Elden Ring DLC: The Drawbacks of the Bleed Great Katana Build
In Elden Ring, the diversity of available builds allows players to tailor their playstyle and face the game numerous challenges in unique ways. Among the more popular setups, the Bleed Great Katana build has gained a strong following, especially with the introduction of new content in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. While this build can deal massive damage with its focus on bleed effects, it comes with a set of significant drawbacks that players need to consider before committing to this high-risk, high-reward playstyle.
A defining characteristic of the Bleed Great Katana build is its “glass cannon” nature. Players who embrace this setup focus on delivering devastating damage, often relying on the Vampiric Rift Tear and other bleed-enhancing abilities. While this can result in overwhelming damage output, it also leaves players with little room for error. The build thrives on aggressive, fast-paced play, but it requires high levels of skill and precision—especially in dodging attacks and positioning. One wrong move can lead to a quick death, making it a high-risk choice for players who may struggle with timing or controlling the flow of combat.
The core of the Bleed Great Katana build is maximizing damage potential, often at the expense of defense. As players prioritize increasing attack power through Dexterity and Arcane for bleed buildup, they often neglect health, armor, and Elden Ring Runes resistance stats. This leaves them vulnerable to taking significant damage from enemy attacks. The result is a fragile playstyle where dealing massive damage is the focus, but surviving long enough to deliver that damage is a constant challenge. This can be especially punishing in boss fights or encounters with aggressive foes that require careful positioning and defensive tactics.
One of the key downsides of the Bleed Great Katana setup is its lack of build variety. By focusing heavily on a single weapon type and damage output, players often find themselves constrained in terms of stats and playstyle options. The build typically relies on Dexterity and Arcane to maximize bleed damage, leaving little room for other attributes or combat styles. This specialization can make the gameplay feel repetitive, as players are often limited to one approach in different combat scenarios. This lack of flexibility can grow stale over time, especially for players who enjoy experimenting with different weapons, spells, or strategies.
The Bleed Great Katana build is deeply dependent on the bleed mechanic, which inflicts significant damage over time as the status effect builds up. While bleed can produce devastating bursts of damage, this reliance can be a double-edged sword. If the bleed effect fails to trigger or an enemy resists it, the build effectiveness is drastically reduced. Some bosses and enemies are specifically designed to counter bleed, either by healing quickly or having high resistance to the status effect. In these cases, players may find themselves struggling to deal meaningful damage, forcing them to adapt mid-fight or switch strategies.
As a glass cannon build, the Bleed Great Katana also suffers from being highly susceptible to crowd control effects. Many enemies and bosses in Elden Ring can inflict stuns, freezes, or other debilitating effects that interrupt your attacks and positioning. This vulnerability is particularly dangerous in multiplayer scenarios, where enemies can more easily overwhelm a player with coordinated crowd control tactics. Without the ability to recover quickly from stuns or prevent knockdowns, players using the Bleed Great Katana may find themselves at a significant disadvantage in both PvE and PvP combat.
The Bleed Great Katana build offers an exciting, high-damage approach to Elden Ring, particularly with the additional content and challenges introduced in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. However, it is far from a one-size-fits-all solution. The build's glass cannon nature, reliance on the bleed mechanic, and lack of defensive options make it a risky choice that requires significant skill and awareness to master. Additionally, the build’s limited versatility and vulnerability to crowd control can make certain encounters frustrating and difficult.Enhance your gaming experience and conquer the lands in between with premium buy Elden Ring Items from MMOexp.
For players considering this setup, it’s crucial to understand its limitations and how it might affect your gameplay experience. While it can be immensely powerful in the right hands, the Bleed Great Katana build is not without its flaws.
