Bleed builds have always held a special place in Elden Ring's PvP meta. They're explosive, stylish, and capable of absolutely deleting health bars when optimized correctly. But with the release of the DLC and players gaining access to new talismans, consumables Elden Ring Items, and synergies, some classic setups have become downright monstrous.

By pairing the Knight's Greatsword with Sepukku, stacking multiple bleed-damage multipliers, and optimizing both Dexterity and Arcane, this setup unleashes two-hit bleed combos capable of wiping out phantoms instantly. Whether you're invading in the Gravesite Plain or battling through the DLC field bosses, this build brings a level of aggression and burst potential that few opponents are ready to deal with.

This article breaks down everything about the build: how it works, why it's so strong, the exact talismans and stats to use, and real PvP examples showing just how destructive it can be in the hands of an experienced invader.

Why the Knight's Greatsword + Sepukku Works So Well

The Knight's Greatsword-similar to the Banished Knight Greatsword-has a unique strength:

a fast, deadly jump-light into light-attack combo that chains beautifully and sets up quick bleed procs. It strikes a perfect balance between range, speed, and stagger value, giving it excellent roll-catching tools and incredible pressure potential in invasions.

Now add Sepukku, one of the most infamous Ashes of War in Elden Ring. When applied, it:

 Boosts your bleed buildup drastically

 Adds flat damage

 Procs White Mask and Lord of Blood's Exaltation

 Synergizes with Sacred Bloody Flesh for even more Arcane

Combined, you get a devastating package:

Two-hit bleeds that hit for 1,700+ damage and outright one-shot phantoms.

In several examples from the invasion footage, even high-poise bull-goat players drop in a single jump-R1 chain. Sorcerers evaporate instantly. And hosts who aren't careful get chain-bleeded before they even realize what hit them.

The Damage Breakdown: From 574 → 1,134 AR

One of the most eye-opening moments in this build demonstration is the raw damage scaling you get from buff stacking.

Here's how the AR numbers shift:

 Base AR: ~574

 After Sacred Bloody Flesh (+10 Arcane): noticeably higher

 After Sepukku: ~1,031

 After Uplifting Aromatic: 1,134 AR

This is on a weapon that swing-for-swing already hits very hard, even without bleed. Once bleed enters the picture, each two-hit combo can deal thousands of damage in an instant.

In short:

You have colossal raw AR + insane bleed buildup + talismans that multiply everything.

This is why the build feels almost unfair when fully buffed.

Stat Spread: Dexterity and Arcane in Harmony

The core of the build is a Dex/Arc hybrid, split for optimal damage and bleed scaling.

Why Dex?

 Improves Greatsword damage significantly

 Boosts physical scaling

 Helps maximize the natural AR before buffs

Why Arcane?

 Directly increases bleed buildup

 Scales with Sepukku

 Works with White Mask and Lord of Blood's Exaltation

 Sacred Bloody Flesh gives a free +10 Arcane for even better bleed potential

The sweet spot is:

 Around 50 Dexterity

 40–50 Arcane (50 when buffed)

Arcane has diminishing returns past 40, which is why the +10 from Sacred Bloody Flesh fills the last tier perfectly.

Armor Choice: Fashion Optional, White Mask Mandatory

Armor is mostly cosmetic with this build. Choose whatever fashion suits your character. The only non-negotiable piece is:

White Mask

It increases your damage whenever blood loss occurs nearby. Because you are triggering bleed constantly, it is active nearly all the time.

Talisman Loadout (The Real Damage Engine)

These are the must-have talismans that turn this into a monster build:

 Lord of Blood's Exaltation

A massive damage increase whenever blood loss occurs nearby. It multiplies both physical damage and bleed burst damage.

 Two-Handed Sword Talisman

Boosts your damage while two-handing the Knight's Greatsword, which you will be doing 100% of the time.

 Erdtree's Favor +2

More HP, more stamina, more equip load. A staple for all PvP builds.

 Bull-Goat's Talisman

Increases poise dramatically. Essential for a build that likes to trade hits and pressure multiple opponents.

Together, these talismans turn a strong weapon into a health-bar deletion machine.

Playstyle Breakdown: How the Build Dominates Invasions

This build isn't just about raw damage-though it certainly has plenty. The strength lies in its simplicity and adaptability. Let's look at how it performs in actual invasions.1. Neutral Jumps and Jump-Attack Roll Catches

The Knight's Greatsword has:

 A strong jump-R1

 A fast follow-up R1

 Excellent hitboxes for catching panic rolls

If the first swing connects, the second one almost always bleeds the target instantly.

2. Priority Targeting: Kill the Phantom First

Against gank squads, the strategy is:

1.Identify the phantom

2.Delete them with a two-hit bleed combo

3.Force the host into a 1v1

The build excels at instantly removing squishier teammates. Sorcerers, dual-wield Dex builds, and low-poise invaders are free kills.

3. Playing Around Wizards

Many fights involved heavy spell spam:

 Stars of Ruin

 Carian Piercer

 Comets

 Dragon lightning

The key counterplay used:

 Line-of-sight with trees or pillars

 Side-to-side strafing

 Jump attacks to punish mistimed casts

 Greatbow shots for chip pressure

Once Chase reaches melee range, the fight ends almost immediately.

4. Trading Blows With Heavy Weapons

Bull-goat users and colossal weapon players try to trade hits.

This is a mistake.

With this build:

 A single trade often leads to bleed

 Bleed leads to a huge damage spike

 Poise lets you tank their opening hit

In several clips, full bull-goat players get erased just because they tried to challenge a jump-R1.

5. Outplaying Opponents With Terrain & Environmental Hazards

One of the funniest highlights involved baiting a player into death blight simply by giving them confidence to push aggressively.

Another clip used boulders and narrow corridors to force mistakes.

Elden Ring PvP often rewards environmental awareness, and this build pressure amplifies it.

Weaknesses of the Build

While incredibly strong, the build does have limitations:

 Heavy FP pressure

Sepukku + buffs + repeated engagements can drain flasks.

 Vulnerable while buffing

Smart gankers will rush a buffing player.

 High buff dependency

Without buffs, the build is still good, but not absurd.

 High-latency environments

Some combos become less reliable when the connection is poor.

These weaknesses are manageable with thoughtful positioning and timing.

Why This Build Works So Well in the DLC

The DLC areas encourage:

 Wide-open battlefield invasions

 Multiple enemies

 Fast, aggressive fights

 High-damage builds to counter gank groups

The Knight's Greatsword excels in all of these, especially when buffed. Many DLC players run heavy armor or incantation-focused setups-both of which fall extremely quickly to burst bleed.

Conclusion: A Simple, Savage, and Highly Effective Bleed Build

This Knight's Greatsword Sepukku build is one of the most explosive setups you can run in the DLC. It's accessible, incredibly fun, and brutally effective, especially in invasions where you're facing 2v1 or 3v1 scenarios.

To summarize, you get:

 1,134 AR with full buffs

 Two-hit bleeds that erase phantoms instantly

 Excellent roll-catch potential

 Synergy between Dex, Arcane, Sepukku, and talismans

 High poise and aggressive trading opportunities

It's not complicated. It's not gimmicky Elden Ring Items for sale.

It's pure, unfiltered destruction.

If you enjoy invading, PvP duels, or just want to melt bosses' health bars, this is a must-try build.