You’ve seen the red-stained tatters. You’ve probably heard the rumors that it’s the "new meta" for Shadow of the Erdtree. But there is a massive amount of confusion surrounding the Elden Ring rakshasa armor, especially when it comes to that terrifying item description.
"Increases damage dealt to foes, but greatly increases damage taken by the wearer."
Sounds like a suicide pact, right?
Most players look at that and assume it works like a Daedicar’s Woe or a Soreseal, where your damage negation stats just plummet into the negatives. Honestly, that's not what's happening. The reality is much weirder, and once you understand how the math actually works, you’ll realize this set is basically a "free" damage buff for almost every build in the game.
Where to Find the Rakshasa Set Without Getting Lost
Getting your hands on this gear isn't exactly a walk in Limgrave. You have to reach the Eastern Nameless Mausoleum.
To get there, you need to find the secret coffin in Shadow Keep. Down in the "basement" area near the burning boats, there’s a ladder hidden behind a fake wall. This leads you to the Castle Watering Hole. From there, you follow the Recluses' River all the way south. Don't stop. Just keep heading down the cliffs until you see a mausoleum tucked against the eastern mountain wall.
Inside, you'll fight Rakshasa herself. She’s a glass cannon. She uses the Rakshasa Great Katana and can absolutely shred your health bar if you get caught in her "Weed Cutter" Ash of War.
Pro tip: Use a weapon with high stagger or just parry her. She doesn't have much poise. Once she's dead, she drops the entire armor set and her sword.
The Big Lie: Does It Actually Increase Damage Taken?
Here is the nuance that most guides miss. Technically, the Elden Ring rakshasa armor does not apply a separate "debuff" multiplier to your incoming damage in the same way a Scorpion Charm does.
Instead, FromSoftware "balanced" it by giving the armor garbage stats for its weight.
The set weighs 30.5 units. For that weight class, you'd usually expect physical negation around 26% or 27% (think along the lines of the Raging Wolf or Hoslow sets). Rakshasa only gives you about 19.4% physical negation.
You aren't being "punished" with extra damage; you’re just wearing armor that protects you as poorly as a set half its weight. If you're coming from a light-roll build or wearing wizard robes, putting this on is actually a massive upgrade to your defense, while still giving you a damage boost.
It’s essentially a "weighted" buff.
The Math of the Carnage
If you’re a numbers person, here is the breakdown of what the set actually does for your offense:
- Each piece (Helm, Chest, Gauntlets, Greaves) provides a 2% universal damage boost.
- This is not just for physical attacks. It applies to sorceries, incantations, and even item consumables.
- The full set provides a total multiplicative boost of approximately 8.2%.
That might not sound like much, but in Elden Ring, 8% is huge. It’s nearly the equivalent of an extra talisman slot. Because it is a "passive" effect attached to the armor, it stacks with everything—Golden Vow, Flame Grant Me Strength, and your Flask of Wondrous Physick.
Is the Rakshasa Great Katana Worth Using Too?
While the armor is the star for most min-maxers, the weapon is a beast in its own right. It’s a Great Katana that scales primarily with Dexterity.
The unique skill, Weed Cutter, allows you to perform horizontal sweeps for as long as your stamina holds out. The real kicker? While you are performing this attack, you have massive hyper-armor. You basically cannot be staggered by standard attacks while you’re swinging.
The trade-off is the same: you take more damage while attacking. But if you have high Vigor and the Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman, you can just trade hits with bosses and come out on top because your DPS is so high.
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How to Optimize Your Build
If you want to use the Elden Ring rakshasa armor effectively, don't just slap it on and pray.
Since you are sacrificing "optimal" negation for its weight class, you should pair it with the Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman to offset the lower physical defense. Also, because the damage buff is universal, it’s incredible for "Hybrid" builds. If you’re running a Faith/Dex or Int/Str build, you’re getting a boost to your spells and your melee hits simultaneously.
A lot of players are starting to use just the Gauntlets and Greaves. These two pieces give you a 4% boost but allow you to wear a heavier chest piece (like the Solitude Armor) to keep your Poise above the 51 or 101 breakpoints. This is the "smart" way to play it if you don't want to be a total glass cannon.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Journey
First, check your current equip load. If you have 30.5 units of space and you're currently wearing something light like the Spellblade set, go get the Rakshasa set immediately. It is a straight upgrade in every single category for you.
Second, if you're struggling with the Rakshasa boss fight in the mausoleum, bring a shield with Carian Retaliation or Golden Parry. She is extremely susceptible to being parried, and since she has low health, three or four ripostes will end the fight before she can start her infinite-swing combo.
Lastly, don't ignore the fashion. It looks like a blood-soaked samurai nightmare. Even if the stats weren't good, the "drip" factor is top-tier for any Shadow of the Erdtree character.