Mastering Elden Ring: Best Samurai Base Templates

by Jhon Lennon 50 views

Hey guys! So, you're looking to become the ultimate Samurai in Elden Ring, huh? Awesome! Building a solid base template is the key to success in the Lands Between. It's the foundation upon which you'll build your character, deciding your stats, weapons, and armor. Don't worry, I've got you covered. In this guide, we'll dive deep into some of the best base templates for your Samurai build, so you can slash your way to victory. Let's get started. We'll explore various templates, each designed to fit different playstyles, from the nimble katana wielder to the heavy-hitting strength-based Samurai. I'll break down the stat distribution, best starting classes, weapons, armor, and even some helpful tips and tricks to get you started. So, buckle up, grab your katana, and let's forge a Samurai legend!

Understanding the Samurai Class

Before we jump into the templates, let's quickly chat about the Samurai class itself. The Samurai is a fantastic starting class in Elden Ring, and a super popular pick, primarily because it's well-rounded. It begins with high Dexterity and Vigor, allowing for early game survivability and damage output. They also start with a solid katana, the Uchigatana, which is a staple weapon for any Samurai build. Furthermore, the Samurai's starting armor is also quite decent, offering a good balance between protection and mobility. The Samurai class also benefits from access to the Bloody Slash skill early on, which significantly boosts your damage and allows for bleed buildup. Understanding the strengths of the Samurai class is vital for maximizing your character's potential. They're designed for a fast-paced, aggressive playstyle, focusing on swift attacks and strategic dodges. The Samurai's high Dexterity stat fuels both their damage output and the effectiveness of their chosen weapons. Additionally, the Samurai's high Vigor stat increases their health pool, making them more resilient in combat. The Samurai excels at applying bleed effects, which can devastate enemies, especially bosses that are vulnerable to this effect. Therefore, optimizing your build around bleed and Dexterity is the key to unlocking the true power of the Samurai. Whether you are new to Elden Ring or a veteran, the Samurai class offers a balanced starting point, making it a great choice for players of all skill levels. With the right template, the Samurai can become an incredibly powerful force in the game.

Strengths of the Samurai

  • High Dexterity: Grants good damage and faster casting speed, perfect for quick attacks.
  • High Vigor: Provides a large health pool, increasing survivability.
  • Starting Uchigatana: A fantastic katana that deals great damage and can inflict bleed.
  • Solid Armor: Offers good protection and mobility.
  • Bloody Slash: A powerful skill that increases damage and causes bleed buildup.

Weaknesses of the Samurai

  • Reliance on Dexterity: Makes them vulnerable to enemies with high resistance to Dexterity-based attacks.
  • Early Game Difficulty: May struggle against certain enemies until a good build is established.
  • Can be Squishy: While Vigor is high, high damage attacks can be troublesome.

The Dexterity/Bleed Samurai Template

This is perhaps the most popular and iconic Samurai build. It centers around maximizing Dexterity and utilizing weapons that inflict bleed. This template focuses on dealing rapid damage and inflicting the bleed status effect on enemies. This build is designed for high damage output and a fast-paced combat style. The name of the game is to apply bleed as quickly as possible, melting bosses and dealing devastating damage.

Stat Distribution

  • Vigor: 40-60 (essential for survivability, aim for 40 early and increase as you level)
  • Mind: 20-25 (for FP to use skills)
  • Endurance: 25-30 (to wear heavier armor and perform more attacks without running out of stamina)
  • Strength: Base (to meet weapon requirements. Don't waste points here unless necessary)
  • Dexterity: 60-80 (the primary damage stat, max out for maximum damage)
  • Intelligence: Base
  • Faith: Base
  • Arcane: 20-30 (increases bleed buildup and helps with certain weapons)

Starting Class

The Samurai class is the obvious choice. The Samurai already starts with the Uchigatana and a decent amount of Dexterity.

Weapons

  • Uchigatana: This is your starting weapon. It's a fantastic katana with a good moveset. Later, you'll want to either keep this one or switch to the Rivers of Blood katana (obtainable late-game, but extremely powerful). Another option is the Nagakiba katana, which has superior reach.
  • Secondary Weapon: A second katana, possibly with a different Ash of War or status effect, is useful for various situations.
  • Optional: A short bow for pulling enemies, or a second katana for power-stancing (dual wielding)

Armor

  • Focus on armor that provides good protection without being too heavy. The Ronin's Set is a good option.
  • Aim for an equip load below 70% for the best rolling effectiveness.

Talismans

  • Lord of Blood's Exultation: Greatly increases attack power when bleed is inflicted.
  • Green Turtle Talisman: Increases stamina recovery speed.
  • Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman: Reduces physical damage taken.
  • Optional: Ritual Sword Talisman (increases attack power at max HP) or Millicent's Prosthesis (increases Dexterity and attack power)

Strategy

  • Prioritize Bleed: Your main goal is to inflict bleed as quickly as possible. Use skills like Bloody Slash or Seppuku (Ash of War) to enhance bleed buildup.
  • Aggressive Play: Be aggressive in combat, but also be mindful of your stamina and enemy attacks.
  • Dodge and Counter: Learn to dodge enemy attacks effectively and counter with your own.

The Quality Samurai Template

This template provides a more balanced approach, focusing on scaling both Strength and Dexterity. It's great if you want a diverse set of weapons, but you will sacrifice a bit of specialization. The Quality Samurai build is designed to offer flexibility, allowing you to wield a wide variety of weapons. This build will suit you if you like the versatility of different weapons and want to experiment with various playstyles. This balanced approach to damage and scaling allows the Quality Samurai to be adaptable to different combat scenarios and enemy types. This build sacrifices the hyper-specialization of the Dexterity/Bleed build for a more general approach.

Stat Distribution

  • Vigor: 40-60 (essential for survivability)
  • Mind: 20-25 (for FP to use skills)
  • Endurance: 25-30 (for stamina and equip load)
  • Strength: 40-60 (increases damage with Strength-scaling weapons)
  • Dexterity: 40-60 (increases damage with Dexterity-scaling weapons)
  • Intelligence: Base
  • Faith: Base
  • Arcane: Base or minimal (unless you want to add bleed)

Starting Class

The Samurai class is still a good choice, but the Vagabond can be considered too because it has a higher starting Strength.

Weapons

  • Uchigatana: A reliable katana that works well.
  • Quality Weapons: Experiment with various weapons that scale well with both Strength and Dexterity. Examples include the Moonveil Katana, Bloodhound's Fang, and other weapons that have good scaling.
  • Heavy Weapons: Weapons like the Claymore or Greatsword can be used with this build.

Armor

  • Similar to the Dexterity/Bleed build, focus on armor that offers good protection without sacrificing too much mobility.
  • Aim for an equip load below 70%.

Talismans

  • Green Turtle Talisman: Faster stamina recovery.
  • Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman: Reduces physical damage taken.
  • Claw Talisman: Boosts jump attack damage.
  • Optional: Ritual Sword Talisman or Shard of Alexander (for increased damage)

Strategy

  • Weapon Variety: Switch between different weapons depending on the enemy and situation.
  • Balanced Attacks: Use a mix of quick and heavy attacks, as well as weapon skills.
  • Adaptability: The key is being able to adapt your playstyle and weapon choice to each encounter.

The Strength/Samurai Template

This template allows you to wield large, powerful weapons with your Samurai character. This build focuses on raw strength and power. It's designed for players who enjoy heavy hits and staggering enemies. This build sacrifices some speed and dexterity for massive damage and the ability to wield large weapons. The build lets you feel the crushing weight of your attacks. This template trades the katana for larger weapons, and sacrifices speed for damage.

Stat Distribution

  • Vigor: 40-60 (essential for survivability)
  • Mind: Base
  • Endurance: 30-40 (to handle heavy weapons and armor)
  • Strength: 60-80 (the primary damage stat)
  • Dexterity: Base (to meet weapon requirements)
  • Intelligence: Base
  • Faith: Base
  • Arcane: Base

Starting Class

The Vagabond class is a fantastic choice here, as it starts with high Strength.

Weapons

  • Greatswords: Weapons like the Guts Greatsword are excellent choices.
  • Colossal Weapons: These offer the highest damage, but require a significant investment in Strength. Consider the Giant-Crusher for pure, unadulterated power.
  • Optional: A katana or curved sword for faster attacks.

Armor

  • Focus on heavy armor that provides good protection, even if it impacts your roll speed a bit. Aim for an equip load under 70%.
  • The Great-Jar's Arsenal talisman can help with equip load.

Talismans

  • Green Turtle Talisman: Faster stamina recovery.
  • Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman: Reduces physical damage taken.
  • Great-Jar's Arsenal: Increases equip load.
  • Optional: Claw Talisman, Ritual Sword Talisman

Strategy

  • Heavy Hits: Focus on powerful, deliberate attacks.
  • Staggering: Aim to stagger enemies with your heavy weapons, opening them up for critical hits.
  • Defense: Prioritize blocking and dodging when necessary.

Tips for All Samurai Builds

Here are some general tips that will help with any Samurai build:

  • Level Appropriately: Don't be afraid to level up your character. Put points into stats that benefit your build, but focus on Vigor early on to increase survivability.
  • Explore and Experiment: Elden Ring is a vast world. Try out different weapons, armor, and Ash of War to find what suits your playstyle best.
  • Use Ashes of War: Ashes of War are skills that you can equip on your weapons. They can significantly enhance your damage output and provide you with a tactical advantage.
  • Learn Enemy Patterns: Understanding enemy attack patterns is crucial to success in Elden Ring. Learn when to dodge, parry, or counterattack.
  • Upgrade Your Weapons: Make sure to upgrade your weapons at the blacksmith. Upgrading your weapons will increase your damage output and make the game much easier.
  • Don't Give Up: Elden Ring can be a challenging game. If you're struggling, don't give up. Learn from your mistakes, adjust your build, and try again!

Conclusion

Choosing the best base template for your Samurai in Elden Ring ultimately depends on your preferred playstyle. The Dexterity/Bleed build is great for high damage and fast-paced combat. The Quality build offers versatility, while the Strength build is all about raw power. Experiment with different builds and find one that you enjoy the most. Good luck, and may the Lands Between be kind to you, Tarnished!