In this article, you will learn how to do a Vagrant Samurai Build in Elden Ring. You will rely on Dexterity for this build, primarily. Other than focusing on performance and damage output, we will also focus on the look of the character that uses this build. That is, the armour and weapons for this build will strictly stick to the Ronin theme. Of course, you can switch out the armour as per your tastes, if you’d prefer.
The Starting Class
You’re better off selecting a class that prioritises Dexterity, and obviously, the best class for this build is the Samurai class. You will get an Uchigatana as your starting weapon for the Samurai class, and if you’d prefer, you can dual-wield two Uchigatanas for this build to great effect.
The Weapons
There are multiple weapons that you can use for this build. Because this playstyle is very flexible and customisable, you can choose whatever weapon takes your interest among the following. Every weapon in the below list does Bleed damage, and you will be relying on it to quickly defeat your foes.
- Uchigatana: You can either two-hand this katana or dual-wield them if you have a spare one. If you chose the Samurai class in the beginning, you will get an Uchigatana as your starting weapon. And you can find another one in the game world.
- Wakizashi: Wakizashi is a dagger and you can wield this in your off-hand if you prefer. If you’d focus on parrying your enemies’ attacks, putting the Parry Ash of War on this dagger will prove to be excellent.
- Nagakiba: This extraordinarily long katana is perfect for cutting down enemies while keeping your distance. If you prefer dual-wielding, wield the Nagakiba in one hand and wield an Uchigatana in the other.
- Cross-Naginata: This is a spear that’s capable of doing thrust attacks as well as slashes. Wielding this weapon in two hands is the ideal way. I also advise keeping a Wakizashi or an Uchigatana in your off-hand as a secondary weapon if you go with the Cross-Naginata.
As for Ashes of War, we will rely mostly on the basic weapon attacks, so you can choose any Ash of War you want for your weapons. I’ve found that certain thrusting Ashes of War, especially the Impaling Thrust (default weapon skill of the Cross-Naginata) to be really effective and to fit well with the theme of the build.
Stats
We will adjust our stats in a way that we’ll be able to wield all the weapons in the above list comfortably. You only need to invest points in Dexterity and Strength in order to wield these. Respectively, put 22 points in Dexterity and 18 points in Strength.
Because your main stat is Dexterity, I would suggest putting the Keen affinity on your weapon of choice for this build so they will scale exceptionally with Dexterity.
Continue to put points in Dexterity mainly. And as with any other build, you also must put points in Vigour and Endurance.
Armour
These are the outfits that match the theme of our build.
Ronin’s Set
White Reed Set
Land of Reeds Set
There are some other chest pieces that might fit the theme of a Ronin.
Preceptor’s Long Gown.
While it doesn’t exactly look like a kimono of a samurai, it does bear some resemblance. If you alter it, the armour will look more like an outfit worn by certain Star Wars characters. Then, too, it will somewhat fit the theme of the Vagrant Samurai.
Alberich’s Robe (altered)
When you alter Alberich’s Robe, the resulting chest piece will somewhat match with the theme. It also looks kind of similar to the outfit worn by Vergil in Devil May Cry.
It’s unfortunate that we didn’t get many outfits other than the White Reed Set, Land of Reeds Set and the Ronin’s Set as Samurai-themed outfits, but we’ll make do with what we have.
Talismans
Rotten Winged Sword Insignia to raise attack power with successive attacks.
Prosthesis-Wearer Heirloom to raise Dexterity by 5 points.
Millicent’s Prosthesis to raise Dexterity by 5 points and increase attack power with successive attacks.
Lord of Blood’s Exultation to raise your attack power by 20% when Blood Loss is in the vicinity.
The Playstyle
In this build, you will focus on dealing a lot of damage in a short time in order to utilise the Blood Loss effect. You must use windows of opportunity to continuously attack your enemies in order to best use the effects of our Talismans. Dodging is your main form of defence, as you won’t be using any shields. Parrying is also a good form of offensive defence and you’re better off using the Wakizashi with the Parry Ash of War for this.
Also, if you want to inflict even more Bleed damage, craft some Blood Grease with some Root Resin and Bloodroses. Because the weapons that I listed for this build already inflict Bleed, the effect from the Blood Grease will actually greatly improve it, allowing you to overwhelm your enemies with constant blood loss.
