Nagakiba Elden Ring Guide – Location, Builds & Bleed Setup Tips

Katana with a ferociously long blade. Signature weapon of Yura, hunter of Bloody Fingers. Reminiscent of a reinforced spear, its imposing length can be put to good use with powerful thrusting attacks.

Nagakiba Katana – Elden Ring Location, Guide & Best Bleed Builds

The Nagakiba is a powerful katana in Elden Ring, known for its extended range and innate bleed buildup. As a favorite among Dexterity and Bleed-focused builds, the Nagakiba stands out for its versatility, Ash of War compatibility, and exceptional thrusting range. This guide covers its location, features, and top-tier build recommendations.

Where to Find the Nagakiba in Elden Ring

You can obtain the Nagakiba through several routes, depending on your progression:

• Primary Drop: Defeat Bloody Finger Hunter Yura near Murkwater Cave or at his camp near the Seaside Ruins Site of Grace.
• Quest Completion: Finish Yura’s questline, culminating at the Second Church of Marika. This method also rewards you with Eleonora’s Poleblade and the Purifying Crystal Tear.
• Fallback Locations: If you miss the main quest path or if Yura is overtaken by Shabriri, you can still find the Nagakiba at prior Yura locations:
  • North-east of Seaside Ruins Site of Grace
  • Below Murkwater Coast Site of Grace underpass
  • Near the Main Academy Gate Site of Grace bridge

Weapon Features & Stats

• Weapon Skill: Comes with Piercing Fang but can be replaced with any Ash of War
• Blood Loss Buildup: 45
• Two-handed R2: Unique thrust instead of standard vertical slash
• Infusable: Yes, with any Ash of War
• Buffable: Yes, can be enhanced with magic or consumables
• Upgrade Material: Smithing Stones

Nagakiba Build Recommendations

Thanks to its long reach and natural bleed scaling, the Nagakiba fits perfectly in a variety of setups:

🔪 Bleed Build

• Use Seppuku or Double Slash Ashes of War to rapidly trigger Hemorrhage
• Pair with bleed-boosting talismans like Lord of Blood’s Exultation
• Consider dual wielding with another Katana for aggressive bleed stacking

❄️ Frost-Bleed Hybrid

• Apply the Frost affinity to one Nagakiba for hybrid proc damage
• Use Chilling Mist or Frost build-up talismans to capitalize on Frostbite
• Switch between status applications to bypass resistances

🗡️ Dexterity-Based Duelist Build

• Infuse with Keen affinity for scaling Dex to max
• Use Unsheathe for quick high-damage openers
• Excellent in both PvE and PvP due to range and poise damage

Patch Adjustments & PvP Notes

The Nagakiba has received several PvP-specific tweaks across multiple patches:

• Patch 1.08: Reduced Katana poise damage in PvP
• Patch 1.09: Adjusted scaling values
• Patch 1.13: Increased poise damage on dual-wielded Katana attacks in PvP

Why Choose Nagakiba?

At first glance, the Nagakiba may seem like a heavier version of the Uchigatana. But with its superior range, flexible infusion support, and synergy with powerful Ashes of War like Double Slash, it becomes an S-tier bleed option—especially in dual wield setups. It requires slightly higher stats, but the return in damage and utility makes it a top-tier choice.