Developer FromSoftware’s Elden Ring is finally available! Set in a gorgeously haunting setting, this dark fantasy blends together the backbreaking brutality the studio is known for with the open-world freedom of titles such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Players are free to explore dungeons, battle bosses, complete side quests, or just roam the countryside on their trusty steed.
Even though there are many weapons in Elden Ring, some of the most popular are ones that inflict status ailments on enemies. Bleed is especially popular due to its high damage burst potential, which makes the Rivers of Blood katana ideal for Dexterity and Arcane-focused builds. While this Bleed weapon is especially dangerous, unfortunately, you won’t be able to claim it until pretty late in the game. Here’s how to get the Rivers of Blood katana so you can paint the Lands Between red:
How to Get the Rivers of Blood
Before I begin, note that you can’t obtain Rivers of Blood until you’ve defeated the final boss in the Leyndell, Royal Capital and arrived at the Mountaintop of the Giants. If you aren’t at this point in the game, then you cannot get this weapon yet.
For those who have made it, venture all the way to the Church of Repose in the Mountaintop of the Giants and defeat the invader that spawns there. Thankfully, getting to this location is pretty simple once you arrive as you simply need to bounce between Sites of Grace until you reach the Church of Repose. Since your path is pretty linear, I’m going to show you where to go once you cross the frozen lake and arrive at the First Church of Marika.
From the First Church of Marika, head west up the hill and follow the cliffside to the left. Be careful as there will be giant mutant dogs (no, you can’t pet them) waiting to ambush you on the right. They have a pretty wide lunge attack, so make sure to stay left along the cliff’s edge to avoid damage. These foes will also chase you for a bit, so keep riding towards the large castle surrounded by fire worshipers and wooden barricades.
Once you’re in front of the castle, ride through the many barricades towards the southwest corner. Along the cliffside, you will see a large chain spanning a massive chasm acting as a bridge. Carefully make your way across this bridge until you reach the Site of Grace on the other side. Take your time, as falling will almost certainly result in your death, forcing you to run back through the large camp of fire cultists.
Upon crossing the bridge, you’ll face a large hill littered with frozen, dead giants. Make your way southwest up the hill and through the hordes of enemies roaming around. There are a lot of giant birds, trolls, and dogs in this area, so don’t stop unless you have to. Thankfully, these monsters will battle one another, which can serve as a useful distraction while you’re riding by them.
Keep heading up the hill until you see the Church of Repose on the right. You’ll know you’re close because the game will force you off Torrent. As you climb up the hill, an invader NPC wielding the Rivers of Blood will spawn.
This enemy has a pretty mediocre health bar but can deal a tremendous amount of damage if it lands successive attacks. It’s critical you keep your distance and only attack at the end of the invader’s combo. If you’re quick, you can get in a cheeky backstab as the enemy is being summoned outside of the church, but the window to do this is narrow. After killing the invader, you will earn the Rivers of Blood katana — one of the best Arcane and Dexterity weapons in the game. If you’re looking for a Bleed build, this is the weapon you’ll want to use!
