2: Found in the large courtyard in Leyndell after the city undergoes a major change.
• Radagon's Soreseal: Looted from a corpse in Caelid's Fort Faroth.
• Marika's Soreseal: On an altar past a Stonesword Key barrier at the bottom of Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree.
• Godskin Swaddling Cloth: Obtained by defeating the bosses in the Mountaintops of the Giants' Spiritcaller Cave.
• Taker's Cameo: Awarded as part of the questline at Elden Ring's Volcano Manor.

Elden Ring is available now for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X|S.

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