You know the feeling. You’re staring down a boss like Malenia or some relentless invader in the Liurnia marshes, and your standard straight sword just isn't cutting it. You need reach. You need speed. You basically need the Elden Ring long katana—or as the community affectionately calls it, the Washing Pole's successor, the Nagakiba. It’s a ridiculous weapon. Honestly, it looks like something out of a comedy sketch when you first see it sheathed, dragging along the ground behind Yura, the Bloody Finger Hunter. But once you swing it? Everything changes.
The Nagakiba isn't just a "long sword." It’s a tool of absolute spacing dominance.
Most players gravitate toward katanas for the innate bleed buildup, which is objectively one of the strongest mechanics in FromSoftware’s ecosystem. But the Nagakiba offers something the Uchigatana or the Moonveil can’t touch: pure, unadulterated distance. We're talking about a weapon that can poke an enemy from across the room before they even realize you’ve pressed the R2 button.
The Reality of Scaling and Requirements
Let's get the technical stuff out of the way. You can't just pick this up and be a god. It requires 18 Strength and 22 Dexterity. That’s a bit of an investment early on, especially if you’re starting as a Wretch or a Hero. But it’s worth it.
The scaling starts at D for Strength and C for Dexterity. If you’re running a Keen affinity, that Dex scaling jumps to an A. That is massive. It means as you pump points into your primary stat, the damage doesn't just crawl—it leaps. Most people think they need to go full Arcane to make katanas work. You don't. A pure Dexterity build with the Nagakiba is a monster.
You find it by following Yura’s questline. Or, if you’re impatient and a bit of a villain, you can just kill him when you meet him near the Seaside Ruins in Limgrave. I wouldn't recommend it, though. His quest is one of the more poignant stories in the Lands Between, and following it to the Second Church of Marika feels way more rewarding. Plus, you get Eleanor's Poleblade there too. Two birds, one stone.
Why Spacing Is the Only Stat That Matters
In PvP, the Elden Ring long katana is a nightmare. Truly.
Phantom range is a real thing in online play. Because of the way netcode works, a weapon that is already physically long becomes even more dangerous. You’ll think you’re safe. You’ll backpedal. Then, suddenly, your character is clutching their stomach because the tip of that blade grazed your hitbox from five feet away.
- The thrusting R2 is the star of the show.
- It covers ground faster than most players can roll away.
- Pair it with the Piercing Fang Ash of War.
- Watch shields become irrelevant.
Unsheathe is another great option. While it’s the default skill for most katanas, the increased length of the Nagakiba makes the heavy overhead slash cover a terrifying amount of vertical and horizontal space. It’s basically cheating in PvE against flying enemies like those annoying stormhawks in Stormveil Castle.
Comparing the Nagakiba to the Rivers of Blood
Everyone talks about Rivers of Blood. Yes, Corpse Piler is flashy. Yes, it melts bosses. But it’s short. You have to be in the pocket to make it work. With the Nagakiba, you are the pocket. You dictate where the fight happens.
If you put Double Slash on a Nagakiba and buff it with Bloodflame Blade, you essentially have a "budget" Rivers of Blood that actually has better range and more versatile scaling. It’s the thinking man’s katana. It’s for the player who wants to actually play the game rather than just mash L2 and hope for a bleed proc.
Dealing with the Weight and Speed Penalty
Is it slower? Sorta.
There’s a common misconception that the Nagakiba swings significantly slower than the Uchigatana. In reality, the frame data is nearly identical for the standard light attack chain. Where you feel the weight is in the recovery. If you whiff a heavy thrust, you’re open for a split second longer than you would be with a shorter blade.
It weighs 7.0 units. For context, the Uchi is 5.5. That 1.5 difference doesn't sound like much until you realize it’s the difference between a Medium Roll and a Fat Roll when you’re wearing heavy armor like the Bull-Goat set. You have to balance your Endurance.
I’ve seen builds where people dual-wield these. It looks insane. You look like a walking windmill of steel. But the stamina drain is astronomical. If you’re going that route, you better have the Green Turtle Talisman glued to your accessory slot.
Infusions: What Actually Works?
- Keen: The gold standard for Dex builds. High consistent damage.
- Lightning: Since Lightning damage scales with Dexterity in Elden Ring, this is a sleeper hit for PvP. Most armor has lower lightning resistance than physical.
- Occult: Only do this if you are going 80 Arcane. It makes the physical damage scale with your Arcane stat while also boosting the bleed buildup.
- Cold: A very underrated choice. You get Frostbite AND Bleed. It’s a dual-status pressure machine.
The Versatility of Ash of War Choice
Because the Nagakiba is a "normal" weapon (upgraded with Smithing Stones, not Somber ones), you can swap the Ash of War at any Grace. This is its biggest advantage over something like the Moonveil.
Sword Dance is incredible on this weapon. The forward momentum combined with the blade's length creates a zone of death that is very hard to escape. Spinning Slash is another one. On a shorter sword, Spinning Slash is a "get off me" move. On the Elden Ring long katana, it’s an offensive vacuum that catches anyone trying to circle-strafe you.
I've experimented with Beast's Roar for a long-range poke, but honestly, why bother? Your sword is already a projectile.
The Aesthetic Factor
Let's be real for a second. We play these games for the fashion.
The Nagakiba looks cool. It has that "lone samurai" vibe but dialed up to eleven. When you see a player wearing the Ronin's set—which you also get from Yura's quest—with that massive blade resting on their shoulder, it sends a message. It says you know where the good loot is. It says you value precision over brute force.
It fits the "Edgelord" archetype perfectly, but it backs it up with some of the best hitboxes in the history of Soulsborne games.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Don't ignore the Strength requirement. I've seen too many people try to run this with 12 Strength and a Soreseal, only to wonder why their damage is mediocre and they're taking 15% extra damage from every hit. Get your base stats up.
Stop spamming the thrust. Yes, the R2 is amazing. But it’s predictable. A semi-decent PvP player will parry a Nagakiba thrust 10 times out of 10 if you lead with it. Mix in your jumping attacks. The jumping heavy attack with this weapon has a surprisingly wide sweep that catches rolls.
Actionable Steps for Your Build
If you want to maximize this weapon right now, here is the blueprint.
First, get your Dexterity to at least 55 (the first soft cap). Second, obtain the Bloodflame Blade incantation from the teardrop scarab near Rose Church in Liurnia. It only requires 12 Faith and 10 Arcane. This buff adds fire damage and makes the bleed buildup "linger," meaning the bleed meter on your enemy keeps filling for a few seconds after you hit them.
Next, find the Old Lord's Talisman to make that buff last longer, or the Lord of Blood's Exultation to boost your attack power whenever you trigger a bleed proc. If you’re feeling spicy, put the Spinning Slash Ash of War on it and set it to Keen.
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Go to the Gatefront Ruins. Test the range of your R2 against the Godrick Soldiers. Notice how far away you can stand while still hitting them. That gap—that "dead zone"—is your new best friend. Learn to live in that space where you can touch them, but they can't touch you. That is how you master the long katana.
Once you’ve got the timing down, take it to the Colosseum. You’ll find that most players struggle to adapt to the sheer reach of your swings. Use that to your advantage. Keep your distance, wait for an opening, and punish with the thrust.
The Lands Between is a punishing place, but with enough steel between you and your problems, it becomes a lot more manageable. The Nagakiba isn't just a weapon; it's a safety net. Use it wisely, and don't forget to finish Yura's quest properly. The lore is worth the detour.
To truly optimize your setup, seek out the Shard of Alexander to boost the damage of your Ash of War skills by 15%. This turns moves like Unsheathe or Piercing Fang into genuine one-shot threats against lower-vigor players and makes boss encounters significantly shorter. Match this with the Winged Sword Insignia for successive attack bonuses, and you'll find that the Nagakiba's speed allows you to stack these buffs incredibly fast.