What Should I Use Bloody Slash On? A Comprehensive Guide
Bloody Slash is a powerful Ash of War in Elden Ring, known for its high damage potential and ability to inflict Hemorrhage (Bleed) buildup. But where does it truly shine? The short answer is: You should use Bloody Slash on standard swords, excluding colossal swords, that you intend to build around bleed damage, or need a strong early game ability to push through the story. This includes a wide range of weapon types like straight swords, curved swords, katanas, and even some smaller blades that fall under the sword category. Let’s delve deeper into why, how, and where to best utilize this formidable skill.
Understanding Bloody Slash
Bloody Slash is more than just a simple attack. It’s a Blood affinity skill that coats your blade in your own blood, powering up your next strike. This attack delivers a wide, arcing slash, capable of dealing massive damage. The skill’s true potential lies in its Hemorrhage buildup, allowing you to quickly stack bleed on enemies, resulting in significant percentage-based damage. It’s particularly useful for dealing with tanky bosses or high-health adversaries.
Key Features of Bloody Slash:
- Damage: High initial damage, making it effective for one-shotting smaller enemies.
- Hemorrhage: Induces a strong bleed effect, causing bonus damage based on a percentage of the enemy’s health.
- Arcane Scaling: Damage scales with the Arcane stat, making it more potent with Arcane-focused builds.
- Weapon Upgrade Scaling: Damage increases as the weapon it is applied to is upgraded.
- Cost: Each use does incur an HP cost equal to 0.05 * Max HP + 50 (rounded down).
Best Weapon Types for Bloody Slash
While Bloody Slash can be applied to any sword (excluding colossal swords), some weapon types benefit more than others:
- Katanas: Katanas naturally have a high Bleed build-up, making them ideal candidates. Infusing a katana like the Uchigatana with Bloody Slash leads to a deadly combination of raw damage and potent Bleed procs.
- Straight Swords: Versatile and relatively fast, straight swords such as the Longsword can take advantage of the high single-target damage the skill provides, with the added bonus of bleed.
- Curved Swords: Similar to straight swords, these benefit greatly due to fast swings. The added bleed build-up from bloody slash can help trigger the Bleed damage quicker, increasing damage per second.
When to Use Bloody Slash
Bloody Slash isn’t just for hitting enemies. Here are some specific situations where it truly shines:
- Early Game Bosses: The ability to inflict high damage early on makes Bloody Slash an excellent tool against early game bosses, such as Margit or Godrick.
- Tanky Foes: Opponents with high health pools are vulnerable to Bleed damage. Bloody Slash is useful in these cases since the bleed does a percentage of health as damage.
- PvP Engagements: Its wide arc makes it difficult for other players to dodge, making it a threatening skill in PvP scenarios. The high damage can easily one-shot other players if not careful.
- Clearing Areas: The wide slash helps clear out weaker groups of enemies.
Building Around Bloody Slash
To maximize the efficiency of Bloody Slash, consider these factors:
- Arcane Stat: Increasing your Arcane stat is crucial for boosting the damage output of Bloody Slash.
- Weapon Upgrades: Upgrading your weapon increases the skill’s base damage, making it more effective.
- Talismans: Use talismans that enhance Bleed damage, such as the Lord of Blood’s Exultation, to further amplify your damage.
- Armor: Armor that increases Arcane can help increase damage.
Important Considerations
- HP Cost: Remember that Bloody Slash consumes a small amount of HP with each use.
- Bleed Overload: The bleed damage scales off the max health of the target. While this means you do more damage to higher health enemies, Bleed will not stack on an enemy if the bleed has been triggered. Therefore you will not be able to one shot an enemy with bleed, once the bleed has been applied.
- Weapon Restrictions: It is limited to swords, meaning colossals are excluded.
- Alternatives: Consider Seppuku if you prefer a different way to inflict the Blood status.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some frequently asked questions about using Bloody Slash in Elden Ring:
What weapons can’t I put Bloody Slash on?
Bloody Slash is specifically for swords. It is not equippable on colossal swords. This restriction limits its use to smaller and more agile weapon classes.
Is Bloody Slash a good early-game skill?
Yes, Bloody Slash is exceptional in the early game. It can deal massive damage to bosses and one-shot smaller enemies, making it incredibly useful for progression.
How does Bloody Slash scale with Arcane?
The damage of Bloody Slash scales directly with the Arcane stat. The higher your Arcane, the more damage you will deal with the skill.
Does Bloody Slash benefit from weapon upgrades?
Yes, the damage of Bloody Slash increases with weapon upgrade levels. Upgrading your weapon is crucial for maximizing the skill’s effectiveness.
Can Bloody Slash cause Hemorrhage?
Yes, Bloody Slash causes Hemorrhage (Bleed) buildup on enemies. This can inflict significant damage as a percentage of the enemy’s health.
Does using Bloody Slash cost HP?
Yes, each use of Bloody Slash damages the player for 0.05 times your maximum HP + 50 (rounded down). Make sure to balance this risk with the skill’s benefits.
Can you stack Blood Loss build-up using Bloody Slash?
No, once the blood loss has been triggered on an enemy, you will not be able to stack additional blood loss until the enemy has recovered.
Can I use Bloody Slash with the Uchigatana?
Absolutely. The Uchigatana is an excellent choice for Bloody Slash due to its innate Bleed buildup. This combination enhances its Bleed potential.
Is Bloody Slash effective against bosses?
Yes, Bloody Slash is highly effective against bosses, allowing you to carve off significant chunks of their health with each blood-soaked swing, and inflicting bleed.
What’s the difference between Seppuku and Bloody Slash?
Seppuku is another Blood affinity skill that buffs your weapon with Bleed. However, unlike Bloody Slash, it does not directly deal damage. Seppuku is more of a buff to your attacks, whereas bloody slash is an attack in itself.
Does Bloody Slash benefit from other Bleed boosts, such as Talismans?
Yes, it absolutely benefits from Talismans that increase bleed damage. The Lord of Blood’s Exultation Talisman is especially powerful for this.
What is the best Bleed weapon in Elden Ring?
The Rivers of Blood katana is widely considered the best bleed weapon in Elden Ring due to its high damage output and unique weapon skill. The Hand of Malenia is also a very good choice for bleed builds.
Does Bloody Slash scale with dexterity?
No, Bloody Slash does not scale with dexterity. It scales primarily with your weapon upgrade level and the arcane stat.
What other skills pair well with Bloody Slash?
Seppuku is a powerful combination, the buff from Seppuku can make bloody slash hit harder. Other skills that compliment bleed builds can help.
Where can I find the Bloody Slash Ash of War?
The Bloody Slash Ash of War is found at Fort Haight on the eastern side of Limgrave.