Welcome back, Tarnished! If you're looking to dominate the battlefield in Elden Ring with style and raw power, this build guide is perfect for you. Today, we'll be focusing on one of the most impressive weapons in the game-the Rock Shasa Great Katana. Not only does it boast an intimidating appearance, but its mechanics are designed to deliver devastating damage while providing flexibility in combat. Whether you're exploring the vast lands of the Lands Between, tackling difficult bosses, or testing your skills against other players in PvP, this build is designed to maximize your effectiveness and enjoyment.
Before diving into specifics, it's worth mentioning that enhancing your resources can significantly improve your performance. Many players choose to acquire Elden Ring Runes to speed up leveling, optimize gear, and ensure their characters can survive even the toughest encounters. With the right setup, the Rock Shasa Great Katana becomes not just a weapon, but a tool to assert dominance across all forms of combat.
Weapon Overview: Rock Shasa Great Katana
The Rock Shasa Great Katana stands out in Elden Ring due to its flexible move set and damage potential. Unlike standard katanas, this weapon blends heavy-hitting capabilities with swift precision attacks. Here's what makes it exceptional:
Heavy Attacks with Hyper Armor: This feature allows you to trade blows with enemies without being staggered easily. Hyper armor ensures that even when taking hits, you can still complete your attack animations, making it a valuable tool against bosses and aggressive mobs alike.
Piercing Damage Style: Similar to the Claymore, the Rock Shasa excels at piercing through enemy defenses, making it effective against heavily armored foes and opponents resistant to slashing damage.
Crouch Pokes: These fast, low stabs are perfect for mixups, allowing you to catch enemies rolling or attacking recklessly. Timing is critical, but mastering this technique can drastically improve your PvP success.
Running Attacks: Both light and heavy running attacks are highly effective for controlling engagements. Whether you're chasing down foes or disengaging from a dangerous situation, the running moves of this katana make repositioning and punishing your opponents seamless.
With these attributes, the Rock Shasa Great Katana is incredibly versatile, bridging the gap between aggressive and reactive playstyles.
Stat Allocation
To get the most out of the Rock Shasa Great Katana, careful stat allocation is crucial. This build prioritizes Strength and Dexterity to maximize damage output, while also ensuring survivability:
Strength: 50+
Boosting Strength enhances your heavy attacks and allows for better hyper armor trade-offs. This is essential for overpowering bosses and clearing PvE content efficiently.
Dexterity: 40+
Dexterity increases your attack speed, critical damage, and weapon scaling. High Dexterity ensures that your quick poke and combo attacks land hard, and it synergizes well with the katana's natural thrusting moves.
Endurance: 30+
Endurance is necessary for stamina management, armor weight, and ensuring you can survive heavy trades. With hyper armor moves, having enough stamina to finish attacks is critical.
Vigor: 35+
Survival is key in Elden Ring. Vigor enhances your health pool, allowing you to withstand mistakes or boss mechanics that deal large damage.
Other stats, like Mind or Intelligence, are optional unless you want to incorporate magic or talisman buffs into your build.
Talismans and Gear
Equipping the right talismans and armor complements the Rock Shasa Great Katana's strengths:
Armor: Medium to heavy armor is ideal to balance mobility with survivability. The Rock Shasa build benefits from armor that provides good poise so you can maintain hyper armor attacks without being staggered.
Talismans:
Great-Jar's Arsenal Talisman: Increases your maximum equip load to carry heavier armor while retaining mobility.
Dragoncrest Shield Talisman: Boosts physical damage negation to improve survivability during aggressive trading.
Hunter's Rune Talisman: Enhances stamina recovery, allowing you to chain attacks and dodge more effectively.
Combat Strategy
The Rock Shasa Great Katana excels in both PvE and PvP due to its versatility. Here's how to approach different combat scenarios:
PvE Boss Fights: Use heavy attacks with hyper armor to trade blows carefully, and rely on running attacks to punish openings. Alternate between crouch pokes and thrusting combos to deal consistent damage while avoiding risky counterattacks.
Mob Clearing: Running attacks and wide sweep combos allow you to manage multiple enemies effectively. Positioning is key-approach with caution, strike, and retreat to avoid being surrounded.
PvP Duels: Mix crouch pokes, heavy trades, and running attacks to keep opponents guessing. The key is unpredictability; bait rolling attacks and punish with fast thrusts to control the fight.
Final Tips
Experiment with different Ashes of War to further tailor your build. Some enhance thrust damage, while others add utility like mobility boosts or ranged options.
Always keep your weapon upgraded to maintain high scaling and damage output. Farming materials and investing Runes wisely ensures your katana stays formidable.
Practice timing for crouch pokes and running attacks-these moves can be game-changers in both PvE and PvP when executed correctly.
The Rock Shasa Great Katana is more than just a weapon-it's a statement. With the right stats, equipment, and combat strategy, this build allows you to dominate battles with precision, style, and raw power. Whether you're clearing Elden Ring's toughest dungeons or challenging other players, mastering this weapon guarantees a thrilling and rewarding gameplay experience.
With careful preparation and practice, the Rock Shasa Great Katana can turn you into a force that few opponents can withstand. Equip your talismans, fine-tune your stats, and step into the Lands Between ready to leave a trail of defeated enemies in your wake.
